Reed Kessler, Zone 10 Team Triumphant at the 2009 USEF National Junior Jumper Championships
RELEASE: October 11, 2009
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: Brian Sosby
Harrisburg, PA—This year’s USEF National Junior Jumper Championships proved yet again to be one of the most exciting junior competitions of the year. The Team Championship was held Friday night with the Individual Championship accumulating scores over three days of competition at the 64th Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA, from October 8-11.
The Team Championship was run under a modified Nation’s Cup format and designed by 2008 Olympic course designer Steve Stevens of Wellington, FL. The competition began with seven teams representing various zones throughout the country. At the end of the second round, it was clear that Zone 2 (comprised of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey) would bring home the Bronze medal with their squad of Jessica Springsteen aboard Vornado Van Den Hoendrik, Jacqueline Lubrano aboard El Regresso Congo, Alexandra Thornton aboard Naomi and Reed Kessler aboard Ice D’Ancoeur.
However, it was the jump-off for the Gold between Zones 10 and the combined team of Zones 1 (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) and Zone 8 (Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah) that kept the crowd on the edge of its seat with suspense. Each of the tied teams was invited to send one rider to compete over a shortened course in which time would decide between equality of faults.
First in the ring was Lucy Davis with True Love representing Zone 10 under the direction of chef d’equipe Graeme “Butch” Thomas, and they had a perfect fault-free round in 33.409 seconds. Next up was Victoria Birdsall with Jerremy representing Zone 1 under the direction of John Brennan, and they were close. But, it was the last fence of the evening that gave the combined team of Zones 1 and 8 four faults and solidified the Gold medal for Zone 10.
The final event of this year’s championship was the Individual Final. Fifteen-year-old Reed Kessler aboard Ice D’Ancoeur from Armonk, NY, held the lead throughout the three days of competition with a final score of 4.0 to bring home the Gold medal. The first night’s speed class (where time was converted into points), followed by the addition of scores from both rounds of the Team Championship, led to the top 60% of individuals being invited back for the Individual Final. Kessler was skillful in guiding her 11-year-old chestnut mare through the paces.
"Winning this is great. I feel like I did everything I came her to do,“ said Kessler. “It is a long four rounds, and she [Ice D’Ancoeur] was just as good today as she was the first day.”
Lucy Davis of Los Angeles, CA, finished with a score of 6.25 and took home the Silver medal. San Francisco’s Saer Coulter aboard Chalan finished up with a final score of 8.07 to take home the Bronze medal.
ENDS