Washington, D.C. – September 25, 2014 – The qualifying period for the 2014 Washington International Horse Show concluded on August 31, and the top finishers in all divisions are now set to compete at the nation’s leading metropolitan indoor horse show. The WIHS offers championships for junior and pony equitation riders as well as adult and children’s hunter and jumper competitors. The 56th Annual Washington International Horse Show, held at Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C., will run October 21-26, 2014.
Riders who worked all year to earn points will continue on to compete at one of the most coveted horse shows in the country, and will compete in such prestigious finals as the $10,000 WIHS Children’s Hunter Championship, $10,000 WIHS Children’s Jumper Championship, $10,000 WIHS Adult Hunter Championship, $10,000 WIHS Adult Jumper Championship, WIHS Equitation Finals, and WIHS Pony Equitation Finals.
WIHS Championship Awards. Photo copyright Alden Corrigan.
The top 40 in the country, with 30 from East Coast and 10 from West Coast, will qualify for the WIHS Equitation Finals. The WIHS Equitation Finals are one of the prestigious year-end junior equitation finals, with such famous names as McLain Ward, Kent Farrington, and Brianne Goutal on the list of winners.
The WIHS Pony Equitation Finals will welcome 25 riders, and the hunter and jumper championships accept 30 riders each. A full list of qualifiers can be found at http://wihs.showmanagementsystem.com/qualifying. For more information about qualifying or to apply to be a WIHS member, please visit http://www.ryegate.com/wihs.php.
Leading Qualifiers:
Victoria Colvin of Loxahatchee, FL, earned a total of 7,844 points to lead the WIHS Equitation Finals’ East Coast standings with Caitlin Boyle of Hampshire, IL, in second with 6,158 points. Michael Hughes of Allendale, NJ, finished the season in third place with 4,868 points overall.
The top rider on the West Coast standings for the 2014 qualifying period was Pilar Flournoy of Topanga, CA, with 2,172 points. Sydney Callaway of San Diego, CA, finished second with 1,843 points, and Elizabeth Adelson of Tulsa, OK, earned a total of 1,780 points.
In the WIHS Pony Equitation standings, Taylor St. Jacques of Glen Allen, VA, finished in the lead with 1,225 points. Sloan Hopson of Houston, TX, earned 1,043 points, and Madeline Schaefer of Westminster, MD, completed the year with 1,000 points.
Brooke Cole and Poetic Justis. Photo copyright Shawn McMillen Photography.
The Adult Hunter Championship standings were led by Brooke Cole with 4,594 points riding Poetic Justis. Melanie Jeanes and Carrera qualified for the final with 2,104 points, and Dana C. Nifosi rode Knob Creek to a 1,658-point total.
In the Children’s Hunter Championship, Moon River and Alyssa Scholefield held the lead with 2,490 points. Caroline Wilson and Nose Better finished second with 2,278 points, and Lauren Watts and Fenway accrued a total of 2,248 points.
The Adult Jumpers also earned points throughout the year to qualify for their championship finals in October. Nancy Hooker and Corianos Boy led the way with 4,660 points. Lindsey Tomei and Bonapart finished the year with 4,226 points, and Rachel Boggus and Wiedam earned 3,753 points.
In the Children’s Jumper division, Tyler Mayer and Windelinde qualified for the championship with 5,895 points in the lead. Sara Dees and Talula earned 4,362 points in second, and Taegan Long and Pocohontas finished with 3,702 points.
WIHS is pleased to present the top qualifiers for each of the WIHS Equitation Finals (East and West Coast), WIHS Pony Equitation Finals, and WIHS Children’s and Adult Hunter and Jumper Championships with a pair of custom WIHS D-Teq boots courtesy of EquiFit, inc.
Tyler Mayer and Windelinde. Photo copyright Kim Mayer.
As the Washington International Horse Show prepares to host this year’s finals, competitors hoping to qualify for next year’s competition have already begun earning points on the road to WIHS 2015. Although you do not have to be a WIHS member to compete in the qualifying classes, competitors must be WIHS members in order for their points to count towards the finals. Sign up today to become a WIHS member and start earning points for qualification in the 2015 WIHS Equitation Finals and the WIHS Hunter and Jumper Championship Finals. The qualifying period is September 1, 2014, through August 31, 2015. To find out more, please visit www.wihs.org, join us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.
About the Washington International Horse Show, wihs.org
Established in 1958, the Washington International Horse Show attracts more than 26,000 spectators to the six-day show, which includes Olympic-level competition along with community and charity events. More than 500 top horses and riders come to D.C. from all over the globe to jump for more than a half a million dollars in prize money. In 2014, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), theinternational governing body for all Olympic equestrian disciplines,raised the show’s rating to CSI4*-W to reflect the increase in prize money for international show jumping. Event highlights include the Puissance high jump competition on Military Night (Friday), the $125,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix, a World Cup qualifier (Saturday night) and Kids’ Day (Saturday), a free, fun and educational community event. The Washington International Horse Show Association, Ltd. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. WIHS is an official USEF Heritage Competition and is recognized as a Top 25 Horse Show by the North American Riders Group.