by Katherine O. Rizzo (first published in the February 2022 Equiery)
Stephen Fulton of Full Moon Farm in Finskburg had a banner 2021 season that concluded with being named U.S. Eventing Association’s 2021 Beginner Novice Master Rider Champion and Beginner Novice Master Amateur Rider Champion. His main mount for the 2021 season was DB Cooper, who was named USEA’s Beginner Novice Horse Reserve Champion.
Fulton and DB Cooper competed 11 times in 2021 and finished first six times. In fact, the pair finished in the top three at all but two competitions. They also placed third at the 2021 American Eventing Championships.
Cami Pease of Washington, D.C. took home the Beginner Novice Adult Rider and Beginner Novice Adult Amateur Rider championships for 2021. Her horse, Vibrant was the Beginner Novice Horse of the Year. Pease, who trains out of Waredaca in Laytonsville, competed seven times in 2021 and won six times. She withdrew at one competition. She finished out the season by winning the Beginner Novice Amateur division at the AECs. Pease and Vibrant also won at the 2018 AECs in the same division.
Marylanders continued to top the Beginner Novice leaderboard with Carla Lindsay of Westminster winning the Beginner Novice Junior Rider Championship. Lindsay rides out of Full Moon Farm where she boards her horse Paint Misbehavin’. The pair won four out of 11 competitions in 2021 and placed in the top three two other times. Paint Misbehavin’ was ranked fifth for Beginner Novice Horse at the end of the season.
Full Moon Farm had yet another top finisher for 2021 with Samantha Schwartz of Owings Mills earning the USEA Novice Young Adult Rider championship. She rode Rumble Fish 14 times in 2021, winning twice and placing in the top three nine times. The pair placed third in the Novice Amateur division at the 2021 AECs.
Below is a list of additional Maryland and D.C. residents who made it onto the USEA’s Top 10 Leaderboards for 2021.
• Stacey Driscoll (Elk Mills) – Reserve Champion Novice Adult Amateur Rider
• Cierra Miller (Hagerstown) – 3rd place Novice Young Adult Rider, 8th place Training Young Adult Rider
• Julia Dionisio (Sandy Spring) – 3rd place Novice Intercollegiate Rider
• Skylar Decker (Mt. Airy) – 3rd place Preliminary Adult Amateur Rider, 10th place Overall Adult Amateur Rider
• Hayden Klemanski (Walkersville) – 4th place Novice Intercollegiate Rider
• Delaney O’Neil (White Hall) – 5th place Novice Junior Rider
• Kai Bradley (Walksersville) – 5th place Novice Adult Amateur Rider
• Lauren Myers (Berlin) – 5th place Novice Young Adult Rider
• Madison Davis (Frederick) – 5th place Beginner Novice Young Adult Rider
• RF Scandalous (owned by Raylyn Farms, Inc) – 5th place Mare of the Year
• Alexandra Peterson (Baltimore) – 6th place Modified Adult Amateur Rider
• Elizabeth Burns (Finksburg) – 6th place Junior Beginner Novice Rider
• Alex Reed (Washington, D.C.) – 7th place Intermediate Adult Amateur Rider
• Curran Simpson (Frederick) – 7th place Novice Master Rider, 9th place Novice Master Amateur Rider
• Katherine Holzrichter (Crofton) – 7th place Training Junior Rider
• Addison Kasley (Laytonsville) – 8th place Novice Junior Rider
• Dassett Olympus (co-owned by Debby Greenspan & Lillian Heard) – 8th place Horse of the Year
• Curioso (owned by Hedgerow Farm) – 9th place Novice Horse
• Idlehour Center Stage (owned by Katherine Holzrichter) – 9th place Training Horse
• Paige Ansald (Ellicott City) – 9th place Novice Intercollegiate Rider