October 9, 2006

WCHR Challenge Classes Showcase Hunter Talent On Final Day of Capital Challenge

Upper Marlboro, MD – October 8, 2006 - Jennifer Waxman of Chagrin Falls, OH, continued her winning on Sunday afternoon at the Capital Challenge Horse Show as she topped the World Champion Hunter Rider [WCHR] junior challenge riding Whitney Roper’s Saloon.

Waxman, 15, rode three junior hunters at Capital Challenge but chose Saloon to ride in the challenge class. Coming in to the final WCHR qualifying show, Waxman led the point standings for the national WCHR title, and by the end of the day on Sunday Waxman had clinched the title having accumulated a total of 2032 points in 2006.

Winning the WCHR reserve national title was California resident Nick Haness. In addition to the WCHR title, Haness captured the grand junior hunter championship with Glen Eagle. Haness was thrilled with the honor. “He’s a phenomenal junior hunter. He’s done great things in his career, but for me to have that with him for my first huge hunter award means a lot,” he said.

Haness came to Capital Challenge fresh off a win at the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals – West held September 20-24 in Los Angeles, Calif. He said, “Sometimes after having a huge win like that I want to get ahead of myself. I just kept my head small and just took a deep breath. “I didn’t try have the perfect trip; I just rode. And that ultimately got me this,” he said holding up his grand champion ribbon.

Haness is pleased to have moved into the junior hunters this year and will compete with three at the indoor shows this autumn. He said, “This is a good way to kick it off. I’m very excited about that.”

Earlier in the day, Megan Davis guided her small pony Far From Home to the WCHR Pony Challenge victory with scores of 90, 88 and 87 for an average of 88.33. Davis, 11, of Lutherville, MD, went early in the class and mastered the challenging course, but for Davis it wasn’t only about the win. She said, “I really didn’t care too much about whether I won. I was just happy with the way he went. I was just proud of myself and my pony.”

Davis, who trains with Kelly and Tim Gougen, has contested the class for the past two years and was fourth in 2005. She was pleased that they did well together because the Capital Challenge is one of their final appearances together as she’s outgrowing him. “He seemed really excited about today,” she said. “I think he knew it was more special.”

Like Davis, Liberty Buttenwieser was proud of herself and her pony after they won the WCHR Children’s Hunter Classic. Ride The Rainbow was the only pony qualifier, but Buttenweiser showed the others how to ride it as she confidently cantered around to a score of 88 for the title.

“Today he was perfect,” Buttenwieser said smiling. “He loves what he does. He came out here and went around great.” Buttenwieser, 12, South Salem, N.Y., leases the large pony from Gary Duffy and Little Brook Farm and trains with Molly Flaherty and Patricia Peckham.

Results, photos, time schedule and streaming video can be found on the Capital Challenge website: www.capitalchallenge.org