On June 27, Overlook Farm Equestrian Center's Christina Kelly and Audrey Wang made their debuts at Twilight Jumpers. Wang and Rocky finished 3rd in the $500 Children's/Adult Classic, which was won by Arabella van Patten and Top Gun V. In the $5,000 Mini Prix, Kelly, Overlook's new young professional partner, piloted her own Ushaia Van De Wolfsakker to two double clears for the win.

The evening at Great Meadow in The Plains pretty much showcased everything that Overlook jumper trainer Brian Murphy and his wife, four-star eventer trainer and rider Sara Kozumplik-Murphy, hoped to accomplish. "We wanted our riders to compete at night under lights in front of that great crowd of people and we wanted to get our name and Christina Kelly's name out there," said Murphy. "With Twilight Jumpers being a charity show, we wanted to support the High Performance Equestrian Foundation. Liz Billings, who invited us to compete, made everything very easy. The course designed by Conor O'Regan was great. It was fun to have an eight-horse jump-off in that environment and that big of a jump-off was really great for the crowd. It was a good experience for the horses and riders."

Wang, 15, showed in C-rated hunter shows on the West Coast before moving to Virginia where she trains with Murphy and leases Rocky from Chuck and Dana Waters. In June she rode Rocky to second in the High Children's Jumper Classic at Upperville; at Roanoke Valley Horse Show, they won the NAL/WIHS High Children's Jumper Classic and the championship. In July Wang and Rocky won the High Children's Jumper Classic at HITS Culpeper.

"Audrey never did the A-rated shows until she came to us at Overlook," said Murphy. "Rocky is one of the best high children's jumpers in the country and we've brought Audrey to being very competitive in one year."

Kelly rode for Ireland and competed in the European Junior Championships, thanks to her Irish father (her mother's British). Her family moved to Kentucky where her father has a breeding farm. Kelly's competitive career kicked off soon after she started riding. She trained with Margie Engle and has ridden on the US jumper circuit for years. In June at Upperville Horse Show, Kelly won the $10,000 1.40 meter Jumper class with Ushaia Van De Wolfsakker.

"We met up with Christina in Ocala (FL) and it all just gelled," said Kozumplik-Murphy. "We needed to get our jumper program off the ground, Brian is super and he loves coaching and bringing along the young horses. We're more of a teaching barn and our other strength is sales. We're very good at matching horse to rider and we have beautiful young horses. I was very impressed with Christina. She's an unbelievable talent. We caught her at the right time. She's 21 and starting out the professional world of show jumping. She comes to our farm and rides horses and Brian helps her on the ground. The young girls who ride at Overlook have a role model with Christina jumping in Grand Prix. We're excited about where Overlook Equestrian Center is going."

Twilight Jumpers raises funds for the High Performance Equestrian Foundation (501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit) to provide financial assistance to capable but underfunded riders. Competition is by invitation, and it's an exciting evening with rising young stars, adult amateurs and top professionals competing over the big painted fences. The season finale of Twilight Jumpers takes place on Friday, August 29, at Great Meadow in The Plains. Gate 2 opens at 6:30 — $30 per carload or call ahead to reserve a ringside box or tailgate parking space on the berm. Children's/Adult Classic begins at 7, the Mini Prix at 8:30. At the conclusion of the jumper competition, the DJ starts the dance party. It's a great outing for families and friends.

For more information about Twilight Jumpers: www.equestrianfoundation.org

For information about Overlook: http://overlookfarmequestrian-center.com