North American League Crowns 2024 National Champions
The NAL qualifying season runs from September 1 through August 31. NAL qualifying classes are open to all competitors, but only current members are awarded points.
The Capital Challenge Horse Show, held September 26-October 6 at Prince George’s Equestrian Center, once again set a wonderful backdrop for the North American League (NAL) National Finals, which saw new champions crowned for the 2024 season.
After qualifying at over 600 participating horse shows throughout the U.S. and Canada all year, many talented hunter and jumper horse-and-rider combinations vied for prestigious NAL National titles and generous prizes donated by NAL and its sponsors. Each Final awarded $10,000 in prize money, with champions receiving an NAL coolerette and gift certificates donated by EquiFit, SmartPak and The Clothes Horse. Additionally, all riders participating in the Finals received gift bags with an assortment of gifts courtesy of the NAL.
The NAL offers year-long series in six divisions – Adult Hunter Presented by R & R Hunter Horses, Children’s Hunter Presented by Charles Ancona, 1.10/1.15m Amateur Jumper Presented by SmartPak, 1.10/1.15m Junior Jumper Presented by EquiFit, 1.20/1.25m Junior/Amateur Jumper and 1.30/1.35m Junior/Amateur Jumper Presented by Parlanti.
$10,000 Adult Hunter Finals Presented by R & R Hunter Horses
The 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding Miles Ahead, owned and ridden by Kate Howlin of Edgewater, MD, lived up to his name in the $10,000 Adult Hunter Finals Presented by R & R Hunter Horses, claiming victory with a two-round score of 176 points, six points ahead of the other competitors.
“I’ve owned Miles Ahead for two years now, and I was glad to make it into this final with him,” Howlin said. “I thought we had a decent chance. He’s a really good horse, and he’ll listen to anything you ask him. I went in confidently, and it turned out well.
“This is definitely one of the biggest shows I compete at in general,” she added. “It’s a huge honor to win this final, especially at a venue so close to my home barn; it’s like riding in my backyard. This is a big milestone in my riding career.”
Second place went to Rachel Boggus of Indianapolis, IN, riding 18 Gauge LLC’s 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding Chevito with 170 total points. Mimi Moulton of Greenwich, CT, earned third for her 168.5-point score aboard Privet Farm LLC’s 14-year-old Westphalian gelding Tradition.
$10,000 Children’s Hunter Finals Presented by Charles Ancona
Tibri’s Simply Red, an 8-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Tibri LLC and ridden by Luca Endzweig of New York, NY, earned top honors in the $10,000 Children’s Hunter Finals Presented by Charles Ancona. Endzweig has ridden Tibri’s Simply Red since late 2023, and their partnership shone in the ring for a 174-point total score over two rounds.
“I think this is one of the biggest wins I’ve ever had,” Endzweig said. “I was definitely nervous (coming into the second round), but my trainer told me to focus on riding my course. My horse also gives me a lot of confidence; he’ll save me from anything and bend over backwards for me. I always say he’s the sweetest in the barn. He’s so kindhearted, and he’s definitely my heart horse.”
Kenzie Smith of Shoreham, NY, brought home second place with a score of 173 points riding Charlotte Rossetter’s 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Mirage. The 12-year-old Selle Français gelding MTM Cocktail, owned and ridden by Lucy Massucci of Redington Beach, FL, finished third with 170 points.
Luca Endzweig and Tibri’s Simply Red won the $10,000 NAL Children’s Hunter Finals Presented by Charles Ancona © Shawn McMillen Photography
$10,000 1.10/1.15m Amateur Jumper Finals Presented by SmartPak
After attending classes at North Carolina State University in the morning, Wynter Johnson of Cornelius, NC, drove four hours to compete in the $10,000 1.10/1.15m Amateur Jumper Finals Presented by SmartPak. The trip was well worth it; she raced into the winner’s circle aboard her 13-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare Cessna, posting a double-clear score in 32.32 seconds.
“I love to do this, so I try my hardest to be able to come to the shows,” Johnson said. “I am on track to graduate a year early, and school is very important to me. The schedule makes it a bit harder to make it to shows, but from the beginning, we were trying to qualify for the NAL Finals this year. At every show leading up to this, we really focused on putting in good rounds and being consistent. I’m definitely glad that it was worth it to drive up after class!
“I felt that everything flowed super well,” she added. “All the jumps were set in a good place where you could find them well out of the corner, and the jump-off was super fun. Down the last line, we did the seven strides and kind of had to get up there to get that done. I think that’s where we made up the most time. Cessna takes such good care of me. I know that I can trust her, and we connect super well together. I definitely feel like that’s the most important thing.”
