More than 200 ponies and their riders entered the Rolex Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park on Tuesday, launching the highly anticipated 2025 USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall + Sterling. The first day of competition featured the model and under saddle phases for the Medium Regular and Small Green Pony Hunter divisions.
Medium Regular Pony Hunter National Championship
A massive field of 157 medium ponies began the week in the model ring. Claiming top honors was City of Stars, a 2017 Welsh Pony Cross gelding owned and ridden by Abby Morris (Franktown, Colo.).
Shenandoah Moonspinner, a 2015 Welsh Pony Cross mare owned by Silva Equestrian, LLC and shown by Vivian Silva (Baton Rouge, La.), earned second place, while Paris Charm, a 2008 Welsh Pony mare shown by Logan Baras (Greenwich, Conn.) for owner JJ Torano, placed third.
In the under saddle phase, Qualen’s Charismagic, a 2014 Welsh Pony Cross mare owned by Carolex Stables, LLC and shown by Victoria Roman (Wellington, Fla.), took the blue ribbon.
Second place went to Play Date, a 2015 Welsh Pony Cross gelding shown by Grace Stenbeck-Werner (North Salem, N.Y.) and owned by LVP Farms, LLC. Best Sport, a 2018 Warmblood gelding owned and ridden by Charlotte Morassutti (Toronto, Ont.), earned third.
Current Top 3 Standings – Medium Regular:
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City of Stars & Abby Morris
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Play Date & Grace Stenbeck-Werner
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Best Sport & Charlotte Morassutti
Small Green Pony Hunter National Championship
In a strong Small Green division, Boca’s Bolero, a 2018 Welsh Pony gelding shown by Lilly Herzog (Pepper Pike, Ohio) for Ponies & Palms Show Stables LLC, won the model phase.
Little Hollywood, a 2019 Welsh Pony gelding ridden by Cisy Zhou (New York, N.Y.) for Rivers Edge, placed second, while Blue Buttons, shown by Emily Norman (Morehead City, N.C.) for owner Katie McDaniel, rounded out the top three.
Little Hollywood and Zhou returned to top the under saddle phase, reversing positions with Boca’s Bolero and Herzog, who settled for second. Buttons and Blues, a 2015 Welsh Pony Cross gelding shown by Violet Dalton (Los Angeles, Calif.), placed third.
Current Top 3 Standings – Small Green:
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Little Hollywood & Cisy Zhou
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Boca’s Bolero & Lilly Herzog
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Blue Buttons & Emily Norman
What’s Ahead at Pony Finals
Wednesday’s action starts early with the Small Regular Hunters beginning their model phase at 6:45 a.m. ET, followed by under saddle at 7:45 a.m.
The Medium Regular Hunters will conclude their championship with the over fences phase at 10:10 a.m., followed by the Small Green Ponies.
Meanwhile, the jumper divisions begin with the jog at 7:00 a.m., a training session for all entries, and the first competition phase for small and medium pony jumpers at 1:20 p.m.
