Lexington, KY – August 7, 2025 – The first championship title in the newly reformatted USEF Pony Jumper National Championship was awarded on Thursday afternoon at the 2025 USEF Pony Finals, presented by Marshall and Sterling, as the Small/Medium Team Competition hosted two rounds of Nations Cup-style jumping. The Team from Zone 7/8, featuring Genevieve Ralls with Applause, Cora Greenstreet with HV Remy, Povi Gosnell with KCS Harmony, and Sophie Liebert with Sugar Rush stood atop the podium as the gold medalists with no faults and the fastest combined time of the day.
There were 68 athletes in the Small/Medium Team Competition, who were divided by zones to create the teams. The goal was to complete clear rounds and teams could have one drop score. The winners were determined by the combined times from the second round of the competition. Jasen Shelley set the track, which featured 11 obstacles and utilized the expansive Claiborne Ring at the Kentucky Horse Park to test the riders’ skill and determination.
Sophie Liebert & Sugar Rush
Four teams finished with no faults to their name, and the best of the day was Zone 7/8 with a time of 168.034 seconds. The youngest member of the team, 7-year-old Sophie Liebert, was the last to go on her medium pony Sugar Rush, and she knew the pressure was on. “The last couple of jumps I thought I had the time for first,” she smiled. “I’m really happy. This was the best part of Pony Finals!”
One of the other younger riders was 11-year-old Genevieve Ralls who was thrilled with the day saying, “I’m really excited that I got the gold medal here. It was always my dream.”
Genevieve Ralls & Applause
Povi Gosnell, who only began riding nine months ago added, “I’m really happy about it too. It’s been my dream to come to Pony Final, and I was not expecting to win the gold medal, but it’s amazing.I had a lot of faith in my pony and coming here really was just amazing.”
Povi Gosnell & KCS Harmony
Cora Greenstreet concluded, “I have to thank my pony and my coach – I feel really, really happy. I would love to come back next year and do it again!”
Cora Greenstreet & HV Remy
After the conclusion of the competition, the team athletes were escorted back into the rings where they took to the podium to receive their medals, cheered on by their friends and family. The silver medal team from Zone 10 included Lavinia Ecclestone with Annandale Miss Saigon, Grace Green with Bjerregards Katja, Seattle Lajoie with Hollywood Diva, and Sloan Der Boghossian with Jack Attack. Rounding out the podium for the bronze medal was Zone 4 Team 6, which included Layla Bice with Prim and Proper Primrose, Lucy Wexler with Thistledown Tea Party, Knox Farahnak with Snowflake, and Ella Sasso with Supernova
The Large Team Competition will take place on Friday, followed by the Small/Medium Individual jumping finals. The final event on Saturday will be the Large Individual jumping finals to conclude this year’s USEF Pony Jumper National Championships.