Championships News

VRPC Member Compete at USPC Championships

From July 23 through 26, 53 members of Virginia Region Pony Club competed at the United States Pony Club’s (USPC) Championships East in Lexington, VA. The competition showcased seven equestrian disciplines and had 721 competitors who hailed from Florida, Maine, Alaska, Texas and everywhere in between. All competitors are members of USPC, an organization that teaches horseback riding, horse care, teamwork, and leadership to horsemen and women under the age of 25. The best of these equestrians compete at USPC Championships after qualifying at a regional rally. At this year’s Championships, Virginia Region’s teams and individual competitors performed exceptionally well.

VRPC’s preliminary level eventing scramble team, with Virginia Region members V Long, M Fox, and stable manager M Harp, earned 2nd place overall and 1st in horse management. M Harp received special recognition for her extraordinary assistance to all competitors in the vet box. V Long and M Harp are members of the Difficult Run Pony Club, and M Fox is with Loudoun Hunt Pony Club. This year marks the tenth time M Fox has competed in Pony Club Championships.

The training level eventing scramble team, with K Hull, S Barrett, and stable manager K Houston, all from Difficult Run Pony Club, was awarded 5th overall and 3rd in horse management.

VRPC’s novice level eventing team, which included A Page from Dominion Valley Pony Club, E McCagg, A Eyles, and G Wilkins from Blue Ridge Hunt Pony Club, and stable manager M Desrosiers from River Bend Pony Club, finished 2nd overall and 7th in horse management. VRPC member E Jacquay (Difficult Run Pony Club) competed in the same division on a scramble team (members of multiple regions) that received 5th overall and 3rd in horse management. E Jacquay also produced the winning design for the Championships T-shirt this year, for the second year in a row.

The beginner novice eventing team, composed of J Yates (Dominion Valley Pony Club), L Johnston and I Eyles (Blue Ridge Hunt Pony Club), and M Thomas and stable manager J Shaia (Deep Run Hunt Pony Club), placed 4th overall and 9th in horse management.

VRPC’s modified level show jumping team included H Bance (Deep Run Hunt Pony Club), L Fox and M Townsend (Difficult Run Pony Club), K Briggs (Blue Ridge Hunt Pony Club), and stable manager A Bellinger (River Bend Pony Club), and received 2nd overall and 4th in horse management. H Bance also earned second place recognition in equitation. VRPC also sent W Baker (Deep Run Hunt Pony Club) to compete on a scramble team in that division, and his team brought home 4th overall and 10th in horse management.

The developing horse and rider division show jumping team, with E Miller (Difficult Run Pony Club), C Pearson (River Bend Pony Club), K Hoptiak (Headquarters Place Riding Center), and stable manager A Nelson (Difficult Run Pony Club), earned 8th overall. C Pearson also received a medal for completing five clear jumping rounds. H Parsons (River Bend Pony Club) was on a scramble team in the same division that finished in 1st place overall and 3rd in horse management.

In first level dressage, the Virginia region was represented by B Camp-Crowder (Deep Run Hunt Pony Club) on a scramble team which earned 4th overall and 2nd in horse management.

VRPC’s training level dressage team, composed of C Brown (Casanova Warrenton Pony Club), J Imholte and S Mullins (Difficult Run Pony Club), and stable manager D Kovacs (Middleburg – Orange County Pony Club), received 4th overall and 9th in horse management.

VRPC sent A Fox (Difficult Run Pony Club) and T Croce (Middleburg Orange County Pony Club) to compete in senior games with members from the Western New York region, and their team earned 4th overall and 4th in horse management. As one of the top four teams they have been invited to compete in the President's Cup to be held later this year.

In Junior Games, O Borta (Casanova Warrenton Pony Club) and J Shurtleff (Dominion Valley Pony Club) joined a scramble team that earned 5th place in both horse management and overall.

In tetrathlon, VRPC’s R Dove (Old Dominion Hounds Pony Club) won the senior boys division.

V Lockwood (Blue Ridge Hunt Pony Club ) represented the Virginia Region on a scramble senior C quiz team, receiving 3rd place. The junior C quiz team, with H Robertson (Deep Run Hunt Pony Club), M DuPuis and H Lutz (Loudoun Hunt Pony Club), got 4th place. The senior D quiz team, which had A Shaia (Deep Run Hunt Pony Club), S Pitcher (River Bend Pony Club), C Rouse (Difficult Run Pony Club), and S Filler (Dominion Valley Pony Club), earned 16th place. C Payne (River Bend Pony Club) competed with a scramble team in the same division which finished 12th. VRPC’s junior D quiz team, which included M White, M Yowaiski, and N Royston (Old Dominion Hounds Pony Club), and J Payne (River Bend Pony Club) came in 14th place.

Congratulations to all our great Pony Club competitors.