Lexington, Ky. – It was a week to remember as champions were crowned in the Platinum Performance/United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Green Hunter Incentive Championships and International Hunter Derby.
Noah and Sara Taylor Shine in the 3'6"/3'9" Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship
Wowing the judges with their precision and handiness, Sara Taylor (Marshall, Va.) and Noah, Ingrid Avera’s nine-year-old Warmblood gelding, topped the 3'6"/3'9" Championship. Taylor, who placed just out of the top 12 in the first round, came back for the second round over a Handy course to earn scores of 91, 90, and 88 to finish nearly nine points ahead of the top 30 horse-and-rider combinations. Taylor and Noah, trained by Kitty Barker, earned a two-round total of $8,135.83.
“Well, I couldn’t speak for a long time I was so excited," said Taylor after her win. "He’s like a little jumping bean. He’s just always right there with me; he’s so consistent, anywhere I take him he always tries his little heart out."
New to the 3'6"/3'9" Championship this year was the addition of a Handy course as the final championship round. Watch their winning ride.
Scott Stewart Finishes First and Third in the 3'/3'3" Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship
The 3'/3'3" Championship featured three rounds of competition over three days. Consistency was key for Scott Stewart (Flemington, N.J.), who finished second with Sandstone, Betsee Parker’s six-year-old KWPN gelding, in the first two rounds. They came back with a clean slate in the championship round, riding to the win. Stewart also finished third aboard Mayflower, Parker’s five-year-old Deutsches Sportpferd mare, after taking home two blue ribbons from the first two rounds of competition. Watch their winning ride.
Read more about the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships
For more information about the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships, visit www.ushja.org/GreenChampionship.
Victoria Colvin Claims Three-Peat Victory at Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship
Making history, defending champion Victoria Colvin (Loxahatchee, Fla.) claimed her third win in the $256,640 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, this time aboard El Primero, Meralex Farm, Inc. and Bryan Baldwin’s 10-year-old KWPN gelding. Twenty-five horses contested the 13-effort championship Handy round course designed by Alan Lohman and Danny Moore, but Colvin’s scores of 94, 95 and 92, plus the high options, combined with her 284 score from the Classic Round, put her on top for the third year in a row with a 603 overall. Colvin joins Liza Boyd as the only riders to win the championship three times. Watch their winning ride.
“It feels amazing,” Colvin said. “I’ve been showing in this Derby for a really long time; to win it once and then now a couple times in a row, the victory never gets old. It’s so amazing here—the crowd and winning. It’s the same feeling every time; it never dies down, so today was as special as the first time.”
Read more about the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby
For more information about the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, visit www.ushja.org/DerbyChampionship.
The United States Hunter Jumper Association is a recognized affiliate of US Equestrian. Keep up with the hunter discipline year-round by following the USHJA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Photos by: Shawn McMillen Photography