Second Show of the Morven Summer Series Yields Two Championship Titles for the Foxcroft Riding Program
From Director of Riding Kate Worsham
During the hustle and bustle of exams starting on campus, several dedicated riders studied and completed projects in advance in order to take some time on Saturday, May 21, to compete at the second show in the series of competitions hosted at the Morven Park facility in Leesburg, VA. The group of eleven riders braved a sudden heatwave to compete in a variety of divisions on both the hunter and the jumper side of the showgrounds.
The day started on a great note with Isabelle M. ’23 riding Danny to a second and a third-place finish over fences in the Schooling Hunter division. This open division included a lot of professionals preparing horses for their clients, so Isabelle’s top prizes were all the more impressive! Next up was Irene B. ’24 on her horse Pablo, contesting the 1.10m Modified Jumper classes, where she added another win in a speed class to their already stellar show record.
After that division concluded, it was back over the hill to the hunter side to help Aiden C. ’25 and Chris capture the Championship in the Long Stirrup Hunter division with two blues and a red ribbon on this magical horse. Special thanks to Irene for sharing Chris with her fellow riders now that she has transitioned to the jumper ring with her new horse. Although they were not rewarded with any ribbons in their huge classes, Madison B. ’24 did an excellent job at her first show piloting Splash in the Hunter Pleasure Pony classes. She is looking forward to getting back in the show ring again soon and adding some jumping classes.
After clapping and cheering for these riders, the group headed back to the jumper ring to watch Sierra J. ’22 gallop confidently and efficiently around the Hopeful Jumper speed track to earn her best prize to date in the jumper ring — second place with Noodle! Keeping with the theme of speed class successes, Georgia R. ’22 and her wonderful partner, George B, put in a flawless round and picked up a blue ribbon in the Low Jumper class.
While the jumpers were busy galloping fast and being clever over their fences, the hunters were using the heat as a good reason to be extra zen-like in their ring. Patty A. ’25 and Teddy completed their first two-round Derby class and earned a long, green, sixth place ribbon for their efforts. Isabelle and Danny were also contenders in this class bringing home the eighth place rosette. Following the Derby, Elaine P. ’22 was nothing but smiles as she earned two eighth-place finishes in her first hunter classes on her former jumper, Fritz. After rehabilitating him from an injury, she was overjoyed to have the opportunity to begin a new chapter in his career and excited to continue this journey. After some spooky early morning light on a jump caused concern for multiple wary horses, Socks included, Lexi H. ’23 persevered and gave Socks the confidence to end the day with a very successful round in the Children’s Hunters. The smooth rounds that come after the challenging moments are usually the most rewarding, and the entire training team was thrilled with Lexi’s determination and skill set as she reminded Socks just how cute he can be at a show.
After refreshing themselves with tasty goodies and an endless supply of hydrating beverages provided by our awesome group of horse show parents, the final riders of the day were ready to go when their Low Children’s Jumper classes started in the late afternoon hours. In her first foray into the 1.0m classes with Blueberry, Sage W. ’23 did a fabulous job navigating the tracks and finished second and third in her two classes. This new partnership is a good one, and everyone is looking forward to their future endeavors. In the six months that they have been paired up, Cierra C. ’25 and Jenny have become consistent competitors and fast friends. Although quirky and a bit particular about certain things, Jenny’s zest for life and enthusiasm matches Cierra’s, and they are such fun to watch in the show ring. After finishing with the Reserve Championship title at the first Morven show in April, this time out Cierra upped her game by earning two blue ribbons and capturing the Championship in her division.
Ending on that great note, the entire crew of riders gave their horses nice cool baths, grazed them, gave them lots of treats for a job well done, and packed up the aisle to head back to Foxcroft, switching gears to be ready for the end of the school year traditions and ceremonies to begin.
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An all-girls boarding and day school in Northern Virginia, Foxcroft prepares young women in grades 9-12 for success in college and in life. Our outstanding academic program offers challenging courses, including Advanced Placement classes and an innovative STEM program. Our premiere equestrian program is nationally recognized, and our athletic teams have won conference and state championships. Experience the best in girls' boarding schools: visit Foxcroft.