Articles: Press Release

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NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2009

By Amy Serridge

Gladstone, NJ - It was a picture perfect ending to a picture perfect weekend for the 2009 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East in Gladstone, NJ. Matthew Mettel, riding Pioneer (owned by Heritage Farm) captured the prestigious win at the Finals East.

This year the Finals East had a record number of entries with 97 riders completing all three Phases. The weekend began with a Warm-up class on Friday, followed by a reception hosted by the USET Foundation held in the famous USET Headquarters Rotunda (the main barn turned 98 years old this year). The competition got underway on Saturday morning with the Phase I Flat.

After the Flat Phase, only 1 point separated the top five riders, with Maggie McAlary in the lead with a score of 95. The second Phase - Gymnastics proved to be a test of the riders ability to negotiate 2 sets of cavalettis, a bounce to a tricky trot fence and finishing up the course on a counter lead to a large oxer. Mettel and Jessica Springsteen were tied after the Gymnastics Phase each with a score of 234.

The third Phase - Jumping was filled with excitement as riders negotiated the course which included a large open water jump and a triple combination set strategically by the judges which asked the riders to demonstrate lengthening and shortening of stride. The top four riders who earned their spot into the Final Four Ride-off were Mettel, Springsteen, McAlary and Elizabeth Lubrano.

Phase IV began with the playing of the National Anthem which echoed throughout the historic site, where numerous US Equestrian Team Olympians, including judge Joe Fargis, trained for many years. With a clean slate for each of the riders, who all began with a score of zero, action got underway as each rider rode their horse over the shortened course and then each of the other competitors mount in turn over the same course.

After many near-perfect rounds, and the tally of the judges scores a winner had been decided. Matthew Mettel, trained by Andre Dignelli, was victorious. Finishing second was Jessica Springsteen, third was Maggie McAlary and fourth was Elizabeth Lubrano.

The awards table glistened as the autumn sunlight hit the collection of trophies ready to be given out. During the awards ceremony many presenters were in attendance including last years Finals - East winner Sophie Benjamin, Sarah Willeman, Dr. Armand Leone, Chairman of the USEF High Performance Working Group & Chairman of the Board for the USET Foundation, and Platinum Performance representative Olivia Zublin. Sarah Willeman presented the Grappa Trophy for Best Horse, a prestigious honor bestowed by the judges after the ride-off to Matthew Mettels mount Pioneer (owned by Heritage Farm).

Ribbons blew in the breeze as the top ten riders cantered around the ring on their victory gallop; it was a picture perfect ending to the 2009 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East.

1. Matthew Mettel, Falmouth, MA
2. Jessica Springsteen, Colts Neck, NJ
3. Maggie McAlary, Amhurst, NH
4. Elizabeth Lubrano, Glenmoore, PA
5. Samantha Ramsay, West Palm Beach, FL
6. Jennifer Waxman, Chagrin Falls, OH
7. Jacqueline Lubrano, Glenmoore, PA
8. Christy DiStefano, Ramsey, NJ
9. Shelby Wakeman, West Lake Village, CA
10. Samantha Smith, Wakefield, RI

ENDS

For more information, please contact Amy Serridge at aserridge@usef.org. For final results and more information, please visit: http://www.usef.org/_IFrames/breedsdisciplines/discipline/alljumping/sjTalentSearch.aspx

The vision of the United States Equestrian Federation is to provide leadership for equestrian sport in the United States of America by promoting the pursuit of excellence from the grassroots to the Olympic Games, based on a foundation of fair, safe competition and the welfare of its human and equine athletes.