TRYON, N.C.--Kaitlyn Linck won the ASPCA Maclay National Championships on Sunday,Nov. 1 at the National Horse Show.

Kaitlyn Linck on Don Touch de Tiji Z (Photo by Phelps Sport)"It feels so surreal, I thought I was going to be second again," said Linck,who earlier this year finished second in the Medal Finals in Harrisburg and second in the Washington Equitation Finals. “So to win really feels unreal, and it’s really all come together today.”

The competition began with a jumping round of the 160 that qualified to compete in the Maclay final, followed by the top 24 from round one competing on the flat and then a final jumping round of those top 24.

Washington equitation Finals winner Emi Richard led after the first round with a score of 94.25, narrowly edging out Kaitlyn Linck, with 94, and Baylee Rowan, third with a 93.00.

Following the flat work, Rowan led on 92.04 with Lnck second on 91.71 and Parker Peacock third on 90.13.

 

WITH JUST a few exceptions, the top 24 that competed in the final round all had beautiful trips, with just tiny mistakes separating the top group that competed in reverse order of preference.

Baylee Rowan on Lucky Spot RW (Photo by Phelps Sport)Linck on Don Touch de Tiji Z, ultimately won, taking the coveted title of 2026 ASPCA Maclay National Champion with a final score of 92.39.

Rowan on Lucky Spot RW was reserve champion with a score of 90.78, while Peacock on Montverdi was third with a score of 90.63.

 Established in 1933 by Alfred B. Maclay as the nation’s first major equitation final, the championship has become one of the most coveted titles in junior equestrian sport. 

“My horse is so amazing. I’ve been bringing him up in the equitation for quite a few years now, about three indoor seasons,” Linck said. “I had the great opportunity to be the first person to ride him in America, and then two years later, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to lease him, and then later, we bought him outright. He’s just been such an incredible horse.”

“He’s just been the most incredible partner, and we’ve really grown together,"Linck said. "That’s great to see as well.”

For the Maclay judges, Scott Fitton, Tom Brennan, Holly Orlando, and Hope Glynn, the competition came down to the smallest details among the top three riders.

Parker Peacock on Montverdi )Photo by Phelps Sports)“Once we got to the top 24, that top group was all in the mid-to-high 90s, which was exciting,” said Orlando. “As a judge, you want to give good scores. We were at a point where we were deciding whether we were giving them 94s or 96s. It was exciting to see this group of riders, a lot of whom we had seen before at this level. We also saw a lot of new faces really rise to the top, and a lot of consistency throughout the medal finals. We were very proud to judge this group of exceptional riders.”

“We had a top group, but we had to decide whether to have an additional work-off, and the leader had enough of a lead at the end that she really rose to the top,” said Orlando. “We were big fans of the top three. When Baylee came in, she had a beautiful canter. She came in beautifully off the turn, with a forward gallop down to the base of the triple bar, which is exactly what you want. Her horse swapped off the lead, off the ground there, and then she worked beautifully to the middle with a nice forward canter. She got a little snug coming up to the combination in front of us, and the horse was a little bit slow with his shoulder there. To me, that was the difference between first and second. When we discussed our top scores, that was the difference for us as to who rose to the top in that last round. It was a very strong group.”

The National is still just a mere shadow of its former glory and is now just a hunter and equitation show with two jumper divisions that was more of a junior/amateur level than a serious open division.

The National made the move from Lexington to Tryon and is now in a huge indoor arena that could support top competition and is in a venue that just a couple of weeks before had hosted a 5* jumper competition that drew a sold out crowd.

Unfortunately, the National unfolded before an empty arena.

Hosting FEI rated competitions is expensive, but surely having a 5* jumper division would draw a full house and pay for itself in Tryon.