Opening night at the horse show featured the $10,000 Children’s and Adult Hunter Championship–Just One Look and Eye Remember Rio take home the prizes

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Photo Credit: . Just One Look and Adele Norton, winners of two $10,000 Children’s Hunter Championship on Tuesday at the Washington International Horse Show. Photo © 2006 Jennifer Wood/PMG Pictures. This photo may be used free of charge only in relation to this press release.

The Washington International Horse Show Featured The $10,000 Children’s And Adult Hunter Championship- Just One Look and Eye Remember Rio Take Home The Prize

Washington, D.C. – October 24, 2006 – The first evening session of the 48th Annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) began tonight with the Children’s and Adult Hunter Championships starting at 7:00 pm.

The Washington International Horse Show is one of the world’s leading equestrian events. It features top horses and riders from the U.S. and abroad competing for more than $400,000 in prize money and championship titles. Approximately 600 horses will be on hand for the six-day event from October 24 – 29, 2006, at the Verizon Center at 601 F Street NW (7th and F Streets NW), in downtown Washington, D.C.

The 2006 WIHS Children’s and Adult Championship series gave invitations to the top 30 riders from each division to compete at the Verizon Center for the winner’s purse of $2,000. After 12 months of showing, the 2006 High Point Qualifiers took center stage tonight in the $10,000 WIHS Children’s and Adult Championships.

Adult rider Laura McPherson on Tenerife, and children’s hunter rider Abigail McArdle on Tonpilibee were the leaders of the WIHS Hunter Championship standings in their divisions entering the competition.

Tonipilibee was a contender and scored a 72 and 82 with a total of 154 in the WIHS Children’s Hunter Championship, but did not score quite high enough to beat Just One Look ridden by Adele Norton. The pair finished with a 73.5 in round one and 84 in round two totaling 157.5.

Thirteen year old Norton is from Falls Church, VA, only 15 minutes from the Verizon Center. It is her second year competing in the Children’s Hunter division on Just One Look, who is nicknamed Willie. “Willie is going to be 15 this year. He is the best horse ever,” Norton said with a smile. “When ever I make a mistake he saves me. He has taught me so much. It is really exciting to be at such a big show.” Norton showed at WIHS last year on Local Weekend and placed third in a Local Children’s Hunter class. “To come back here this year to the big show and win…Wow!” she laughed. “I tried not to be nervous and just do my best, and I guess it worked.”

Final Results: $10,000 WIHS Children’s Hunter Championships

1. Just One Look, Adele Norton: 73.5/84=157.5
2. Tonpilibee, Abigail McArdle: 72/82=154
3. Gizmo, Hannah Gorman: 78/74=152
4. Bert, Abigail McArdle: 74/76=150
5. Bling Bling, Sarah Ward: 80/69=149
6. Ultra Glide, Danielle Menker: 73/75=148
7. Gotham City, Catherine Avolese: 75/70=145
8. Madison Avenue, Victoria Kulwicki: 70.5/72=142.5
9. Donnerkind, Ryan Umberger: 74.5/66=140.5
10. Moriah, Erica Polle: 76/64=140
11. Do I Dare, Lillian Morris: 72.5/67=139.5
12. Cover Girl, Lindsay Ferguson: 70/65=135

The WIHS Adult Hunter Championship was a close race between two very special women. Victoria Watters and Lissa Bachner finished first and second and are both legally blind. The tight quarters in the warm-up arena are difficult for both competitors, but the show ring looked like a breeze.

Bachner and Maddox had a first round score of 75, which put them in sixth after the first round. A solid second round score of 84 gave them a total of 159 for second place. Eye Remember Rio and Watters had identical scores of 88 in both rounds with a grand total of 176.

The pair has been second at numerous events over the past few years. “I do not buy photos with red ribbons,” Watters joked. “I have been called back on top at Washington three years in a row and made rider errors in the second round. I really wanted to win this year so badly,” she explained. “Now I can finally get the credit card out and buy a photo with a blue ribbon and a trophy.”

Watters is from Cincinnati, Ohio, and has been ridding the ten year old gelding for three years. The pair was Reserve Circuit Champion two years in a row at the Winter Equestrian Festival, and they were second in the World Championship Hunter Rider Adult Classic at Capital Challenge. “We missed being Grand Hunter Champion in the Adults by one point at Capital Challenge,” she said shaking her head. “He is the most phenomenal horse that I have ever ridden in my life, and I have been on the A Circuit since I was 10 years old. He is so smooth. I ride him with my fingertips,” Watters said beaming.

Final Results: $10,000 WIHS Adult Hunter Championship

1. Eye Remember Rio, Victoria Watters: 88/88=176
2. Maddox, Lissa Bachner: 75/84=159
3. Overseas, Mindy Wurzburg: 82/76=158
4. Lancome, Brittany Yates: 85/72=157
5. Play With Fire, Elizabeth Sponseller: 76/77=153
6. In Kommand, Julie Harrington: 72/78=150
7. High Times, Kelly Champion: 74.5/75=149.5
8. Honneur, Audrey Latham: 78/71=149
9. Moonshine, Cara Walinsky: 73/72.5=145.5
10. Renoir, Anne Byers: 71/74=145
11. Junior, Mary Tyree: 70.5/70=140.5
12. Houston, Alison Sanders: 74/65=139

Photo Credit: . Just One Look and Adele Norton, winners of two $10,000 Children’s Hunter Championship on Tuesday at the Washington International Horse Show. Photo © 2006 Jennifer Wood/PMG Pictures. This photo may be used free of charge only in relation to this press release.