Sarah Willeman, 18, of Hamilton, MA, beat a field of 289 of the nation's top junior riders to win the American Horse Shows Association Eisers/Pessoa National Hunter Seat Equitation Medal held Oct 12-15, 2000, at the Pennsylvania National in Harrisburg, PA.

Judging this year's championship was Linda Allen of Salinas, CA, and Jeff Wirthman of Island Lake, IL. The championship was decided over several phases of competition and judged on equitation, which is the rider's ability to ride their horses with control, competency and compatibility.

In the first round, 289 riders were judged over a jumping course. The top 25 riders were called to ride over a second course and the judges then brought the best six riders back for a final test.

The Hunter Seat Medal is a coveted prize and proves to be a significant stepping-stone for international competitions as 30% of past winners have gone on to represent the U.S. internationally. This year, over a thousand Hunter Seat Medal qualifying classes were held at AHSA recognized horse shows throughout the country, resulting in approximately 363 young riders qualifying for this event.

As champion, Willeman's name will be engraved on the Adrian Van Sinderen Memorial Trophy, joining famous winners from the past, including Victor Hugo-Vidal, George Morris and Katie Monahan-Prudent. She received many additional prizes, including a special "keeper" trophy and a monogrammed horse cooler. Todd Minikus, Olympic alternate, was on hand to present a "Jubilee" Pessoa saddle, a pair of Pytchley breeches and an "On Course" jacket, courtesy of Eisers and Pessoa. 2000 AHSA Eisers/Pessoa National Hunter Seat Equitation Medal Championship Results

Placing Rider Hometown Age
1 Sarah B. Willeman Hamilton, MA 18
2 Jennifer Jones Marion, SC 18
3 Kristy McCormack Lakewood, NY 16
4 Maggie Jayne West Palm Beach, FL 16
5 Avery S. Dimmig Rougemont, NC 18
6 Brian Walker St Lazare PQ, CN 17
7 Andrew Ramsay Oakland, CA 15
8 Eva Gonda Thousand Oaks, CA 18
9 Tiffany Cornacchia Baiting Hollow, NY 18
10 Austen Phillips Wellington, FL 16

For further information, please contact Christine E. Stafford, Director of Communications at (859) 225 6924 or via email at cstafford@ahsa.org . Press releases are available on our web site - www.ahsa.org.

The American Horse Shows Association, as the National Equestrian Federation of the U.S., is the regulatory body for the Olympic and World Championship sports of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, reining, show jumping, and vaulting, as well as 19 other breeds and disciplines of equestrian competition. As the country's largest multi-breed organization, the AHSA has over 70,000 members and recognizes more than 2,600 competitions nationwide each year. It governs all aspects of competition, including educating and licensing all judges, stewards, and technical delegates who officiate at these shows.