Trail, Hunter Under Saddle and Equitation Highlight Thursday at the Congress
![[photo credit: NSBA.com]](https://www.showhorsetoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/DSC_2375.jpg)
NSBA members continue to work their way through the 2015 Congress show schedule, and found a marathon day of Trail, Hunter Under Saddle and Equitation classes in the Celeste Center Thursday.
Tops in Trail
Exhibitors showing in Senior Trail began with the first horse in the draw at 8:00 a.m. and didn’t find out who the winner was until about 3:30 p.m. after the last of the 152 entries worked the pattern.
Whitney Lagace navigated Range To A Te to a high score of 240.5 to hold the top spot on the course for owner Isabel Scobie. “We went about 15th in the draw, so it was a very long wait,” Lagace said. “Terry (Cross) had me worried, because he was the last horse on the course and scored 240, and almost beat us. It was hard to wait to see how it came out.”
Lagace catch-rode the nine year old red roan Open Range gelding for trainer Jessica Ross. “He just has so much expression and with his big white face, you really can’t miss him,” Ross said. “He always shows with a lot of style. He thinks he’s a person. He will look at you as if he understands what you’re saying.”
Known as Troy, the gelding was reserve champion in Senior Trail at the NSBA World Championship Show. “Jessica does a great job preparing him, and I’ve really just ridden him three times – at the NSBA World Show, here at the Congress and at a show in Connecticut earlier this year,” Lagace said. “He’s so much fun to show. Jessica has done a fabulous job with him, and Lisa Farrell did a great job putting the foundation on him.”