October 9, 2006

Charlie Jayne Takes USEF Show Jumping Talent Search-East Victory

Article by Nancy Degutis

Competitions such as the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search–East have often been dominated by female contenders, but this year’s October 7-8 championship had four young males in the top ten. Two—Floridian Michael De Finadra and Illinois native Charlie Jayne--made it to the final four ride-off which the 20-year-old Jayne took with his overall score of 237 points.

Jayne, of Elgin, IL, was on the last day of the October 7-8 event. Jayne “a very effective rider and got the job done on all the horses he rode” in the final round, said grand prix rider Alison Firestone who co-judged the event with master horseman, George Morris, at the U.S. Equestrian Team’s training center in Bedminster, NJ.

“He had a beautiful touch and beautiful eye,” she pointed out which earned him the blue ribbon. While he has ridden hunters extensively in the past, giving them a soft, smooth ride, “he can ride strongly and no matter what problems come up, he can cope with them,” she said.

Jayne Overcomes Numbers to Lie In Third, Awaiting Ultimate Test

Jayne was one of a field of 71 entries

“That’s been the most we have had since for at least 15 years,” said show manager David Distler. “That goes back to the days when we showed on the grass grand prix field and had as many as 140 kids.”

Jayne rose from third after the flat phase, and was eighth after the gymnastics in the next segment. He increased his chances at a win when he came out of show jumping, phase three, in third, just ahead of his roommate in Florida, Finadra. Only Maggie McAlary of New Hampshire and New Yorker Addison Phillips were ahead of him as the judges laid out a shortened course.

From Riding Hunters to the International Scene

Charlie, who comes from a family in the horse business, got his start in horses with his father as his initial trainer. He grew into “a catch rider who has been on a lot of horses,” Firestone noted.

That gave the six-foot, three-inch tall youth a sense of body balance, readying him for the variety of horses he was to ride, particularly in the talent search (where he was the reserve champion in 2004) and various year-end indoor finals.

“I am focusing more now on the jumpers,” said Charlie who works now with grand prix rider Norman Dello Joio. “I hope to be on a World Cup team.”

He got more encouragement to help move that way from Missy Clark, who also works with him. “She told me to try this horse (Cassino Z). He had been doing the high and low jumpers.”

So for the finals he borrowed the gray Holsteiner stallion from his girl friend, Lauren Sturges, who was also part of the talent search.

“When I saw the course, I saw there were a couple of options. So, after the first jump, I picked up the pace,” he continued after giving a strong ride on the stallion. .