Mckayla Langmeier and Promised Land won the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, presented by Dr. Robert Barber and Team Barber, on Sunday, August 9, at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. Photo by David Mullinix
Mckayla Langmeier and Promised Land are crowned winners by Robert and Michelle Barber and Courtney O'Connell after the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, presented by Team Barber. Photo by David Mullinix

August 9, 2015 – East Dorset, Vermont – Mckayla Langmeier of East Granby, CT, closed out the 2015 Vermont Summer Festival with a win in the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, presented by Dr. Robert Barber and Team Barber, aboard Promised Land on Sunday, August 9, in East Dorset, VT.

Fifteen horses made up the final class of the season with nine advancing to the jump-off over courses built by Ken Krome (USA). Fourteen-year-old Langmeier, the youngest rider in the field, piloted the oldest horse, 21-year-old Promised Land to the blue ribbon after leasing him from owners Candy Tribble & Windsor Show Stables.

Langmeier had the ride on three horses in Sunday's Classic, all of which advanced to the short course. Having the class already won aboard Whistler for owner Jane Clark, Langmeier returned last with Promised Land to jump double-clear in 39.11 seconds for the win. She bumped her own 39.17-second time with Whistler to second place.

Catherine Tyree of Chicago, IL, and Free Style Van Polderhof, owned by Mary and Joseph Tyree, finished clear in the jump-off in 39.28 seconds for third. Melissa Orlick-Zbierski of Wellington, FL, and Viekie were double-clear to take fourth with a jump-off time of 40 seconds flat for Isotropic Networks, Inc. Danielle Torano of Wellington, FL, and her own Herault rounded out the top five double-clear in 40.27 seconds over the short course.

Langmeier got the ride on Promised Land, the ex-grand prix mount of Christine McCrea, at the start of the 2015 winter season and will compete him under the direction of trainers at North Run through 2015.

“He's really awesome – we use him for the special shows since he really knows everything there is to know already,” said Langmeier of the Holsteiner gelding (N. Eingetragen x Vorr).

“I love riding him in the jump-off because he always knows where he's going. You just have to worry about keeping the jumps up,” she added.

Fit and clearly still competitive, Langmeier was quick to acknowledge how special it is for her to have a 21-year-old horse as one of her top mounts.

“I really need to thank the Tribbles for letting me have him and North Run for keeping him young and feeling great,” she said. “Even if he didn't go clean I would have been happy with the win on Whistler, but I was really hoping for him to pull it off.”

Still riding in the junior ranks in jumper, hunter and equitation rings, Langmeier's immediate goals include the jumper classes at indoor shows this fall and being competitive at 2015 Equitation Finals.

Also on Sunday, Lauren Brody of Oyster Bay, NY, won the $2,500 Marshall & Sterling Adult Amateur Jumper Classic with Urfee De Bornival for owner LJB Equine, LLC. Sarah Spire of Lancaster, PA, took the blue ribbon in the $1,500 Marshall & Sterling Children's Jumper Classic aboard RF Rovano Rex for Ralyn Farms, Inc., while Joy Slater of Unionville, PA, and Oilean Uno took the top spot in the $5,000 NAL Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic for the second week in a row for her own Fat Chance Farm.

The weekly Horse Sport Canadian Sportsmanship Award was also presented on Sunday. Tommy Feigel is a rider and course designer who hails from Ottawa, ON, and accepted the prize during the final week of the Vermont Summer Festival. The new award, sponsored by Horse Sport Magazine, Canada's most respected equestrian magazine, was presented each week during the circuit, with the winners collecting several prizes, including a subscription to Horse Sport Magazine.

Hunter, jumper and equitation competition at the 2015 Vermont Summer Festival wrapped up on Sunday. In 2016, the Vermont Summer Festival returns to Harold Beebe Farm from July 5 to August 14. Offering more than $750,000 in prize money, the Vermont Summer Festival is the richest sporting event based on purse in the state of Vermont. For well over 20 years, the Vermont Summer Festival has attracted exhibitors and their families to the Manchester region in southern Vermont for six weeks of top equestrian sport.

The Vermont Summer Festival is New England’s largest hunter/jumper competition, and the richest sporting event based on purse in the state of Vermont. It is a proud member event of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, the Marshall & Sterling League, and the North American League (NAL). For over 20 years, the event has attracted exhibitors and their families to the Manchester region in southern Vermont for great competition in an ideal summer setting.

Please e-mail or visit the website for more information about the Vermont Summer Festival.

$10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, presented by Dr. Robert Barber and Team Barber
Sunday, August 9, 2015

Rider Hometown Horse Faults Time
1. Mckayla Langmeier East Grandby, CT Promised Land 0:0 39.11
2. Mckayla Langmeier East Grandby, CT Whistler 0:0 39.17
3. Catherine Tyree Chicago, IL Free Style Van Polderhof 0:0 39.28
4. Melissa Orlick-Zbierski Wellington, FL Viekie 0:0 40.00
5. Danielle Torano Wellington, FL Herault 0:0 40.27
6. Ailish Cunniffe South Salem, NY Betty Boop III 0:0 43.38
7. Mckayla Langmeier East Grandby, CT Gabriel 0:4 41.06
8. Addison Gierkink Harpswell, ME S&L Slingback 0:4 41.64
9. Ailish Cunniffe South Salem, NY Perfect De Coquerie 0:4 42.01
10. Jordyn Rose Freedman Longmeadow, MA Feeling 4 80.06