Upper Marlboro, MD – October 10, 2010 – It was a good week for seventeen-year-old Hannah Goodson-Cutt of Los Angeles, CA. She and her horse Caretano swept the major awards in the junior hunters, and it was a vindication of their hard work. Their championship in the $9,000 Small Junior 16-17 Hunters, sponsored by Meridian Farm and Meridian Riding Club, helped them capture the Grand Junior 16-17 Hunter Championship, sponsored by The Clothes Horse, and the overall Grand Junior Hunter Championship, sponsored by Lochmoor Stables/Mindy and Greg Darst. Goodson-Cutt was named the Best Junior Rider on a horse. Bella Cramer and Mactier were the Grand Children’s Hunter Champions. This was the final day of a very successful 2010 Capital Challenge Horse Show.
Goodson-Cutt has owned Caretano, a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding, for two years. She found him through grand prix rider Keri Potter, who was competing him at the grand prix and World Cup level. The decision was made to see if he could do the hunters. Goodson-Cutt knew from the first time she rode him that Caretano would be the one for her. “I did a trial week and was champion on him and knew I wanted him. He went really fast, but I knew we could slow him down. It took a long time,” she said smiling. “We were really good at home, and when we got to the big competitions indoors and the hunter derbies, he would get back into jumper mode. A year later, he’s so nice. We came in this year and he felt just like he does at home. I just walked in and picked up a canter and said, ‘Ok, we’re good.'”
The judges thought they were good too. Caretano won two over fences classes and placed third under saddle. The reserve champion in the division was Fern Gully, ridden by Taylor Ann Adams for Don Stewart and Meg O’Mara. They placed second, second, and third over fences and fourth under saddle.
For their Grand Junior Hunter Championship, Caretano and Goodson-Cutt were awarded The Spontaneous Perpetual Trophy, donated by the Listrani Family. Goodson-Cutt was named the Best Junior Rider, sponsored by Karen Healey and Karen Healey Stables.
Caretano and Hannah Goodson-Cutt
Goodson-Cutt feels that Caretano has adjusted to his new job now and enjoys it. “I think he likes being a hunter. I think after awhile it just got hard on him in the big World Cup classes. He’s a really smart horse, and he’s probably the best jumping horse I’ve ever ridden.”
Goodson-Cutt has trained with Kate Considine of Willow Brook Stables for seven years. “He’s super sweet and in love with my trainer,” she laughed. “She feeds him cookies every two seconds. He’ll love you if you give him a cookie.”
Although they were the USEF Horse of the Year in the older small junior hunters last year and finished as the reserve champions at the USEF West Coast Junior Hunter finals, Goodson-Cutt explained that she has been really focused on doing well at Capital Challenge and the other indoor horse shows this year.
“It feels really great to win here,” she remarked. “I came in this year really prepared with Caretano. It was almost like, ‘Ok, I did it,’ and a sigh of relief, and obviously excitement too. I’m looking forward to the rest of the shows coming up.”
Goodson-Cutt added, “I’d like to thank my mom, Marjorie Goodson. She comes to every horse show. I’d also like to thank my trainer, Kate Considine, and Carolyn Becker.”
Two junior hunter divisions wrapped up competition today. In the $9,000 Small Junior 15 & Under Hunters, sponsored by Cynthia Williams/New England Farm and Treesdale Farms, the championship went to Coffeetalk, ridden and owned by Whitney Downs. They placed first and second over fences. The reserve champion was Confidential, ridden by Hasbrouck Donovan for Don Stewart. They placed first, fourth, and fifth over fences and fourth under saddle.
Coffeetalk and Downs tied for the Grand Younger Junior Hunter Championship with the winners of the Large Junior 15 & Under Hunter division, Walk the Line and Meg O’Mara, who rode for herself and Don Stewart. It was a day of close finishes as Walk the Line won a hack-off over Way Cool and Victoria Colvin, who finished as reserve champions in their division. Way Cool, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker, and Colvin placed first and second over fences, as did Walk the Line and O’Mara. The Large Junior 15 & Under Hunter division is sponsored by Oscany, Inc.
The Large Junior 16-17 Hunters, sponsored by Beacon Hill, Stonehenge Stables, and RC Stables, finished yesterday, and the champion was Poetic, ridden and owned by Maggie Boylan. They placed first and fifth over fences and second under saddle. The reserve championship went to Azlan, ridden by Gabbi Langston and owned by Fastball Farm, who won an over fences class.
