Hannah Stephens and Sensational Hannah Unanimous in Novice Youth 14-18 Trail at 2013 AjPHA Youth World Show

The Novice Youth Trail 14-18 has concluded this morning at the 2013 AjPHA Youth World Championship Show and the unanimous winner out of 25 entries was Hannah Stephens riding Sensational Hannah. Coming in Reserve was Whitney Vesey riding Famous N Foolish. Rounding out the top three was Morgan Matzdorff riding Can You Dig It.

Judging the class today were David Denniston, Holly Hover, Casey Devitt, Brad Kearns, and Tracy Willis.

Stephens and “Hannah” have been a team now for three years. This is their third World Championship Show together and their second World Championship title. In 2012, the pair won 14-18 Showmanship. Thus far at the show Stephens placed in the top five in 14-18 Equitation and 14-18 Hunter Under Saddle and in the top ten in 14-18 Showmanship. Following their big win this morning she will return to the trail pen to compete in the 14-18 Trail preliminaries and then later on this afternoon in the Novice Youth Western Riding and 14-18 Western Riding.

Because Stephens’ six-year-old mare just recently learned trail at the hands of her horse trainer, Jeffery Gibbs, she didn’t have any big expectations going into the class this morning.

“Jeffery just taught her trail right before the Fall World Show last year, so she just started doing it,” she says. “I think it’s really fun. I probably did it back when I showed when I was a lot younger, but I didn’t like it because my horses weren’t good at it. I like it a lot now because she is really fun to show.”

“I really liked [the pattern]. It was probably my favorite out of all the ones we have done just because I felt like it was an easier course for her. I didn’t have to stress about the next obstacle, and it was nice to be able to take my time and get a breather throughout each obstacle.”

And just in case you were wondering, Stephens didn’t name her horse after herself. It was just a happy coincidence.

“We didn’t name her Hannah,” she smiles. “She just kind of fell into our arms that way.”

Novice Youth Trail 14-18

1-Sensational Hannah/Hannah Stephens

2-Famous N Foolish/Whitney Vesey

3-Can You Dig It/Morgan Matzdorff

4-Oh Good Heavens/Alexandra Fink

5-Outrageous Sensation/Holly Strevey