Upper Marlboro, MD – (October 6, 2025) – Samantha Schaefer, 14, walked out of the arena at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Upper Marlboro, MD, with the grand pony hunter championship ribbon hanging from Love and Laughter’s bridle. It is the fourth time the young rider has claimed the honors. No other pony rider has come close to duplicating the feat.
Schaefer began her success at Capital Challenge back in 2001 with a grand champion win on Halcyon Hawthorn. Schaefer was only seven years old. In 2002 she returned to collect the grand ribbon riding Northwinds Onyx, and finally, in 2003 she rode Shams Loganberry to the honors.
It is a bittersweet moment for Schaefer who is planning to leave the pony ring behind her to concentrate on the junior hunters and jumpers.
“It is kind of sad but I’m excited to do the horses,” said Schaefer.
Love and Laughter, a large pony, was a catch ride for Schaefer who found out a few days prior that she’d be riding him for Olivia Jack. Schaefer described the pony saying, “He’s really slow and so easy. You have a lot of time to make up your mind. He has a lot of range.”
Schaefer is a resident of Westminster, MD, and trains with Kim Stewart.
Reserve in the large pony division went to Kara Chad of Calgary, Canada. Chad rode the seasoned pony Newsworthy to the title. Newsworthy is a familiar face at the Capital Challenge and has been ridden by a number of other well-known pony jockeys. Over the last seven years Newsworthy has been piloted to ribbons by Julianne Befeler, Paris Sellon, Jessica Springsteen and Olivia Esse. This is the first year, however, that the pony has earned a tricolor ribbon at Capital Challenge.
Chad was successful in every section of the pony division. In addition to the reserve in the larges she rode My Little Dickens to the small pony championship and Hearts Desire to the championship in the mediums.
Thirty-four of the top large junior hunters in the country competed in the older division for the tricolor at the Capital Challenge. It was Clementine Goutal of New York, NY, who earned the champion aboard Due North collecting 28 points in the division.
It was a sweet finish for Goutal, 17, who spent the morning taking the SATs. She said, “I got here five minutes before the class started. It was pretty hectic. I was cool that it all came together.”
Due North is a 10-year-old warmblood Goutal bought from Avery Dimmig nearly two years ago. Now that Goutal trains with Dimmig and she gives Dimmig much of the credit for the gelding’s success.
“Avery Dimmig is such a great trainer, and she really worked so hard to get him qualified,” said Goutal. “She was so on top of everything from points to riders, to joggers to hackers. She keeps him so well maintained.”
This year was the first time Goutal showed a hunter at Capital Challenge and it was also her first championship win at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center. She was pleased with the win saying, “To be champion anywhere, especially one of the major shows like Capital Challenge, is such an honor. You really feel rewarded for the year’s work you’ve put in.”
In the older section of the small junior hunters Rachel Koggan of Montclair, NJ, took home the championship. The young rider was thrilled with the win aboard the nine-year-old warmblood, Farewell.
“This is my third time here and I have never won before,” said Koggan. “It was so nice to win and to be champion. I just wanted to get a ribbon this week, honestly. This is by far my best finish on him.”
Koggan purchased the talented hunter from her trainer Scott Stewart last May but had already been riding him for a month or so. It took her some time to create a partnership with Farewell, but the time spent practicing with Stewart helped develop her riding as well as the partnership. By far exceeded her expectation.
“We started doing really well at the end of the summer,” said Koggan. “It took a little long to get to know him. We were reserve at the Hampton Classic which was probably our biggest win of the summer.”
The younger section of the junior hunter division concludes on Sunday morning in the Show Place Arena. In addition the schedule features the World Champion Hunter Rider Pony and Junior Challenge classes as well as the junior/amateur-owner jumper prix.
The schedule and results can be found on the Capital Challenge website: www.capitalchallenge.org. For more information on the Capital Challenge Horse Show call (301) 952-7944.
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