Riders in Zones 1 and 2 Earn Medals in USHJA 1.00/1.05m Child/Adult Jumper Championship
Saugerties, N.Y.—Aug. 1, 2023—Riders from Zone 1 and 2 took to the podiums in the inaugural USHJA 1.00/1.05m Child/Adult Zone Jumper Championships at HITS Saugerties, July 26-30 during the HITS-on-the-Hudson V. Riders from Zone 2 dominated the top podium spot while Chefs d'Equipe Lisa Tomaselli from Zone 1 and Taylor O'Dell from Zone 2 oversaw the competition.
A new championship that offers competitors in the 1.00/1.05m classes to gain experience at higher levels of competition and provide a chance to earn Zone Horse of the Year points. Created to emulate the Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships and Markel/USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships, riders compete over three days as an individual and on a team to represent their Zone.
"The gold and silver teams were tied with four faults over two days which is amazing. They were both very fast – the winning team with their times from yesterday were cumulatively only three seconds faster," Chef d'Equipe O'Dell said of the competition. "The biggest thing for the last day is making sure there is still some gas left in the tank – showing three days in a row is tiring on any horse. For the riders coming in from the gold team they are going to be pretty pumped up and need to keep riding confidently.”
Team Medalists
1.00/1.05m Children's/Adult Zone Jumper
GOLD: Milton
Winter Tietjen - Jett B - Zone 2
Marcellina Vitale - Remirevo - Zone 2
Tatiana Basch - In Style - Zone 2
SILVER: Abdullah
Adina Gesthalter - MTM Fiona 621 - Zone 2
Abigail Davis - Out of Sight - Zone 2
Cierra Simmons - Meet Virginia - Zone 2
Kayden Marsh - Bijoux Vincenza - Zone 2
BRONZE: Hickstead
Alexa Massimin - Cen - Zone 1
Zoe Grutkowski - Goteusi - Zone 1
Isabelle Grutkowski - Loxley - Zone 1
Krista Reynolds - King Gettigan - Zone 1
“Going into this round I was pretty stressed out because I set high expectations for myself. My mom always tells me that you're going into the ring with your best friend, and that helped me calm down and just had the best time," said Davis, Gold Individual medalist from New York City, New York.
"My horse has a lot of blood so he really needs me to be patient, but he is very good at coming back to me," Davis continued. "In the jump-off, I just let him gallop and do his thing. I love his personality in the barn and how he is always there for me when I ride him and how he just wants to win.”
The USHJA 1.00/1.05m Child/Adult Zone Jumper Championships provide Children's and Adult Amateur Jumper competitors an opportunity to earn Zone Horse of the Year points in the Children's and Adult Amateur Jumper (1.00/1.05m) in both team and individual competition. To qualify, riders must apply and earn a minimum of 20 points in their respective Children's and Adult Amateur Jumper sections at USEF-licensed competitions by their zone’s deadline, which is 45 days prior to the selected championship. Riders must also be current Active USEF and USHJA Junior or Amateur members in good standing.
During the championship, riders compete in a three-day competition format. Day one entails a first round of the team championship and first individual qualifying class. Day two consists of the second round of the team championship and the second individual qualifying class. For the last competition day, the top 15 individual finalists from the qualifying classes return to jump for the individual championship title.
One more USHJA 1.00/1.05m Child/Adult Zone Jumper Championships will be held throughout the 2023 competition season. The final championship will be held during the Temecula Valley National Fall 3 in Temecula, California, for Zones 9 and 10 on October 18-22.
The USHJA extends special thanks to the team at Colorado Horse Park for hosting these Championships. The USHJA also thanks official sponsors CWD, Nutrena and Parlanti.
For more information about the USHJA 1.00/1.05m Child/Adult Zone Jumper Championships, visit ushja.org/lowzonejumper.
Photos: ESI Photography