Devon PA – May 30, 2012 – During Junior Weekend at the prestigious Devon Horse Show, young rider Abigail McArdle showcased her skills and earned top ribbons in both the equitation and the jumper rings. She placed in the top three during three of the equitation events with Apartico, and qualified for the jump-off during the $15,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Classic aboard Cosma 20.
Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20 placed sixth in the $15,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Classic at the Devon Horse Show. (Photo by Rebecca Walton)
The equitation classes were held at the beginning of the week, and McArdle kicked off the competition with a score of 89 in the WIHS Equitation Classic – Jumper Phase, which garnered the second place honors. She then went on to place third in the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Classic, as well as the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search with Apartico.
“It’s so nice to walk into the ring at Devon and in the first class lay down a trip and get a second in the Washington,” expressed McArdle. “Even though we didn’t win, we had very consistent trips in every class. There were great courses with a lot of different tests. You could have a forward line and then have to collect, and then need to make a bending line. It really showed off the relationship between Apartico and myself because we work really hard on the flat. It showed off which horses were adjustable, so that’s where all of my flatwork paid off and we could really shine.”
The final event of the weekend for McArdle was the $15,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Junior Jumper Classic, where she and her new mount Cosma 20 were once again at the top of the standings. With a clear first round, they advanced to the jump-off in the lead position. An unfortunate four faults at the second fence cost them the win, but their quick time made them the fastest duo with a rail and they claimed the sixth place award.
“I was really proud of Cosma 20 because we have never shown under the lights together, and to go into that ring with all the spectators along the ring and be clean was very exciting,” noted McArdle. “We left out a stride in the first line and had a rail down at the second fence, but that’s part of the problem with coming back first. It’s a really tough competition though, so I was just happy to be jumping off.”
McArdle concluded, “Devon is one of my favorite horse shows because it’s really nice to have a class at night under the lights at the junior level. It feels really special to show in a class where there are a lot of spectators and you can hear everyone encouraging the riders; it’s really exciting. “
Now, McArdle will now prepare to travel to Alberta, Canada, with her talented mounts, where she will compete during Spruce Meadows, one of the leading international events in the world.
