Lake View Terrace : Equestrian Finals Have New Champion

A major local horse event for competitors of high school age concluded this weekend at the Middle Ranch in Lake View Terrace.

It was the Interscholastic Equestrian League finals, and it drew entries from 33 Southern California schools to compete in four events.

As of Saturday evening, the leader in the varsity division was a San Fernando Valley horseman, Bernard Levin, 17, a senior at Harvard-Westlake School. He was also the defending champion, having won the competition last year.

But his lead on Saturday was only one point.

On Sunday, Amanda Tallman, 17, of the Southwestern Academy in San Marino made up that deficit, then pulled far ahead to amass a total of 154 points compared to Levin’s final score of 137.

Tallman is no stranger to the winner’s circle, having won numerous other horse competitions.

“I’m happy but I don’t think much about it,” she said. “I’m not getting a big head about it. This is just another event.”

Levin was disappointed but said he knew it was going to be tough to keep his lead.

Before Sunday’s competition, his horse, Copperfield, was injured, and Levin had to ride a substitute. “It would have been nice to keep the trophy,” he said. “But I really wasn’t counting on it.”

During the events, which called for the horses to run on level ground and over obstacles, both horses and riders were judged on grace and style.