Kaley Pratt and Tjardin. (Shawn McMillen Photography)

Upper Marlboro, MD - There were 55 entries in the $10,000 Children's/Adult Jumper Challenge, and Kaley Pratt of Gainesville, FL, was able to win her second Challenge in a row. Last year, Pratt was the fastest to win with her horse Shane. The pair went on to win the Adult Jumper Championship at the Washington International Horse Show as well. After that, Shane was sold, and Pratt didn't find a new horse until February of this year.

She and Tjardin, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Mahala Rummel, were able to beat out 22 other entries in the jump-off with a clear round in 30.532 seconds. Second place went to Alex Volta on Lover Boy, who finished in 31.971 seconds. Lili Hymowitz and Barbara were third with a time of 32.146. Hymowitz won the Best Children's Jumper Rider Award, sponsored by Memorial Park Hunters. Pratt won the Best Adult Amateur Jumper Rider Award, sponsored by Meadow Grove Farm and was presented with The Belfield Trophy, donated by Julie Karpan.

Pratt tried not to think about the size of the class and focused on the course and what she needed to accomplish. “That way it keeps me from getting too nervous,” she revealed.

On the jump-off, Pratt felt that she made up time and won the class on the rollback from the second to third jump, a tall vertical. “We caught it at just the right angle,” she said. “Then she actually tripped after the liverpool. Somehow I just kicked her back up and she helped me out to the last jump. I didn't know (if we won), but I knew it was really close, especially with the trip. I was just happy because we had a great round.”

When asked about her second win in a row, Pratt expressed, “It feels amazing because I just started leasing this horse in February. She's just been great, but it's taken us a couple months to figure each other out. She just takes me a lot more than my last one did. My last one I had to kick, and this one I have to hold. Everything is coming together at the right time. It's really unbelievable. It's such a hard horse show to win at with so many people. I don't know what to think right now!”

The Capital Challenge continues tomorrow with the start of the junior and pony hunters and will host the WCHR Adult Amateur Finals, the ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals, and the North American Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Challenge Cup Round 1. The evening session includes one of the highlight classes of the week, the WCHR Professional Finals.??

Final Results: $10,000 Children's/Adult Jumper Challenge
1   TJARDIN         KALEY PRATT: 0/0/30.532
2   LOVER BOY       ALEX VOLTA: 0/0/31.971
3    BARBARA         LILI HYMOWITZ: 0/0/32.146
4    RIVER BIRD      JENNIFER GATES: 0/0/32.569
5    UNDERBERG       JOHN DARST: 0/0/32.573
6   CASCADINI       ERIN MCGUIRE: 0/0/32.957
7   CENTER COURT    LILI HYMOWITZ: 0/0/35.013
8   BACKLASH        KRISTEN BERIAN: 0/4/30.201
9    SHINKANSEN      DEVON MONROE: 0/4/30.356
10   CHARMEUR S      SAMANTHA WIGHT: 0/4/30.514
11   MAX             TRACY SCHERIFF-MUSER: 0/4/30.887
12  KENZO DESFI     ABBYGALE FUNK: 0/4/30.928

More from Thursday at the Capital Challenge Horse Show

Three Grand Champion Awards Presented in Amateur and Adult Hunters at 2012 Capital Challenge Horse Show