Thanks to our friends at the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club, a campaign has been established to see Brunello become a Breyer Animal Creations Horse Model!
Look for Facebook updates on Finally Farm and promotions via local and regional publications, including The Carolinas Equestrian!
Brunello and Janet Peterson
Brunello enjoyed hosting a local delegation from Tryon Horse Country, including co-owner Janet Peterson, who visited Finally Farm last week.
The newsletter This Week In Tryon Horse Country documented the group's visit with the 2015 USHJA International Hunter Derby Champion in their weekly newsletter. An excerpt included:
“At 17, Brunello proved again that he can rule the ring. Brunello and his rider Liza Towell Boyd also took the title in 2014 and 2013. Janet Peterson, of Landrum, South Carolina, is the proud co-owner. Brunello is 17 and Janet is 17 at heart."
Jack Towell and Liza then presented Janet with a signed poster from the Derby Championship while the delegation presented the Towells with an America Loves Brunello banner. Special thanks to Judy Heinrich for the photographs!
“It was all so cute,” said Liza. “We’re going to take the banner to horse shows and hang it up. Alberto brought Ike out of the barn, and he was such a ham. His ears were pricked, and he stuck his neck out for the photos. He couldn’t have been cuter. He must have had a million treats!”
After their visit, the ladies enjoyed lunch in the gazebo near the ring before taking a field trip to the Wateree Correctional facility near Camden where they toured the Second Chances Farm Groom Elite program.
Brunello poses for photographs with long-time groom Alberto Ramirez.
The program, established by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation-South Carolina, is a vocational course that’s become a model for other rehabilitation programs that utilize retired racehorses.
“The inmates take care of the horses, and it’s a second chance for the Thoroughbreds and the men to have a career when they get out,” said Liza. “It was really interesting. They learn good horsemanship, the care of legs and even trimming their hooves. It’s a great program for the retired Thoroughbreds to have this sanctuary and a way for these guys to get out and learn. Most had never been around horses, and it was neat to see how the horses could change these men’s lives.”
While Brunello and Liza enjoyed some down time last week, brother Hardin Towell and his string of jumpers continued to rack up placings and points in Europe.
Hardin traveled to Gijon, Spain, for the penultimate leg of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping 2015 Europe Division 2 league. There, he guided Emilie De Diamant AS and Lucifer V to impressive placings. The trip to Spain came on the heels of competitions in Dinard, France and La Coruna, Spain, where their performances vaulted Hardin up the Longines FEI Show Jumping World Rankings.
As of August 31, Hardin stands tied for 77th, having moved up from 148th a month earlier. Hardin’s performances at the Thunderbird CSI3* in Langley, B.C., also contributed to his ranking, with top ribbons aboard Jennifer Gates’ New York in the Grand Prix and World Cup classes there.
Hardin Towell and Emilie De Diamant AS (Mike Sturk Photo)
In the Nations Cup in Gijon, on August 29, Hardin and Emilie De Diamant AS were members of the United States team, which placed 10th. However, during the final day’s Grand Prix, Hardin and Lucifer V posted the fastest jump-off performance. Unfortunately, a pulled shoe and a rail cost them the win, though, and they had to settle for seventh.
Finally Farm will travel this week to the Aiken Fall Festival I and II, to be held on Bruce's Field, a new equestrian center in Aiken, South Carolina.
Liza Boyd was invited to compete at this year's Central Park Horse Show
For Immediate Release
August 28, 2015
New York, NY - Hunter riders will compete in the heart of New York City during the second-annual 2015 Rolex Central Park Horse Show on Sept. 26. The hunter competitions will feature a $1,000 Small/Medium Pony Hunter Class, $2,500 Junior/Amateur Class, presented by Meralex, and the $50,000 U.S. Open Duchossois Cup, presented by the Gochman Family.
Celebrating significant growth in 2015, the Rolex Central Park Horse Show has expanded with a more robust show schedule, growing sponsorships, and an impressive list of top equestrians ready to attend. The event generated more than 640 million media impressions in 2014.
