Traverse City, Mich. – Two talented mares and their equally talented junior riders earned grand champion titles on Saturday at the conclusion of the 2023 Adequan®/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships – East. The longtime partnership of Arabesque and Clara Propp defended their title in the 3’6” height, while a very new pair—She’s All That and Aedan Mooney—won the 3’3” overall championship.
Junior Hunter 3’6” Grand Champions – Arabesque and Clara Propp
Clara Propp (New York, N.Y.) teamed up with Arabesque, also known as “Annie,” Aquataine Equine’s 2013 Oldenburg mare, for their third consecutive Grand Championship win at the Junior Hunter National Championships. Propp and Annie were the 3’3” Grand Champions in 2021 and the 3’6” Grand Champions in 2022.
“It’s an awesome feeling,” Propp said of her win. “There was a lot of stress and pressure coming into this year. I wanted to live up to the years before and I think we did just that, and I’m really happy about it.
“[Annie] is awesome, and I think throughout the years that I’ve had her, we’ve formed a really strong bond,” said Propp. “This horse never lets me down. She always performs for me and I just need to match her and then it all comes together really nicely. She’s so special. There aren’t enough good things I can say about her.”
The trust and understanding Propp and her horse share was key to producing a slick handy round on Saturday, expertly navigating the winding course that included tight rollbacks, a trot fence, and a gallop fence. The pair earned a score of 270 from the judges, giving them a comfortable win for the handy round and securing their overall championship.
With three grand championships, Propp says she and Annie will move on to new challenges after this year. She has her eye toward competing in international hunter derbies after finishing out the current season’s championships. But first, Propp says, “After this show she’s going to get a good long break. She deserves it. She doesn’t need to do any more than she already does.”
As the top scoring mare in the 3’6” division, Arabesque was also recognized with the Best Mare award for the second year in a row.
Junior Hunter 3’3” Grand Champions – She’s All That and Aedan Mooney
Over on the 3’3” side, another horse nicknamed Annie earned a decisive grand champion title with a wire-to-wire lead in the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 section. She’s All That, a striking black 2015 Westphalian mare owned by Linda Yarborough, with rider Aedan Mooney scored an impressive 274 in Saturday’s handy round to maintain their top standing for the height.
“She’s a catch ride I just started riding at Old Salem Farm this year,” said Mooney. “We were champions there and then we did last week here (at Traverse City Horse Shows), so this is technically my third show with her. She’s super sweet. She always tries her hardest. She moves amazing and always gives a 10 out of 10 jump.
“She did everything I asked her to do [in the handy],” said Mooney. “She jumped incredible from the first jump. She tries super hard. She’s pretty handy, and she came back nice. I think her presence is always incredible and one to watch.”
2023 Adequan®/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships – East Results
3’6” Overall
- Grand Champion: Arabesque and Clara Propp
- Res. Grand Champion: Day Won and Avery Glynn
3’3” Overall
- Grand Champion: She’s All That and Aedan Mooney
- Res. Grand Champion: Calamanzo and Grace Shipman
3’6” Small Junior Hunter 15 & Under
- Ever So Often and Paige Walkenbach – 260.9
- Deja Blue and Djuna Lauder – 259.9
- Paper Trail and Elodie Watrous – 254.3
3’6” Small Junior Hunter 16-17
- Day Won and Avery Glynn – 268.42
- Advent and Eleanor Rudnicki – 264.2
- Business Time and Blythe Goguen – 261.4
3’6” Large Junior Hunter 15 & Under
- Arabesque and Clara Propp – 269.9
- Symbolic and Hailey Guidry – 257.7
- Casino Cash and Brooke Hagerty – 257.3
3’6” Large Junior Hunter 16-17
- Spoken and Avery Glynn – 266.27
- Small Love and Caroline Signorino – 265.81
- No Secret and Isabelle Ehman – 261.37
3’3” Small Junior Hunter 15 & Under
- High Vigour and Rylie True – 258
- Coppertone and Collin Sweetnam – 257.34
- Gio Candio and Abigail Davis – 255.97
3’3” Small Junior Hunter 16-17
- Central Park and Vivian Palmer – 250.4
- Double Fantasy and Schuyler Dayner – 236.73
- Calou and Sadie Furr – 234.9
3’3” Large Junior Hunter 15 & Under
- Debonair and Veronica Feeley – 256.06
- Canvasback and Rylie True – 254.8
- Counselor and Claire Mullally – 256.3
3’3” Large Junior Hunter 16-17
- She’s All That and Aedan Mooney – 270.16
- Calamanzo and Grace Shipman – 259.66
- Next Chapter and Rebecca Love – 254.78
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