Los Alamitos High School Sophomore Allyson Meister earned a Double Gold at the recent United States Hunter Jumper Association equestrian Zone finals in the 1.10m / 1.15m Children’s Division.
The year-end event held in Thermal, Ca. is for Zone 9 and 10 jumpers covering seven western states and only the top qualifying jumpers from the year are invited to compete. With only three months riding on her current horse, Allyson managed to qualify against other riders who had been riding their horses for a year or more.
She competed in the Children’s 1.10m / 1.15m jumper division and earned Champion Gold in both the team and as an individual out of over 30 riders. She was one of only two riders with 0 faults (0 rails down and 0 time penalties) from all 4 classes riding Julia Loftus’ beautiful mare, “All Afrika Z”.
Allyson, who has lived in Seal Beach her entire life, has been riding for only four years but started training with professional rider and trainer Devon Bridges, owner of Bridges Training Stable in San Juan Capistrano, early last year which has really helped Allyson move quickly from jumping heights of 0.8m (2’-6”) last year to 1.15m (3”-9”) today.
Allyson is also on the Los Alamitos High School OCIEL team (Orange County Interscholastic Equestrian League) and a couple weeks ago earned Champion at the first competition of the season against jumpers from almost 20 other High Schools in Orange County.
