Lexington, Ky. – July 27, 2018 – Equitation competition at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show kicked off Friday afternoon in the Stonelea Ring with the ASPCA Maclay where Beata Buckley bested a class of 24 entries aboard Daniel Ighani’s Northface to capture the win as she gears up for her last year of eligibility in the equitation finals this fall.
Beata Buckley and Northface
The first round tested riders over fences with two tight rollbacks and a double combination where the top 12 horse-and-rider combinations returned to the second round for a flat phase. Buckley and the 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding proved flawless after two phases to capture the victory while James Faloni and Acido 7 were awarded the second place ribbon and Alivia Kohus claimed third with Cristallo’s Carlchen P.
Buckley is competing her main equitation mount, Rico, in two other classes and has already qualified to secure her spot for the Maclay Regional Championship in September, so she opted to use her younger, hunter horse, Northface, for the Maclay. The class was the perfect opportunity for Buckley to prepare as the Maclay Regionals will also be held at the Kentucky Horse Park during the Kentucky National Horse Show. Competing there against qualified riders from Region 4, Buckley will vie for a spot in the renowned ASPCA Maclay Championships at the National Horse Show, held in the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena.
Equitation competition will continue Saturday, July 27, in the Walnut Arena with the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search 2* starting at 8 a.m. Hunter competition will highlight the USHJA National Hunter Derby on Sunday, July 29, in the Stonelea Ring.
View the original article on Phelps Sports.