Kayla Lott Outshines the Competition in Inaugural USHJA Hunterdon Cup Equitation Classic – West Coast

Del Mar, CA — July 25, 2016 —  Kayla Lott, a 16-year-old from Camarillo, CA,  swept all three rounds of the inaugural USHJA Hunterdon Equitation Cup Classic – West Coast, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry College, to take the title of Champion aboard Vancouver, owned by Elvenstar Farm. The event is held on both coasts in July in conjunction with the US Junior Hunter National Championships.

Besting a field of 26 talented equitation riders, Lott, trained by James Hagman, Katie Gardner, Javier Abad and Kay Altheuser of Elvenstar Farm, rode consistently over the first round, the handy round and in the work-off to lead with scores of 88, 85 and 85, respectively.

When asked how it felt to win the inaugural Hunterdon Cup West Coast, Lott responded with, “Oh my gosh; incredible!”

“In the first round I just wanted to do the best I could,” said Lott. “Since I was in the lead going into the second round, I of course wanted to keep [the lead], but I just wanted to improve through each round.”

Just three points separated the top five riders after Round I. Leading the way was Lott who went eighth in the order. Just half of a point behind with an 87.5 was Ransome Rombauer, 17 of Saint Helena, CA, aboard her own mount, Gaston. Grady Lyman, 15 of Rancho Santa Fe, CA, riding Bridgeport Equine LLC’s Avinjo B followed closely in third with an 87. Michael Williamson, 16 of Loomis, CA, sat comfortably in fourth with an 86.5 on his mount, Long Island Ice Tea, and rounding out the top six was Nina Vogel, 17 of Pacific Palisades, CA, riding her own Jamestown with a score of 86 and Emma Marlowe, 17 of Lake Balboa, CA, with a score of 85 riding Pam Stewart’s horse, Citadel.

The top 20 riders from Round I returned in reverse order for Round II to jump Joe Lombardo’s challenging but fair handy course, which included an oxer to vertical in-and-out and a vertical on the bank of the Del Mar Horse Park grass Grand Prix field.

“I liked the handy course,” said Emma Marlowe. “It gave us more of a chance to make some inside turns and really show off more skill.”

Nina Vogel, who competed in the Hunterdon Equitation Cup Classic in Devon, PA, last year, enjoyed having the class at the Del Mar Horse Park. “I love the field out here, and [the class] worked out really well,” said Vogel. “It was challenging enough; it was big enough. It turned out really well.”

In the end, it was the top six riders from Round I who prevailed with Lott maintaining her lead after Round II, followed by Marlowe who had a solid round to move up from sixth to second with the best handy score of 87, then Vogel in third, Grady Lyman in fourth, Ransome Rombauer in fourth and Michael Williamson in sixth.

Final Round a Gauntlet of Horsemanship

Judges Michael Page and Bobbie Reber then put the top six riders to the ultimate test in the work-off asking riders to swap horses (as the specifications require) and remove their stirrups before warming up their new mounts-without assistance. Riders were then required to complete a modified course that included hand galloping the first fence, trotting a fence on the bank, then counter cantering a fence, and jumping an in-and-out.

Williamson and Rombauer swapped mounts, Vogel and Lyman swapped mounts, and Marlowe and Lott swapped as well. Riders went in reverse order of their standings with Williamson going first aboard Rombauer’s horse, Gaston.

“I was really impressed with not so much the horse power, but with the riding power,” said Page.

Page continued, explaining to the riders, “That was impressive as you all sort of maintained that level of riding on different horses without your ‘pedals,’ and it didn’t look anything different. And it’s only because you all ride well. That is a real compliment to your trainers, and a compliment to what you have worked hard to become. It was very, very nice.”

“What we liked about [the work-off] was that Kayla led right off the bat; she came in, picked up the gallop and carried it all the way through,” said Reber. “It was very obvious that Grady Lyman had the hardest horse. Right from the very beginning we thought ‘boy, she’s doing a very good job on a very hard horse.’ And then what we really enjoyed was that Nina did such a good job in the work-off [on Lyman’s mount Avinjo B].”

Lyman later explained that it was only Avinjo B’s second day of doing equitation.

Gaston, owned and ridden by Ransome Rombauer,was named the Best Equitation Horse of the 2016 USHJA Hunterdon Equitation Cup Classic – West Coast. PC: Captured Moments Photography

Rombauer’s 16.1 black Czech Warmblood gelding, Gaston (Grand Step x Odra), took the title of Best Equitation Horse, awarded by the judges after solid trips with Rombauer in Rounds I and II and with Williamson in the work-off.

“The East Coast always does it first,” said Lyman. “But when we come out here and have such a big class, and we compete against all of our friends, I just think it’s so fun, and I know we all had fun today.”

The top 10 riders were pinned in reverse order with the top four remaining a surprise until the end. USHJA sponsors provided awards to the top 10 riders. Tenth through 6th place received a USHJA saddle pad and rider sash; 5th through 3rd received a USHJA saddle pad, rider sash, a set of Professional’s Choice VenTECH Leather Open Front Jumping Boots and an Essex Classics riding shirt; Reserve Champion received a USHJA saddle pad, rider sash, a set of Professional’s Choice VenTECH Leather Open Front Jumping Boots, an Essex Classics riding shirt, and a Charles Owen riding helmet.

The Champion received a USHJA saddle pad, rider sash, a set of Professional’s Choice VenTECH Leather Open Front and Hind Jumping Boots, an Essex Classics riding shirt, a Charles Owen riding helmet, a USHJA champion cooler and a keeper trophy to celebrate the perpetual trophy donated by Diane Carney and Lynn Jayne.