Emily Williams and Stella Tinsley Top CPHA Foundation 22 & Over and 14 & Under, Respectively
July 26, 2024 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – Eighty-five riders took on the California Professional Horsemen’s Association (CPHA) Foundation Medal Finals at the Blenheim Summer Festival on July 19-20, before three new champions were named.
In the popular CPHA Foundation 21 and Under Medal Final, Taryn McEntire rose to the top of the 52-entry field to take the win aboard Crunch K. In the CPHA Foundation 22 and Over Medal Final, it was Emily Williams riding Carlo who earned the top spot, and in the CPHA Foundation 14 and Under Medal Final, the victory went to Stella Tinsley and Consul Z.
“The competition in this class was absolutely insane!” said McEntire, 16. “Everybody was riding so well. It was such stiff competition, and everyone just excelled.”
That stiff competition was apparent in the close – and high – scores at the end of round one of the CPHA Foundation 21 and Under Medal Final on Friday, July 19. At the conclusion of the opening phase, McEntire sat in second place with a score of 91, while Violet Tatum held the lead with a score of 92 aboard Iron Man van de Kalevallei.
On Saturday, McEntire returned to the Oaks International Grand Prix Field at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park, to cement her victory. A second-round score of 87 from judges Susan Horn and Ronnie Beard moved her into the lead heading into final testing of the top four.
As the frontrunner, McEntire was the final rider to take on the five-fence test, including one jump taken on the counter canter, and while she turned in a seamless ride, the suspense was high as the official results were announced.
“Just standing in the lineup and listening to everybody in the placings, my heart just started pounding and pounding and pounding,” said McEntire. “It got to the top two, and me and Violet were just looking at each other. We were both so nervous, and they said that she was reserve and just tears came to my eyes. I was at a complete loss for words, just completely blown away at the results.”
McEntire continued, “I have the biggest team supporting me. Shayne and Skylar Wireman have been my backbone. They have been the reason why I’ve gotten here, and I’m endlessly grateful for them. And then MJ and Todd Kaplan the owners of Crunch K. I’m so grateful that they give me the opportunity to ride him. And my parents and my family of course – they’re my biggest fans, and I’m endlessly grateful for them and everybody who has helped me to get to where I am.”
With McEntire taking the win, second place went to Violet Tatum, and Georgia Bass finished in third aboard Vivant.
In the CPHA Foundation 22 and Over Medal Final, Emily Williams rode to the win on her veteran medal finals partner, Carlo.
“This was really special because it was our fifth medal win together,” said Williams of her bay Warmblood gelding. “Carlo is a very straight to the business kind of horse. He likes to come out, do his job, go home, get some treats. He’s 18 years old, so we really just pull him out for the finals. So, this was really special that he could step out and do this.”
Not entirely unlike McEntire, Williams climbed to the top of the leaderboard in round two and the further testing. At the end of round one she sat in third place, but her well-executed second round and final test in the Ortega Ebb & Flow Arena secured her the win.
“Round one and two were really fun,” said Williams who trains with Karli Schroeder. “Everything rode just like it walked. In round two, there was an inside turn option which really allowed us to show off, and I just tried to focus on having fun and staying consistent through all the rounds. The test was lots of fun; there were lots of options. You could take some inside turns and really show off. I really enjoyed all of it.”
Second place behind Williams went to Lanie Walkenbach and Copenhagen, and Catherine Westling rounded out the top three riding Just Cavalli.
In the CPHA Foundation 14 and Under Medal Final, it was a close fight to the finish, with Stella Tinsley only moving from second to first thanks to her strong final test. Second place went to Honor Coulter and Django, and Ava Shatzko and Decklin took home third.
“There were a lot of really good riders, and I knew the competition was going to be tough,” said Tinsley, who trains with Nancy Frost at Flintridge Riding Club. “I just kind of remembered to trust my horse and trust my gut, and it worked out!”
Tinsley concluded, “I love Blenheim; the vibe is always super good. I love the new sand arena that they put in. It was a super fun arena to show in and just such a fun facility to be at.”
For full results of all three CPHA Foundation Medal Finals, visit blenheim.showgroundslive.com, and to learn more about the CPHA Foundation, click here.
