Brooke Hagerty Moves Up to Win EMO Insurance Agency/USHJA 3’3”Jumping Seat Medal Final – East

September 27, 2024 – Upper Marlboro, MD – Brooke Hagerty of Terrebonne, OR, topped the eighth-annual EMO Insurance Agency/United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) 3’3” Jumping Seat Medal Final – East on Friday evening during the Capital Challenge Horse Show (CCHS) Equitation Showcase, presented by BIGEQ.com. Highlighting the second day of competition at Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, Hagerty came into the day sitting second and rode off with the win.

Brooke Hagerty and Astro de Ravel in their award presentation for the EMO Insurance Agency/United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) 3’3” Jumping Seat Medal Final – East

“I am so happy; I really wanted this,” said Hagerty, 16, who trains with Valerie Renihan at Findlay’s Ridge, based in North Salem, NY. “I felt very prepared, and it's one of my favorite horse shows; I love it here.”

After a flat and gymnastic phase on Thursday, 174 riders took to The Show Place Arena for a final jumper phase to determine the ultimate placings. Leading the way after two phases, Grace O’Connell, 18, of Long Grove, IL, came into the evening on top. After pocketing an 85.85, which was then multiplied by the jumping phase’s coefficient of 2, her final score of 391.2 landed her third overall aboard Capitolino DVE, owned by Dutch Valley Sporthorses.

After winning the gymnastics phase with a score of 90 the previous day, Hagerty was second overall coming into Friday’s final. In the jumper phase, she posted an 87.75 riding Astro de Ravel, owned by Olivia Robertson, while Katherine Mercer, 13, of Wellington, FL, won the jumper phase on an 89 with Goyard for owner Frog Pond Stables. Because their scores were within three points of one another, a two-horse work-off followed between Hagerty and Mercer.

“I like coming in being second. I think I would rather that than be on top, but it was close so I knew I could keep it,” said Hagerty, who returned last in the work-off. “I've been working hard on clearing my head before I go into the ring and just riding the track. It was just me and my horse out there.”

Brooke Hagerty and Astro de Ravel

Leaving her nerves at the gate, Hagerty impressed judges David Beisel and Julie Winkel once again over the final jumping test designed by Ken Krome to be named the winner. Her final score of 394.25 beat out Mercer, who accepted the reserve championship title at her first-ever finals just fractions off the win with a 394.225 total score.

The title stayed in the Findlay’s Ridge family after Renihan also coached Grace Shipman to the same victory in 2023. “I knew I had to keep her streak,” joked Hagerty. “I look up to Grace a lot, so I was texting her and sending her pictures of the course. She was helpful and calm and kept telling me, ‘‘You got this.’”

Hagerty is enjoying her fourth appearance at Capital Challenge after growing up on the back of a horse. “I've been riding for as long as I can remember; my parents breed cutting horses, so I rode English and Western,” said Hagerty, who is currently a junior at Upper Echelon Academy. “My sister started doing the jumpers, and I followed in her footsteps.”

Her partner for the win, Astro de Ravel is a seasoned equitation mount and joined Hagerty’s string this year. “He's had so much success with other riders, but I feel like we clicked. He's smart, so I tried to keep it calm because he picks up on everything. I wanted to keep my nerves at bay and not get in his way. I knew he could do it, and I know I could do it.”

Earlier in the day, five section A age group equitation division champions and reserve champions were named as follows:

Champion Wyatt Rofey of Sag Harbor, NY, and Reserve Champion Kaitlyn Linck of Clinton Corners, NY, in the Blue Star Equestrian 12 & Under Equitation

Champion Kaitlyn Linck of Clinton Corners, NY, and Reserve Champion Finley Clement of Fort Mill, SC, in the Elvenstar Farm 13- & 14-Year-Old Equitation

Champion Brooke Hagerty of Terrebonne, OR, and Reserve Champion Quinn Hunter of Lexington, KY, in the Fairy Tale Farm 15-Year-Old Equitation

Champion Morgan McCarthy of Grafton, MA, and Reserve Champion Hailey Salita of Malvern, PA, in the Victoria Colvin, LLC, 16-Year-Old Equitation

Champion Gabrielle Young of Spring Hill, KS, and Reserve Champion Grace Shipman of Ridgefield, CT, in the Ashland Farms 17-Year-Old Equitation

The Capital Challenge Horse Show (CCHS) Equitation Showcase, presented by BIGEQ.com, continues Saturday, September 28, with the section B age group equitation divisions followed by the THIS National Children’s Medal Finals and the North American League (NAL) Children’s Hunter Finals, presented by Charles Ancona.

Photos by Shawn McMillen Photography