Lexington, Ky. – Each year, the best of the best travel to the Kentucky Horse Park for the USEF Pony Finals, presented by Marshall+Sterling. On Saturday, competition came to a close in the Rolex Stadium, and the USEF Grand Regular Pony Hunter National Championship was crowned. Small pony Clovermeade Heartthrob, a 2016 Welsh Pony cross mare (Clovercrofts Hero of the Heart x Currituck Glory Be), owned by the Robertson Family LLC, and rider Grace Stenbeck-Werner (North Salem, N.Y.) returned center ring to accept the honors after earning a total score of 1057.62 in their division.
“It means a lot to be Grand Champion, especially with [Clovermeade Heartthrob], who I love so much,” said Stenbeck-Werner. “I think she's kind of been waiting for her moment, and this feels like her moment, so I'm really happy.”
Stenbeck-Werner continued, “This year, I put less pressure on myself coming in. My goal was to go in there and have a solid round, rather than putting too much pressure on myself to win. I think going in there and trying to focus on my riding really helped overall.”
Trainer Maddie Flocks has been working with Stenbeck-Werner at Swede Ventures for four years and said, “It is amazing. We got [Clovermeade Heartthrob] about two years ago, and she's never let us down. It's taken a bit to make everything come together, but last year and this year have been amazing – they really bonded and have had a successful partnership.”
Flocks concluded, “Grace is an awesome student. She tries really hard. She's always wanting to learn and do the next thing to progress her riding and be competitive. She's a great competitor as well as a great student.”
Medium Regular Pony National Championship
The Medium Regular Ponies were the last to show in the Rolex Stadium, with 158 ponies competing in the final over fences phase. Lilly Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) held the lead aboard The King Of Hearts, a 2016 Welsh Pony gelding (Alexandro H. x Mezennest's Miss Beauty) owned by R & R Hunter Horses LLC, going into the final phase. The duo had a beautiful over fences round and were rewarded with a score of 526.52 for an overall score of 1052.69, to secure the USEF Regular Medium Pony Hunter National Championship, as well as the Reserve Grand Regular Pony Hunter National Championship.
This is Ward’s fifth trip to the USEF Pony Finals, but the first time that she has earned a championship tricolor. “It's really exciting,” she smiled. “I've only had [The King of Hearts] for about eight months, so it's a pretty new partnership, and he's still quite young, so it's really exciting to be champion here on him.”
As the last to show, Ward knew the pressure was on, but was ready to tackle the challenge, saying, “I was really nervous, but I also really wanted to win, so I was nervous, but also excited.”
Ward loves having the opportunity to compete at the USEF Pony Finals, concluding, “I like that everyone's here, and I like how there's one jumping round – it puts the pressure on!”
The reserve championship honors in the Regular Medium Pony division went to Lacey Powers (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) and True Story, a 2013 German Riding Pony gelding (Unknown x Unknown) owned by Morgan Stewart, who finished with an overall score of 1049.47. Rounding out the top three were Ava Stryk (The Plains, Va.) and Foxmor Secret Powers, a 2011 Welsh Cross gelding (Empire's Power x Foxmor Fanfair) owned by Blue Star Equestrian, with an overall score of 1042.44.
While the pony hunters have come to an end, the 2026 USEF Pony Finals, presented by Marshall+Sterling, will conclude Sunday in the Alltech Arena with the highly anticipated Marshall+Sterling/USEF Pony Medal Final, which will begin at 7:00 a.m. ET.
Medium Pony Jumper Individual Championship
Lacey Powers (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) and Lincoln D'Abzer, a 2017 Belgian Sport Horse gelding (Oxford van de Mespelier x Nymphea), owned by Chessland Equestrian, LLC, topped the Medium Pony Jumper Championship today at the Kentucky Horse Park, part of the USEF/World Wide Technology Pony Jumper National Championships, supported by the Youth Show Jumping Foundation. The pair jumped clear in the first round and in the jump-off to top the class with a time of 28.164 seconds.
Addison Wright (West Palm Beach, Fla.) and Bella Galleria Arturo Amalfi, her own 2013 Dutch Warmblood gelding (Onbekend x Peveril Printers Dream), also finished double-clear to take second after stopping the jump-off timers in 32.334 seconds. Winter McKenzie Fanetti (St. Louis, Mo.) and Book Smart, a 2012 Welsh Pony cross mare (Unknown x Unknown), owned by Pura Ponies, rounded out the top three, also jumping double clear and finishing in 35.047 seconds.
The win capped a big week for Powers, who also topped the Large Regular Pony Hunter division at this year's USEF Pony Finals. Going first in the order in the jumper ring, however, brought its own nerves. "I was a little bit nervous because I had to go first," Powers said. "But he was so good about it, and I was never expecting to do this well, so I'm just really happy about that."
