Medium Pony Jumper Individual Championship
Lacey Powers (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) and Lincoln D’Abzer, a 2017 Belgian Sport Horse gelding (Oxford van de Mespelier x Nymphea), owned by Chessland Equestrian, LLC, topped the Medium Pony Jumper Championship today at the Kentucky Horse Park, part of the USEF/World Wide Technology Pony Jumper National Championships, supported by the Youth Show Jumping Foundation. The pair jumped clear in the first round and in the jump-off to top the class with a time of 28.164 seconds.
Addison Wright (West Palm Beach, Fla.) and Bella Galleria Arturo Amalfi, her own 2013 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Onbekend x Peveril Printers Dream), also finished double-clear to take second after stopping the jump-off timers in 32.334 seconds. Winter McKenzie Fanetti (St. Louis, Mo.) and Book Smart, a 2012 Welsh Pony cross mare (Unknown x Unknown), owned by Pura Ponies, rounded out the top three, also jumping double clear and finishing in 35.047 seconds.
The win capped a big week for Powers, who also topped the Large Regular Pony Hunter division at this year’s USEF Pony Finals. Going first in the order in the jumper ring, however, brought its own nerves. “I was a little bit nervous because I had to go first,” Powers said. “But he was so good about it, and I was never expecting to do this well, so I’m just really happy about that.”
The partnership with Lincoln D’Abzer is a new one. “I rode him for the first time about a month and a half ago, and I’ve shown him a few times since then,” Powers explained. What stands out most, she said, is his agility in the turns. “He can go fast and then turn so tight. I think a lot of the other ponies can’t do that, which I think makes him stand out so much.” She added that the gelding is also quick to adjust his stride. “He’s just so adjustable at jumps. You can just go out and do the turns.”…