October 10, 2016 
Immediate friends, family, and associated trainers aside, few people pay close attention to the results of the junior hunter ring. Fewer still, check the news for updates on those divisions—even at a showcase event like the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Upper Marlboro, MD.
Maybe we should start.
If there’s one thing young riders have the corner on it’s unadulterated love of horses. And they’re not afraid to announce it to the world.
Take Emma Kurtz.
She successfully defended her title yesterday to be Grand Junior Hunter Champion for the second year in a row. The 15-year-old’s response:
She went on to gush over her mount, the seven-year-old Bavarian gelding Evermore. Because of course.
Then there’s Stella Buckingham.
At just 11 years of age, she competed at the Capital Challenge for the first time and was really, really excited about it.
Equally exciting: the nine-year-old Hanoverian, Luisant, that earned Buckingham the Best Junior Hunter 3’3” Rider title and the Grand Junior Hunter 3’3” Championship.
Which brings us to Caroline Passarrelli.
The 14-year-old catch rider only started riding Iceman a few weeks ago (their first show together was last week at Old Salem Farm), but she’s already found the finer points of Westphalian gelding.
Together, they were Champion and Grand Champion in the Children’s 14 & Under Hunter division.
It seems kids won this past weekend. And ribbons were the least of it.
