Cassandra Kahle of Redfield Farm in Califon won the $30,000 WCHR Professional Challenge on Monday Balous at the Capital Challenge show in Maryland last week,when she topped a field of 33.
At the conclusion of the first round, Kahle and Monday Balous were tied for the lead with last year’s Professional Challenge winners, Amanda Steege and Lafitte de Muze. Both scored 90.33. Cassandra’s second-round score of 91.16, resulting in a 181.49 total, put her into the top spot.
“Going into tonight, I was nervous, but my expectations weren’t super high,” said Cassandra, 27. “I just really wanted to have a good time. I’m really lucky to get to ride this horse. He’s like nothing I’ve ever ridden before; he’s amazing. He’s got a great rhythm and canter, so I went in and picked up a good gallop. He kind of shows you the distances and the jumps.”
She nd Monday Balous, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Balou du Rouet, had to qualify for the Professional Challenge with ribbons in the High Performance division.
“I think I was just relieved to make it into the class. It was something I really wanted to do,” Kahle said. “I’ve watched this class since I was a kid. I admire the riders; they’re the top riders in the country that compete in this class. I think it’s something every hunter rider would love to do,” she said.