HARRISBURG, Pa.--Violet Tatum on BP Swifty  won the $5,000 USEF Junior Jumper National Championship Welcome Phase I, a speed class,  on Thursday, Oct. 8 at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show.

Violet Tatum on BP Swifty (Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography)Tatum finished clean in 63.377, and finishing a close second, and now sitting hot on Tatum’s heels in the overall standings, was JJ Torano on Vitus K, clean in 63.715.

Scarlett Samuels on Confidence was third, clean in 64.628.

The win on the opening day of the 80th annual PNHS puts Tatum in the lead in the three-phase Junior Jumper National Championship which culminates on Saturday night, Oct. 10.

Tatum had an edge over Torano, going after him over the course set by Kevin Holowack, and she used that advantage to cut a little over three-tenths of a second off his time.

“The track I’d say was plenty difficult. All of the jumps came up very fast, but Swifty was just in my hand the whole time and ready for anything I aimed her at,” said Tatum, who competes for Zone10. “I was very relieved when I went clear! I was just so happy with her; she was perfect.”

 

TATUM won in hunter classes during her six years competing in Harrisburg, but this year is her debut in the jumper divisions.

“I’ve never shown in the jumpers at Harrisburg, but I was recently  won the North American Youth Championship individual gold with Swifty,” said Tatum. “My experience from NAYC helped me for this event because it taught me how to ride under pressure, to keep riding no matter how nervous I am and to keep being there for my horse.”

The second phase of the championship, the $15,000 USEF Prix des States Team Championship and Individual Phase II is Friday evening and completes the individual championship.

The Prix des States team competition, in which riders from the USEF's 10 zones compete for the title in a Nations Cup format, is Saturday evening.

“I’m definitely not going to take it for granted that I won today. I’m going to just keep riding,” said Tatum.