by Nancy Brannon
For Hayley Barnhill, 2010 was the apex of her young riding career, winning two prestigious medals: the USEF Medal and 2010 ASPCA Maclay Medal.
The ASPCA Maclay medal was the highlight of the 127th National Horse Show in Syracuse, NY. The competition began with 153 hopeful riders in the first round, vying for the coveted title. The course was designed by Richard Jeffrey, in cooperation with Judges Scott Hofstetter and Melanie Smith-Taylor. The obstacles included a vertical-oxer-vertical triple combination, a natural fan coming off a sharp left turn, then a sharp right turn to the ASPCA fence. This was followed by a vertical, then a triple bar double combination.
But Hayley's journey to the top was ironically paved with tragedy. Hayley had a good equitation horse, who became very sick. On Thursday, before she was to show on Friday, he was so ill he had to be put down. "That was a really bad day for Hayley," her mother Stacey explained. "The next day Missy [Clark] put her on Podest, owned by Emily Gardner of [Carmel Valley, CA]. She called me that day and said, 'I love this horse! He is my perfect ride!' So the way it happened was also a blessing. They are such a good match. Podest gives her 100% every time they go in the ring. Sometimes he is a little scared, but he still gives his best. He is an incredible horse!"
Stacey described Hayley's experience in the USEF Medal class. "There were 208 entries in the Medal class and Hayley was 146th to go. It seemed like forever before she rode," said Stacey. "But she put in a beautiful trip and was among the 25 called back for the second round. At that point, she was in 4th place out of 25. At the conclusion of that round, she stood in first place. Then Judges George Morris and Julie Winkel brought back the top seven for a test on the flat. They had already placed Hayley and Samantha Schaeffer in first and second places. They called back the seven to determine how to place the other five. With all seven in the ring, they excused all but Sam and Hayley and asked them to switch horses. Sam rode first, then Hayley. Both had nice rounds, then were dismissed. The top 10 riders were then called back into the arena, in no particular order. They announced the top ten winners, starting with 10th place. [As Hayley was announced the winner] I could see the tears, she was so excited! Both riders did very well. The judges said that Hayley nailed jump number one and the last jump – that's what they wanted to see.
"Hayley had never won a ribbon at Finals before. To win, everything has to go right from the beginning of the day. You can't have anything go wrong," Stacey explained.After the USEF Finals, Hayley rode in the Washington International Horse Show. She didn't ride Podest in that show so she could save him for the Maclay. However, she did well, finishing in seventh on one of Missy Clark's young horses, Dynasty.
Then came the ASPCA Maclay Medal, on Podest! In the first round of competition, there were 153 riders, and Hayley was 126th to go. Judges were Melanie Smith-Taylor and Scott Hofstetter. After the first round, the judges called back 23 riders. At this point, Hayley was in second place and Taylor Ann Adams, of Memphis was first. "Taylor also started with Dave Pellegrini and now rides with Don Stewart of Ocala, FL. Taylor and Hayley rode short stirrup and small ponies together," Stacey said. The second round tested riders on the flat. After this round, Hayley moved to first and Taylor moved to 5th place.
"The third round was a tough course," Stacey explained. "It included a bounce, and a canter fence to a trot fence to a canter fence. The bounce was a long distance and was on an angle, so horses could do a short 2-strides or a long bounce," Stacey continued to describe and diagram the course.
"There was no further testing after the third round. The top ten riders were brought back in and the winners announced," she said. Hayley was presented with the ASPCA Horsemanship Trophy, donated by the late Alfred B. Maclay, Esq. She also won the Gordon Wright Perpetual Trophy, donated by the late Mrs. Kenneth Wheeler to the family of the winning rider. Hayley's trainers won the ASPCA Maclay National Championship Trainers Award, as well as the Maclay Trainer Award. Her long-time friend Taylor Ann placed fourth.
Hayley will make history in another way this year: she will be the last rider to win the Maclay at Syracuse. Beginning 2011 the Maclay will be moved. "Rumor is, to the Kentucky Horse Park," Stacey speculated.
Hayley recently attended a George Morris clinic in Florida. He teased her with quips like, "I hope I judged well!" and "Now who's your favorite judge?"
Hayley started riding at age 7 with Jamie Kroh and trained with her for two years. "Jamie instilled in her the love of riding. She had fun and developed a love of horses in general," her mother Stacey said. Then Hayley moved to Spring Mill Farm for advanced training with Dave Pellegrini, with whom she has been riding since age 9. She had five indoor showing seasons with Dave, who is her "manager and confidant," said Stacey. Currently she is in Wellington, FL training with Tom Wright and Missy Clark. "Dave was so gracious about her moving to train with Tom last year. 2009-2010 was her first show season to go to Wellington and she did very well there. She just recently started with some professional rides for Tom Wright. She plans to be a professional rider and do the Grand Prix circuit. She will take some time off next year, and decide about college. She is home schooling now and will finish next year. Ultimately, she wants to make it to the Olympics."
Hayley still has Toucan Tango, her Junior Jumper. She is leasing an equitation horse, Catwoman, a Warmblood, whom she will also use in the Hunter Derbies this year.Hayley's accomplishments with Podest for 2010 include:• Tied for the Ronnie Mutch Equitation Championship at Devon• Second in the Hunter Cup in Kentucky• Second in Equitation at the Hamptons• Winner of the Maclay Regionals, Central Region• Second in Equitation at the Capitol Challenge• Winner USEF Medal Finals• Winner ASPCA Maclay MedalIn Hunters: • Grand Junior Hunter Champion at the Junior Hunter Finals, East coast• Small Junior Hunter Champion, Devon.
