Devon, Pa. – May 26, 2022 – The final class of the opening day of the 2022 Devon Horse set in the iconic Dixon Oval, the $3,750 Junior Jumper, sponsored by Land Services USA, Inc., saw a field of 23 talented young competitors take to the ring to vie for the top honors. As the first leg of the Junior Jumper Championship, the speed class asked riders to navigate the obstacles efficiently and fault-free if they were to be in contention for the ribbons. At the conclusion of the rounds, it was Zayna Rizvi and Excellent who emerged victorious on top of the leaderboard.
Course designer Olaf Petersen, Jr. (GER) set a challenging 13-jump track for exhibitors, asking them to make their way through multiple difficult turns and a combination line within a time-allowed of 89 seconds. In a race against the clock, the win was anyone’s for the taking. Setting the pace as the first to contest the course, Baylee McKeever and Formidable, owned by McLain Ward, took an early lead with a fault-free round and a time of 71.059 seconds. Just three rounds later, McKeever was unseated by Carlee McCutcheon aboard her own MTM Unexpected. The duo left all of the rails intact, finishing in a swift 69.659 seconds to move into the leading position.
Having already dominated in the equitation divisions Thursday, topping a section of both the Washington Equitation Classic Jumper Phase and the Platinum Performance / USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, Rizvi returned to the Dixon Oval determined to nab another Devon blue. Just two rounds following McCutcheon, Rizvi navigated Chaplin W, owned by Peacock Ridge LLC, through the track with ease, shaving nearly two seconds off of McCutcheon’s leading time to cross the timers in 67.935 seconds. It seemed victory would be hers for the taking as she managed to hold the lead for 10 rounds until Sofia Cady entered riding her own Deleyn.
With one more shot at the win, Rizvi re-entered the arena aboard her second mount Excellent, owned by Peacock Ridge LLC. Having already contested the course riding Chaplin W, Rizvi knew where she needed to make up valuable time in order to claim back her spot at the top. She turned and burned her way through the track with finesse, crossing the beams in an impressive 65.057 seconds to move back into the first place position. In the end, the remaining two pairs could not catch her time, ultimately lending her the first place finish. Cady claimed second place with Deleyn, while Rizvi rounded out the top three with Chaplin W. Rizvi was also awarded the Flight Cup Perpetual Trophy, presented in memory of Fran and Lou Jaffe and donated by Reed Kessler in 2011.
Competition at the 2022 Devon Horse Show will resume Friday, May 27, beginning at 8 a.m. The highlighted jumper event of the day, the $3,750 Junior Jumper Championship, is set to take place at 8:10 p.m.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Zayna Rizvi – $3,750 Junior Jumper, sponsored by Land Services USA, Inc., winner
On Excellent:
“I got Excellent, or Hef as I call him, last WEF and since then I feel like it’s been the perfect match. He is the sweetest horse in the barn but when he gets to the ring he knows it’s game time and is very determined to win. He loves what he does, which makes it all that much better and he’s the best horse I could’ve ever asked for.”
On Chaplin W:
“He’s been in our family for about six years now. Both my sisters rode him before I did, so he is definitely part of the family. He’s the most honest horse, he’ll do anything for you and he always tries his heart out. He is pretty perfect!”
On the course and plan going into her second ride:
“It was nice that I had already ridden the course. It always helps. You know how the lines are going to ride. My two horses are pretty different but I knew going in what I had to do to win and [Excellent] is very game, so that helped a lot.”
On her plans for Friday’s junior jumper competition:
“I’m hoping to just have nice consistent rounds all week. It’s nice to get good ribbons, but I just want to make sure I put in solid rounds.”
On being at Devon:
“Last time I showed at Devon I was showing the medium ponies, so I have never competed the horses here. This is very different but very fun and I’m excited for it. I love competing here and I missed the whole vibe of the fairgrounds, and I love this ring so it’s definitely nice to be back!”
RESULTS
$3,750 Junior Jumper, sponsored by Land Services USA, Inc.
Place / Horse / Rider / Owner / Faults | Time
1. Excellent / Zayna Rizvi / Peacock Ridge LLC / 0 | 65.057
2. Deleyn / Sofia Cady / Sofia Cady / 0 | 66.956
3. Chaplin W / Zayna Rizvi / Peacock Ridge LLC / 0 | 67.935
4. MTM Unexpected / Carlee McCutcheon / Carlee McCutcheon / 0 | 69.659
5. Freedom / Augusta Iwasaki / Ali Nilforushan / 0 | 70.335
6. El Classico / Caroline Nadalin / Caroline Nadalin / 0 | 70.534
7. Adelita / Lola Head / Lola Head / 0 | 70.637
8. Formidable / Baylee McKeever / McLain Ward / 0 | 71.059
9. Nashville Hero / Amirah Kettaneh / Leigh Kettanah / 0 | 71.854
10. High Five / Alexandra Ryden / Precision Equine, LLC / 0 | 76.596
11. G CT Super Sonic / Emily Dehoff / The Sporty Game LLC / 0 | 77.337
12. Gigi’s Girl BH / Mimi Gochman / Gochman Sport Horse LLC / 0 | 79.761