Danielle Paradysz Wins NAL Pony Jumper Finals To Kick Off North American League Finals at Pennsylvania National Horse Show

Harrisburg, PA  - It was pure "Paradysz" in the ring for the first class of the North American League Finals which featured the $5,000 NAL Pony Jumper Final.  Daniella Paradysz of Mill Creek, NY and Indigo galloped away with the win posting the only double clear performance of the class. Wilhelmina Horzepa aboard Exhiliration, last year's winners of the Pony Jumper Finals, had to settle for second place this year with a faster time of 31.620 but four faults over the course.

Daniella, and Indigo, owned by the family's Paradysz Farm, were one of the six who turned in a fault free performance in the first round of competition.  Returning for the jump-off, rider after rider failed to negotiate the shortened course without knocking down rails.  Paradysz was the only rider to navigate the second round with no penalties in a time of 35.944 seconds.

"Since I was last to go in the jump-off, I just tried to be smart, neat and go clean.  In order to win I had to keep the rails up but not necessarily go the fastest."  This was quite a task for the young rider.   "Indigo is a firecracker!  She is mostly quiet at home but is usually seen flying around the ring at shows.  Preparing her to show is easy.  She's ready after a quick hand walk."

Thirteen-year-old Daniella takes her riding very seriously.  She is home schooled and in the 8th grade, which gives her the ability to ride 4 to 5 horses a day, 6 days a week.  She is trained by Bert Mutch and started riding at the age of four, "because my sister Allie was taking lessons".This has been a good year for Daniella.  "Winning the NAL pony jumpers has been a highlight and I also won Circuit Champion at WEF and a class at Devon!" 

She is now working toward a move to Junior Jumpers, an ambition that will be easier due to her experience in the NAL series.  "I enjoy the slicing and dicing of turns that come with the jumpers.  It really makes you have to think ahead."As Daniella closes the book on the pony phase of her riding career and prepares to move up, this North American League Final win was a wonderful final chapter.

Results:  $5.000 NAL Pony Jumper Finals

• 1.  Indigo/Daniella Paradysz/0/0/35.944
• 2.  Exhiliration/Wilhelmina Horzepa/0/4/31.620
• 3.  Tallyman/Brittni Raflowitz/0/4/34.829
• 4.  TNT/Lillie Ross/0/8/31.401
• 5.  Wild Wild West/Meg O'Mara/0/8/36.410
• 6.  Ferdinand/Kelly Fletchall/0/8/44.544

The NAL runs season-long series in six hunter-jumper divisions - Adult Hunter, presented by Practical Horseman, Children's Hunter, Open Jumper Speed, Adult Jumper, Children's Jumper and Pony Jumper.  Each division's series culminates with a championship final at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA, in October, sponsored in part by CA Horse Trader (horsetrader.com).  All horses competing in the NAL finals earn U.S. Equestrian Federation Horse-of-the-Year points.

For more information on the North American League, please visit the Ryegate Show Services website at www.Ryegate.com