Dana Scott is Practically Perfect to Win the $7,500 Randolph College/USEF Junior Jumper Individual Championship at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show
Dana Scott of Wilton, CT, captured the gold medal riding KM Whatever RV in the $7,500 Randolph College/USEF National Junior Jumper Individual Championship at the 67th Annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show on Saturday evening. The 17- year-old rider was nearly perfect finishing with a score of only two faults.
“I got a little lucky,” said Scott. “Everyone here has a really fantastic horse, everyone here has a fabulous team behind them and everyone here is a fabulous rider. So really anyone could pick up the win this week and it ended up being my lucky week!”
The week began on Thursday with Phase I of the Championship and on Friday with Phase II. The top 60% were eligible for the Phase III, which yielded a field of 17 competing in reverse order of merit. The scores from Phases I and II carried over into Phase III to determine the order.
Liza Finsness and Ormsby Hill went clear in the final phase, establishing a lead with a four-day score of 12 faults. That score held for most of the class until Charlotte Jacobs and Kachina, going third from last, entered the arena. The pair had a carryover score of 6.5 faults and then incurred four more by knocking down a rail for a total of 10.5 faults. Abigail McArdle was next on Cosma 20. They came into the competition with a carryover score of five faults, so if they went clear, they would take over the lead. McArdle and Cosma 20 were faultless and put the pressure on the final rider.
Scott and KM Whatever RV made the Alan Wade designed course look easy, negotiating a clear round. The dynamic duo did not have a single rail down throughout the four rounds of competition. Their only faults were incurred by the clock, by going a little too slow on Thursday evening. Scott was thrilled with their victory, but she was truly happy just to take part in the event.
“I looked around and saw that I was surrounded by some of the best riders in the country and I thought that it was such a privilege just to be here,” said Scott. “It was icing on the cake just to win here.”
Special awards were also presented on Saturday evening. The William C. Steinkraus Style Award, sponsored by Karen Healey Stables, was won by Liza Finsness of Wellington, FL. Ovation, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker of Middleburg, VA and shown by Victoria Colvin, was named Junior Working Hunter Grand Champion, sponsored by Archibald Cox, III & Brookway Stables. Ovation was also the High Point Small Junior Hunter, sponsored by the PA Department of Agriculture. The High Point Large Junior Hunter, sponsored by the PA Department of Agriculture, was won by Inclusive, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker and ridden by Victoria Colvin. Scott Stewart of Wellington, FL, won the Junior Hunter Trainer Award sponsored by The Tyree Family. The Best Junior Rider – Horse, sponsored by Judith Patton, was won by Victoria Colvin of Loxahatchee, FL. Shawn Casady of Harriman, TN, received the Junior Hunter Rider Sportsmanship Award sponsored by English Riding Supply.
Junior weekend wraps up on Sunday with the USEF/Pessoa Hunter Seat Equitation Finals presented by Randolph College. The Pennsylvania National Horse Show is one of the largest indoor horse shows in the U.S., hosting horses and competitors from across the country with 20,000 spectators attending from the Mid-Atlantic region. With over 1,400 qualified horses competing for $420,000 in prize money, the show features Hunter and Jumper competition and is the site of the $85,000 Grand Prix de Penn National.