Upper Marlboro, MD – October 7, 2016 – Hunter and equitation expertise were featured at The Capital Challenge Horse Show, presented by World Equestrian Center, on Friday. In the WCHR Professional Finals, sponsored by Madison Hills Farm, the top six hunter riders in the country went head to head over three rounds, with John French leading the victory gallop.
John French led through all three rounds of competition in Friday’s $5,000 WCHR Professional Finals at the Capital Challenge Horse Show. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography.
The WCHR Pro Finals used the same three-round format as last year. Riders switched on two donated horses for the first two rounds, then brought a horse of their own for the third and final handy round.
French set the tone for the night and started with an unbeatable lead by riding Alant, an eight-year-old gelding owned by Elli Yeager, to a score of 90.66 (90, 93, 89). In the second round, he piloted Everglow, an eight-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Quidam de Revel owned by Whish, LLC. French jumped ahead again with judges’ scores of 91, 89, and 92 for an average of 90.66.
French had a dominating nine-point lead over second place finisher, Scott Stewart, to take his fourth WCHR Professional Finals win in the 23-year history of the class.
French is comfortable with the format of the WCHR Pro Finals, in that he often hops on horses for the first time at a horse show. Catch-riding two horses tonight was nothing new. What was new, however, was his mindset.
“I actually this year just tried to not think so much,” he said with a smile. “That was my new thing, just to go in there and don’t even think. That’s something that I read in sports books about how people like golfers get ready or get in the zone. I always read ones that say you just don’t think when you get nervous or for a big competition like this. I just tried that, and it worked pretty good.”
Scott Stewart, pictured on his first round mount Show Me, finished second in the WCHR Professional Finals.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Stewart placed second with scores of 86.16 on Show Me, 87.83 on Redeemed, and 88.33 on Reality for a total of 262.32.
Stewart was unsure of how his horses would go, but was pleasantly surprised at the results.
He described, “I had a couple of rubs in the first round, but he was really fun to ride. He was really easy. The bay mare I got to see her go first. I wasn’t quite sure how I’d ride her because she seemed a little sensitive. She was nice, but she actually was probably the hardest ride for me. You couldn’t use your leg too much. You had to just let her be. In the end, she went around quite nice. Reality I’ve had forever, so I know him really well. He’s fun. He did a good job.”
Katie Gardner took third place in her first WCHR Professional Finals.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Third place went to Katie Gardner, who was riding in her very first WCHR Pro Finals. She scored an 84 on Redeemed, 87.5 on Show Me, and 87.33 on Crush for a total of 258.83.
Gardner admitted she was too quick to the single oxer on her second ride, Show Me, and Redeemed had more of “an equitation feel”, which suited her just fine.
“It was really my comfort zone. I love the equitation, and I wish I could do it all over again. So it was really neat that way,” she said.
“Just to get to do it was such a thrill,” Gardner said. “Honestly being a little bit of an underdog was, I think, an awesome thing for me. My first time in there – just go in there and do the best I could. It was just a blast. I’m really honored.”
Hunt Tosh finished fourth in the WCHR Professional Finals.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Hunt Tosh received fourth place after scoring 86.33 on Dreamliner, 87 on Pure Imagination, and 85.16 on Gotham for a 258.49 total.
Tosh remarked about the camaraderie that the riders have with each other when preparing for the WCHR Pro Finals. “We’re usually talking (and) comparing notes,” he said. “You always try to help each other out. It’s a fun class. It’s special to be in it every year. It’s a very special class, and just to be in this group of riders is always fun.”
Slotting into fifth place was John Bragg. He rode Everglow for an 86, Alant for 86.66, and Early August to an 82.66 for a total of 255.32.
John Bragg finished fifth in his third WCHR Professional Finals.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
“Unlike John, I don’t ride that many different horses,” Bragg revealed. “I sort of produce my own and show them. I’m sort of spoiled that way. So it for sure was a challenge for me to just sort of get on and go for it, if you will. It was fun and challenging. It makes you a better rider, to go out there and feel the pressure to perform.”
Kelley Farmer placed sixth. She scored 87.66 on Pure Imagination, 80.33 on Dreamliner, and 73.33 on Publicized for a 241.32 total.
“It was a great class as usual,” Farmer said. “Thank you to everyone who loaned us those horses. That was very generous of them.”
Kelley Farmer and Publicized. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
She added with a smile, “I screwed up tonight, but that was on me, nothing else. I was excited to be here and be in this group.”
For his win tonight in the WCHR Professional Finals, French was presented with the “All the Way” Perpetual Trophy, donated by Elizabeth Busch Burke and Lysa Burke Horkan. The Far West Farms Perpetual Trophy donated by the Karazissis Family was given to Alant, owned by Elli Yeager, given to the donated horse with the highest cumulative points of the WCHR Professional Finals.
John French accepts the award for the win in the $5,000 WCHR Professional Finals aboard Small Gesture.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
All of the riders thanked the owners for letting them use their horses in the WCHR Professional Finals. The horses in tonight’s class were:
Rounds 1 & 2
Dreamliner, owned by Kama Godek
Pure Imagination, owned by Ponies & Palms Show Stables LLC
Alant, owned by Elli Yeager
Redeemed, owned by Sumner Hill Farm
Show Me, owned by Ashley Hartman
Everglow, owned by Whish, LLC
Round 3
Publicized, owned by Amanda Hone
Gotham, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker
Early August, owned by Ann Thornton
Small Gesture, owned by Chris Iwasaki and Elizabeth Reilly
Chrush, owned by Q of E Farms LLC
Reality, owned by Krista & Alexa Weisman
For additional information, full results, and live stream coverage from Capital Challenge, please visitwww.capitalchallenge.org. For behind-the scenes photos, videos and more, find Capital Challenge onFacebook, Twitter and Instagra
Final Results: WCHR Professional Finals, sponsored by Madison Hills Farm
90.00 93.00 89.00 90.66
86.50 86.00 86.00 86.16
84.00 85.00 83.00 84.00
87.00 84.00 88.00 86.33
86.00 87.00 85.00 86.00
88.00 88.00 87.00 87.66