By Emily Randolph/RandolphPR
Harrisburg, PA – Alexa Karet and Jaime Auletto earned the inaugural Penn National Grand Children’s and Adult Hunter Championship titles, respectively, on Friday, October 22, at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA.
Historically held in one competition ring at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex, this year, the PNHS expanded to two rings, allowing the horse show to now offer two full divisions for children’s hunters and three divisions for adult amateur hunters.
Karet, of Pittsburgh, PA, clinched the first of those division championships aboard Catbird in the Children’s Hunter, 14 & Under. She and the 11-year-old Warmblood gelding, owned by Glade Run Farm LLC, earned two wins over fences and a first place in the under saddle on their way to the division championship and ultimately the grand championship title.
The reserve championship in the Children’s Hunter, 14 & Under finished in a tie between Hudson Saunders of Briar Cliff Manor, NY, aboard Imposant and Addison Huffman of Churchville, MD, riding Calantus.
In the Children’s Hunter 15-17 division, the championship went to Serena Wheaton of Owings Mills, MD, and Finnegan, owned by Streett Moore, and the reserve championship went to Anja Norcross of Carrboro, NC, and Commander.
In the new Adult Hunter divisions, it was Auletto and her own Primrose who claimed the Grand Championship title. Auletto, of Tabernacle, NJ, and the 6-year-old Westphalian mare earned the win in the Adult Amateur Hunter, 36-49 Under Saddle and a first and second place over fences for the Adult Amateur Hunter, 36-49 division championship.
Finishing as the reserve in the 36-49 section was Katherine Bleich Kemp riding Mon Tresor, owned by Moonriver LLC.
In the Adult Amateur Hunter, 50 and Over division, the tricolor went to Betty Oare, 80, and Sidenote, owned by EMO Stables. The reserve championship was awarded to Lisa Rabon of Hershey, PA, and Cascade, owned by Randi Vladimer.
Riding away with the Adult Amateur Hunter, 18-35 division championship were Amanda Hone and Intent, owned by Fairfield Lane.
“[Intent] is maybe the most straightforward horse I’ve ever owned in my life,” said Hone, of Wellington, FL. “He’s kind of just point and shoot. He knows his timing better than any other horse I’ve ever had. As long as you get him in line for the jump, he’s going to back himself off or whatever he needs to do, so it’s really nice.
“The first and second trips yesterday, I had two little mistakes,” continued Hone. “Today we managed to put all of it together, and it just kind of all fit perfectly. He was in the right space and everything really worked well.”
Finishing as the reserve champions behind Hone and Intent were Kelsi Shevlin and Point Being, owned by Julie Curtin.
Friday’s competition also featured the $10,000 Harrisburg Children’s Hunter Finals and the $10,000 Harrisburg Adult Hunter Finals, with the wins going to Maya Grove on Undaunted and Rachel Boggus and Subject to Change, respectively.
“I had a goal this year to win a national hunter final; I’ve been trying to win one for awhile,” said Boggus, who has had the 11-year-old Warmblood gelding Subject to Change for the past year. “I’ve won one in the jumpers and one in the equitation. This one has kind of eluded me for a bit, so I really focused on perfecting my ride in the hunters this year with this as my main goal.”
While Friday marked the conclusion of hunter competition at the 75th-annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show, the show culminates on Saturday, October 23, with the $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National, beginning at 7 p.m. To learn more, visit www.PAnational.org.
