Alexander Alston Aces USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic - East, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry College

Devon, Pa.—July 14, 2021—In the end, a single point separated the top three at the 2021 USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic - East, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry College, held at the Devon Horse Show Grounds on Monday, July 12. After three rounds of excellent equitation, Alexander Alston rode to the top of the class, securing the win ahead of Skylar Wireman and Dominic Gibbs.

Held alongside the Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships – East, the Gladstone Cup saw more than 130 riders take to the Classic Hunter Round in the Wheeler Ring, and the top 20 returned for round two. Taking an early lead, Gibbs, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, rode Cent 15 to a 95 and sat in first going into the second round. A 92 put Alston, of Gahanna, Ohio, in second aboard Campreoll, and Natalie Jayne, of Elgin, Illinois, rode equitation veteran Charisma to a 90 for the third place spot.

The second round, a Handy Hunter-style course held in the iconic Dixon Oval, shuffled the leaderboard. A score of 95 moved Jayne into the first place position heading into the third and final round. Matching his first-round score, Alston held on to his second place spot, while Gibbs' 88 slid him into fourth. The standout of the round was Wireman, of Bonsall, California, adding a score of 90 to her first round's 83.5 and moving from sixteenth to third with Il Mio.

With the top six returning for the final course and the top three sitting at least 10 points above the rest, riders swapped horses. Wireman and Gibbs' switched mounts, with the California rider putting in a round that would make up the 10-point deficit to claim Reserve. Second to last to return, Alston's ride on Jayne's mount was enough to edge out the top group and take the overall win.

“I am thrilled with how [Campreoll] went and how consistent I was able to stay throughout all of the phases. It was also a great redemption for me because yesterday I was in Lake Placid showing and I did not have such a great second round in the [Kathy Scholl Equitation Championship], so it was really nice to redeem myself and get a confidence boost from this win today," said Alston. "Special thank you to Maggie [Gampfer] and Vinnie Desiderio for their help here, and thank you to the whole North Run team!”

As Champion, Altson was awarded a pair of Parlanti boots, a gift basket from Straight Arrow, a cooler and a keeper trophy. Wireman earned an Essex Classics riding shirt as Reserve. The top 10 riders received sashes and saddle pads from USHJA, and the top five riders also received a certificate for an Essex Classics riding shirt. Earning the honor of Best Equitation Horse and receiving a CWD Halter and a trophy was Charisma, owned by Heritage Farm and ridden by Jayne.

The USHJA extends special thanks to Brandywine Horse Shows and Paul Jewell for hosting this year's Classic. The USHJA also thanks official sponsors CWD, Nutrena, Parlanti and Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital; title sponsor Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry College; and award sponsors Essex Classics and Straight Arrow Family of Brands.

The USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry College, is a three-round class that combines the precision of equitation and handiness of hunters over a course set at 3'6". Held during the East and West Coast Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships, the Gladstone Cup is open to any rider that is an Active USHJA junior member at the time of the competition and has won a USEF Medal, ASPCA Maclay, USEF Show Jumping Talent Search or Overall WIHS Equitation Classic during the qualifying year. This year's West Coast competition will take place at Sonoma Horse Park in Petaluma, California, on July 22.

For more information about the USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry College, visit ushja.org/Gladstone.

Photos by Anne Gittins Photography

USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic - East Results

Place - Rider - Horse - Round 1 - Round 2 - Round 3 - Final Score

1. Alexander Alston - Campreoll - 92 - 92 - 93 - 277
2. Skylar Wireman - Il Mio - 83.5 - 90 - 94 - 267.5
3. Dominic Gibbs - Cent 15 - 95 - 88 - 84 - 267
4. Natalie Jayne - Charisma - 90 - 95 - 80 - 265
5. Kyla Sullivan - Kenan - 84.5 - 86 - 87 - 257.5
6. Riley Hogan - Jones - 85 - 88 - 82 - 255
7. Kat Fuqua - Itteville - 82.5 - 87 - 169.25
8. Caroline Signorino - Vidocq De La By - 83 - 85.5 - 168.5
9. Aundrea Hillyard - Cervino - 84.25 - 84 - 168.25
10. Stella Wasserman - Attendu De Lannois Z - 87 - 81 - 168