Saturday Morning Highlights from the Royal
Saturday, November 17, 2007
It’s the last day of national championships at the American Royal and everyone’s put their best foot forward for a chance at a national title. For the past five year’s CH Callaway’s Pretty Penny has dominated the country pleasure driving division with Nancy Anderson on the lines. This world’s champion team continued their winning streak by capturing the national title for the sixth year in a row, making it a unanimous decision for the Hollow Haven duo.
An amateur/owner/trainer pair captured the Western Country Pleasure National Championship from a stellar field of 15 entries. Talmage’s Heiress and Janet O’Bannon made a great performance to earn the tricolor.
A large class of 14 returned to battle it out for the Amateur Park Stake. Kaitlyn Grom picked up where her sister left off-in the winner’s circle. She piloted Perfect Vengeance to the tricolor after her sister, Tara, claimed the qualifier.
Twenty-four riders arrived early this morning for the first round of USEF Medal preliminaries. Thirteen were called back for a second look, including an intricate workout. The top 10 were brought back into the ring and were pinned in reverse order. When eight had been given ribbons, Brittany McGinnis and Emily Abbott were the last two left. Emily Abbott, trained by Mike McIntosh and Emily’s mother Kathy Conflenti, was the next to be called out and was crowned the reserve champion of the USEF Medal Final.
Capturing the most prestigious prize in the equitation world, Brittany McGinnis added the USEF Medal to her list of other wins this year, including the UPHA Challenge Cup earlier this week and the NHS Good Hands, making her a triple crown winner. Last year’s champion and former barnmate, Alexandra Flynn, joined McGinnis in the winner’s circle along with trainers Lillian Shively and Todd Miles.
Familiar competitors…
Emily Abbott and Brittany McGinnis
Complete results from Saturday’s sessions can be found by clicking here. Stay tuned for final daily highlights on Saddle Horse Report Online.
|