Lexington, Ky. – July 28, 2017 – Since purchasing the 10-year-old gelding Outshine during the Florida winter season, Alexandra Worthington, 17, has enjoyed the experience of riding him in the equitation ring. The rising high school senior splits her time between New York and Las Vegas, and has trained with Beacon Hill Show Stables for over two years. On Friday, the pair dominated the Stonelea Ring by winning the ASPCA Horsemanship class and winning the WIHS Hunter Phase with a score of 90.
After 8 riders were selected to return for an undersaddle phase, Maverick Austin Helmar on Canterbury placed second in the ASPCA Horsemanship class. Grace Saad and Bond 016 finished in third place.
Annabel Revers and Contigo 37 followed closely behind Worthington in the WIHS Hunter Phase with a score of 88. Elli Yeager and Copperfield 39 received an 87 and placed third.
Meanwhile, in the Claiborne Ring, the THIS National Child Medal 14 & Under took place on the third day of the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows. Fifteen combinations competed and the top four were invited back for a work-off where they were asked to canter a handful of fences, trot one fence, halt at the end of the course and show a sitting trot. Augusta Iwasaki, 13, of Calabasas, California, won the class aboard Cocktail 51, a horse she has only ridden twice. The duo earned a score of 83 and Jaden Porter on Dragonfly’s Corleone B placed second with a 79. Layla Kurbanov and Constantin FZ finished in third place with a score of 78.
Additional Grand Hunter Championships will be awarded later this week to the top Amateur-Owner, Junior and Children’s Hunters. Additional hunter highlights include the $5,000 World Equestrian Center/Kentucky Horse Shows USHJA National Hunter Derby on Sunday in the Stonelea Ring.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Alexandra Worthington
On Outshine:
“I’m feeling really happy with Outshine! He was a hunter so he’s great at the hunt seat medals. He likes to float around and it’s really nice. I love how smooth he is. I love the fact that he’s more of a hunter and just transitioning to the equitation as it allows me to be really smooth and his jump is super soft. Once he’s quiet he’s easy to do whatever test you want on him.”
On her equitation:
“Since getting Outshine I’ve mostly been working on my upper body. I’m very tall and when I used to see my distances I would kind of gun it and make it very visible, so he’s helped me a lot with being smooth. I’ve also worked on keeping my upper body very still. With him, he has a tendency to look at things outside the ring so I have to keep him focused on the track and not overreacting if he spooks a little bit.”
On the course strategy:
“There were a few inside turns that we were considering, but since this is our first class here in Kentucky, we just wanted to go around very smooth and not take too many big risks.”
Augusta Iwasaki
On her rounds:
“I thought my rounds went really well, and I wanted to stay calm and do what I have to do. It was a pretty good test. I’ve been doing the THIS Medal all year. I’ve been working on keeping my heels down and my reins shorter.”
About the Kentucky Horse Shows:
“I’ve been coming to Kentucky for a while because I love the shows here. I love the competition, the grounds and facility. I have a lot of friends here who show with me too, so that’s fun.”
RESULTS
ASPCA Horsemanship
1. Outshine / Alexandra Worthington
2. Canterbury / Maverick Austin Helmer
3. Bond 016 / Grace Saad
4. Odyssey / Lolly McLellan
5. Empire / Caroline Weaver
6. Connaro / Mimi Gochman
WIHS Hunter Phase
1. Outshine / Alexandra Worthington / 90
2. Contingo 37 / Annabel Revers / 88
3. Copperfield 39 / Elli Yeager / 87
4. You Wish / Grady Lyman / 86
5. Carl / Emma Kurtz / 85
6. Odyssey / Lolly Mclellan /82
THIS National Children’s Medal 14 & Under
1. Cocktail 51 / Augusta Iwasaki / 83
2. Dragonfly’s Corleone B / Jaden Porter / 79
3. Constantin FZ / Layla Kurbanov / 78
4. Zandor / Maura Lautenbach / 77
5. Calvaro II / Ellie McIntyre / 76
6. Heartbeat Z / Karen McFarland / 75