A talented cast of the nation's top Professional Hunter riders will compete against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline. The Professional Class will include 10 riders for a two-round competition. The 10 riders for the $50,000 U.S. Open Duchossois Cup will be Louise Serio, Peter Pletcher, Jennifer Alfano, Kelley Farmer, Amanda Steege, Liza Towell Boyd, Scott Stewart, Maggie Jayne, Peter Wylde and John French.
Becky Gochman commented, "I attended the Rolex Central Park Horse Show last year and believed it was important to include the Hunter disciplines. This venue offers a great opportunity to showcase these great riders, horses and the hunter discipline. Our family is thrilled to support this competition and believe it will only grow in stature over the next few years."
Scott Stewart added, "Having competed at Madison Square Garden many years ago, it is great to be able to return to compete in the heart of New York City. I am honored to be included in the Inaugural U.S. Open and am inspired to be the first winner of The Duchossois Cup. I am grateful to the Gochman Family for their support and sponsorship of the Hunter discipline."
After the 2014 debut of the sold-out Rolex Central Park Horse Show, Mark Bellissimo, CEO of International Equestrian Group, LLC (IEG), is proud to welcome varying disciplines to this year's event.
"Seeing the reach of this very special event extend to Hunters is exciting for the Rolex Central Park Horse Show," he said. "We are very proud to present the best in horse sport across so many disciplines in an iconic U.S. location."
Rolex Central Park Horse Show Hunter Schedule:
Saturday, September 26th
The second-annual Rolex Central Park Horse Show will feature five days of multi-discipline equestrian sport. The schedule will include the inaugural U.S. Open in the following categories: Jumpers, Dressage, Hunters, U25 Jumpers, and Arabians. For a complete schedule go to: www.centralparkhorseshow.com.
Tickets are now on sale for all events at the 2015 Rolex Central Park Horse Show. Tickets can now be purchased at http://bit.ly/1AV2imv.
Written by: Kendall Bierer and Elaine Wessel of Phelps Media Group
Client: Kentucky Horse Shows LLC http://www.kentuckyhorseshows.com
Release Date: 2015-08-15
Lexington, KY – August 15, 2015 – Last year, Brunello won the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship for rider Liza Boyd. This year, the tables were turned as Boyd gathered her emotions, picked up the reins and rode to their third consecutive USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship victory.
“Last year, he definitely did it for me and boosted me back up and got me confident,” Boyd smiled. “This year, I did feel obligated to do it for him. I just really wanted to keep it together, and it was all for him.”
The 17-year-old Hanoverian gelding has proven himself year after year for his rider, yet this year he exceeded all expectations, figuratively jumping out of his skin to the high scores of 94, 96 and 94. The pair earned additional handy scores of 9, 9 and 8, and took all high fence options to top the leader board with an impressive second round score of 322 points. Combined with Friday’s classic round score of 287 points, Boyd and Brunello held onto their first-day lead with a final cumulative score of 609 points.
“The horse is unbelievable,” Boyd said breathlessly, fumbling over the words as the shock of her third victory settled on her. “I was so nervous in the schooling area; I couldn’t get it together. I should just get off and let him do it himself. It probably would have been a score of 100. He’s just amazing. I’m in a little bit of shock, and I’m so lucky to have that horse in my life.”
Nerves definitely played a large role prior to Boyd and Brunello entering the ring as the last horse and rider combination of the class.
“I was definitely nervous today, all day. It was a different pressure from last year. Last year was just go in and have fun. This year, I really wanted to win for that horse. I really wanted him to have three wins in a row. That horse feels better than ever,” Boyd said. “I was nervous, but the moment I cantered to the first jump, I got more relaxed. The crowd actually got me relaxed. They whooped when he jumped high, and you don’t see that in the hunter world very often. The more they did that, the more relaxed I got. I just tried to keep my mind slow. He is such an amazing animal, and it felt great to pull this off for him tonight.”
If retirement was ever a question for Brunello, more affectionately referred to as ‘Ike,’ Saturday night was not the night to ponder it.
“Jack [Towell] talked about [retiring] tonight,” Boyd explained. “I said, let’s just enjoy tonight. I just couldn’t go there. I mean, a horse that jumps like that? He still wants to do it; he loves doing it. I don’t think he would be happy not. As soon as he tells me that he doesn’t want to do it, we’ll stop, but he sure didn’t give me any inclination tonight.”
