Devyn Blood of Shelburne won the 2010 Vermont Hunter Jumper Association (VHJA) Sarah Hadley Memorial Horsemanship Challenge at the Steeple Ridge III Horse Show in Charlotte on Aug. 29. In fact, this is the third year in a row that Blood has placed in the annual event. She placed first at age 12, second at age 13, and tied for first at 14 years of age. She will receive a $500 credit towards VHJA affiliated shows for 2010-2011. Over three years Blood has received credits totaling $1,250.

The Challenge, a three-phase event, is a celebration of a horsewoman named Sarah Hadley who died of MS at a young age. She was an impressive young rider whose love and care for the animals she rode strengthened their teamwork and performance. This program encourages riders to gather the knowledge needed to care for their equine partners, and to keep their well being at the forefront of all that they do.

The Challenge begins with a 30-minute written exam, comprised of multiple-choice questions that test a variety of areas of horse knowledge. Of the 14 original participants, only eight passed this initial exam, and moved on to the next phase. The practicum phase is the hands-on portion of the competition where participants are tested on the ability to demonstrate their knowledge of practical horse skills. This phase takes place with a horse, some common equipment, and one or more judges. Each competitor, who must bring their own grooming box containing items they would take to the show ring, is assigned a 30-minute appointment with the judge(s).

According to Anne Leavitt, chair of the VHJA Education Commitee, the practicum may include questions such as how to wrap a horse's leg or what to do if a horse is getting sick.

"In my opinion the most nerve-wracking stage of the competition is the practicum," said Blood. "But the most difficult is the riding portion. You just never know what the horse may or may not do," she added.

After the practicum each eligible rider must perform over a course of jumps and be willing to compete in one of four classes. The scores from the three phases are added together to determine placing and were announced in a Sunday afternoon presentation Aug. 29.

The 2010 Sarah Hadley Memorial Challenge results are as follows: Devyn Blood and Katherine Higgins tied for first place. Jackie Flynn placed third, and Scarlett Stone, also of Shelburne, placed fourth. After her third win in as many years, Blood summed it up easily, "It was a lot of fun."