Devon, Pa. – May 25, 2019 – 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 2019 Junior Jumper championship, sponsored by Lugano Diamonds, at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair. Following his win in Friday’s $3,750 Junior Jumper class, sponsored by Land Services USA, Inc., Tanner Korotkin and Sandalwood Farms’ Armagedon won Saturday’s $20,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Jumper Classic to secure the overall championship title, while Paige Matthies and Caelinn Leahy tied for reserve honors.
Out of the original starting field of 23, eight jumped fault-free over Guilherme Jorge’s challenging opening track on Saturday.
After dominating the junior hunters earlier in the day, earning the prestigious Devon Grand Junior Hunter Champion title with Evermore, Mimi Gochman was the first to return for the jump-off aboard Gochman Sport Horse LLC’s Street Hassle BH, setting the pace to beat at 39.007 seconds.
The next double-clear performance came two rounds later with Paige Matthies and Barbara Smith’s Climbus, who finished with runner-up honors in Friday’s second round of the championship. A small slip heading to the final fence caused them to narrowly miss Gochman’s time after stopping the clock in 39.436 seconds.
With only one left to go, it appeared Gochman was going to add another Devon blue to her collection for the day but 17-year-old Korotkin, who trains with his dad Alan Korotkin alongside John Brennan and Missy Clark of North Run, had other plans.
He and the 14-year-old KWPN gelding pulled out all the stops, cutting corners and skillfully navigating tight rollbacks, to shave two seconds off of Gochman’s time in 37.503 seconds to seal the win and the Second Marie Cramp Hill Memorial Challenge Trophy, while Gochman finished in second place and Matthies rounded out the top three in the class, which was sponsored by Lugano Diamonds.
With his two back-to-back wins on Friday and Saturday, Korotkin of Wellington, Florida, clinched the 2019 Junior Jumper championship and the Barry G. Balmer Memorial Challenge Trophy with 25 points. In addition, he received the Leading Junior Jumper Rider award, sponsored by Dover Saddlery, and the Second Richard W. Atkinson Memorial Challenge Trophy, earning the most points overall and showcasing his consistency throughout Junior Weekend at the 2019 Devon Horse Show. To top if off, Korotkin was also presented with the Junior Jumper Style of Riding Award for best exemplifying the American style of equitation and the respectful, dignified, courteous and workmanlike manner of a true sportsman.
Matthies aboard Climbus and Caelinn Leahy with Dymendy, who won Thursday’s round one speed competition, both accumulated 10 points over the course of the three days of competition to share the Junior Jumper reserve championship.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Tanner Korotkin – 2019 Junior Jumper champion
On winning back-to-back Junior Jumper classes at the Devon Horse Show:
“It feels great. My horse came out yesterday and jumped two clear rounds super fast. It feels great that he was able to come out here again today and go just as fast, if not faster, and still keep the jumps up and still give me his best.”
On Saturday’s jump-off:
“Tonight’s jump-off round was definitely harder. I was the last rider in and Mimi was extremely fast. I just knew I had to be tight and tidy, especially after the combination. I thought I could do it and it ended up working out.”
On his partnership with Armagedon:
“I rode [Armagedon] with Jimmy Torano last summer and we ended up buying him. I’ve owned him since the beginning of [the Winter Equestrian Festival], so about four or five months now, but I’ve probably been riding him for around a year. I’ve loved this horse from the beginning. He’s exactly the type of horse I want. He takes me to the jump and holds his head up high and I’m able to keep my reins short, keep his head up and just keep holding him off the jumps and he just keeps jumping higher and higher. Me and this horse have come a long way and I definitely have a great bond with him. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season with him.”
On training with North Run and his father:
“Missy [Clark] and John [Brennan] help me right alongside my dad, Alan Korotkin. Missy and John have really made me a tougher rider. My dad is one of the best and he’s taught me absolutely everything I know, and Missy and John have just added onto that. They’ve helped me be a much smoother, calmer rider and just focus on getting the job done and jumping clear rounds. When I’m at home in Florida, my dad is the main one helping me and then when we’re at shows together or when I’m at shows with just Missy and John, they’re always right there by my side supporting me at the equitation ring and the jumper ring and just helping me become the rider I want to become. I’ve been riding with Missy and John for about three years now, since my first year at equitation finals, so I’m excited to continue riding with them and my dad and see where we go.”
RESULTS
$20,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Jumper Classic, sponsored by Lugano Diamonds:
Place / Horse / Rider / Owner / Round One Faults / Round Two Faults / Time
1. Armagedon / Tanner Korotkin / Sandalwood Farms / 0 / 0 / 37.503
2. Street Hassle BH / Mimi Gochman / Gochman Sport Horse LLC / 0 / 0 / 39.007
3. Climbus / Paige Matthies / Barbara Smith / 0 / 0 / 39.436
4. Carola BH / Sophie Gochman / Gochman Sport Horse LLC / 0 / 4 / 39.607
5. Dirkie Z / Paige Matthies / Barbara Smith / 0 / 4 / 40.061
6. Buckle Up / Ned Cunniffe/ Whipstick Farm, Ltd. / 0 / 4 / 41.928
7. Czechmate / Savannah Hemby / Andrew Bourns Sport Horses Inc. / 0 / 8 / 37.923
8. Alania / Sophee Steckbeck / Sophee Steckbeck / 0 / 8 / 39.419