Second place finisher, Kelley Farmer laughed and responded, “As much as I would like to be the first person to tell you that he should be retired, he didn’t look like he was done tonight.”
Farmer and Boyd entered into the handy phase with only a one-point differential separating them in the rankings. Though Boyd led the way, Farmer was hot on her heels with Mindful. They closed out the competition with scores of 86.75, 90 and 88.30 with 8, 9, and 8 points added for their handiness on the course. Farmer also opted for all four high options, to land the second place with a final total of 588.05 points.
“I think he speaks for himself,” Farmer said of Mindful. “He’s an amazing animal, and I’m blessed to have him. He’s done nothing but be a great horse for me. I have a great support team, everyone at the barn, I couldn’t do it without them.”
Farmer continued, “I got in his way tonight. He was trying to win, and I didn’t let him. Liza’s horse went beautifully. I didn’t ride him as well as I could have. He’s a hell of an animal. I’m so lucky; he’s done nothing but be a fantastic horse for me, and he never lets me down. He tries 150 percent every time.”
Mindful is a rare horse, one that trusts Farmer implicitly, so much so that he is ridden without a martingale and in a rubber D-ring snaffle. Steve Stephens and Allen Rheinheimer’s course catered to his rideability, and the top finishers praised the design.
“You really had to have rideability,” Boyd said. “You had to have rideability, like an equitation horse, plus scope, as well as form.”
Farmer echoed, “You had to have two good leads out there for the course, as well as ability and readability, and that is hard to find.”
Third place finisher, Brady Mitchell, not only finished with the yellow ribbon in the Section A 2015 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships, but he also captured the Section B victory with Cassanto, owned by Emily Perez, taking home the largest check of the night.
“I’m honored to be in the company of these riders, and I knew that to try to get ahead of them I had to do something special tonight,” Mitchell expounded. “I feel like I had the best possible round that I could have had out there, and I’m absolutely thrilled to be third in this class. It’s a dream of mine to be in this class, let alone in the top three.”
It was Darcy Hayes of Ontario, Canada, who slid into the second place position in the Section B handy phase. Her scores of 89, 88 and 86.50 along with her 8, 8 and 7 handy points netted her the sixth place finish overall, as well as the cumulative score of 571.50 points to fall just behind Mitchell with a 16.45-point difference.
Jennifer Alfano and Maggie May were awarded the fourth place with 573.5 points, while Farmer captured another ribbon as the fifth place finisher with Dalliance.
Boyd could not praise chairman Ron Danta, as well as the other members of the board for their exceptional work and ideas in creating the derby program, enough.
“Ike wouldn’t have had a career right now,” Boyd explained. “As hunter riders, the opportunities you have given us is huge. I don’t think that you get thanked enough. We know you don’t get paid the big bucks for doing this. It is a full-time job. Now we have opportunities for a 17-year-old horse, as well as opportunities for a 5-year-old horse to go out there, make money and make their owners proud. Thank you to the USHJA and everything you have done.”
For those competitors whose scores did not qualify them for the Section A or B Handy rounds, the $10,000 Derby Challenge, sponsored by Moyer Farm, was available as another opportunity to end the day with a chunk of change. Taking advantage of this second chance, Peter Pletcher rode CR Beethoven, owned by Kirby McCool out of Houston, Texas, to the win with a 300-point score, 13 whole points ahead of the reserve champion.
Thirty-five entries tackled Rheinheimer’s abbreviated handy track, which consisted of a substantial number of turn options, giving horses and riders a chance to ride a strategy that accentuated their strengths and showed off handiness. As is typical, four fences presented height options and the potential to earn additional points. Pletcher and CR Beethoven set the bar high as the 10th in the order to go with three high scores: 84, 87, and 88 plus handy bonuses of 9, 10, and 10.
“There were some really tough choices to make,” Pletcher said. “A lot of us were like ‘No way, that’s too tight,’ especially from the big wall and the inside turn afterwards, but I was lucky to be on the horse that I was on. If you’re a gutsy enough rider and you have a horse that tries, it pays off.”
