Engle and Hidden Creek’s Wapino Take Home Win in $50,000 Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Championship Final Phase
Wellington, FL – December 3, 2025 – The 2006 Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Championship was a day to remember and host to some of the top show jumpers in the world. The title of “National Champion” went to McLain Ward of Brewster, NY, who rode Sapphire to second place in both phases of the event. The winners of today’s final phase were Hidden Creek’s Wapino and Margie Engle.
Today’s class was the final phase of the Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Championship. It offered a second purse of $50,000 for open jumpers. The first phase was held on Friday evening, and the winner was Belgium’s Eric Flameng and Roxanne. S
To determine the national champion, points were awarded to each horse and rider combination according to the following system: The point scale for both Phases were determined by the number of entries competing in Phase I. The winner earned two more points than the second placed combination, and the second placed combination earned one more point than the third. Each placing was subsequently given a score based on this formula and the order in which they finish the competition. The Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Champion was the horse/rider combination who has received the most points combined from Phase One and the Final Phase.
In addition, another generous Rider’s Bonus Pool of $25,000 was awarded to the top two horse and rider combinations that received the most points in both phases. The champion won a trophy and $15,000, and the reserve champion won $10,000. By finishing second in both phases, McLain Ward took home the champion, and Todd Minikus on Olinda, who placed third in the first phase and fifth in today’s phase, was the reserve champion.
In today’s class, the course was designed by Jose Gamarra of Bolivia. Gamarra set a big, scopey test that was a maximum of 1.60m in height with spreads up to 1.72m. Today’s course, agreed all three top riders, was fitting for the National Championship. Overall winner McLain Ward stated, “There were very good horses, championship level horses, in the jump-off. That’s the way it should be. I thought it was going to be a tough test, but it was a test I was hoping for. I thought it was suited to my horse to be bigger than smaller. I did not like the way it used to run when they had the AGA grand prix on Sunday, and they brought the top eight back. I like this format and I think it was very fair and a good system.” He added with a laugh, “And, I think you had a good winner.”
Ward was one of only four clear rounds to return for the jump-off. First in the jump-off was Carlos Boy, ridden by Ken Berkley for Alexa Weisman. Berkley went 12th in the original order that ran in reverse order from the first phase. Berkley had a good round, but when he galloped to final Rolex oxer, he had a rail. Berkley finished with four faults and a time of 32.80 seconds.
Laura Kraut and Miss Independent were next in the ring. They too went at a good pace and left the ring as the current leader with a clear round in a time of 32.21 seconds.
Engle and Hidden Creek’s Wapino were next. Engle hit the gas pedal from the start and made two incredible rollback turns. “I really took a shot to the second vertical,” Engle admitted. They took almost two and a half seconds off of Kraut’s time, stopping the timers in 29.85 seconds.
The last to challenge was Ward. He and Sapphire went for it, and the powerful mare was able to stay clear in a time that was just off the pace, 29.98 seconds. “I had a pretty good feeling that Margie was going pretty full bore. Sapphire’s not the fastest horse in the world, so I was a little concerned,” Ward estimated. “I was trying to win, and I trying to go as fast as I could. I knew that I had the overall championship, so I had nothing to lose to try and win the class. Margie was just a little better on the day.”
Engle could not have been happier to have Wapino win and have his owner, Mike Pulaski, and her parents there to see it. Wapino showed today that he does have the speed to win in the jump-offs. “This is the first week that I did Wapino in the speeds, and he handled it really well. He’s always better the more he goes in the ring. He seems to get comfortable and jump better,” she explained. “I figured there were only four in the jump-off, and I had nothing to lose, so I took a shot with him. Normally, he’s better in the jump-off than he is in the first round. He’s learning to get quicker. He covers a lot of ground; he’s got a big step. He rides beautifully. He’s very tall, but he turns fantastic. He can turn back to things very quickly.”
Although Engle won today’s phase, her 15th placing from the first phase kept her from winning the National Championship title.
By placing second in both phases, Ward assured himself of the victory. “My horse was wonderful,” he noted. “My goal was to be the U.S. champion and do as well in the individual competitions as possible. It’s very exciting. It’s nice that Rolex puts on this event. Hopefully, they’ll continue to do this for us. I think this was a real success, and it was a great weekend.”
Kraut and Miss Independent finished 16th in the first phase and finished third in the final phase. Knowing she had Engle and Ward behind her, Kraut had to go fast. “I knew it would be hard to outrun them. Ken had the last jump down, so I rode a little bit conservatively,” she disclosed. “I was just really wanting to go clear and quick enough and put the pressure on. She’s not naturally very quick. I’m happy.”
