Julie Welles Taking 2005 USEF Show Jumping Talent Search–East Title

Watching in the Wings

While her “elders” were battling it out in the ring, the youngest rider in the championship is aspiring to be in the fray. Rachel Crown is only 13 but decided to go beyond the three-foot fences of the hunters and less demanding equitation classes.

“I just wanted to break into the 3-6 division this year,” said the Weston, Mass. girl who rides with David Oliynyk. She had been united only a week with her mount, a gray warmblood named Legato 26, when she ventured south to the finals. Only one other person from her barn came but that didn’t bothered Crown, a Boston University Academy student.

“No, I didn’t think there was that much pressure,” she said while studying the ride-off.

If the purpose of the talent search is to find budding show jumping ability that could represent this country on the international circuit in the future, then this year’s crop of youngsters is promising.

“I think this (the final four) is as good as I have ever seen,” Healey said in summing it up. “I think any one these kids in the top 10 or 11 could have been in the final four.