Kate Parker and Simply Spectacular lead the way In The $4,000 Junior Hunter 3’6″ Classic Over Fences Phase Going into Day Two of the Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships
The USEF Junior Hunter National Championships kicked off with an exhilarating start as junior riders from across the West Coast showcased their exceptional skills in the $4,000 Junior Hunter 3’6″ Classic Over Fences phase as well as many others. With high stakes and fierce competition, the first day of the championship set the stage for what promises to be an unforgettable two days.
Simply Spectacular and Kate Parker (Laguna Beach, CA) stole the show in the day’s 3’6” Classic round in the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 Division. The pair delivered remarkable performances, earning scores of 88, 85, and 89 delivering the day topping score total of 262, and then continued their winning ways earning the blue ribbon in the under saddle.
“We got him about a year and a half ago, and he was fairly green when we first got him,” explained Parker of her 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding (by Chatender). “So it’s been a pleasure to work with him and see his growth. My mindset going into day two is really that I’m so proud of him from today, and if I can just stay consistent, that would be perfect. I just want to be positive and give him the experience that he needs again.”
Winners were crowned all day throughout the 3’3” and 3’6” sections over course designer Meghan Rawlins’ Classic round track to an enthusiastic crowd at HITS Del Mar. Yesterday’s Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic winner Violet Tatum (Pacific Palisades, CA) picked up pertinent points in the Large Junior Hunter 15 and Under Division aboard Twain, a nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding (by Finest) owned by Becky Equestrian LLC with a total score of 263 points for the first day. No stranger to the winner’s circle at Junior Hunter Finals events, Paige Walkenbach (Paradise Valley, AZ) secured herself comfortably into the leading position on day one with a total score of 260 points in the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 Division on Walkenbach Equestrian LLC’s 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, Ever So Often (by Arko III). The Small Junior Hunter 15 and Under division heralded Molly Copeland (Clyde Hill, WA) as the day’s victor after she and her own 10-year-old Selle Francais gelding, Top Tier (by Top Ten Du Gery), put on a top performance and earned a total score of 253 points.
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