Since it’s inception in 1933, the ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay National Championship has been held at the famed National Horse Show each fall. Many consider the Maclay the ‘Holy Grail’ of equitation championships. Indeed, one must only look at the list of past winners to see that it reads like a “who’s who” of equestrian super stars. William Steinkraus, Frank Chapot, and George Morris, undeniably three of the most influential figures in American show jumping, were all winners of the Maclay Finals, in 1941, 1947, and 1952, respectively.
Bernie Traurig, winner of the 1961 Maclay Finals, has represented the United States Equestrian Team both at home and abroad on many occasions and reached the top of the sport in all 3 of the International Equestrian Olympic disciplines: Show Jumping, Dressage, and Eventing. He is the President and Owner of EquestrianCoach.com as well as one of the most sought after clinicians in the country.
Chrystine Jones Tauber, current president of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), won the Maclay in 1965. Olympic Gold Medalist Conrad Homfeld won the finals in 1967 and is now an internationally renowned course designer. Two of the top women in show jumping, Katie Monahan Prudent and Leslie Burr Howard are also on the list of Maclay Champions. Not only did many of these past winners go on to add further accolades to their own riding careers, but a large percentage have given back to the sport by becoming trainers, getting involved in organizations that govern equestrian events, and quite a few have even returned to the National Horse Show to judge younger generations of Maclay contestants. “One only has to look at the list of riders at the top of the sport today who have won the Maclay or Medal finals to realize how important it is to have great basics instilled in ones riding at an early age," said Traurig.
Peter Wylde, winner of the 1982 Maclay Finals, went on to great success in show jumping; picking up silver, bronze, and gold medals at the Pan American Games, the World Equestrian Games, and in 2004, the Olympic Games. Peter returned to the United States in 2012 after basing his business in Europe for over a decade. He is now a regular competitor in both the American hunter and jumper rings and has been insturmental in developing the USHJA's Emerging Athletes Program (EAP). Peter is well-regarded for teaching young riders the importance of the connection of the lessons learned in the equitation division with those required for professional careers within the industry.
Francesca Mazella won both the Maclay and the AHSA/USEF Medal Finals in 1984. We recently caught up with Francesca who told us, “In 2009, I bought a townhouse in Saugerties, NY, home to the Horse Shows In The Sun (HITS) headquarters. I am lucky enough to work from their home office as a Marketing assistant. Though I haven’t ridden since 2010, being at HITS gives me a daily dose of horses from the side, rather than from on top!”
Kelley Farmer, the Maclay Champion of 1993, continues to make headlines as one of the top professional hunter riders in the country. In 2014 she helped guide "Mindful" to the World Champion Hunter Rider's Horse of the Year title and in the same year she clinched the coveted WCHR Professional Rider of the Year awarded at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
Two past Maclay Champions hold records in equitation history. In 1955, Wilson Dennehy won all three of the “Big Eq” Finals in the same year. Additionally, it was at the National Horse Show where Dennehy and George Morris, both juniors at the time, formed a friendship that still remains strong, some 63 years later.
In 2005, another record was set when Brianne Goutal made history by winning, not only the Maclay, but also the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Equitation Medal Finals that same year, having won the two other “Big Eq” Finals (The USEF Show Jumping Talent Search East and the Washington International Equitation Classic) the year before. Since then, Goutal has racked up a staggering number of awards and accolades, and remains a major player on the show jumping circuit today. Stacia Klein Madden, who won the Maclay Finals in 1987, trained Goutal during her domination of the equitation scene.
Jessica Springsteen, winner of the 2008 Maclay Finals, is now a top contender in international show jumping. Not only has she has represented the United States in Nations Cup competitions, but just last year she won the prestigious American Gold Cup and received the Maxine Beard Award. Springsteen is currently part of the 2015 Longines Global Champions Tour.
Photo Credit: Rebecca Walton for Phelps Media Group
Lillie Keenan, 2013 Maclay Champion, said “Winning the ASPCA Maclay Final was a goal I set for myself from the outset of my show jumping career. It was a pinnacle moment in my junior years and solidified my ambition to become a professional in the sport and to one day bring honor to our country as a member of Team USA. I am confident that my foundation in the equitation that I garnered through competing in the Maclay has raised my sights for my equestrian endeavors.” Keenan’s words reflect how the Maclay remains just as important today as it did many decades ago.
To excel at the highest and most prestigious level of competition available to a junior rider requires hard work, determination, focus, talent, patience, responsibility, and the drive to successfully achieve what can seem like the impossible. Come and join us on Saturday, October 31st to witness the 2015 Maclay Regional Winners compete for the coveted title. The 2015 Maclay Champion will be crowned on Sunday, November 1st.
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