Traverse City, Mich. – June 25, 2021 – Friday morning in Hunter 2 Ring welcomed adult equitation riders who took center stage to compete for the top prize in the Ariat Adult Medal 3′ and the THIS NHS Adult 3′ Medal. Showcasing some of the top adult equitation riders in the country, the competition was stiff in both medal classes as the horse and rider combinations tried their hand at the eight-obstacle courses, hoping to acquire top placings towards the 2021 indoor season. In the end, Dawson Amick and Souvenir laid down a beautiful round helping them secure the blue ribbon in the Ariat Adult Medal 3′. Emma Mann-Meginniss dominated the THIS NHS Adult 3′ Medal aboard her mount, Erolie, which led them to win top honors.
Joseph Carnicom designed both of the eight-obstacle medal courses, which helped to highlight each of the rider’s handiness and correct position. Amick was first in the ring for the Ariat Adult Medal 3′, where she executed each obstacle in perfect stride, impressing the judges with her still position and fluidity she demonstrated throughout the entirety of the course. She spoke highly of the course and thought it allowed the riders to test their handiness and showcase their equitation abilities.
Amick is a seasoned equitation rider, having competed in all of the major equitation classes and shown at some of the top venues in the country. Amick also currently rides at Oklahoma State University as a member of their National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) team. She piloted Souvenir, a 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Avery Lambert, to a jaw-dropping round in the Ariat Adult Medal 3′ where they impressed the judges with their open, galloping pace and beautiful form over each jump. Souvenir is no stranger to the equitation ring after winning several top placings in 2021 in the 3′ Medal classes. The dynamic pair continued to wow the judges in the Ariat Adult Medal 3′ test, where they executed the three-jump shortened course beautifully, shining a light on their ability to ride the inside track and demonstrate seamless transitions.
Mann-Meginniss aboard Erolie, a 12-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding, was one of the first pairs to jump the eight-obstacle course in the THIS NHS Adult 3′ Medal. This longtime duo came back hungry to win after placing third in the Ariat Adult Medal 3′ and laid down a beautiful round highlighting their strong partnership. Erolie and Mann-Meginniss have shown consistent results in the adult equitation classes, having placed in the top honors on the west coast, including the CPHA Amateur Medal, WCE Medal and several others. Mann-Meginniss spoke highly of her talented partner and is looking forward to continued success in the adult equitation classes throughout the rest of the year.
Competition in the Hunter 2 Ring will continue Saturday at 8am with the Adult Amateur Hunter 35 over division.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Dawson Amick – Ariat Adult Medal winner
On winning the Ariat Adult Medal:
“It was super to win it. We call it the “Scariat” jokingly because it can be a bit testy, especially with it being an over fences test. The horse performed very well over the course. It is actually a catch ride for me and it was fabulous to be able to show him for the junior rider who owns him [Avery Lambert] and just get him in the ring.”
On their strengths throughout the course:
“I think jumps one to two were nice because it allowed you to go around and have a nice approach. Three to four were good and you were able to cut inside and show off and gallop to the two stride a little bit so that you could get through it easily. I think the last rollback was a nice way to finish off the course and showcase your handiness.”
On Traverse City Horse Shows:
“I love it up here, the weather is great, the footing is nice and the atmosphere is amazing. The show is run really well and the gatekeepers are always lovely.”
On her upcoming goals:
“My goals for the season are to do the THIS NHS Adult Medal Finals and possibly now the Ariat Adult Medal Finals.”
Emma Mann-Meginniss – THIS NHS Adult Medal winner
On Erolie:
“Erolie is 12 this year I think. I have had the ride on him for four years now. My trainers imported him as a five-year-old, so he has been with us for a very long time. He is owned by a lovely woman up in Napa [Louisa Ward] where we live. He is enormous, he is over 18 hands, so it is always a little challenging when the jumps are a little bit smaller to get him to have good footwork and really use himself through those courses. I think the courses today really set him up for a really nice flow. From one to two it was a really nice rollback and right back around to the two stride, which gave him a good jump to jump up to again. I think it really served him well.”
On the THIS NHS Adult Medal:
“I did not have a great round in the Ariat Adult Medal, so it was nice to come into this class and just really step backup and redeem myself. I am from California and we don’t really have this class out there, so we don’t get to do flat classes that much and it was nice to have the test be on the flat. I got to dust off my skills from the big equitation days and utilize those.”
On Traverse City Horse Shows:
“It is my first time in Traverse City and I am loving it so far. It is a really beautiful facility and the footing is phenomenal, which is a big deal for us being from the west coast because the footing can get quite hard. Everybody has been super nice and it is nice to be somewhere different.”
On her upcoming goals:
“[My goal is to] keep making this horse [Erolie] as good as he can be. He is just phenomenal but I really love getting to work with him and being able to continue to develop my relationship with him. There are a bunch of medal finals out on the west coast that I will try to do. [West Coast Equestrian] Finals is a big deal for us, it is a one-time junior and amateur jumper finals. I have my sights set on that.”