US Equestrian offices will be closed on Monday, May 27th in observance of Memorial Day.
  • Share:

Liza Towell-Boyd Wins Triple Crown of Working Hunters on Brunello at Indoors

by By Sydney Masters | Oct 25, 2007, 3:48 PM

The lovely Warmblood gelding Brunello and Liza Towell-Boyd achieved the trifecta of the indoor circuit by taking home the championship ribbons in the regular working hunter division at the Capital Challenge Horse Show, the Washington International Horse Show and the final leg of the indoor championships, The Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA, on October 24.

Trainer Jack Towell and daughter Towell-Boyd, 28, of Finally Farm in Camden, SC, who piloted Carolyn Clarke Morrison’s gelding to all three victories, were thrilled with the wins. “It is rare when one horse wins two of the championships, let alone three in the same year!” said Towell-Boyd as she drove back to the stable in Camden. Towell-Boyd couldn’t be more positive about Brunello, who was imported to the U.S. only last January. “He’s such a super horse,” she stated enthusiastically. “He’d go any way you want. All you have to do is leg him, kick and drop, and he just fires up. He knows his job. My main thing is just to stay out of his way. He is truly an amazing animal, and I am so glad that he has come so far so quickly. ”

Towell-Boyd’s father and brother, Jack and Hardin Towell, first found the 10 year-old gelding on a trip to Belgium. Although slotted to be Hardin’s mount, big sister Liza took over the ride, and they quickly moved up to the Working hunters, where he immediately stood out. “He has so much scope and so much jump that it seemed fun,” Towell-Boyd remembered. “He was so good, and it clicked, and since then we have been a team.”

But Towell-Boyd is not the only one to take home top ribbons during indoors, and both the family and clients have had a very successful fall circuit with one of their top junior riders Sarah Ward of Atlanta, GA, placing third, fifth, sixth and eighth on her small junior hunter Foolproof and winning the large junior hunter stake aboard Onassis, who Towell-Boyd also rides in professional hunter classes.