Devon, Pa. – May 26, 2018 – After two rounds of competition, the nation’s top junior riders returned to the Dixon Oval on Saturday evening to go head-to-head in the final round of the 2018 Junior Jumper championship at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair. Following her win in Thursday’s speed class, Daisy Farish and her own Great White rode to second place in Saturday’s $20,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Jumper Classic, sponsored by the World Equestrian Center, to claim overall championship honors, while Paige Matthies secured back-to-back Devon blue ribbons with Climbus.
Out of the original starting field of 26, seven jumped fault-free over Guilherme Jorge’s challenging opening track on Saturday.
Paige Matthies and Barbara Smith’s Dirkie Z, who won Friday’s second round, were the first pair to tackle the jump-off round and finish double-clear in 31.764 seconds.
Samantha Cohen and her own Carmen were the next combination to finish clear in the jump-off as third in the order, besting Matthies’ time by one second in 30.551 seconds to move ahead of her in the standings.
Fourth to go, Farish, who trains with Andre Dignelli of Heritage Farm, cleared the short course to take over the top spot with her 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding in 29.064 seconds.
Last to go was Matthies once again with her second mount qualified for the jump-off, Climbus, also owned by Barbara Smith. After Climbus threw a shoe in the warm-up just before returning for her final jump-off round, a team of farriers quickly went in to action to get the shoe back on.
The delay made Matthies slightly anxious, but she returned to the Dixon Oval confident and poised to produce the final double-clear performance of the class in 28.957 seconds for the win. Farish finished in second, while Cohen took home third place.
Combining Thursday’s win and Saturday’s top finish, 17-year-old Farish of Lexington, Kentucky, clinched the 2018 Junior Jumper championship and the Barry G. Balmer Memorial Challenge Trophy with 19 points as well as the Leading Junior Jumper Rider award, sponsored by County Saddlery, and the Second Richard W. Atkinson Memorial Challenge Trophy, earning the most points overall and showcasing her consistency throughout her final Junior Weekend at the Devon Horse Show.
Matthies was awarded the Junior Jumper reserve championship with Climbus with 15 points as well as the Second Marie Cramp Hill Memorial Challenge Trophy, while Madison Goetzmann was presented with the Junior Jumper Style of Riding Award, sponsored by Shalanno Farm LLC.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Daisy Farish – 2018 Junior Jumper champion
On Great White:
“I have had him for three years now. I got him when he was 7 so I was able to bring him along, which was a cool experience. He turned out to be more than we ever could have hoped for. He was a horse shown to us in Florida a few years ago. I didn’t have a jumper at the time and my horse was getting older. He just seemed like a nice, sweet horse. He had a bit of an attitude but we worked through that together. My biggest classes have also been his biggest classes, which is really cool for me. His barn name is Bruce after the Great White in Finding Nemo.”
On the jump-off:
“It wasn’t his best jump-off. It was kind of a ‘quick across the ground’ type of jump-off and he’s more of a ‘leave strides out’ kind of horse, but I thought I had nothing to lose so I went for it and he was amazing. I actually wanted to do seven to the end fence as the fourth jump because I didn’t think there was a six, but Andre [Dignelli] said, ‘Just go for it. You can get the six.’ [Andre] never screams in the ring because he is very conservative, but after I did the six he yelled, ‘Go for it! Go for it!’ I was laughing because he was really excited.”
On winning the Devon Horse Show Junior Jumper championship in her final junior year:
“It was emotional because it’s my last junior year here. I’ll be back though. It was a really great one — one I’ll definitely remember. It is going to be a different experience [coming back] as an amateur. I was happy to finish on a good note.”
On her plan for Great White:
“This year, I kind of had fun with him and we put him in some bigger classes. We jumped our first 3* grand prix last week at Old Salem Farm. He is amazing and jumps better as they get bigger. He is a great horse to get me in the bigger classes.”
Paige Matthies – 2018 Junior Jumper reserve champion
On Saturday’s class:
“The footing here is great. Even after the rain, my horses never slipped so that was amazing. The course was designed so well. I felt that it was very challenging but my horses and I figured it out. I went in to the jump-off first with [Dirkie Z] and he was amazing and clear so that gave me knowledge of what I had to do on my second horse, Climbus. Climbus threw a shoe on our last jump in the warm-up ring so that was challenging because I was worried about his foot. I also didn’t want to have to warm him up again and it made me a little anxious. After he got his shoe back on, he still felt amazing so I knew his foot wasn’t a problem and it was OK. Everything went to plan. I’m very happy.”
On winning back-to-back Junior Jumper classes at the Devon Horse Show:
“Coming into Devon, what I really wanted were good, clear rounds that could build my confidence. Those hopes were greatly exceeded and I’m so amazed by this whole experience. I’m so proud. My wins with [Dirkie Z] and [Climbus] here at Devon are the biggest wins I’ve had with those horses. I’m very grateful for this experience. To my trainers at Ashland Farm and Northern Pines Farm, and to my grandparents — I’m just forever grateful to have this experience. Of course, I’m so grateful for my horses too.”
On Climbus:
“Climbus is very sweet on the ground and very docile. He has a bit of a going ride. I’ve been partnered with him since last fall so I know him a little better than I know [Dirkie Z]. I know that I can get away with doing a leave out stride to a vertical and he will keep it up for me.”
RESULTS
$20,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Jumper Classic, sponsored by the World Equestrian Center:
Place / Horse / Rider / Owner / Round One Faults / Round Two Faults / Time
1. Climbus / Paige Matthies / Barbara Smith / 0 / 0 / 28.957
2. Great White / Daisy Farish / Daisy Farish / 0 / 0 / 29.064
3. Carmen / Samantha Cohen / Samantha Cohen / 0 / 0 / 30.551
4. Dirkie Z / Paige Matthies / Barbara Smith / 0 / 0 / 31.764
5. Prestigious / Madison Goetzmann / Madison Goetzmann / 0 / 4 / 28.574
6. Carola BH / Sophie Gochman / Gochman Sport Horse LLC / 0 / 4 / 31.399
7. Caroquados T / Isabella Bleu Baxter / Isabella Bleu Baxter / 0 / 8 / 29.760
8. Street Hassle BH / Mimi Gochman / Gochman Sport Horse LLC / 4 / 71.445
9. Caleno 3 / Mimi Gochman / Gotham Enterprizes, LLC / 4 / 71.590
10. Analyze This / Tanner Korotkin / Kimberly Jakubowski / 4 / 72.033