Pitts and Keepsake Earn Marshall+Sterling/USEF Pony Medal National Championship Title on Final Day 2026 USEF Pony Finals
Lexington, Ky. – An exciting 2026 edition of the USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall+Sterling came to a close on Sunday afternoon with the Marshall+Sterling/USEF Pony Medal Final, taking place in the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. The highly anticipated finale featured 203 combinations showcasing their skills during the first round of competition. The field eventually narrowed down to the top 20 for the final round.
In the end, Gabrielle Pitts (East Hampton, N.Y.) followed up her championship performance in the Small Green Pony Hunters with another national championship title, this time aboard Keepsake, a 2018 Welsh Pony gelding (Byley Aragorn x Bettenakker's Bbette) owned by Rivers Edge. The reserve championship honors went to Brynn Garrett (Linden, N.C.) with Odyssey Orion, a 2014 Welsh Pony gelding (Hilin Peredur x Blueridge Starlet) owned by Windsor Farm Equine LLC. Anna Moffitt (Spring Valley, Ohio) on her own A Bear Necessity, a 2015 Zweibrucker gelding (Smoketree Snapdragon x Merry Fox), rounded out the top three.
Pony Jumper Competition Concludes with Three New Champions, Overall Grand, and Medium Pony Hunter Champions Crowned at 2026 USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall+Sterling
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.”
Four New National Champions Crowned at the 2026 USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall+Sterling
Lexington, Ky. – Green hunter ponies were awarded national championship titles today in Rolex Stadium at the 2026 USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall+Sterling. Meanwhile, in the Claiborne Ring, team and individual jumper championships took center stage, part of the USEF/ World Wide Technology Pony Jumper National Championships, supported by the Youth Show Jumping Foundation.
The Medium Greens kicked things off with their over-fences phase, where Kenzie Smith (Shoreham, N.Y.) and Paparazzi, a 2018 German Riding Pony gelding (Dreidimensional AT x Crazy Girl) owned by Rivers Edge, wowed the crowd and judges to earn a 546.10. Combined with their model score of 262.25 and their under-saddle score of 263.13, they had a decisive victory with an overall total of 1071.48. They earned the USEF Medium Green Pony Hunter National Champion title, and their top score made them the Grand Champions for the green divisions.
While this is Smith’s fourth trip to the USEF Pony Finals, this week’s accomplishment marks her first championship, as well as her first grand championship at the national event. “It feels amazing and I'm really glad I won it with him because he's really special,” she said. “He's come a long way. His canter is really nice. He goes like a nice junior hunter – he really covers the ground, and he jumps up so nicely.”
Meet Mr. Freckles: The Spotted Eventer Turned Hunter and Equitation Pony
It takes a certain type of pony to help regain lost confidence, and for Nora Petrey, Mr. Freckles did just that. This former eventing pony brought his little girl from the cross rails all the way to the Regular Pony division in less than a year. The pair is now attending the 2026 USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall+Sterling for the first time in the Medium Green Pony Hunter division.
Owned by Fox Ridge Farm, the 2009 Pony of the Americas gelding (Plaudits Snowman TE x Special N Often) once lived a life full out on the cross-country course with an early career in eventing, but when owners TJ and Beth LeBlanc met Mr. Freckles, they immediately had their student Petrey in mind.
Growing up as a trainer's kid, horses and ponies have always been a staple in Petrey’s life. However, when she fell off her pony when she was five, her mother, Whitney Boyce-Petrey thought her time in the saddle was over.
“I figured we were done riding after the first broken arm, but TJ had Nora in mind and brought [Mr.Freckles] home for her,” said Boyce-Petrey. “We had a little palomino before, and she’s shared a couple of other ponies before, but we’re so thankful for them keeping Nora in mind.”
Small Green and Small Regular Pony Championships Conclude, Zone 4/Team 5 Earn Gold in Medium Pony Jumper Team Championship at 2026 USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall+Sterling
Lexington, Ky. – Competition continued for both the pony hunters and jumpers at the 2026 USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall+Sterling on Thursday afternoon at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. Three new national championships were crown in both rings, including the Small Green Pony Championship, the Small Regular Pony Championship, and the Medium Pony Jumper Team Championship.
The Small Green Pony Hunters took center stage in the Rolex Stadium where Gabrielle Pitts (East Hampton, N.Y.) piloted Little Aspen to a brilliant round in the over fences phase to secure the USEF Small Green Pony Hunter National Championship. Little Aspen, a 2019 Welsh Pony gelding (Rotherwood Taboo x Trefriw Romance) owned by Rivers Edge, earned a score of 509.64 to win the over fences phase, along with scores of 252.04 in the model phase and 255.50 in the under-saddle phase. Their overall score of 1017.18 clinched the duo’s first Pony Finals title against a field of 49 ponies.
“It feels amazing [to be champion],” said Pitts after her win. “Today, my goal was to be confident, hope for a really solid round, and have a lot of fun. I started riding him at the beginning of the winter circuit, and I got an amazing opportunity from Scott Stewart and Ken Berkley, who are letting me ride him and trusting me with him.”
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Meet Shooting Star II: A Mare Whose Team of Sisters Have a Passion for Fjords
Six years ago, Clara and Annika Beck from Tionesta, Pa., weren’t shopping for a show pony. In fact, they were hoping to avoid noticing one, especially while life at home was anything but easy. Their story begins the day an unexpected need brought a Fjord into their world.
“It’s not like we were looking for a project,” Annika said.
The pony, now known as Shooting Star II, a 2017 Norwegian Fjord mare (Wagner’s Thunder x The Pines Brekka), and affectionately called “Pancake,” is the first Fjord in the history of the USEF Pony Finals presented by Marshall+Sterling to qualify for the event. Before making it to the Kentucky Horse Park to compete in the USEF/World Wide Technology Pony Jumper National Championships, Pancake had been placed with the Becks by necessity. Clara’s aunt had her, and due to health complications, needed to “place her somewhere new.”
“Our dad actually just had a heart attack at the time,” Clara explained, “and so… we snuck her home.”
What started as a discreet solution quickly turned into a bond formed from daily work, trust, and their willingness to take what life handed them and turn it into something more.
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