The partnership with Lincoln D'Abzer is a new one. What stands out most, Powers said, is his agility in the turns. "He can go fast and then turn so tight. I think a lot of the other ponies can't do that, which I think makes him stand out so much." She added that the gelding is also quick to adjust his stride. "He's just so adjustable at jumps. You can just go out and do the turns."
Despite the pressure of going first, Powers said she felt more excited than nervous heading into the ring. "I knew if I executed my plan, I would be in a good spot," she said, describing a jump-by-jump strategy of tightening some turns and opening at others. "He was really good about it. [Lincoln D’Abzer] followed me everywhere I needed to go, and it worked out pretty much to how we talked about."
Powers, who also competes regularly in the hunter ring, said moving between disciplines requires a small mental reset. "If I come from the jumper ring, I try to remind myself I don't need to get the distance as much as I do in the hunter ring," she said.
This is Powers' second year competing in pony jumpers, and she said the discipline has become a favorite. "It's a lot more fun and a little more relaxing. I love jumpers so much."
Large Pony Jumper Individual Championship
Emilia Cannizzo (Greenfield Center, N.Y.) and Pony Boy, her own 2005 Welsh Pony Cross gelding (Unknown x Unknown), topped the Large Pony Jumper Championship today at the Kentucky Horse Park part of the USEF/World Wide Technology Pony Jumper National Championships, supported by the Youth Show Jumping Foundation, jumping clear in the first round and the jump-off to win in 30.647 seconds.
Sofia Melluzzi (Wellington, Fla.) and Brock Bee Line, a 2008 New Forest Pony gelding (Moortown Nobby x Brock Sonnet), owned by Hartley Horses LLC, also jumped double clear to finish second after stopping the timers in 31.530 seconds. Summer Smith (Cataula, Ga.) riding Sissi Mai, a 2010 German Riding Pony mare (Unknown x Unknown), owned by Kaia Couch, rounded out the top three, with a jump-off time of 33.608 seconds.
Cannizzo, who was visibly emotional after her round, said the win was a family effort. "It's really amazing," she said. "I take some of the credit, but I think my pony and my trainer do the most. Without my pony, I couldn't have done any of this. I also want to thank my mom and my whole family"
Of the winning round itself, Cannizzo had nothing but praise for Pony Boy. "It was incredible," she said. "He tried his heart out; he gave it his all. It was awesome."
The pair have history together, which Cannizzo credited to their success. "We've had him for about four years now. He's 21, but he's amazing," she said. She added that the partnership took time to build. "When we first got him, he was spicy. He started in the .65s, and now we're winning at Pony Finals!"
1.05m Pony Jumper Individual Championship
Summer Smith (Cataula, Ga.) and Catch My Drift, her own 2016 German Riding Pony gelding (Del Piero x Hummel), topped the 1.05m Pony Jumper Championship today at the Kentucky Horse Park, part of the USEF/World Wide Technology Pony Jumper National Championships, supported by the Youth Show Jumping Foundation.
Zahara Henderson (Longmont, Colo.) and Star Wish, her own 2008 Warmblood cross gelding (Unknown x Unknown), finished second, and Lilia Allen (Wilmette, Ill.) and Fortnite Battle Pass, a 2020 Connemara mare (Tullaree Chieftain x Ahane Dixie), owned by Jennifer Robertson, rounded out the top three.
Smith, who also rode Catch My Drift to gold with the Red Team in the 1.05m Pony Team Championship earlier in the week, said the individual win took a moment to sink in. "I feel so good," she said. "I was kind of in shock. I didn't believe it at first, but then I finally realized I won the gold medal! I'm so proud of my pony."
Smith has owned Catch My Drift since 2024. Before that, she said, he competed at 1.30m in Germany. The pair spent time in the hunter ring before returning to jumpers. "He was amazing when we competed in the hunters, but then we thought he would feel a little freer doing the jumpers, so now we're doing the jumpers again," Smith said, describing him as needing "a forward, nice, supportive ride."
The move up to the 1.05m came after a season in the 0.90m division. "My trainer and I decided it would be a good idea to do the 1.05m," Smith said. Her trainer sent her into the ring today with simple advice: "He said, ‘Just ride well. I'll be proud no matter what, and you will do amazing.’"
This is Smith's second year at Pony Finals. "I love the jumpers, it's so much fun," she said, adding that she sees value in the newer format for other riders coming up through the levels. "I think it's really great for riders just to practice before moving up to the bigger jumps. I think it helps a lot of athletes and horses."
How to Watch the 2026 USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall+Sterling
The 2026 USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall+Sterling are streaming live and on demand on USEF Network. US Equestrian fans, subscribers, and members can access the live stream, and subscribers and members will be able to watch replays on demand.
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