UPPER MARLBORO, Md.--Kendall Casaccio of Marmora, N.J., on Indigo ES won the $12,500 NAL Adult Amateur Jumper Final at Capital Challenge Horse Show on Thursday, Oct. 5.

Kendall Casaccio (Photo by Shawn McMillen)Despite having to go first in the jump-off, Casaccio finished in 36.048 to be the fastest of a jump-off field of nine for a wire-to-wire victory over a course designed by Joe Carnicom and Meghan Rawlins of Canada.

“In the last line I did do a winger,” she said. “I did seven strides down the last line, which was a little bit of a stretch for me. I did really commit, and she had my back, so that’s all I can ask for.”

She then had to wait in the schooling ring to see if her time would hold.

“As I was walking around the schooling area, my heart was racing, because the in-gate kept announcing my time as the one to beat, the one to beat, the one to beat,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, did all these horses go and I held on to it this long?’ Because typically the first is the worst spot in the jump-off, but I was so happy that I was able to hold onto it the whole time. It was definitely a pressure cooker for sure.”

Casaccio has ridden Indigo ES since the spring of 2022 after she purchased the horse from Emil Spadone, who has helped train her at shows since she was 14 years old.

 

“SHE'S A LITTLE quirky, but I just love her to death,” said Casaccio. “She’s such a sweet horse in the barn. She’s a little weird; she’s a little spooky at certain things, but I totally get her. She gets me, and I get her, and I really do love her.”

Casaccio and her main trainer Chrissy Covarrubias, whom Casaccio has trained with for 20 years, make a good team at horse shows taking care of the horses themselves and braiding.

Having shown at Capital Challenge Horse Show since she first competed in the equitation age division at 14, Casaccio was excited to take home a big win.

“It means so much,” she said. “I have been so hungry for a win like this with this mare, because she’s amazing and I just love her.”

Charlotte Powers of Leesburg, Va., on Escot 6 placed second, clean in 36.625 seconds, and Madison Smyth of Dayton, Md., on Encore placed third in a time of 37.197 seconds.

The North American League Finals are the culmination of the NAL’s year-long Series that includes classes at hundreds of horse shows across the United States and Canada.

Collin Sweetnam of Wellington, Fla., on Just Noble won the $10,000 NAL Children’s Jumper Final, clean in the 13 horse jump-off in 34.580 seconds.

“In the first round, it was pretty tricky for us in a small indoor under the lights,” said Sweetnam, 13. “There was a lot of pressure. I think she handled it well, and I handled it well. When I went clear, I just got some water and I chilled out for second, then went over my jump-off to be prepared.”

One of the first to return to tackle the short course, Sweetnam set a time to beat that could not be caught.

“The jump-off was quite straightforward,” said Sweetnam. “There were no really sneaky turns; I just went really fast and tried my best, and my horse was amazing. In the first round I was nervous, but in the second round I was like, ‘I got this. I’m prepared.’ It was very fun zipping around that ring.”

Sweetnam has ridden Just Noble since November 2022, having inherited the ride from his sister, accomplished junior rider Olivia.

“She’s pretty small, but she’s very, very quick,” said Sweetnam of the mare known as Noelle in the barn. “During the winter, the whole time she was very hard to learn on. It looks so easy because she’s so smooth and so fast, but once you get on her, she’s actually difficult. She’s very quick, but you win a lot when you get to know her. Once I got to learn her, she was amazing.”

Sweetnam's father is Irish Olympian Shane Sweetnam, currently ranked12th in the world, and his mother is top trainer Ali Sweetnam.

“My dad inspires me a lot, and he’s amazing,” he said. “My mom is incredible, and she helps me a lot with my nervousness.”

Vivian Golden, 14, of Wyomissing, Pa., placed second  in 35.167 seconds on Chester, and Grace Lowe, 15, of Arlington, Va., on Kilbrackan Blue Jay was third in 37.961 seconds.

For the second year in a row, Stephanie Bulger of Bridgehampton, N.Y., on Hemingway was Grand Amateur Owner Hunter 3’3” Champion, winning two over fences classes and two second place ribbons for the championship in the Amateur Owner Hunter 3’3”, 36 and Over division.

“He has felt amazing the past couple of days,” said Bulger of the 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding. “He is special all the time and puts a tremendous amount of integrity into everything he does. He also knows when it’s time to really turn it up. I just have to put my heels down and hold on.

“Hemingway means the world to me. He is the horse of many lifetimes,” she said. “He’s a wonderful horse and a real gentleman. He knows his job beautifully. I just try to stay out of his way and let him shine. We have a wonderful partnership, and I’m extremely lucky to have him.”

Brad Wolf of Memphis, Tenn., on Sebastian was reserve champion.

Martha Ingram of Nashville, Tenn., on Private Practice was champion of the Amateur Owner Hunter 3’3” 18-35, and Callie Seaman of New York, N.Y., on Moonshine was reserve champion honors.

Caroline Ingalls of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., on Concerto was the Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter 3’6” Champion and champion in the Amateur Owner Hunter 3’6” 18-35 division

The reserve championship in the Amateur Owner Hunter 3’6” 18-35 division went to Martha Ingram of Nashville, Tenn., aon Jenkins.

“He’s felt great especially because I hadn’t really jumped a full course on him in about a month,” esaid Ingalls, 32. “We wanted to give him some nice downtime and make sure he was really sharp for this show. He was fantastic, and we put in some great rounds. Today he was really on fire in the handy and so lovely to ride. I think he really rises to the occasion and Indoors is a lot more interesting to him than the shows that we go to all year.

The Amateur Owner Hunter 3’6” 36 and Over championship was  Katie Robinson of Buffalo, N.Y., on Robinson Ridge,  and Irene Neuwirth of Culver City, Calif., on Juan Carlos,was reserve championn.

Rindy Dominguez of Barrington, R.I., on Frosted was Grand Adult Amateur Hunter Champion after winninng the championship in the Adult Amateur Hunter 50 and Over division.

Reserve champion in the Adult Amateur Hunter 50 and Over was Laura Karet of Pittsburgh, Pa., on Dinner at 8, a nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Bretton Woods owned by Glade Run Farm LLC.

Champion of the Adult Amateur Hunter 18-35 division was Brittany Warden of Washington, D.C.,on Canyon,  and reserve champion was Sachi Kawabata-Porto of La Canada, Calif., on Crush.

Maryann Zeira of Basking Ridge, N.J., on Milo was champion in the Adult Amateur Hunter 36-49, and reserve champion was Jaclyn Fisher of Murfreesboro, Tenn., onNureyev SCF.