HARRISBURG, Pa.--Clara Propp of New York, N.Y., on Mistral van de Vogelzang won the Individual Championsip of the USEF Junior Jumper National Championships on Saturday, Oct. 11 at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show.
Clara Propp on Mistral van d Vogelzang (Photo by Andrew Ryback)On Saturday evening,in the third and final day of junior jumper competition, Propp moved from fifth place for the win,
Going into the final round, Propp was on a cumulative score of 4.8, while just fractions of a point separated the top three, including Avery Griffin on a score of 0.87, Gabriella Curry with a score of 0.88 and JJ Torano with a score of 0.95.
Riders returned to the Harrisburg Coliseum in reverse order of their standings to compete over a course set by Oscar Soberon, and a clear round from Propp and Mistral van de Vogelzang put pressure for the four riders that followed her.
As a least one rail fell for each of them, Propp continued to move up the leaderboard.
With one rail down in the final phase, the silver medal went to Griffin on Oh My Star Van Strytem on an incredibly close score of 4.87, and Torano and Lyon 50 won the bronze on a 4.95 score.
“My horse is absolutely incredible,” said Propp of her 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding. “I’m really happy that it all came together tonight. I feel like I’ve been working on my partnership with him for almost a year now, and tonight really solidified that. Coming into tonight, I was going in fifth, so I knew I kind of didn’t really have anything to lose. I just wanted to put down a solid, clear round and hope for the best."
“EVERYTHING moves around, and, you know, one rail can change a lot or not change anything at all,” said Propp, who previously had won the silver medal in the Championships. “Anything can happen, just keep pushing. Don’t give up and don’t get discouraged if something doesn’t go your way.”
Propp began riding Mistral van de Vogelzang just under a year ago, shortly after the gelding competed at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with Victoria Gulliksen of Norway.
“I’ve been working on my partnership with him for almost a year now and tonight really solidified that,” she said.
“Every team you get to jump on is an experience,” she said. "Coming into the final in fifth and leaving as champion has taught me that anything can happen. “You have to just keep pushing through and don’t give up.”
Finishing with the individual silver on 4.87 penalties was Avery Griffin of Austin, Texas on Oh My Star Van Strytem,
Griffin entered Phase III at the top of the leaderboard, but had a single rail in the final round.
“I was just thinking about the course and what my horse needed from me,” she said. “He jumped really well. We just got a little flat, which is where the rail came from, but I was really happy with the way he jumped the rest of the course and the shape he had while doing it.”
JJ Torano of Wellington, Fla., on Lyon 50, a 2014 Hanoverian stallion, won the individual bronze on a score of 4.95 after also having one rail down in the final round.
Torano’s horsemanship and classic American style of riding also won him the William C. Steinkraus Style Award, presented to a Prix des States junior rider who best exemplifies correct technique, sportsmanship, and respect for the sport.
“I look to McLain Ward a lot,” he said. “He’s a bit of a mentor to me and always helps me. He really preaches style and equitation, so this award is a great steppingstone towards hopefully being where he is one day.”
