McCarthy placed fifth in the eight-year-old Hampton Classic qualifier class in New York state earlier this week riding Ward’s Sothis D’Quilly.

The event is a qualifier for the Hampton Horse Show in August, one of the best known shows on the North American circuit. McCarthy, who won the RDS Bursary last August, has been with Ward since January. Ward is based in Brewster, New York, for the summer months and Palm Beach Florida for the winter circuit.