Red Panda and Hayley Barnhill, who competed in the Small Junior 16-17 Hunters, won the Junior and Overall EMO Trip of the Show with a 91.5.
The Children’s Hunters competed in the outdoor ring, and the Grand Championship, sponsored by Mary Jane King, went to Mactier, ridden and owned by Bella Cramer. They won the division championship in the Children’s Hunter 15-17 division after they won both over fences classes and placed second under saddle. Cramer was also named the Best Children’s Hunter Rider, which is sponsored by Wild Sky Farm and the Nelson Family. The reserve champion was MTM Halo, ridden and owned by Micah Gentry. They were second over fences and second under saddle.
Bella Cramer, who is 16 years old, and from Chelsea, MI, trains with Amanda Lyerly and Mike Rheinheimer. She’s been riding Mactier, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, for a year and a half. “We started in the Children’s and I’ll hopefully move up to the juniors soon. He is very lazy; I always want to try and make him go. He loves peppermints. He is very friendly. Every time he hears the crinkle of the wrapper, his ears go up,” she described.
Mactier and Cramer have been winning consistently since they began showing together, and the talented gelding has taught his rider many things. She explained, “He’s taught me not to get him going with my body, just to use my leg; to stay over in the air; and to not push to the jump, just feel the canter and not try to make things happen.”
Mactier and Bella Cramer
The Children’s Hunter 14 & Under champion was Best Of, ridden and owned by Gabriella Conte. They won an over fences class and tied with reserve champion Escara, ridden and owned by Paige Weisberg. A hack-off decided the championship. Escara and Weisberg won the EMO Trip of the Show with a score of 88. The Children’s Hunter 14 & Under division is sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Gary Duffy and Little Brook Farm, Inc.
The Children’s Hunter Pony division finished yesterday, and the champion was Crimson Sky, ridden and owned by Chelsea Cohn. They placed first and third over fences and third under saddle. The reserve champion was Ramblin’ N’ Gamblin’, ridden by Bernadette Louise Chungunco, owned by Iain Robins, who won an over fences class.
The Stewart Warner Cup for Children went to 12-year-old Victoria Press of New York, NY, who also won WCHR Children’s Hunter Challenge on her horse Notoriety, owned by Lexi Maounis. The Stewart Warner Cup for Juniors was awarded to Shawn Casady.
The WCHR Pony Hunter Challenge winner was One More Time, ridden and owned by Anna Rossi, while Taylor Ann Adams and Rosalynn captured the WCHR Junior Hunter Challenge with a high score of 90.33. First place in the World Champion Junior Hunter Under Saddle went to Q, ridden by Kelli Cruciotti, who were also second in the WCHR Children’s Hunter Challenge.
Scott Stewart was presented with the Leading Hunter Trainer Award, sponsored by Kim Stewart and Glen Willow Inc.
Competition has finished for the 2010 Capital Challenge Horse Show. The managers, Billy Glass and Oliver Kennedy, would like to thank all of the sponsors, employees, exhibitors, and spectators for making this year’s show a great success.
For full results and more information, please visit www.capitalchallenge.org. If you can’t attend the Capital Challenge Horse Show, remember you can log on to www.equestriansport.tv to see all the action live.
In its 17th year, the Capital Challenge Horse Show sets itself apart with a distinct and unique focus on preeminent hunter competition. Held each autumn at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, this year’s show takes place on October 2-10. Top competitions include the ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals and the THIS National Children’s Medal Finals, along with the Capital Challenge Equitation Weekend, presented by Bigeq.com. In addition to these prestigious equitation events, the Capital Challenge Horse Show will once again host the World Champion Hunter Rider Finals and will assemble the country’s best horses and riders to compete in junior, amateur, and professional hunter classes. For more information, please visit www.capitalchallenge.org or visit the Capital Challenge Horse Show page on Facebook!
Photo Credit: Caretano and Hannah Goodson-Cutt were the Grand Junior Hunter Champions. Photo © JL Parker Photography. Mactier and Bella Cramer won the Grand Children’s Hunter Championship. Photos © Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. These photos may only be used in relation to this press release and with full photo credit.