Pletcher calls CR Beethoven his “go-to super saint” horse, and has been riding him for three years. Unfortunately, a slight lead change hiccup Friday kept the pair out of contention for the Section A round, but Pletcher felt confident headed into the Challenge that the two had a strong chance at the tricolors.
“I felt pretty good about today with him because he is so straightforward. There were two nearly impossible turns, but I knew I could count on him to try. I definitely questioned whether or not I was going to take those options, but once I was in the ring I felt that he would give me a good effort. He tries harder the bigger they get,” Pletcher commented.
A proponent of the Derby Challenge, Pletcher supports the “second chance round” as a means of redemption. As small missteps can often hold competitors out of contention for the Section A and B Finals, he believes this class alleviates the worries and teaches a lesson to many riders, owners, and trainers whose scores may have suffered from slight mistakes.
“I think this type of class gives some of these riders and owners reassurance that there is more to it, and even if they make a little bit of a mistake, there is another chance to shine and prove themselves. It was still a great group of horses,” Pletcher noted.
Reserve honors went to Louise Serio aboard Eagle, owned by Clementina Brown out of Loxahatchee, Florida, with their mark of 287.000. Holly Shepherd, in the irons for Margaret Camp of Birmingham, Alabama, navigated Cascaron to a 285.500-point ride to clinch the third position.
Liza Boyd and Brunello clear the final 4'9" oxer. Shawn McMillen Photography.
United States Hunter Jumper Association Press Release
Lexington KY---August 15, 2015---After Brunello and Liza Boyd cleared the final 4'9" oxer in front of a sea of spectators at the Kentucky Horse Park, there was little doubt in anyone's mind that history had been made.
Then, when the base scores of 96, 94 and 94 flashed on the scoreboard along with the No. 1, cheers and hugs enveloped Brunello and Boyd. They had claimed their third consecutive $200,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship by the biggest margin thus far.
"This was absolutely amazing and surreal," said Boyd. "The horse is unbelievable. I was so nervous in the schooling area that I almost couldn't get it together, and I said, 'I should get off and let him do it himself.' He probably would have [scored] 100. He's just amazing. I'm a little bit in shock and so lucky to have him in my life."
Kelley Farmer and Kensel LLC's Mindful jumped to second place overall in Section A with a stellar performance in the Handy, while Brady Mitchell and Emily Perez' Cassanto claimed third in Section A and won Section B, which was open to Tier II riders only.
Mitchell, of Katonah, NY, who had placed fourth in the Classic Round, returned to the ring determined to give it his best shot.
"I'm honored to be in the company of these riders, and I knew that to try and get ahead of them, I needed to do something special tonight," he said. "And I feel like I had the best possible round that I could have had, and I'm absolutely thrilled to be third in this class. It's been like a dream of mine to be in this class, let alone in the top three."
Mitchell's impressive Handy Round on the talented 8-year-old Holsteiner earned base scores of 90, 92 and 88.50, which were second only to Boyd and Brunello.
"I would like to thank the horse's owner, Emily Perez, and Heritage Farm. They took a shot and really believed in me and the horse to come and do this, and I could not be more thankful for the opportunity."
Darcy Hayes, of King City, Ontario, guided Danielle Baran's 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood Say When to an impressive fourth place in the Handy Hunter Round and claimed the reserve championship in Section B.
"I've done him myself in the First Years and Second Years, but mainly his job is an adult amateur hunter, and his owner rides him for the most part," said Hayes. "I do him every once in awhile in the derbies. I don't get to him very often because he does the adults, but he's a very, very nice horse."
Farmer, of Keswick, VA, was thrilled with her horse and thanked her team.
"I mean, I think he speaks for himself," she said of the 11-year-old Hanoverian who was the Leading Horse of the International Hunter Derby Championship Qualifying Series. "He's amazing animal. I'm blessed to have him. He's done nothing but been a great horse for me. The Garbers, Larry [Glefke], everyone...I have a great support team. I got in his way tonight; he was trying to win, and I didn't let him. Liza's horse went beautifully."
Boyd, of Camden, SC, who co-owns the 17-year-old Hanoverian with Janet Peterson credited her team at Finally Farm for helping her achieve yet another major milestone in her career and for keeping the aged chestnut in top form.
