A combination who qualified for Finals thanks to a wildcard and traveled all the way from Florida to compete wound up top of the pile in the Junior/Young Rider Fourth Level Championship. Kaylei Perry-Hunley rode Karla Shanard’s 11-year-old Imponente Dos Rios to 65.139%, despite the Lusitano having struggled to perfect his flying changes.

Photo – Wildcard entrant Kaylei Perry-Hunley triumphed with the Lusitano Imponente Dos to head up the Fourth Level Junior/Young Rider Championship with 65.139%. (Sue Stickle Photography)

“He really came up and showed out for me,” said 20-year-old nursing student Perry-Hunley. “He’s a really special horse who is in his first year competing. He was imported and gelded when he was nine, so he got started late, but Karla looked for a year for a horse all up and down the east coast and then found him in Ocala, Florida, at the end of the road. She wanted something that she felt safe on but could also do something fancier. He’s a bit of an underdog story.”

Perry-Hunley began training with Eline Eckroth when she was 14, helping out on weekends in return for opportunities to ride and learn. She still trains with Eckroth and has additional help from Ilse Schwarz, who Facetimed into Finals to help.

Sunday’s classes conclude competition at the 2024 US Dressage Finals presented by Adequan®. Catch up with all the action via the USDF Facebook page, the US Dressage Finals website, and USEF Network. Full results can be found on www.horseshowoffice.com. The dates for the 2025 US Dressage Finals will be announced shortly.