The 61st Washington International Horse Show, presented by MARS Equestrian, wrapped up this morning with the local classes. McKenna Gregorio of Virginia took top honors for the WIHS Regional Pony Hunter Finals riding Autumn Frost while Washington, DC native Caroline Pennington earned the reserve championship.

WIHS Regional Hunter Finals Champions Olivia Brown (Whaleyville, MD) and Lapis ©Shawn McMillen

Marylanders earned the top two spots in the WIHS Regional Hunter Finals with Olivia Brown of Whaleyville riding Lapis for the win. Caroline Childs of Lothian earned the reserve championship title.

The big jumper classes wrapped up on Saturday (October 26) evening with U.S. Olympian Laura Kraut winning the coveted $136,300 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Washington class. Better known as “The President’s Cup,” this class is one that has eluded Kraut for many years. “It’s been a class that I wanted to win for many, many years,” she told JumpMedia. Last year, Kraut finished fifth riding Confu.

Laura Kraut and Fleurette win the President’s Cup © Shawn McMillen

Kraut first competed at WIHS in 1978 in the pony hunter divisions and moved up the levels through the years. Now an Olympic Gold Medalist, Kraut had finished second in the President’s Cup a few times. Her win this year came aboard Fleurette, a relatively new mount for her owned by Barb and David Roux of St. Bride’s Farm.

Israeli rider Sydney Shulman, who calls Greenwich, CT her US home base, earned to Grand Prix wins at WIHS this year. On Thursday, October 24, Shulman won the fan favorite $36,000 International Jumper Accumulator Costume Class riding Villamoura. Dressed as the Pokéman trainer, Ash and decorating her horse as Pikachu, Shulman threw 30 plus Poké balls into the crowd while walking the course before the class. “The kids I threw them to were so excited at the end when I won,” she said. Shulman and Villamoura were the fastest of nine riders who earned 65 points over the Gamblers Choice-style course.

Sydney Shulman and Villamoura won both the International Jumper Accumulator Costume class on Thursday and the International Jumper Speed Final on Friday © Shawn McMillen

The Stephens Family presented Kristen Vanderveen with the Best Costume Award that evening. Vanderveen was dressed as Cruella de Ville while riding Faustino de Tili painted to look like a Dalmation. She shared the prize money with her groom Luis Salazar.

The Buck Breast Cancer joker jump in the Accumulator class racked up 10 clear jumping efforts to raise $5,000 for the Capital Breast Care Center.

The next day, Friday, October 25, Shulman was earning the blue ribbon again, this time in the $50,000 International Jumper Speed Final. She rode Villamoura for the win again. This was Shulman’s first year jumping in the international jumper divisions and she came to WIHS with the goal of finishing in the top five. She ended up finishing her WIHS debut with two firsts instead!

Schulyer Riley and Very Chic du Tillard tied with Aaron Vale and Finou 4 to win the Pussiance © Shawn McMillen

Friday evening also boasted the $25,000 Land Rover Puissance, aka, The Wall! In the end, it was a battle between a three-time WIHS Puissance winning horse Finou 4 and one competing in the class for the first time, Very Chic Du Tillard. The night ended with a tie between Aaron Vale on Finou 4 and Schuyler Riley riding Very Chic Du Tillard. Both cleared the wall at 6’9”.

To read more about WIHS and find out who won each class, go to www.wihs.org. Check out more photos from this year’s WIHS on The Equiery’s Facebook page and don’t forget to share your photos by emailing them to editor@equiery.com.