Lily Golstein wins 3'3" Grand Junior Hunter

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The Grand Junior Hunter 3'3" Championship, sponsored by Ocean Echo, went home to Argyle, TX, with Lilly Goldstein, who claimed the title with her own Higgs. The pair claimed two wins over fences, including in the handy round in the indoor, to take the Junior Hunter 3’3”, 14 and Under division championship. Goldstein also claimed the Best EMO Junior Hunter 3’3” Trip of the Show with a score of 88.5 in one round and the Best Junior Hunter 3'3" Rider Award, sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Tamurianz.

“This is all quite new for him,” Goldstein said. “He’d never been in the indoor before, and he was so great. It all just came out so nicely. He’s a really quiet horse and very straightforward. He’s a little lazy, but I tend to like horses like that.”

Goldstein, 14, has only had Higgs, a seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, since June. “I like how he’s young, and we’re still developing him, which is fun,” Goldstein said. “He’s so good-minded; he acts like he’s been doing this for years. I just got three new horses at the beginning of the year, so it’s been a challenge to get to know them all and get them prepared. It’s nice to have this win at the end of the year.”

This was the second year of showing at Capital Challenge for Goldstein, who rides with Courtney Lenkart. “It’s a fun experience. You come together with all your friends and meet new friends. It’s fun, but it’s also a little bit challenging,” she said.

Finishing as the reserve champions in the Junior Hunter 3'3", 14 and Under behind Goldstein and Higgs were Maddie Tosh and Cold Harbor, owned by Betsee Parker.

In the Junior Hunter 3'3", 15-17 division, the championship came down to a three-way hack-off for the tricolors, with Sydney Hamel and Worthy, owned by Sunset View Farm LLC, prevailing for the championship and Susannah Gerhardt and Northface, owned by Ashland Farms, taking the reserve championship.

Earning wins in the day’s World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Junior Hunter Challenges were Mae Mannis and Juliette Joseph. Mannis topped the $2,500 WCHR Junior 3’3” Hunter Challenge aboard her own Cloney’s Pleasure, while Joseph earned the win in the $5,000 WCHR Junior Hunter 3’6” Challenge, sponsored by Nicole Lyvere and Finally Home Farm, with San Marco, owned by Ann Russo.