Ansgar Holtgers, Jr. Gets the Gold in Neue Schule/USEF Junior Jumper Individual National Championship
Ansgar Holtgers, Jr. rode Chaploon to a gold medal win in the $10,000 Neue Schule/USEF Junior Jumper Individual National Championship, presented by Turnham Green, on Saturday, October 15, marking the thrilling conclusion to three days of junior jumper competition at the 76th Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Holtgers, of Wellington, FL, of his victory. “It means a lot to be here. It’s a prestigious show; a lot of people set their goals to come here to show at this time. It’s a big deal because there are [36] of the best juniors in the country here with the best horses, the best teams, the best trainers – everything. It’s a big deal to come here and then to win [is even bigger].”
Holtgers was one of 23 entries that contested Saturday’s Phase III class, with each rider that qualified for the final phase of the three-day Individual Championship coming into the evening carrying penalties based on their results from Phases I and II.
All of the top six riders coming into the evening sat within 3.05 points of one another, so the pressure was on to perform over the Alan Wade-designed course.
As riders returned in the reverse order of their standings, Sofia Cady and her own Deleyn returned in the 10th place position. As one of only three clear rounds, the16-year-old from Austin, TX, shot up into the eventual fourth-place position. Fellow Texan Tessa Downey similarly climbed up the ranks, with a clear round aboard Isabelle, owned by Horse Orchard LLC, moving her up from sixth place to clinch the silver medal.
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