Veteran Winners at The Capital Challenge

Ellen Toon is a veteran of the Capital Challenge Horse Show. She has competed at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center, in Upper Marlboro, MD, since its inception fifteen years ago.  That first year she won the amateur owner championship riding Wise Disguise, but the tri-color eluded her grasp again until this year. 

The fact that it has been so long made it even sweeter to Toon when she earned the championship in the 36 and over division of the amateur owners as well as the grand amateur owner championship riding Invincible.

She said, ‘It was a very tough division with some very, very nice horses. But he was just spectacular here. It was the best he’s gone with me. He just tried and tried and tried. I get chills just thinking about it.”

Dawn Fogel also has had a history of winning at Capital Challenge.  In 2000 she was grand amateur owner hunter champion riding Osczar.   That same horse was champion or reserve five years in a row. But Fogel hasn’t picked up a tri-color since that big win in 2000.  This year Fogel started back on the winning path as she rode her 10-year-old Westphalen named Grandeur to the championship in the 18-35 division.

Fogel was thrilled with winning at Capital Challenge again. She said, “It is such a great horse show.”

Everyone hopes after a big win that someday they’ll be able to repeat it.  Wendy Kraus Lewis was named adult amateur grand champion at the Capital Challenge Horse Show with Forget Paris in 2004, and she thought it would never be repeated. But that’s just what she did on Thursday afternoon as she stood for photos with ribbons and the grand champion cooler. 

Looking down at the medals around her neck she said, “I was shocked. Every year that I come here I tell my husband, ‘just don’t expect anything. This is never going to happen again – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.’”

What made the win even more amazing for Lewis was the fact that she was riding with a separated shoulder, a cracked rib and walking pneumonia. She explained, “I was riding a baby and he tripped.  Just baby stuff, but it was like falling off of a building.”  

Lewis was thrilled that her horse went in and did his job and took care of her. She said, “He’s an amazing animal.  He knows I’m riding at 40% and he took care of me. When I’m at 100% he’ll take advantage of me.  And that’s the truth.”

Lewis said, “I’m over 51 and I don’t know how many more years I will qualify to come to capital challenge.” Lewis added with a smile,  “In my wildest dreams I didn’t think I was going to do it again.”

The Capital Challenge Horse Show runs through October 5 at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. Indoor and outdoor evens run each day and admission is free.  For more information about the show, including photos, news, and schedules visit the official web site at www.capitalchallenge.org  Live streaming video of the event is also available at www.equestriansport.tv