by Katherine O. Rizzo (first published in the December 2024 Equiery)
The Washington International Horse Show kicked off at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro on October 21 with the WIHS Regional Hunter Finals as the featured class. Christina Mangano (VA) rode Good To Go, owned by Chad Keenum, to win the WIHS Regional Hunter Finals for Horses while Maryland junior Zoey Chambers (pictured) of Owings topped the WIHS Regional Pony Hunter Finals with Highlight, owned by Suzanne Chambers.
Twelve-year-old Chambers scored an 86 with Highlight, a seven-year-old German Riding Pony gelding, for the win. “I’ve had him only a few months,” Chambers said, adding, “He’s really improved since we’ve had him at the beginning to now and I’m really proud of him.”
The following day, October 22, hunter divisions continued at WIHS with Hunt Tosh (GA) and the Wheeler Family’s Cannon Creek winning the Grand Champion Hunter award while Kenzie Smith (NY) won the $10,000 WIHS Children’s Hunter Championship, riding Mirage for owner Charlotte Rossetter. That same day, Reilly Canard (VA) won the $10,000 WIHS Adult Amateur Hunter Championship riding Carry On, who is also owned by Rossetter.
Maryland’s Mary Lisa Leffler earned a blue for winning the High Performance Conformation class riding her own Chime. Leffler is a professional trainer and rider at Rolling Acres Show Stables in Brookeville and also a hunter and equitation judge. Chime is a relatively new mount for Leffler who purchased him in March. The pair started their partnership with a championship in the 3’9’’ Greens at HITS Post Time Farm and were Reserve Circuit Champions there too. At WIHS, Leffler and Chime won two classes over two days with scores in the 90s. They also earned the Reserve Championship in the 3’9’’ Green Hunters.
Hunter divisions took up the bulk of the day competition at WIHS on October 23 while jumpers took center stage that evening. During the day, Sophie Gochman (FL) earned the Grand Champion Amateur-Owner 3’6’’ Hunter championship with Colter, while Caroline Signorino (NJ) won the 3’3’’ division title riding Sandori.
That evening, Katherine Mercer (FL) rode Colina SN to win the $10,000 WIHS Children’s Jumper Championship. Kimberly Coyle (NY) rode her own Dartani to victory in the $10,000 WIHS Adult Jumper Championships.
The FEI Grand Prix jumper classes started on Thursday, October 23, evening during the always popular Barn Night. These international classes are the highlight of WIHS each year and they attract riders from all over the world. This year, the FEI divisions had 34 riders representing 13 countries. There were 14 Olympians, including 2024 U.S. team silver medalists McLain Ward and Laura Kraut, making the 2024 international jumper field the strongest field of competitors ever at WIHS.
Abdel Said of Belgium rode AS Trading’s Arpege du Ru to win the $63,000 FEI Welcome Stake, besting 33 horse/rider combinations. Nina Mallevaey of France won the $32,000 Accumulator costume class with My Clementine, owned by Rein Family LLC and Tara Dow-Rein. The Accumulator class had 27 entries representing 11 countries.
During Barn Night, the first annual Kind Wins award was presented to Sue Chambers (Quinn Haven Stables) and Paige Walkenbach (VA) for their generous and kind behavior towards fellow athletes and horses.
Maryland barns came out in force for Barn Night and won several of WIHS’s annual awards. Enticement Stables in Harwood won the Largest Group Contest on Barn Night, with the Reserve Maryland group award going to Quinn Haven Stables in Friendship, and Reserve Virginia award going to Tamarack Stables. Loudoun 4-H Canterlopes earned the Farthest Traveled Group award. Patuxent Run Stables in Prince Frederick won the Best Group Kind Wins Group Spirit Contest, and Sandy Pony Equestrian in Nanjemoy won the Best Kind Wins Poster Contest. A Moment in Time Farm in Leonardtown won the Best Kind Wins Video award.
Also presented during Barn Night was the annual Laura Pickett Trophy for Excellence in Horsemanship which was awarded this year to Kaitlyn Boatman. The award celebrates riders who embody Laura Pickett’s passion, generosity, and dedication to horsemanship. Boatman is a strong and kind leader, both in and out of the ring, at Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills.
The international jumper competition heated up on October 25 with the $63,000 FEI Speed Final when one of the very last entries in the class produced the fastest round. Conor Swail of Ireland is no stranger to WIHS, having won big classes in recent years. This year he brought his veteran horse Count Me In, owned by Mannon Farm and Sandy Lupton, to win the class by less than two-tenths of a second over McLain Ward riding First Lady.
During the class, which is the feature class of WIHS’s Military Night, $25,000 was donated to Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) by WIHS thanks to several clean rounds over the TAPS jump.
October 25 also saw the launch of WIHS’s newest international jumper class, the $32,000 Two Phase, presented by Nissan of Bowie. Twenty-one entries competed in the class in which speed kicks into gear halfway through the course. Jessica Mendoza (GBR) rode her own In the Air to top the new class. The pair had finished third in the Accumulator class the night before.
Earlier that day, Molly Gfroerer (NY) and Liberty Road won the Grand Junior 3’3’’ Hunter Championship after winning the Large Junior Hunter 3’3’’ division. Paige Walkenbach (AZ) rode Babylon to sweep the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 championship, the Grand Junior Hunter 3’6’’ Championship and the Overall Grand Champion Junior Hunter title. Babylon won these divisions in 2023 with his previous owner Ariana Marnell.
The most prestigious class of WIHS each year is the $340,000 FEI Jumping World Cup Washington, presented by Experience Prince George’s for the President’s Cup. The class, which is the highlight of Saturday’s evening performance on October 26, was won by Olympic gold medalist Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil. Pessoa has competed at WIHS several times but this was his first Grand Prix victory at the show. His win came aboard Major Tom, owned by Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC.
Pessoa and Major Tom put in the first clean round in the class before five entries continued to the jump off. They were the first to enter the ring in the jump off and completed the short course in 38.77 seconds with no jumping faults to win. Last year’s winner Katherine Dinan (USA) finished second with Out of the Blue SCF, owned by Grant Road Partners. Fellow US rider Kristen Vandereen rode her own Bull Run’s Jireh to third place.
With the conclusion of the international jumper divisions, Pessoa and Major Tom were named the International Open Jumper Champions with McLain Ward and First Lady earning the Reserve Championship award.
Just before the Pessoa’s win, the WIHS Equitation Finals concluded with Adriana Forte taking top honors. This was Forte’s first time competing at WIHS and she took an early lead in the hunter phase with a score of 92. She placed eighth in the jumper phase but still held the overall lead. Only the top 10 riders are invited back for the final callback phase. Despite an unfortunate rail, Forte held on to the top spot for the win.
Saturday evening also marked the conclusion of the WIHS Shetland Pony Steeplechase, which was won this year by Daniel Edelstein riding Mint Meadow Farm’s Dash of Mint. Edelstein is the son of former Maryland steeplechase jockey and Olympic pentathlete Suzanne Stettinius.
WIHS concluded on October 27 with the pony divisions and finals. The highlights of the day were the WIHS Pony Equitation Finals and the Pony Hunt Team costume class. Lilly Herzog (OH) dominated the day claiming the Grand Pony Hunter Championship riding D’Artagnan for owner Robin Greenwood. The pair went on to win the WIHS Pony Equitation Finals too and Herzog was named Best Child Rider on a Pony and won the Gochman Style of Riding award.
