Brought to you by the MHC Internship Program

By Jeni DePietro

HALIFAX, MA – July 6th, 2019 – Sarah Baker clenched the top spot of the MHC Adult Medal during the NHHJA Summer Festival held at Fieldstone Show Park.

Under the direction of Allegra Valberg, of Ridgetop Farm, Sarah rode to the top of the class. While Sarah is no stranger to qualifying for 3’ medal finals, her and her mount for this class are somewhat new to each other. She has only been paired with “Keebler”, a gelding owned by Julie Fall, for the past 2 months. However, they clearly have quickly adjusted to each other and bonded to win the MHC Adult Medal.

Winning the MHC is also a difficult task at such a large venue. Fieldstone, well known for maxing out jump heights and course difficulty, is one of the largest A-Rated shows held in the state of Massachusetts. Courses are set in the equitation ring which is very large in size can make it difficult for riders to maintain a steady rhythm. Sarah's experience really showed by her ability to match eight jumps perfectly.

A first place in the MHC Adult Medal qualifies Sarah for the 2019 MHC finals held during the last weekend in September at the Three County Fairgrounds in Northampton, MA. “I love the location of MHC Finals," says Baker. "I'm most excited to be able to watch and support my barn friends”.

While this will be Sarah's first year showing as an adult at the finals, she is very familiar with the MHC Finals ring. In 2013, she was in the top 20 of the Mini Medal and in 2014 placed 4th in the Mini-Medal Finals. Then in 2015 she stepped up to the Junior Medal division where she made the cutoff and was called back to the second round. The second round typically consists of the top 15-20% of riders from round one.

"Whether I'm watching from the ringside or earning a score myself, I'm is excited to be in the environment of the Days of Champions," she says. We share the excitement, Sarah, see you there!