Challenge Classes Cap off the Capital Challenge Horse Show

Upper Marlboro, MD – October 10, 2004 - The 11th Annual Capital Challenge Horse Show held October 2-10 at the Prince Georges Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, concluded today with the pinning of the World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) challenge classes in ponies, juniors and children’s hunters.

In the pony hunter division it was Adrienne Sternlicht of Greenwich, CT, who rode Ingenue to the top of the class for the second consecutive year. The seven-year-old bay mare was also champion in the small pony hunter division.

Sternlicht, 11, said, “She was really good.” Her trainer, Patricia Griffith of Heritage Acres in Katonah, NY, added, “Adrienne was really calm going in and she’s been so solid at the horse show. And that pony is unbelievable. It’s beautiful and it’s a 10 jumper and it’s so awesome!”

Griffith has been training Sternlicht for three years. When asked if there was more pressure on the young rider because she won the class the year before Griffith said, “Last year it was for fun and I think after being Champion this year, and doing (the WCHR class) again, she was relaxed and she (won) again.”

In the children’s division the blue in the WCHR Challenge was almost another repeat performance. Paige Allardice was second in last year’s class but picked up the blue this year with Pievottie. The 13-year-old rode the warmblood mare to a score of 169.25.

Pievottie was imported last November by Leslie Howard and although she was imported as a jumper the mare was started in the pregreen hunters because she jumped so well. Allardice rode the six-year-old in the children’s hunters at Lake Placid (NY) and was reserve champion their first time out. She then went on to be champion at the Hampton Classic (NY). When her older horse Castaway died in August the Allardices purchased Pievottie for Paige to continue with in the children’s hunters.

“She’s hard to rider, but since Castaway was so easy, I needed a challenge. She’s so much fun now that I know her better,” said the young rider. She added that because the mare is young she has to spend some time schooling her. She said, “You can’t slack off. You always have to give her one ride. You can never drop her or take you leg off.”

In the WCHR Junior Hunter Challenge Sloane Coles took top honors riding Carita. The eight-year-old warmblood owned by Kitty Barker scored an average score of 89.5 to take the blue. Coles, 16, lives in Middleburg, VA, and trains with Barker of Eight Oaks Farm. Coles was pleased with the mare’s performance in the challenge and this week. They were just a half a point away from the reserve championship in the junior hunter division, and then put down a solid trip in the challenge. She said, “When I finished my trip I was looking at the scoreboard. I wouldn’t have changed a thing.”

The 2004 Capital Challenge Horse Show concludes today. For more information, full results and photos from the show visit the website - www.capitalchallenge.org.