Grand Championships: Junior Hunters and Pony Hunters

Grand Junior Hunter Championship: For The Win-Win-Win-Win-Win-Win

May 25, 2024 – Devon, PA – Grand Junior Hunter and Grand Pony Hunter Championships for the 2024 Devon Horse Show and Country Fair were awarded Saturday afternoon. In the end it was Ava Barnes who claimed the coveted title of Devon Grand Junior Hunter Champion aboard Atlas, while Grace Stenbeck-Werner took the title of Grand Pony Hunter Champion with Cleverist.

Barnes showed two of Stephanie Ring’s entries, Atlas and Showman, in the Younger Large and Younger Small Junior Hunters, respectively. Showman earned championship honors in the Younger Smalls, while Atlas, a KWPN gelding by Carerra VDL collected 36 points on their way to earning the championship in the Younger Large Juniors, the Overall Large Junior Hunter Championship, and the Grand Junior Hunter Championship.

Atlas was also awarded the Angelo Trophy, and Barnes was crowned Best Child Rider on a Horse. “A big improvement from last year,” she stated, acknowledging, “I didn’t get any ribbons here last year other than the under saddle, so this was quite the improvement.” 

Barnes rides with trainers Dave Belford and Chris Payne of New Hope, LLC in Cincinnati, OH. Belford credited Barnes with dedication and an impressive work ethic, but moreover, “compassion for the horses, Ava will be in their stalls, laying down with them, loving on them, and that is close to my heart, that is why we do this, we love the horses, we love the kids, and yes,” he admits with a smile, “we also like blue ribbons.” 

The Older Small Junior Hunter Championship and Overall Small Junior Hunter Championship went to Babylon, a Walkenbach Equestrian, LLC entry, piloted by Paige Walkenbach. Walkenbach continued her championship streak, collecting the championship honors in the Older Large Juniors with Walkenbach Equestrian LLC’s, San Pedro 15. 

Grand Pony Hunter Championship

The tri-colors kept coming for New Hope, LLC in the Wheeler Ring as Grace Stenbeck-Werner, another Belford and Payne pupil, piloted Eva Mackenzie’s Farmore State of the Art, and Ellie Sadrian’s Cleverist to the Small Pony Hunter and Medium Pony Hunter Championship titles, respectively.

Stenbeck-Werner and Cleverist claimed the Grand Pony Hunter Championship, and she was also awarded the Best Child Rider on a Pony. The only pony championship that did not go to Stenbeck-Werner was the Large Pony Hunter Championship, which went to Ella Tarumianz aboard Hey Scooby, a Madeline Schaefer entry.