DEVON, Pa.--After winning both of her sections of the equitation classes earlier in the day, Zayna Rizvi, this time riding Excellent, made it a clean sweep on Thursday, winning the $3,750 Junior Jumper over a field of 23.
Zayna Rizvi on Excellent (Photo by Emma Miller for Phelps Sports)Course designer Olaf Petersen, Jr. of Germany set a challenging 13-jump course that included difficult turns and a combination line within a time-allowed of 89 seconds.
Setting the pace as the first to contest the course, Baylee McKeever and Formidable, owned by McLain Ward, took an early lead with a clean round in 71.059 seconds.
Just three rounds later, Carlee McCutcheon on MTM Unexpected was clean in a swift 69.659 seconds to move into the leading position.
Having already dominated in the equitation divisions Thursday, topping a section of both the Washington Equitation Classic Jumper Phase and the Platinum Performance / USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, Rizvi rode Chaplin W to shave nearly two seconds off of McCutcheon’s leading time to cross the timers in 67.935 seconds.
SHE HELD the lead for 10 rounds until Sofia Cady entered riding Deleyn, who was clean in 66.956, but with one more shot at the win, Rizvi rode her second mount Excellent.
Having already ridden the course, Rizvi knew where she needed to make up valuable time, and she finished clean in 65.057 seconds for the win.
Cady was second and Rizvi was also third with Chaplin W.
“I got Excellent, or Hef as I call him, last WEF and since then I feel like it’s been the perfect match," said Rizvi. "He is the sweetest horse in the barn but when he gets to the ring he knows it’s game time and is very determined to win. He loves what he does, which makes it all that much better and he’s the best horse I could’ve ever asked for.”
“Chaplin W's been in our family for about six years now,"she said. "Both my sisters rode him before I did, so he is definitely part of the family. He’s the most honest horse, he’ll do anything for you and he always tries his heart out. He is pretty perfect!”
“It was nice that I had already ridden the course," said Rizvi of her second ride. "It always helps. You know how the lines are going to ride. My two horses are pretty different but I knew going in what I had to do to win and Excellent is very game, so that helped a lot.”
