Pony Club Members Win at North American Junior Field Hunter Championships!

The 2016 North American Junior Field Hunter Championships were hosted by Dr. & Mrs. Jack van Nagell at their own Boone Valley Farm on October 23rd in Lexington, KY. The event, designed for junior riders, is set in the hunt field with participants competing in Hilltopping and First Flight divisions. More than 20 current and former Pony Club members competed and finished in the top ten of some challenging divisions.

Hilltop Division
Champion Mary Katherine Leveridge, C-1 Traditional, Half-Halt Pony Club, Heartland Region
Reserve Champion Cian Yorba, D-2 Traditional, Keeneland Pony Club, Midsouth Region
4th place- Grayson Yorba, D-1 Traditional, Keeneland Pony Club, Midsouth Region
5th place- Madison Elliott, D-3 Traditional, Moore County Hounds Pony Club, Carolina Region
7th place- Alden Yorba, D-2 Traditional, Keeneland Pony Club, Midsouth Region

First Field 12 and Under
Reserve Champion Ainsley Colgan, D-3 Traditional, Old Dominion Hounds Pony Club, Virginia Region
3rd place- Sophie Bell, D-3 Traditional, Old Dominion Hounds Pony Club, Virginia Region
7th place- Tate Northrup, D-2 Traditional, Hidden Bridge Riding Center, Midsouth Region

First Field 13 and Over
5th place- Josa Comstock, H-B, Fox River Valley Pony Club, North Central Prairie Region
10th place- Kathleen Moloney, C-1 Traditional, Keeneland Pony Club, Midsouth Region

Best Turned Out Award sponsored by Charles Owen
Ainsley Colgan, D-3 Traditional, Old Dominion Hounds Pony Club, Virginia Region

Highest Placed Pony Club member in each Division sponsored by Shapley’s Grooming Products
First Field 13 and Over– Josa Comstock, H-B, Fox River Valley Pony Club, North Central Prairie Region
First Field 12 and Under– Ainsley Colgan, D-3 Traditional, Old Dominion Hounds Pony Club, Virginia Region
Hilltoppers– Mary Katherine Leveridge, C-1Traditional, Half-Halt Pony Club, Heartland Region

Foxhunting is a founding discipline of Pony Club. Riders compete through open space following hounds. The First Flight division is for riders who are comfortable riding at speed and jumping natural fences with a group, while the Hilltopping division is meant for riders not yet ready to add jumping to the thrill of the chase. The goal of the Field Hunter Championships is to encourage today’s youth to continue to enjoy the tradition of riding across the country to the cry of hounds in good sport. Riders are expected to dress themselves and their mount in traditional hunting attire as well as being able to show their mount as a suitable hunting horse.