For Hayley Barnhill, 2010 was the apex of her young riding career, winning two prestigious medals: the USEF Medal and 2010 ASPCA Maclay Medal.
The ASPCA Maclay medal was the highlight of the 127th National Horse Show in Syracuse, NY. The competition began with 153 hopeful riders in the first round, vying for the coveted title. The course was designed by Richard Jeffrey, in cooperation with Judges Scott Hofstetter and Melanie Smith-Taylor. The obstacles included a vertical-oxer-vertical triple combination, a natural fan coming off a sharp left turn, then a sharp right turn to the ASPCA fence. This was followed by a vertical, then a triple bar double combination.
But Hayley's journey to the top was ironically paved with tragedy. Hayley had a good equitation horse, who became very sick. On Thursday, before she was to show on Friday, he was so ill he had to be put down. "That was a really bad day for Hayley," her mother Stacey explained. "The next day Missy [Clark] put her on Podest, owned by Emily Gardner of [Carmel Valley, CA]. She called me that day and said, 'I love this horse! He is my perfect ride!' So the way it happened was also a blessing. They are such a good match. Podest gives her 100% every time they go in the ring. Sometimes he is a little scared, but he still gives his best. He is an incredible horse!"
Stacey described Hayley's experience in the USEF Medal class. "There were 208 entries in the Medal class and Hayley was 146th to go. It seemed like forever before she rode," said Stacey. "But she put in a beautiful trip and was among the 25 called back for the second round. At that point, she was in 4th place out of 25. At the conclusion of that round, she stood in first place. Then Judges George Morris and Julie Winkel brought back the top seven for a test on the flat. They had already placed Hayley and Samantha Schaeffer in first and second places. They called back the seven to determine how to place the other five. With all seven in the ring, they excused all but Sam and Hayley and asked them to switch horses. Sam rode first, then Hayley. Both had nice rounds, then were dismissed. The top 10 riders were then called back into the arena, in no particular order. They announced the top ten winners, starting with 10th place. [As Hayley was announced the winner] I could see the tears, she was so excited! Both riders did very well. The judges said that Hayley nailed jump number one and the last jump – that's what they wanted to see.
"Hayley had never won a ribbon at Finals before. To win, everything has to go right from the beginning of the day. You can't have anything go wrong," Stacey explained.After the USEF Finals, Hayley rode in the Washington International Horse Show. She didn't ride Podest in that show so she could save him for the Maclay. However, she did well, finishing in seventh on one of Missy Clark's young horses, Dynasty.
Then came the ASPCA Maclay Medal, on Podest! In the first round of competition, there were 153 riders, and Hayley was 126th to go. Judges were Melanie Smith-Taylor and Scott Hofstetter. After the first round, the judges called back 23 riders. At this point, Hayley was in second place and Taylor Ann Adams, of Memphis was first. "Taylor also started with Dave Pellegrini and now rides with Don Stewart of Ocala, FL. Taylor and Hayley rode short stirrup and small ponies together," Stacey said. The second round tested riders on the flat. After this round, Hayley moved to first and Taylor moved to 5th place.
"The third round was a tough course," Stacey explained. "It included a bounce, and a canter fence to a trot fence to a canter fence. The bounce was a long distance and was on an angle, so horses could do a short 2-strides or a long bounce," Stacey continued to describe and diagram the course.
"There was no further testing after the third round. The top ten riders were brought back in and the winners announced," she said. Hayley was presented with the ASPCA Horsemanship Trophy, donated by the late Alfred B. Maclay, Esq. She also won the Gordon Wright Perpetual Trophy, donated by the late Mrs. Kenneth Wheeler to the family of the winning rider. Hayley's trainers won the ASPCA Maclay National Championship Trainers Award, as well as the Maclay Trainer Award. Her long-time friend Taylor Ann placed fourth.
Hayley will make history in another way this year: she will be the last rider to win the Maclay at Syracuse. Beginning 2011 the Maclay will be moved. "Rumor is, to the Kentucky Horse Park," Stacey speculated.
Hayley recently attended a George Morris clinic in Florida. He teased her with quips like, "I hope I judged well!" and "Now who's your favorite judge?"
Hayley started riding at age 7 with Jamie Kroh and trained with her for two years. "Jamie instilled in her the love of riding. She had fun and developed a love of horses in general," her mother Stacey said. Then Hayley moved to Spring Mill Farm for advanced training with Dave Pellegrini, with whom she has been riding since age 9. She had five indoor showing seasons with Dave, who is her "manager and confidant," said Stacey. Currently she is in Wellington, FL training with Tom Wright and Missy Clark. "Dave was so gracious about her moving to train with Tom last year. 2009-2010 was her first show season to go to Wellington and she did very well there. She just recently started with some professional rides for Tom Wright. She plans to be a professional rider and do the Grand Prix circuit. She will take some time off next year, and decide about college. She is home schooling now and will finish next year. Ultimately, she wants to make it to the Olympics."
Hayley still has Toucan Tango, her Junior Jumper. She is leasing an equitation horse, Catwoman, a Warmblood, whom she will also use in the Hunter Derbies this year.Hayley's accomplishments with Podest for 2010 include:• Tied for the Ronnie Mutch Equitation Championship at Devon• Second in the Hunter Cup in Kentucky• Second in Equitation at the Hamptons• Winner of the Maclay Regionals, Central Region• Second in Equitation at the Capitol Challenge• Winner USEF Medal Finals• Winner ASPCA Maclay MedalIn Hunters: • Grand Junior Hunter Champion at the Junior Hunter Finals, East coast• Small Junior Hunter Champion, Devon.
