Thermal, Calif. – Nov. 11, 2021 – The Grand Prix Arena served as the backdrop for the Individual Final for the USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships on Thursday at Week II of the National Sunshine Series. A cumulative championship format set over three rounds, riders focused on jumping clear to finish on the lowest possible score to secure a spot on the podium. After three rounds across three days of competition at the 1.40-1.45m height, Maison McIntyre stepped atop the podium as the gold medalist of the USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships with her mount Hold It Against Me.
Maison McIntyre led the lap of honor in the USHJA Platinum Jumper Championship Individual Final.
The course, designed by Manuel Esparza (MEX), began with an oxer off of a short turn on the rail, and also featured three double combinations and several lines across the middle. McIntyre had a favorable position going second to last as the second lowest overall score heading into the final. Despite all of the pressure, she pulled out the clear round necessary to put her in the running for gold. As leader Kendall Bourgeois dropped two rails, McIntyre moved into the lead and claimed the coveted gold medal. Bourgeois would come home with the silver medal aboard Collin 4, while Katie Murray and Kasstender C would secure the bronze.
Maison McIntyre and Hold It Against Me topped the USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships.
Earlier in the day, the Team Championship rounds took place in the Grand Prix Arena for the Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships. Each section took on a course designed by Manuel Esparza (MEX) which was uniquely tailored for the respective height level. The round, set in the Table II format, also served as the Second Individual Qualifier, and all fault totals from Wednesday and Thursday will determine the top 15 in each section that qualify for Saturday’s Individual Final. Any faults from Wednesday were carried over into Thursday’s scores to calculate team totals.
Kicking off the action-packed day, the 1.10m-1.15m Children’s Jumpers finished with just one team, out of seven teams of four horse-and-rider combinations, on zero faults to earn the gold medal. Juliane Mangold, Camryn Chalmers, Chloe Kuang and London Wright stood atop the podium after their fault-free effort to accept their awards. Shortly after, the 1.10m-1.15m Adult Amateurs took on the same course with five teams taking on the Team Final. The winning team, one of two teams of Zone 9 representatives, consisted of Bob Widmayer, Kathryn George, Viola Mitchell and Liza Wheeler. Eight Children’s riders and five Adult Amateurs still sit on zero faults going into Saturday’s final.
The Adult Amateurs celebrated their success on the podium.
The course was slightly adjusted and the 1.20m-1.25m Junior section took to the ring, with five teams represented. Winning the section and taking home the gold medal was the Zone 10 team featuring Brooke Mostman, Tyra Cleary and Emilie Bell, who accumulated only 4 faults through the two days of competition. Tyra Cleary and her mount Hebron L are the sole pair on zero faults, setting them up as the favorites going into Saturday’s Individual Final. The 1.20m-1.25m Amateur section podium was topped by the combined Zone 9 and 10 team consisting of Molly Hutchinson, Hanna Morris, Tia Carr and Andrea Schroeder, with Andrea Schroeder and Julie Biel still on a total score of zero advancing into the Individual Final.
The 1.20m Amateur section hopped on the podium to celebrate their medals.
The fence heights were raised and the course was reset to a slightly different track in preparation for the 1.30m-1.35m Junior and Amateur sections. The excitement increased a bit as the Junior section finished their initial round of jumping, as two teams tied for the gold medal and three teams tied for the bronze, forcing two separate jump-offs for the respective medals. One representative from each team took to the jump-off track, and the gold medal went to the team of three riders, Danielle Vahdat, Emmeline Adamick and Grace Belmont, who finished on a total score of 8 faults.
The 1.30m Juniors had a thrilling finish with a jump-off for gold and bronze.
The 1.30m-1.35m Amateurs finished in a tie for gold, putting two riders into a jump-off for the top of the podium. Ultimately, it was the Zone 10 team consisting of Alicia Foster, Kristina Cain, Megan Kerpsack and Sydnie Young who sealed the deal and took home the gold medal.
The Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships will conclude on Saturday of Week II of the National Sunshine Series with the Individual Final for each of the six sections. Only the top 15 from the first two rounds will return in each section, and the rider who completes all three rounds on the fewest faults will be awarded the gold medal, with jump-offs to break any ties for medals.
