59th Annual Washington International Horse Show Begins Tuesday
Washington, D.C. – The 2017 WIHS Regional Horse Show and USHJA Zone 3 Championship, presented by The Linden Group at Morgan Stanley, called Prince George’s Equestrian Center (PGEC) in Upper Marlboro, MD, home from Friday, October 21, through Sunday, October 23. The annual event showcased local and regional riders, giving them a final chance to qualify for the coveted Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), which kicks off on Tuesday, October 24, at Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C.
The MHSA Gittings Horsemanship Finals highlighted competition at the WIHS Regional Horse Show as the feature event on Friday with a win for 17-year-old Madeline McManus of Owings Mills, MD. After placing second in 2016, McManus came back this year to secure the win riding her own Invesco.
Second to McManus, Kathleen Mathews rode her own Aoki to finish behind the leader with Emily Cyrway taking third place riding her own Orion. Kayla Wolfe and her own Cyrano were fourth while Ana Bertozzi rounded out the top five riding True Colors for owner James Webb.
Madeline McManus of Owings Mills, MD, won the 2017 MHSA Gittings Horsemanship Finals riding her own Invesco at the 2017 WIHS Regional Horse Show and USHJA Zone 3 Championship, presented by The Linden Group at Morgan Stanley. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
McManus has competed in the MHSA Gittings Horsemanship Finals for six years, but got her first win this year, saying, “I love the show. It is one of my favorites every year.
“I was pretty busy on Friday riding other horses for kids at my barn,” continued McManus, who rides under the direction of trainers Amy and Streett Moore. “I didn’t get to see anyone go in the Gittings, which was a little nerve-racking, but it obviously worked out really well for me.”
McManus has had the ride on Invesco, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, for six years and considers the mount’s strength to be his adjustability in the show ring.
“He is the absolute best,” said McManus of her horse. “He never lets me down. He can do anything well, but he was really great at the counter-canter in the test in the Gittings Finals.”
Madeline McManus, aboard Invesco, is presented as winner of the 2017 MHSA Gittings Horsemanship Finals at the 2017 WIHS Regional Horse Show and USHJA Zone 3 Championship, presented by The Linden Group at Morgan Stanley. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
A senior in high school, McManus is currently making plans to attend college and compete on an IHSA team. Most immediately, however, she serves on the WIHS Junior Committee and will be competing at WIHS in the junior hunter division this week.
“This is my second year on the junior committee, and I love the experience,” she said. “We get to see and do so many cool things, and meet people that we would not have otherwise have the opportunity to meet. Last year, I met Jessica Springsteen and that was really special.”
Overall, equitation competition was fierce at the WIHS Regional Horse Show with several other champions crowned. Riley King topped the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) 3’3” Junior Hunt Seat Medal riding her own Corleone, and Grace E. Blum won the VHSA Children’s Medal riding Tinsel, owned by David Matisz. In the pony ranks, Olivia Brown won the MHSA Children’s Pony Medal riding Smallwood Magic Mischief, owned by Allison Olmstead.
Riley King and her own Corleone won the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) 3’3” Junior Hunt Seat Medal at the 2017 WIHS Regional Horse Show and USHJA Zone 3 Championship, presented by The Linden Group at Morgan Stanley. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
In jumper competition, Margo Tack was named champion of the USHJA Zone 3 Children’s Jumper Final riding Ever So Clever for owner Jenny Colgate. Hannah Neal took reserve aboard her own Abracadabra. The USHJA Zone 3 Low Children’s Jumper Final saw a victory for Emma Jolly riding her own Well Played with Rachel Perry taking reserve riding Quito for Perryhill Farm.
For adult riders, top honors in the USHJA Zone 3 Adult Amateur Jumper Final were presented to Annie Friedman riding her own Abitibi Blues. Reserve champion went to Juliette Landison and her own Shiraz. Margot Sanger-Katz was champion in the USHJA Zone 3 Low Adult Jumper Final riding Ella, owned by Rolling Acres Show Stable, with Brittany Libert taking reserve aboard Adamaz for owner John Bartko.
In the hunter divisions, Stellium was named champion in the USHJA Zone 3 Adult Amateur Hunter 18-35 division with owner and rider Riley Ballard in the irons. Touch, owned and ridden by Julia Hanover, earned reserve. The tricolor in the USHJA Zone 3 Adult Amateur Hunter 35 and Over Final went to Styliczed for owner and rider Bridgett Mcintosh. Lindsey Evans-Thomas piloted Hudson to reserve champion for owner Margaret Widmayer.
The USHJA Zone 3 Children’s Hunter Horse 14 and Under division crowned Katie A. Morgan champion with her own Chance Encounter, with Ellie Dupuis taking reserve champion riding her own Quickstep. For Children’s Hunter riders 15-17, Bridget Scalia was champion riding her own Utopia de la Rouase and Lauren Katz was named reserve aboard her own Frangelico.
Claire Parkinson was named champion in the USHJA Zone 3 3’3” Junior Hunter division riding her won Chazeaux. The reserve title when to Courtney Morton and her own Vivid Star.
The Zone 3 Small/Medium Children’s Hunter Pony division presented its championship to Chesapeake Star, owned by Janie Ware and ridden by Olivia Dougherty. My Fair Lady was named reserve with owner and rider Daisy Bishop in the irons. The Zone 3 Large Children’s Hunter Pony champion was Pendermere Legacy, owned by CKE Horse Enterprises and ridden by Emily Giorgio. Reserve went to Masquerade and owner/rider Spencer Toohill.
Competition at the WIHS Regional Horse Show concluded on Sunday as all attention turns to the 2017 Washington International Horse Show, featuring top horses and riders from across the U.S. and around the world. The 59th annual Washington International Horse Show runs October 24-29 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster.com and at Capital One Arena (formerly Verizon Center) Box Office.
For more information, please visit www.wihs.org, join us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Tag us using #WIHS2017, #HorsesInTheCity, #FEIWorldCup, #RidetoParis, and #Longines.
Finals Results: MHSA Gittings Horsemanship Finals
Place Entry Horse Rider Owners Trainer
1 209 Invesco Madeline Mc Manus Madeline Mc Manus Amy Moore
2 188 Aoki Kathleen Mathews Kathleen Mathews Katie Cooper
3 355 Orion Emily Cyrway Emily Cyrway Ian McCartney
4 116 Cyrano Kayla Wolfe Kayla Wolfe Jonelle Mullen
5 344 True Colors Ana Bertozzi James Webb Chad Keenum
6 430 Spellbound Abby Miller Tara-Dawn Hazen Christine Hurlbert-Gemmill
7 138 Cool Water Anna Ordonio Sam Beiter Kimberly Williams
8 285 Diplomat Helen Lohr Ashley Lovegrove Virginia Edwards
About Washington International Horse Show, wihs.org
Established in 1958, the Washington International Horse Show is one of North America’s most prestigious and entertaining equestrian events attracting more than 26,000 spectators annually to Washington, D.C., for Olympic-level competition plus community and charity events. More than 500 top horses and riders arrive from all over the globe to jump for more than a half a million dollars in prize money. Highlights include the $130,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Washington for the President’s Cup, presented by Events DC, the $25,000 Puissance high jump and $50,000 Speed Final on Military Night and Kids’ Day, a free, fun and educational community event. WIHS, an official USEF Heritage Competition, is rated CSI4*-W by the Fédération Equestre Internationale, the world governing body for horse sports. The Washington International Horse Show Association, Ltd. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization based in Washington, D.C.
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