The most difficult part of the championship level course was a line that of five or six strides that led to a scopey and very complicated triple combination. The triple was setas a triple bar to a vertical to an oxer. Engle agreed, “The triple line was hard, and so was the distance to it. The vertical seemed to blend in, and the horses didn’t sight in on it.” Kraut added, “I think a lot of times when horses jump triple bars, they land a lot on their nose. Like Margie said, the B blended in, and it was a short distance.”
“I thought it was very big. I thought that line was particularly difficult for my horse because she has such a big stride. I was undecided on how to ride it,” Ward affirmed. “I thought it was as difficult a combination line as you’ll see. It was a hard line to jump clean, and at the end of a course on a very hot day.”
Despite the difficult combination, Sapphire was clear and added yet another accolade to her long list of achievements. She and Ward have made a winning pair that could not have happened without teamwork. Along with the prize money, Ward won a stainless steel and 18 karat gold Rolex oyster perpetual datejust watch.
“I’ve always said that I think Sapphire is that kind of horse. It’s very important [to win the national championship] and certainly winning a Rolex is nice,” Ward remarked. “I wanted to say [that] when we bought Sapphire earlier in the year, Thomas Grossman- a dear friend of mine- was instrumental in helping me do it. He and I are going to share this Rolex. He certainly made it possible for her to stay at home. He earned it as much as I did. It was a team effort. I wanted to say a special thanks to him; it’s a nice way to end the year, and he was there when I needed him.”
The top three in today’s phase were also teammates in this year’s silver medal winning effort at the World Equestrian Games. All three acknowledged the fact and noted that if Beezie Madden and Authentic had shown here, they most likely would have been at the top of the list as well.
For her success this week, Engle was named the Leading International Jumper Rider and retired the trophy that was donated by the David Wright Family. Hidden Creek’s Wapino was named the Leading International Horse. This was the second trophy that Engle retired this week. “It’s like they were trying to hint for me to retire!” she joked. “I love doing it, and I’ll do it as long as I’m comfortable and in one piece. They say whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. I’ve got to keep that attitude.”
The National Show Jumping Championship is made possible this year by one of the most generous sponsors in equestrian sport. Rolex has partnered with the USEF (formerly the AHSA) to help make equestrians’ dreams come true since 1997. They were the title sponsor of last year’s event as well.
Colette Bennett, the National Sports Marketing Manager for Rolex Watch USA, stated, “It definitely lived up to what we expected. We’ve been sponsoring the event for about eight years with the USEF. I think this is the perfect venue for it. It has a home. The National Horse Show is a great all-around location and event, so we’re very happy to have the Rolex/USEF National Show Jumping Championships here.”
Results of CLASS 1005 - ROLEX/USEF NATIONAL SHOW JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIP
National Horse Show - December 3, 2025
T/A: 76.00 T/A: 43.00
1 575 HIDDEN CREEK’S WAPINO MARGIE ENGLE USA 0.00 73.27 0.00 29.85
HIDDEN CREEK FARM
2 587 SAPPHIRE MCLAIN WARD USA 0.00 74.73 0.00 29.98
MCLAIN WARD
3 423 MISS INDEPENDENT LAURA KRAUT USA 0.00 72.16 0.00 32.21
MISS INDEPEND. GRP
4 507 CARLOS BOY KEN BERKLEY USA 0.00 72.12 4.00 32.80
ALEXA WEISMAN
5 247 OLINDA TODD MINIKUS USA 4.00 68.91
HOULIHAN LAWRENCE
6 101 PICOLIEN ZELDENRUST FRANKIE CHESLER ORTI CAN 4.00 72.34
SHER AL FARM
7 541 OBELIX R LISA SILVERMAN USA 4.00 72.41
LISA SILVERMAN
8 569 DARVIN GARBO HENRIK S. GUNDERSEN DEN 4.00 72.64
HENRIK S. GUNDERSEN
9 395 OLIVER III JUDY GAROFALO TORRES USA 4.00 73.48
HIGHER GROUND FARM
10 548 ILIAN SCHUYLER RILEY USA 4.00 74.24
SOUTH BEACH STABLE
11 482 MARLO JIMMY TORANO USA 4.00 74.40
SIR RULY INC
12 340 MEMPHIS CAITLYN SHIELS USA 4.00 74.54
CAITLYN SHIELS
CONGRATS MARGIE AND WAPINO AND ALL THE HIDDEN CREEK STAFF!!!!!!
mucky - December 4th, 2006 at 10:08 amYou must be logged in to post a comment.