Laila Theurer Wins MHSA Gittings Horsemanship Finals
Laila Theurer of Darnestown, MD, and Northern Star, owned by Theurer’s trainer, Courtney Morton of C Stars LLC in Poolesville, MD, won the Maryland Horse Shows Association (MHSA) Gittings Horsemanship Finals, which was the featured event on Saturday at the WIHS Regional Horse Show.
Theurer and “Camille” triumphed through the initial jumping round, the top 10 flat phase, and a test of the top four riders. Sitting in second place coming into the test, Theurer rode through the test course that included counter-cantering a jump, a simple change of lead, adding a stride in a line, and hand galloping the final jump.
After graduating from her large pony after the 2024 USEF Pony Finals, Theurer made a significant change to Camille, a horse with an imposing height. “She’s really big,” confirmed Theurer of the 12-year-old Zangersheide mare by Chopard VDB Z x Clinton. “She’s probably the biggest horse I’ve ever ridden. She has a huge step, but she’s really adjustable, and it just makes getting down the lines super easy on her.”
Theurer took her love of riding in the pony hunter handy classes directly to the 3’ and 3’3” equitation classes. “When my trainer asked me if I wanted to move into the equitation, I was really excited because it was getting to do those difficult questions and courses that really keep you thinking,” she explained. “It was definitely a change at first, but I’ve loved it since I started doing it.”
Riding in her first Gittings Horsemanship Finals, Theurer was thrilled to earn the victory. “I just wanted to put my best foot forward,” she remarked. “That was the goal, to put in a good round.
“It means a lot to me since it’s my first year in the equitation,” she continued. “It’s been a dream of mine to be successful in the equitation, so to step into a class like that — let alone a final — for my first time and win, especially on such a wonderful horse, is really special.”
Second place in the MHSA Gittings Horsemanship Finals went to Haven Harrison of Berlin, MD, riding Cinco de Mayo, owned by Hilary Gibbons-Neff. Abigail Roward, of Churchville, MD, and Calantus, owned by Serenity Valley Farm LLC, placed third.
The winner of the 13th Annual Laura Pickett Excellence in Horsemanship Award will be notified today and presented on Friday, October 24, during MARS Barn Night, presented by Walkenbach Equestrian.
