Tessa Brown Tops $5,000 Equitation Challenge
Fourteen-year-old Tessa Brown of Jamaica, VT, put on an exhibition in perfect style to win the $5,000 Equitation Challenge at the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows. After competing throughout the week in the Low Junior Jumpers, Medium Junior Jumpers, and 3’6” Junior Hunters, Brown focused on her equitation over the weekend riding Davide, owned by Equipearl, LLC.
Tessa Brown of Jamaica, VT, won the $5,000 Equitation Challenge riding Davide on Saturday, May 11, during the 2019 Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, NY. Photo by The Book
Davide carried Brown to score an 81 in the first round and they returned to impress with an 89, which totaled to a 170, just one point ahead of runner-up Sophee Steckbeck, who score an 82 and 87 riding Crossbow, owned by Redfield Farm. Alexandra Pielet and Common Sense, owned by Co-Pielet, LLC, rounded out the top three on scores of 83 and 85.5 for a 168.5 total.
“I chose to do this class because it’s great practice for the upcoming equitation events this summer and indoor finals in the fall,” said Brown, who has been in the saddle since she was four years old and trains with Kyla Makhloughi. “It’s a good setup and was good exposure for me and the horse.
“Leading up to this, it’s been a lot about the connection with the horse,” continued Brown. “I have an amazing horse and trainer and we do a lot of practicing at home. Next, I will head to Devon and my most immediate goal is to do well there and have a consistent summer.”
Mimi Moulton Pilots Whisper to Grand Adult Amateur Hunter Championship
Thursday was a day of firsts for Mimi Moulton of Greenwich, CT, who collected three wins, as well as a second and third-place ribbon in the Adult Amateur Hunter 36-49 Division riding her own Whisper to claim the duo’s first tricolor together. The finishes were also enough to land them the Grand Adult Amateur Hunter Championship.
Moulton imported Whisper, an eight-year-old Hanoverian mare by Contendros, as a five-year-old with the Adult Hunters as their goal. In the meantime, Holly Orlando has competed the mount in the 3’9” Green Hunter Division.
Whisper, ridden by Mimi Moulton, jumped to a champion ribbon in the Adult Amateur Hunter 36-49 Division, which won them Grand Adult Amateur Hunter Champion honors during the 2019 Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, NY. Photo by The Book
“This is very exciting, especially on this horse because I just started riding her this winter,” said Moulton, who trains with Orlando and Jenny Dunion of Evermore, Inc. “She felt amazing this week and has grown up a lot in the past year and a half. She was jumping so well here and I’m loving having her in this division.”
Moulton has been showing at Old Salem Farm since she was a junior rider under the tutelage of Emerson Burr and Leslie Howard.
“This show is right in my backyard and I love it because I grew up coming here,” said Moulton, who returned to horse sport ten years ago after having her third child. “I took 20 years off and now I am back!”
Reserve Champion honors in the Adult Amateur Hunter 36-49 Division was presented to Cascade, ridden by Alexandra Beyrer and owned by Molly McQuilkin.