2024 National Championships, Las Vegas
First show season for Malacrianza & Samuelle Leerkamp
Way to wrap up the season! This whole 2024 season has been amazing as we watched these two "grow into a pair." Competing at Nationals was just a faint dream at the start of the season that became unattainable for us as a family due to personal reasons but Samuelle's grand fathers came through for her in the end!
Qualifying for 2024 nationals...
Samuelle & Havoc are ready for Vegas!
Unreal...
We honestly didn't count on making it this year, for several reasons... One being the fact that we had no real expectations of them doing so well in their first year together, it being the first time Sam teams up with and trains with a still green horse. But also because it's been a really rough year on a personal level, having survived a terrible car crash back in Belgium in March, leaving my mom (Sam's grandmother) hospitalized for months - requiring many trips back to visit her in the hospital and organize her move into a care facility. We didn't think we could afford the journey to Nationals this year ... BUT since they qualified with flying colors, both of Samuelle's grandpas decided to step in and sponsor this year's trip to Las Vegas!!! Lucky kid! Deservingly so. They worked SO HARD, currently placing (11/6/24):
- 🥇 1st place in 1.10m Junior Jumpers division
- 🥈 2nd place in the 1m Junior Jumpers division
in USHJA Zone 5 (including Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois & Indiana)
>> qualifying for the 2024 USHJA Las Vegas Nationals, in the rated division!
Vegas, here they come!
#USHJA #USHJALasVegasNationals #USHJAnationalchampionship #ushjaoutreach
Thank you
GPA Theo & GPA Randy
for sponsoring Samuelle's trip to Nationals this year!