Hunt seat closes great opening weekend with high point honors

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - An already great start to the season got even better for the Midway equestrian hunt seat team on Sunday, as the Eagles took home high point team honors on the second and final day of the University of Louisville Shows.

The Eagles earned reserve high point team designation on Saturday, led by the efforts of individual high point rider Kayden Gundry, then took the top spot Sunday behind five first-place finishes.

SATURDAY

Gundry's high point performance was highlighted by a first-place showing in open flat competition. He also finished second in the open over fences.

Three other Eagles took first in their divisions, with three more taking second. Josephine Rodriguez-Thomas and Reese Dorsey tied for first in limit flat, with Ann Graves taking first in introductory.

Halley Moak was runner-up in intermediate over fences, with Riley Whelan taking second in both in limit over fences and intermediate flat.

Other top-five finishers Saturday were Dorsey (third, limit over fences), Abbie Wright (third, open flat), Zoe Macbeth (fourth, open flat; fifth intermediate over fences), Elisma Stoltz (fourth, intermediate flat), Alexis Williams (fifth, limit flat), and Samantha Gleason (fifth, novice).

SUNDAY

Dorsey was named reserve high point rider during Midway's triumph. She tied with Cassandra Doucette for first in limit over fences while also placing second in intermediate flat.

The Eagles had the top-three scorers in the division, with Rodriguez-Thomas taking second.

Macbeth earned a win in intermediate over fences, with Kylie Gray Hayden and Emily Sue Watts also earning wins in novice and introductory respectively.

Other second-place riders were Abbie Wright in open flat, Mary Helen Hickey in limit flat and Marinna Liedle in introductory.

Gundry (third, open fences; fourth, open flat), Macbeth (third, open flat), Gleason (third, limit flat), Bronwyn Wright (third, limit flat), Myers Hart (fourth, limit flat), Moak (fifth, open fences), Abbie Wright (fifth, open fences) and Stoltz (fifth, intermediate flat) rounded out the top-five showing for Midway.

The Eagles also opened the 2023-24 season by winning high point and reserve honors at the Louisville Shows.

They return to action Oct. 12-13, traveling to Oxford, Ohio for the Miami University Shows.

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