Upper Marlboro, MD – (October 7, 2025) Olivia Kohan of Los Angeles, Calif., jumped her way to the top of the World Champion Hunter Rider [WCHR] pony challenge riding Simply Henry. The large pony scored an 87.41 to best the top 30 ponies at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Upper Marlboro, MD.
“This is our first really big win,” said trainer Kate Considine of Willow Brook Stables, Inc. Kohan, 12, was teamed up with the German Warmblood this year, but was unable to ride him for five and a half months because she broke her ankle. Capital Challenge was their third show back.
Kohan was nervous at the show because she had to qualify for the challenge class using the points accumulated at the show.
Considine said, “We only did two (WCHR shows) because she broke her foot so that’s why she had to qualify here. All she said the last two weeks before coming here was ‘Can I do the Sunday class? Can I do the Sunday class?’ I said, get in the top four over jumps and you can do it.”
Kohan was third overall enabling her to enter the challenge class. The pair was able to post scores of 88, 88, 86.25, and 83 for a winning average of an 87.41. Kohan said of the 11-year-old gelding, “He’s really smart so he can tell what distance you’re asking for, and he can sometimes find the distance on his own. He’s just really good and he always tries.”
In the WCHR children’s hunter finals Phoebe Robinson, 12, of South Salem, NY, rode Red Dragon to top honors.
“This is my first big win at Capital Challenge,” said Robinson. “I’m really excited about it because I didn’t really expect it.”
Red Dragon originally belonged to amateur owner rider Betty Oare. Oare rode the talented hunter to the amateur owner grand championship back in 2003.
A second horse formerly owned by Oare and successfully shown on the final day of Capital Challenge was Harmony. Shown by Lucy Davis of Los Angeles, Calif., the gelding posted scores of 89, 88, and 89 to win the WCHR Junior Challenge. The average score of 88.68 was over three points higher than the second-place finisher Rachel Koggan riding Farewell. Koggan and Farewell had collected the older small junior hunter championship.
Davis, 14, commented on the course saying, “There were a lot of singles. It was tough. You have a lot to look out for, swaps and rubs. It was hard and I like when it’s hard. It makes it more fun. And it was rewarding to do well.”
The young rider wanted to win the challenge class after competing in it last year. She said, “It’s one of the things I really wanted to win. It’s great to win this but also great that I achieved my goal. I’m really happy.”
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