WASHINGTON, June 8, 2017–The race continues as horses and riders from around the nation compete for points to qualify for the 2017 Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) Equitation and Children’s and Adult Hunter and Jumper Championships. The best of the best will earn the opportunity to show at the nation’s top indoor final, which takes place October 24-29, 2017, at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
As of June 2, Shannondale Gino and Hailey Berger of Parkland, Fla., maintain their lead in the Children’s Jumper Division, coming into June with 2,714 points. Cassandra Dreams and Mia Albelo of Coconut Grove, Fla., moved into second place with 2,676 points. Top Price and Charlotte Novy of Wilmette, Ill., stand third with 2,511 points.
Hailey Berger and Shannondale Gino maintain a strong lead in the WIHS
Children’s Jumper Championship standings. Photo by Jump Media
Bonapart and Lindsey Tomeu of Wellington, Fla., also continue to hold their lead in the Adult Jumper division, currently holding 4,410 points. Speedy Chicolina and Megan Winkhaus of Greenwich, Conn., moved up to second in the standings with 3,042 points. Camera Ready and Mattie Worsham of Cumming, Ga., sit third with 2,987 points.
Lindsey Tomeu and Bonapart lead the WIHS Adult Jumper Championship standings.
Photo by Jump Media
Qualifying events for the WIHS championships are held at more than 650 horse shows in North America. Riders who earn the most points throughout the year are eligible to compete in the WIHS Championship Finals, which include the $10,000 WIHS Children’s Hunter Championship, $10,000 WIHS Children’s Jumper Championship, $10,000 WIHS Adult Hunter Championship, $10,000 WIHS Adult Jumper Championship, WIHS Equitation Finals, and WIHS Pony Equitation Finals.
“The WIHS Equitation Finals and Hunter and Jumper Championships give riders from around the country excellent goals to set for themselves each season,” said WIHS President Vicki Lowell. “The dedication and determination it takes to achieve those goals is wonderful to see. I wish all of the riders the best of luck as they continue to earn points throughout the remainder of the qualifying period, and we look forward to another great event in October!”
Don’t miss the chance to compete at the nation’s most unique and time-honored metropolitan event. The qualifying period runs from shows starting on or after Sept. 1, 2016, through shows starting on or before Aug. 31, 2017.
WIHS looks forward to hosting the best horses and riders from around the country in 2017 and encourages all riders to continue their drive to qualify. Riders must be active WIHS members in order for points to count towards the Finals.
> Sign up today at www.wihs.org/membership.
As the season continues, WIHS congratulates all of the top competitors in the WIHS standings as of June 2, 2017:
WIHS Children’s and Adult Hunter Championships
In the Children’s Hunter Championship, Ufonia P and Cassie Warmkessel of Phoenix, Md., are the leaders with 1,242 points. Rocksino and Anna Tokich of Chardon, Ohio, jumped to second place with 1,200 points. Escalido and Annie La Russa of Mountain Brook, Ala., sit third with 926 points.
Uptown and Victoria Clarke of Chevy Chase, Md., hold a steady lead in the Adult Hunter Championship standings with 1,976 points. Glyndon and Patricia Schindler of Reisterstown, Md., also maintain the second position with 1,710 points. XOXO and Jef Lauwers of Magnolia, Texas, moved up to third place this month with 1,370 points.
WIHS Equitation and WIHS Pony Equitation
Emma Kurtz of Hudson, Ohio, has taken over the lead in the WIHS Equitation East Coast standings with 4,672 points. Taylor St. Jacques of Glen Allen, Va., is second with 4,000 points, and Coco Fath of Fairfield, Conn., stands third with 3,000 points.
The top rider in the West Coast standings remains Grady Lyman of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., with 2,236 points. Brooke Morin of Calabasas, Calif., moved into second place with 1,994 points, and Katherine Dash of Yarrow Point, Wash., sits third with 1,762 points.
In the WIHS Pony Equitation standings, Hannah Hoch of Whitefish Bay, Wis., leads with 968 points. Tessa Downey from Houston, Texas, sits in second with 744 points. Libbie Gordon of Stateville, N.C., stands third with 664 points.
For the equitation, invitations will be extended to the top 40 junior riders who are eligible to compete based on their points earned during the qualifying period in the East Coast and West Coast Leagues as follows: 30 riders will be invited from the East Coast League and 10 riders will be invited from the West Coast League. Letters of invitation will be mailed in September. For the pony equitation, invitations will be extended to the top 25 junior riders who are eligible to compete based on their points earned during the qualifying period. Letters of invitation will be mailed in September. For the championships, 29 horse/rider combinations will be accepted in each division.
For more information or to sign up to earn points for the WIHS Championship Finals, visit www.wihs.org/membership.
For a complete list of current rankings, visit www.wihs.org/wihs-rankings/.
About WIHS, www.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.