Following their victory in the 2023 Finals, Kendall Casaccio of Marmora, NJ, and her 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Indigo ES returned for second place with a faultless time of 33.29 seconds. Jeanne Reid of Washington Depot, CT, and Arly Golombek’s 14-year-old Selle Français mare Atalante D’ Uhart were third after tripping the timers clean in 33.30 seconds.
Wynter Johnson and Cessna won the $10,000 NAL 1.10/1.15m Amateur Jumper Finals Presented by SmartPak © Shawn McMillen Photography
$10,000 1.10/1.15m Junior Jumper Finals Presented by EquiFit
In the $10,000 1.10/1.15m Junior Jumper Finals Presented by EquiFit, Jole Kosloske of Tampa, FL, blazed three seconds ahead of her fellow competitors, clinching the win in 29.96 seconds aboard Kent Farrington LLC’s 9-year-old Selle Français mare Floralie.
“I was trying to keep in the time and be clear,” Kosloske said. “My trainer, Jimmy (Torano), told me for the last line to do seven strides and that I would see it. When we walked it, it was eight strides and a very long seven, but Floralie covered that for me. After the one-stride, she did that inside turn really well, and I saw the distance. It worked out perfectly; that last line is definitely where we made up time.
“Floralie is very kind, and she tries very hard for me, which I appreciate with my choices,” she added. “She’s just so sweet and loves her peppermints.”
Second-place honors went to Katherine Mercer of Wellington, FL, and Frog Pond Stables’ 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare GVS Goodwins Queen for their faultless 33.29-second time. Gray Neville of Mount Kisco, NY, finished third in 33.30 seconds riding Highport Stables’ 12-year-old Oldenburg mare Valeria.
$10,0.20/1.25m Junior/Amateur Jumper Finals
Four seconds faster than their fellow competitors, the top two finishers in the $10,000 1.20/1.25m Junior/Amateur Jumper Finals were separated by just 0.21 seconds. Clinching the win in a fault-free time of 31.30 seconds was Caroline Signorino of Basking Ridge, NJ, aboard Meridian Farm LLC’s Liberty.
“We’re starting slow, but he has all the desire in the world to jump any height,” Signorino said of the 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding she purchased over the summer. “He’s very, very quick and super sensitive – the most sensitive horse I’ve ever ridden. He can turn the best that I’ve ever had a horse turn. He’s just very honest. You can leave from any distance and he’s okay, so I think he’s given me a lot of confidence to choose the right distances on course. Even if I’m a little wrong, he’s always there with me.”
Jaime Auletto of Tabernacle, NJ, and Redfield Farm’s 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Dynamite tripped the timers in 31.51 seconds for second place. Taking third in 35.66 seconds was Faith Schuttemeyer of Boynton Beach, FL, aboard Lucy Zhang’s 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding Cookie And Cream.
Caroline Signorino and Liberty won the $10,000 NAL 1.20/1.25m Junior/Amateur Jumper Finals
© Shawn McMillen Photography
$10,000 1.30/1.35m Junior/Amateur Jumper Finals Presented by Parlanti
Only two horse-and-rider combinations stopped the clock without fault in the $10,000 1.30/1.35m Junior/Amateur Jumper Finals Presented by Parlanti. Taylor Landstrom of Excelsior, MN, who won the 2021 NAL Children’s Jumper Finals, proved the fastest once again, claiming victory in 37.43 seconds aboard her 10-year-old Oldenburg mare Elite Girl.
“She’s a very intelligent horse,” said Landstrom, who first partnered with Elite Girl at the 2024 Winter Equestrian Festival. “I know that every time I step into the ring, I can count on her, and she wants to win as much as I do. It’s been really special creating a bond with her for this past year.
“Once we did the first fence in the jump-off, I felt like everything just clicked,” she continued. “I was able to see the inside turns that I was looking for, and everything came up as I was hoping. It kept building confidence throughout the jump-off. She’s a little mare, so she can go inside those turns really quickly and move up quite quickly.
“It’s really special to win here,” she added. “To show against this high level of competition, I think it brings out the best in every rider, and we all rise to the occasion for this event.”
Stella Propp of New York, NY, claimed second and third aboard Aquitaine Equine’s 11-year-old Warmblood gelding Irocco Blue S (0/0/37.72) and 14-year-old Oldenburg mare Chakalaka 8 (0/4/35.44), respectively.
Taylor Landstrom and Elite Girl won the $10,000 NAL 1.30/1.35m Junior/Amateur Jumper Finals Presented by Parlanti © Shawn McMillen Photography
The NAL qualifying season runs from September 1 through August 31. NAL qualifying classes are open to all competitors, but only current members are awarded points. Annual memberships are only $45 per rider.
The NAL would like to thank the following sponsors for their support: Charles Ancona, The Clothes Horse, EquiFit, Parlanti, Pinsnickity, R & R Hunter Horses and SmartPak.
