Adeline Fowler and Helicon Country Rose Ride to USHJA Pony Hunter Derby Championship - East Win

Wayne, Ill.—Aug. 6, 2021—Adeline Fowler and Helicon Country Rose rode to the top of the USHJA Pony Hunter Derby Championship - East Coast at HITS Horse Shows' Equifest I. The 11-year-old rider piloted the Small pony to a two-round score of 164.5 in Lamplight Equestrian Center's Grand Prix Stadium on Saturday, July 31, to take the win over Reserve Champions Emma Dyson on D'artagnan and third-placed Eamon Snyder with Partly Cloudy.

Judges Maggie Jayne, Connie Stevens, Claudine Liberatore and Kristin Rame oversaw the Championship's competition with 29 pony-and-rider combinations taking to the Classic Hunter Round. With Fowler, of Bentonville, Arkansas, in the irons, Helicon Country Rose finished the first course with an 83.5, which would put them in first going into the Handy Round. Sitting in second was Eva Mackenzie, of Darien, Connecticut, and Dunlovin, followed by Snyder, of Tiverton, Rhode Island, and Partly Cloudy in third.

The top twelve returned to tackle the second round's Handy course. Fowler and her Small pony held onto their lead, adding a score of 81 to finish with a two-round total of 164.5 and the High Score Award for the Small section. Rising from fifth to second was Dyson, of Greenwich, Connecticut, and D'artagnan. The pair earned a 77.5 in the first round and an impressive 85.5 in the second to take the reserve ribbon and the high score for the Large section with their overall score of 163. Third went to Snyder and Partly Cloudy, veterans to USHJA championships having won the 2020 Kym K. Smith/USHJA Young Hunter Pony Championships Overall Grand Champion title, who added an 82 to their existing 79.5 for a 161.5 total.

"The first round I put in was the best round of my life. [Helicon Country Rose] floated around the course beautifully and we ended the first round with the top score. In the handy round, I forgot to be handy over the first jump but rolled back and sliced the oxer. I wasn't expecting to make it over, but I trusted Rose and she made the jump look easy, beautiful and flawless. I came out of the ring and my trainer, Sam [Powell], was speechless," said Fowler.

"I have had the privilege of working with my pony, Rose, for about a year. She's a small chestnut mare who is a dream come true for me," she continued. "When I heard my name called as Champion, I didn't know what to do. I never thought I could accomplish anything like this, but my pony and I have trained hard, gotten a lot closer, come together as a team and I learned how to ride her well."

The Shapley's Best Turned Out Award was presented to Sugar Rush, owned and ridden by Corrigan Janiak. Other special awards presented included the Medium section's High Score Award, which was awarded to Enough Said, owned by Basset Equine, LLC and ridden to fourth place by Hayley Hewitt.

The USHJA extends special thanks to HITS Horse Shows for hosting this year's East Coast Championship. The USHJA also thanks official sponsors CWD, Nutrena, Parlanti and Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, and award sponsors Essex Classics, Shapley's and Boy-O-Boy Bridleworks.

The USHJA Pony Hunter Derby offers Juniors the opportunity to compete ponies in a series modeled after the International and National Hunter Derby programs. Competitors can earn National and Zone Horse of The Year bonus points, year-end series awards, and qualify to compete in either the East Coast or West Coast Championships.

The USHJA Pony Hunter Derby Championships feature two rounds—a Classic Hunter style course and a Handy Hunter course. Fence heights are adjusted by size (small - 2'3", medium - 2’6", and large 2’9"-3’0"), but the class is not split by size. Each derby is pinned through 12th place.

For more information about the USHJA Pony Hunter Derby, visit ushja.org/PonyHunterDerby.

Photos by Alison Hartwell Photography