The 1.30m Amateurs also jumped off for the gold medal.
FROM THE WINNERS CIRCLE
Maison McIntyre – Platinum Individual Championship Gold Medalist
On winning the gold medal:
“My horse has been jumping amazing, he’s perfect. Today, I knew I had to jump a clear round to secure the gold medal. I knew I was standing pretty well out there, but just hoping not to have any faults today. That’s exactly what my horse did today – he’s incredible.”
On Hold It Against Me:
“I got him last year and started him in the 1.20m. He and my other horse helped me move up to the 1.30m. I’ve been doing more 1.40m classes with him and did a couple grand prix classes with him over the summer and he’s been jumping consistently in all of those, all top finishes. He jumps amazingly, he’s so forgiving. He’s such a kind horse.”
On her goals:
“Our goals are to qualify for all of the junior teams next year. All these team experiences are great because when I’m older I want to do the Nations Cups and such. My goal is to make it back to Prix Des States on the team this year instead of just as an individual and qualify for Young Riders as well.”
Kathryn George – Team Gold – 1.10m-1.15m Adult Amateur Jumper
On competing in the Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships:
“I’ve never done anything like this before and I was really excited to come and do something different with my horse. This might be my last show with him, so I was really pleased to have a good day. The course was challenging but not scary, which is good. It was really fun, I liked it! My horse is 22 and that experience was the highlight of my life. It was so nice to go out there with him and have that as a really nice thing we have done together. Going into the individual I am already going in on a high and I’m just going to have fun from here on out. I’m excited to ride in that ring again because that’s really fun.”
It’s my second time here. I came for Thermal at the beginning of the year and that was first time showing here. Coming back down, how much it’s changed just from that is crazy. They’ve added so many new facilities. VIP is great, the footing is wonderful, it’s clear they are really thinking about the horses here.
Liza Wheeler – Team Gold – 1.10m-1.15m Adult Amateur Jumper
On competing in the Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships:
“I’ve never done anything like this either. It was just an awesome environment to meet new people and have the team camaraderie. The course rode really well. The people that got a good pace to start, it flowed really well for them. I thought it was solid and all the horses did really well, so I was very impressed. Tomorrow, I just want to go out there and improve on my ride because I thought my horse was fabulous and just have more confidence and allow her to flow around a bit more in that beautiful ring.”
Liza Wheeler was on the gold medal-winning Adult Amateur team.
Bob Widmayer – Team Gold – 1.10m-1.15m Adult Amateur Jumper
On competing in the Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships:
“I’ve done this before, in 2018, and it was a great experience then so I really wanted to try and qualify for it this year and try to get back on a team because it’s great to meet new people and ride with them. You make friends that last for so many years, it’s really fun.”
Bob Widmayer is unable to compete in the Individual Final but still came home with a team gold medal.
Viola Mitchell – Team Gold – 1.10m-1.15m Adult Amateur Jumper
On competing in the Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships:
“I have never done anything like this before; this is the most exciting thing I’ve ever competed in. I loved getting to know my teammates and getting to know people outside of my Washington bubble. I thought the course rode really well. My horse doesn’t do warm-up rings, so that first line was my warm-up. After that it rode really well and it was really fun. It was a nice competition. I came here to have fun this week, so I’ve gone above and beyond my fun and I’m looking to have more fun on Saturday too. We’re having a good time!”
RESULTS
$10,000 Individual Final – Platinum 1.40m-1.45m
Place / Horse / Rider / Country / Owner / R1 Faults | R1 Time
- George ZG / Andrew Lopez / USA / Andrew Lopez / 0 | 70.584
- Hold It Against Me / Maison McIntyre / USA / Maison McIntyre / 0 | 74.247
- Kasstender C / Katie Murray / USA / Katie Murray / 4 | 74.220
- Vainqueur De Brekka / Anneke Power / USA / Anneke Power / 8 | 73.789
- Collin 4 / Kendall Bourgeois / USA / Imagination Lane / 8 | 78.159
- Carlsson 72 / Alexa Long / USA / Alexa Long / 8 | 80.836