"He's a little like his name Brunello, a big red wine from Italy, and he just gets better with age," she said. "He just jumps higher and higher every single year. Like my dad says, 'The horse knows when it counts.' He's learned over the years to peak at the championships, and he certainly did tonight."
The competition in the Rolex Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park featured a beautiful Handy Hunter course by acclaimed designers Steve Stephens and Allen Rheinheimer. The fences, supplied by Tucker Williams and Fuzzy Mayo, and decorations created a feeling of cantering through hunt country, with natural jumps of planks and logs, abundant trees and shrubbery and decorative elements such as carriages and barns. The fence heights ranged from 3'6" to 4' and offered riders an opportunity to pick up bonus points by taking any one or all of the four option fences set at a minimum of 4'3".
The 12-obstacle course featured several areas where riders could show off their handiness with tight turns and rollbacks, a log trot fence at 5, and for the grand finale, Stephens set an oxer directly in front of the stands, where riders could choose the safe 3'6" oxer or the imposing higher option set at 4'9" to impress the judges one last time.
The judges included Danny Robertshaw and Claudia Roland (Panel 1), Linda Andrisani and Mike Rosser (Panel 2), and Steve Wall and Rick Fancher (Panel 3), who were placed in strategic positions around the Sheila C. Johnson Ring at the Rolex Stadium.
The Handy Hunter scoring included three components. Each judging panel gave their base score for each horse-and-rider combination based on accepted handy hunter judging principles. Then, each judging panel gave their High Option Bonus Score (the number of higher fences jumped) followed by the Handy Bonus score. The Handy Bonus Score consists of between 0-10 points based on each judging panel's opinion of how handily the round was ridden, such as brilliance, pace and tighter turns.
This year the riders once again contested a tiered Handy Hunter Round format. The top 25 pairs from Friday's Classic Hunter Round returned for action in the $158,800 Section A Handy Hunter Round, with 12 horses shown by Tier I Riders and 13 horses shown by Tier II Riders.
The $39,700 Section B Handy Hunter Round included a field of 20 riders, with seven jumping for Section B money only. The scores for the 13 Tier II Riders in the Section A Handy Hunter Round carried over to the Section B Handy Hunter Round and Overall Standings.
Jennifer Alfano and Miss Lucy were presented with this year's Shapley's Best Turned Out Award. Sally Stith-Burdette was on hand to present Alfano and groom Alicia Heberle with a Shapley's Awards Package.
Olympian Peter Wylde received this year's Rider Style Award. The new award, presented by Bill Rube, went to the rider who best displayed the American style of riding in the ring and sportsmanship outside of the competition arena. The recipient will serve as a role model for preserving the integrity of the sport and maintaining a standard of excellence and tradition in his or her riding.
Danny Robertshaw and Ron Danta also provided a $1,500 rider bonus award, of which $1,000 was presented to Liza Boyd for the Section A win and $500 to Brady Mitchell for the Section B win.
The $10,000 Derby Challenge, supported by Moyer Farm LLC, attracted 36 competitors and allowed those who didn't qualify for the Section A or Section B Handy Hunter Rounds to return with a clean slate. The class was held at 3:45 p.m., prior to the Section A and B Handy Hunter Rounds, and gave competitors another shot at one of Stephens' and Rheinheimer's challenging handy hunter courses.
Peter Pletcher will now return home to Texas with a blue ribbon and a check for $3,000 after claiming victory in the Derby Challenge with Kirby McCool's CR Beethoven.
Kelli Cruciotti, of Elizabeth, CO, won the top Junior Owner Rider Award in the Classic Hunter Round. She finished 15th aboard Monterrey with a 264 totalå. The pair also placed fifth in the Section B Handy and fourth Overall.
Piper Benjamin, of Lake Forest, IL, finished in 25th place in the Classic Hunter Round and earned the top Amateur Owner Rider Award aboard Corvine. When combined with her Handy Hunter Round score, the pair earned 17th in the Section B Overall results.
Additional awards presented included the 2014-15 Championship Qualifying Series winners.
Virginia-based professional Kelley Farmer once again won the 2014-15 Leading Rider of the Qualifying Series with $135,850.
