There was little sleep for the 74 riders who competed in the National Horse Sports Foundation Maclay Championship for the ASPCA Horsemanship Classes, the National's hunt seat equitation title. After getting up long before dawn to exercise their horses, the teenagers walked the course at 5:30 a.m. and began the first round at 6 a.m.

And what a surprise they got! The route started off with a bang; the first jump was a narrow, wingless simulated brick wall that had to be taken at a trot. Fence six was nothing but white rails on the ground, which could be viewed as a breather or a puzzling challenge, depending on the competitor who had to handle it.

At the end of the first round, judges Ronnie Beard, Danny Robertshaw and Melanie Smith-Taylor had Emily Williams of Ohio at the head of the 25 they called back to try a different course. Emily never faltered as she took the trophy, while her friend Caitlin Venezia of Massachusetts moved up from fifth place to earn the reserve title.

Williams is trained by her father, Cody; Don Stewart; Scott Hofstetter, a former Maclay winner and Missy Clark. It was the fourth time in four years that Clark has been part of the team that accepted the Gatehouse trophy for coaching the winner. Venezia's trainers are Frank Madden and her aunts, Patty Harnois and Cathy Grady.

The win was a goal only a select few can realize, "I've been working for it forever," said Emily, a high school senior. She didn't have it handed to her, either. Emily trained her own mount, Better & Better ("because he kept getting better and better"), a former Argentine dressage horse.

She wore a jacket, shirt and choker that belonged to her mother, Lynn, who is suffering with cancer. Mrs Williams was able to come into the arena during the presentation ceremonies, where she "cried like a baby'' and many friends outside the ring looking on did the same'. "I got to see it," Mrs. Williams said, explaining her emotions. "I don't know if I'll be here next year."

Shown are pals Caitlin Venezia and Emily Williams with the historic Maclay trophy won by Williams, who also took the AHSA Medal this year. It was the first time since Ray Texel did it in 1989 that a rider earned both titles in the same year.

Text and Photo by Nancy Jaffer