HARRISBURG, Pa. --Parker Peacock on Montverdi won the USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final on Sunday, Oct. 11 at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show.

Parker Peacock on Montverdi (Photo by Andrew Ryback)After finishing as the reserve champion to Olivia Sweetnam one year ago, Peacock of Pfaffown, N. C., led the 154-rider class from the first round through to the final test to ultimately take the win.

Kaitlyn Linck of Clinton Corners, N.Y., on Don Touch de Tiji Z was Reserve Champion, and Brooke Hagerty of Terrebonne, Ore., on The Original was third.

“It feels surreal,” said Peacock. “This has been a dream of mine for a while now. I was second last year, and ever since then, I so badly wanted to come back and have a win for my horse and my team. The feeling is just incredible.”

For the opening round in the Harrisburg Coliseum, judges Geoff Teall and Jennifer Bauersachs worked with course designer Kevin Holowack to create a challenging track designed to showcase the strongest riders in the class.

 

RIDERS were challenged over fences set to 3’6” in height that incorporated a track of wide oxers and bending lines, designed to showcase the highest level of equitation.

“We all worked together for a long time to develop these courses,” said Teall. “I think we built for the top level of this sport which is a little more than I've done in the past, but with the influx of 3’3” competitions, I felt I could challenge the athletes more right off the bat. The course was difficult, but we saw some phenomenal rounds.”

Twenty-five riders advanced to the second round, after which the top six were asked to return to the Harrisburg Coliseum for testing to determine final placings.

The test asked the competitors to demonstrate their technicality over a course that consisted of two counter-canter fences, a halt, hand gallop, and a closing circle.

Peacock had a first-round score of 98.

For the first time this year, that score – and all scores above 60 – were made publicly known as the Medal Final debuted open numerical scoring this year.

After concluding the first round at the top of the leaderboard, Peacock knew she needed to maintain that momentum through the second round for the top 25 and final test.

“The part I was probably most proud of was the consistency,” said Peacock, who trains with Ken and Emily Smith at Ashland Farms. “I came back on top going into the second round, and that was a lot of pressure for me. I knew I just needed to go in and have a consistent round and stay consistent through the test. That was my goal throughout the three rounds today.”

In 2025, Peacock came back for the final test in the lead before ultimately finishing in second place, but this time, she did her best to create a different outcome.

“I felt a lot of pressure, but my team and I came up with a plan that suited my horse best,” said Peacock. “I was very nervous, but I am very confident on him. I feel like I know him quite well. I was excited and hoping that I could deliver a good, powerful test.

“I wouldn’t have changed anything about my test last year either,” she said. “Some days you just need a little luck on your side. Today, my horse was outstanding over all three rounds.”

“He wants to win as bad as we do,” said Peacock of “Monte”. “Every time he goes out there, he gives 110%, no matter if it’s a class at home or a big show like this. He’s always ready to show up for you. I couldn’t be more grateful to be partnered with him.”

While Peacock maintained her position at the top, Linck mounted an impressive comeback to finish second.

Moving up from seventh place at the end of the first round, Linck delivered a strong second round and continued to put pressure on the eventual champion through the final test.

“I’m just really proud of myself and, of course, my horse for really staying consistent and not letting any of the pressure get to us,” said Linck, who trains with Stacia Madden and the team at Beacon Hill Show Stables and who has been bringing along her 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding since 2021. “It’s really special to have a horse that I’ve brought along all myself.”

Not unlike Linck, Hagerty also made a move up the leaderboard, rounding out the top three after finishing the first round in 10th place.

“I just wanted to keep consistent and show off and kind of keep the same nice, even, smooth round,” said Haggerty, who trains with John French. “We worked so hard on getting him this far, and he’s just the best. I had so much trust in him that I knew he could do it great.”

Notably, all of the top five finishers in Sunday’s class currently ride for, or are committed to, the National College Equestrian Association team at Auburn University in Alabama.

“The new format was well received by most,” trainer Stacia Madden said. “It gave the test the weight it deserved and there wasn’t a disadvantage to being the first rider in.”

The goal of the change, Teall explained, was to make things clearer for the athletes and all who were watching.

“It was a good and important direction to go,” Teall said. “From where we sat, it went much easier. We really evaluated the three rounds separately and then the numbers showed the class. Our hope is that it made things more transparent as far as the results themselves and how the class itself is weighted.”