USHJA Young Jumper Championship Crowns Winners at Flintfields Horse Park
The 2024 USHJA Young Jumper Championships came to a close on Saturday afternoon to wrap one of the first major events of the Traverse City Horse Shows Tournament of Champions. The five, six, seven, and eight-year-old age groups of the Young Jumper Championships took to the Turtle Creek Hotel and Casino International Ring one final time after two days of qualifying rounds. Future equine stars returned in order of their cumulative faults to take on the championship round, designed by Guilherme Jorge (BRA).
North Star Five-Year-Old Final
Across all age groups, the combinations that were fault-free throughout the week jumped off on the final day to claim championship titles. The first to take a tricolor was Kamille Marcussen (USA) and her own Twizel, a Belgian Warmblood mare by Up To Date Miltoo. The pair topped the North Star Five-Year-Old Final after jumping clear once again.
“We got her in March of this year,” said Marcussen. “We’d known of her and had our eye on her and were lucky enough to eventually get her into our barn. It was a bit of a slow start with her because she had just had a foal when we got her, so we basically restarted her into her five-year-old year but she’s so smart and powerful, we knew it’d be worth it.”
In addition to winning the final, Twizel was also awarded the best U.S. Bred Horse Award for the five-year-olds, something Marcussen was extra proud of after having ties to the mare’s bloodline.
“Her sire is Up To Date Miltoo and her mother is Bull Run’s Holy Smokes, who I actually showed as my first high amateur-owner horse and did my first couple of grand prix on, said Marcussen.
“It’s a full-circle moment.”
Marcussen and Twizel posted the fastest time in the final round of 34.655 seconds. Following on the podium was Filip de Wandel (USA) and That’s It, a Belgian Warmblood gelding by Virgo D’Arsouilles, owned by Five Way Farm LLC. The pair ended on a four-fault score in 36.239 seconds. Closing out the podium was Katie Cox (USA) and Tenacious van de Zeshoek, a Belgian Warmblood mare by Eldorado van de Zeshoek, owned by Kim Cox, coming home on a score of eight, in 35.480 seconds.
Read more:
USHJA Young Jumper Championship Crowns Winners at Flintfields Horse Park – Traverse City Horse Shows
