Washington International Horse Show Celebrates Early Leaders in 2017 Championship Qualifiers

Winter circuits are wrapping up around the country, and qualifiers for the 2017 Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) Equitation and Children’s and Adult Hunter and Jumper Championships have been hotter than ever. As the qualifying period continues, riders are on the hunt for points to get to the nation’s top indoor final. The 59th annual WIHS takes place October 24-29, 2017, at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.

Qualifying events for the WIHS championships are held at more than 650 horse shows in North America. Riders who earn the most points throughout the year are eligible to compete in the WIHS Championship Finals, which include the $10,000 WIHS Children's Hunter Championship, $10,000 WIHS Children's Jumper Championship, $10,000 WIHS Adult Hunter Championship, $10,000 WIHS Adult Jumper Championship, WIHS Equitation Finals, and WIHS Pony Equitation Finals. 

With six months remaining in the qualifying period, which ends Aug. 31, there is still plenty of time to qualify. Riders must be active WIHS members in order for points to count towards the Finals.

> Sign up today at www.wihs.org/membership.

“The WIHS Equitation Finals and Hunter and Jumper Championships are fantastic goals for riders from around the country each year,” said WIHS President Vicki Lowell. “It is wonderful to see the passion and commitment that these riders put into competing throughout the season to qualify. There is no better feeling than walking your horse through the city streets and entering the arena at Verizon Center to compete at one of the nation’s most coveted events. I wish all of the riders the best of luck as they continue to earn points throughout the remainder of the qualifying period. We look forward to seeing the best of the best in October!”

As the season continues, WIHS congratulates all of the top competitors in the WIHS standings as of March 24, 2017:

WIHS Children's and Adult Jumper Championships

The Adult Jumpers have been earning their points to qualify for the championship finals in October. Bonapart and Lindsey Tomeu of Wellington, Fla., have 3,037 points for an early lead in the division. Camera Ready and Matti Worsham of Cumming, Ga., are close behind with 2,987 points. Speedy Chicolina and Megan Winkhaus of Greenwich, Conn., sit third with 2,282 points.

In the Children's Jumper division, Shannondale Gino and Hailey Berger of Parkland, Fla., showed throughout the winter to earn 2,206 points to lead their division standings. Nabuco and Grace Klein of St. Charles, Ill., stand second with 1,567 points. Whoops and Millie Herndon of Montgomery, Ala., are third with 1,387 points.

WIHS Children's and Adult Hunter Championships

In the Children’s Hunter Championship, Ufonia P and Cassie Warmkessel of Phoenix, Md., are the winter leaders with 1,058 points. Escalido and Annie La Russa of Mountain Brook, Ala., are second with 892 points, and Rocksino and Anna Tokich of Chardon, Ohio, sit third with 760 points.

Uptown and Victoria Clarke of Chevy Chase, Md., currently lead the Adult Hunter Championship standings with 1,416 points. Glyndon and Patricia Schindler of Reisterstown, Md., stand third with 1,160 points. Homepage and Mattie Worsham of Cumming, Ga., hold the third place with 868 points.

WIHS Equitation and WIHS Pony Equitation

Coco Fath of Fairfield, Conn., leads the way in points for the WIHS Equitation East Coast standings with 2,616 points. Taylor St. Jacques of Glen Allen, Va., is second with 2,560 points, and McKayla Langmeier of East Granby, Conn., is third with 2,197 points.

The top rider in the West Coast standings is Grady Lyman of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., with 1,500 points. Katherine Dash of Yarrow Point, Wash., sits second with 1,472 points, and Brooke Morin of Calabasas, Calif., stands third with 1,366 points.

In the WIHS Pony Equitation standings, Libbie Gordon of Stateville, N.C., leads the way with 434 points. Jordan Cobb of Austin, Texas, stands in second place with 427 points. Tessa Downey from Houston, Texas, holds the third position with 394 points.

Don't miss the chance to qualify for the WIHS Championships. WIHS looks forward to hosting the best horses and riders from around the nation in 2017 and encourages all riders to continue their drive to qualify.     

The qualifying period runs from shows starting on or after Sept. 1, 2016, through shows starting on or before Aug. 31, 2017.

For the equitation, invitations will be extended to the top 40 junior riders who are eligible to compete based on their points earned during the qualifying period in the East Coast and West Coast Leagues as follows: 30 riders will be invited from the East Coast League and 10 riders will be invited from the West Coast League. Letters of invitation will be mailed in September. For the pony equitation, invitations will be extended to the top 25 junior riders who are eligible to compete based on their points earned during the qualifying period. Letters of invitation will be mailed in September. For the championships, 29 horse/rider combinations will be accepted in each division.

For more information or to sign up to earn points for the WIHS Championship Finals, visit www.wihs.org/membership.

For complete list current rankings, visit http://www.wihs.org/wihs-rankings/.

About WIHS, www.wihs.org
Established in 1958, the Washington International Horse Show is one of North America’s most prestigious and entertaining equestrian events attracting more than 26,000 spectators annually to Washington, D.C., for Olympic-level competition plus community and charity events. More than 500 top horses and riders arrive from all over the globe to jump for more than a half a million dollars in prize money. Highlights include the $130,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Washington for the President's Cup, presented by Events DC, the $25,000 Puissance high jump and $50,000 Speed Final on Military Night and Kids' Day, a free, fun and educational community event. WIHS, an official USEF Heritage Competition, is rated CSI4*-W by the Fédération Equestre Internationale, the world governing body for horse sports. The Washington International Horse Show Association, Ltd. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization based in Washington, D.C.