The first major championship title of the 2020 Capital Challenge Horse Show went to Jordan Allen on Friday, September 25, at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, OH. Riding Coltrane, Allen, of West Bloomfield, MI, topped the North American Adult Amateur Equitation Championship to kick off Equitation Weekend, presented by BIGEQ.com.
Jordan Allen on Coltraine. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography.
From a field of 20 entries, a score of 86.66 over the Joseph Carnicom-designed first round course put Allen into third place, but a second-round score of 89.66 would shoot her to the top of the leaderboard with a winning, overall score of 176.32.
Second place with scores of 87.66 and 83.66 for a 171.32 total went to Ashton Alexander of Ocala, FL, riding Travis Scott, owned by Brookside Pine Farms, LLC. Grady Lyman of San Diego, CA, and Bellisima Z, owned by Ashland Farms, rounded out the top three with an overall score of 169.50.
“It’s really exciting!” said Allen, 19, of her win. “I feel really lucky to be able to do this, especially in these unprecedented times, with everything going on. We’re so lucky to show, and I would say that Capital Challenge is the most exciting show to go to. They make it feel so special – the prizes, the ribbons, the presentation ceremonies. Everything is special.”
Allen was a successful competitor at the Capital Challenge Horse Show throughout her junior career, and this year, she picked up the ride on Coltrane, owned by Kevan Husky, to return to the equitation ring as an adult rider.
“I was actually just saying to Ken [Smith] that I hadn’t done an eq class since Maclay Finals [in November 2019],” said Allen, who trains with Ken and Emily Smith of Ashland Farms. “Coltrane is a new horse for Ashland Farms; we got him in the barn about a week ago, and I rode him for the first time yesterday.”
“I feel really lucky to ride him,” continued Allen of the 11-year-old Swedish Warmblood. “He’s so easy. He just flatted in the morning, and he was amazing this morning and in this class. I’m really excited and so happy with him.”
In addition to claiming victory in the North American Adult Amateur Equitation Championship, Allen and Coltrane were named champions in the Adult Equitation Section B.
For full class results, click here. All photos by Shawn McMillen Photography.