Maddie Tosh Takes USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic - East, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry University

Traverse City, Mich.—June 28, 2024—Maddie Tosh and Daktari made their mark in the 2024 USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic - East, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry University, emerging victorious after three rounds of competition. The longtime equitation duo secured their lead in the class, held on Wednesday, June 26 at Traverse City Horse Shows ahead of the Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships, with a 179.25.

"I just wanted to have a good experience and for Daktari and I to put our best foot forward. I couldn't have asked for anything more from him today," said Tosh of her mount, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker. "This is our third finals win together, so I think that's something that's really special. We just have a super special partnership, and we know each other super well."

Meghan Rawlins' Classic Hunter Style course set the stage for judges Mark Jungherr and Robin Swinderman Mitchell to sort the 126 horse-and-rider combinations that contested the first round in the International Ring. Sydney Raidy of New York, New York, sat atop the leaderboard with Mac One III on a class-topping score of 91, followed closely by Taylor Cawley, of Wellington, Florida, and Oki D’Eclipse on a 90 and Tosh with an 89.25. 

The top 44 riders then returned in reverse order for the Handy Hunter Round, which included a bounce and hand gallop fence. Posting a score of 90 for a combined total of 179.25, Tosh moved to the top, just .25 ahead of Cawley and 2 points clear of Raidy's 177.25. 

Moving on to the Final Round, the top six riders were asked to switch horses and jump a shortened third course consisting of 10 jumping efforts. In sixth after the second round with a 172.25, Olivia Sweetnam, of Wellington, Florida, returned to the ring first on Cent 15, originally ridden by Paige Walkenbach. Walkenbach, of Paradise Valley, Arizona, followed on Sweetnam's Class Act after finishing the first two rounds in fifth with a 172.50. Sitting fourth on 174.50, Reese Merna, of Mendham, New Jersey, took her turn aboard Mac One III, swapping mounts with Raidy, who piloted Merna's Castlefield Spartacus. Cawley and Tosh's Daktari were the penultimate pair to enter the ring, followed by Tosh on Oki d'Eclipse.

Despite her unfamiliar mount, Tosh held on to her lead to capture the title. 

"I was able to switch on to Taylor's horse who's amazing. Both Taylor and Stacia [Madden] and everyone at Beacon Hill were so helpful going into the second round. They gave us lots of pointers for him, what he likes, what he doesn't like," said Tosh of riding Cawley's mount in the final round. "It's obviously nerve-wracking to go in on a horse you don't know and you don't really get much time in the warm-up ring but I couldn't have asked that horse to be any better."

Holding on to her second-place position through all three rounds, Cawley collected the reserve honors, and Sweetnam rose three spots to take third. 

The Best Equitation Horse honor was awarded to Magic Moment, ridden by Kate Hagerty and owned by the Hagerty Family.

The USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry University, is a three-round class that combines the precision of equitation and handiness of hunters over a course set at 3'6". Held during the East and West Coast Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships, the Gladstone Cup is open to any rider that is an Active USHJA junior member at the time of the competition and has won a USEF Hunter Seat Medal, ASPCA Maclay, USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, either phase of WIHS Equitation Classic at a National or Premier show or Overall WIHS Equitation Classic during the qualifying year. This year's West Coast competition will take place at HITS at Del Mar in Del Mar, California, on July 22.

The USHJA sends special thanks to the entire Traverse City Horse Shows team for hosting the Classic. The USHJA also thanks Official Sponsors CWD, Nutrena, and Parlanti; Presenting Sponsor Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry University; and Award Sponsor Essex Classics.

For more information about the USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry University, visit ushja.org/Gladstone.

USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic - East, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry University Results

Rider, Horse, Trainer
Round 1 | Round 2 | Two-Round Score*
*The Final Round was not scored.

1. Maddie Tosh, Daktari, Hunt Tosh and North Run/Missy Clark
89.25 | 90.00 | 179.25 

2. Taylor Cawley, Oki d'Eclipse, Stacia Madden
90.00 | 89.00 | 179.00 

3. Sydney Raidy, Mac One III, Frank Madden
91.00 | 86.25 | 177.25 

4. Reese Merna, Castlefield Spartacus, Stacia Madden
87.00 | 87.50 | 174.50 

5. Paige Walkenbach, Cent 15, Jim Hagman
86.00 | 86.50 | 172.50 

6. Olivia Sweetnam, Class Act, Allison Sweetnam
88.00 | 84.25 | 172.25 

Photos: Andrew Ryback Photography