Darby Mullally and Glasgow Deliver Winning Ride in $10,000 NAL Children’s Hunter Finals

Saturday evening’s featured event saw 32 horse-and-rider pairings vying for top prize in the $10,000 North American League (NAL) Children’s Hunter Finals, presented by Annette Longenecker. Following two rounds of competition, 12-year-old Darby Mullally emerged victorious.

Judges Bobbie Reber and Lyman T Whitehead were responsible for scoring each pair, and the 12 highest-scoring duos returned for a second round to determine final placings. Mullally’s first-round score of 86 put her in the penultimate spot to return over the second course, with Allie-Ross Thomas in the lead after round one. Mullally earned a score of 90 from the judges at the completion of the second round and secured her spot at the top with a total score of 176.

“My trainers told me to ride my ride, and the only person that I need to be is myself,” explained Mullally of her plan. “We worked a lot on bending lines at home, so I wasn't really worried about the bending lines. I was worried about resetting in the corners because that's something that I’ve struggled with before but we've gotten a lot better.”

While the win was a first for the young rider, Glasgow, fondly known as “Teddy” in the barn, is a repeat champion, having won this same event in 2025.

Glasgow won for two years in a row, piloted by Darby Mullally in 2026.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography

“I love him so much, and he's my favorite horse that I've ever had because he's so kind and gentle,” said Mullally of the Callari Horses LLC’s 15-year-old KWPN gelding. “It was a little hard to learn him at first because he's a lot different than anything I've ever ridden before, but then, it got easier.”

Much like Glasgow’s victory with George Kelly in 2025, the victory is bittersweet as it marks one of the pair’s final few competitions together.

“It's very special winning this class, because he won the same class last year, and this is my first 90,” Mullally detailed. “ Last year, I just came for experience, but then this year, I came to be competitive, and I'm really glad that I could do that.”

Thomas’s two-round total of 165 with her own 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Leandro, claimed second place, and Elsa Coleman piloted her 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Luxor, into third.

Darby Mullally and Glasgow in their winning presentation with Annette Longenecker representing the North American League, trainers Jacob Pope and Nick Pongracz, manager Morgan Bullock, and groom Horacio Valdez.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography

The North American League (NAL) offers year-long series in six divisions – Adult Hunter Presented by R & R Hunter Horses, Children’s Hunter, 1.10/1.15m Amateur Jumper Presented by SmartEquine, 1.10/1.15m Junior Jumper, 1.20/1.25m Junior/Amateur Jumper and 1.30/1.35m Junior/Amateur Jumper Presented by Parlanti. The series includes classes held at hundreds of horse shows across the United States and Canada, giving riders in these divisions a chance to ride in year-end finals at two major shows – the West Coast Finals at the Sunshine 1 Horse Show in Thermal, California, October 28-November 1, and the National Finals at the Capital Challenge Horse Show at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, September 23- October 4.

Sunday, September 27, will mark the conclusion of the 2026 Equitation Showcase, presented by BIGEQ.com. Highlights of the day will include the Palm Beach International Academy (PBIA) North American Junior Equitation Championships as well as the $10,000 North American League (NAL) Adult Hunter Finals.