Mindful, owned by Kensel LLC, won the 2014-15 Leading Horse of the International Hunter Derby Championship Qualifying Series with $47,610.
Courtney Calcagnini earned the Leading Developing Pro Rider of the 2014-15 International Hunter Derby Championship Qualifying Series with $23,600.
The 2015 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship is generously sponsored by: Major Sponsor Dietrich Equine Insurance; Official Cooler:Blue Ribbon Custom Blankets; Challenge Prize Money Donor: Moyer Farm LLC; Awards Sponsors: Essex Classics, Grand Prix/Pikeur/Konigs,McGuinn Farm, The Gifted Paddock, Shapley's, Ariat and Bill Rube; Hospitality Sponsor: SmartPak; Donors: Janet Peterson, Ron Danta, Danny Robertshaw and Douglas Wheeler. The USHJA Official Sponsors include: Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Standlee Hay Company and Charles Owen, Inc. USHJA Contributing Sponsors including Perfect Products and Professional's Choice. The Official Broadcast is EQSportsNet.
A special thanks to Kentucky Horse Shows LLC for their outstanding management of the USHJA Championship Week.
For additional information on the 2015 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship and complete results, please visit www.ushja.org.
EQSportsNet provided live stream coverage and offers on-demand videos from this year's Derby Championship. Please see their website for links.
For full coverage please look for the USHJA International Hunter Derby and Pre-Green Incentive Championships In Stride Digital Special Editionarriving in your email as well as the September print issue of USHJA In Stride. For complete results, please visit www.ushja.org.
United States Hunter Jumper Association Press Release
Lexington, KY----August 14--When Liza Boyd and Brunello claimed victory in the Classic Hunter Round of the $200,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, their performance said it all.
"I think we can safely say he's not retired," said Boyd of her 17-year-old two-time Derby Champion. "That's a question I've gotten a lot this year, and I don't think he wants to be retired. He felt like he was 6 years old again. The horse is amazing; I'll never have a horse like that again. I get a little emotional thinking about him. He tries so hard and loves what he does and makes my life so easy. He's really, really special, and I can't thank him enough."
Their scores of 90.5, 91.5 and 93 for a 287 total just edged Mindful and Kelley Farmer, whose scores of 92, 92 and 90 and a 286 total had led until the very end, when Brunello and Boyd, last in the field of 79 starters, took the course in the Kentucky Horse Park's Rolex Stadium.
"When I saw that I went last yesterday [in the computer-generated draw], for a moment I was like, 'Oh no!' But it's better than going first, and sometimes that horse and I do better the more pressure we're under," she said. "So, going last was good; it pumped me up and pumped him up. It was a really, really good class, and I think going last was to my benefit-luck of the draw."
Boyd, of Finally Farm in Camden, SC, will return tomorrow evening for the Handy Hunter Round to try for her third consecutive Championship title. "It's just fun, but it does get emotional," she said. "I almost cried when I came out of the ring; he just keeps feeling better and better every year."
The Classic Hunter Round featured a track of 13 obstacles that simulated the fences found in the hunt field----such as logs, brush and walls ----with heights ranging from 3'6" to 4'. The course offered riders an opportunity to pick up bonus points by taking any one or all of the four optional fences set at a minimum of 4'3 in height (no maximum height).
The judges included Linda Andrisani, Rick Fancher, Danny Robertshaw, Claudia Roland, Mike Rosser and Steve Wall, who were split into panels of two and placed in strategic positions around the Sheila C. Johnson Ring.
Farmer, of Keswick, VA, was the busiest rider in the Classic Round, with six mounts. She and Mindful, the 2014-15 Leading Horse of the International Hunter Derby Championship Qualifying Series, had one of their trademark performances, with the elegant black gelding soaring over all four high option fences.
"I can't say enough about that horse," said Farmer of the Kensel LLC's 11-year-old Hanoverian. "He's a fantastic horse and went beautifully today, and I hope it goes the same tomorrow."
Farmer also placed sixth with Avatar Real Estate LLC's Dalliance, with an impressive round that received a total of 276 points.
While Brunello, the oldest horse in the field, led the way today, one of the youngest, El Primero, is hot on his heels. The 6-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion (Numero Uno-Zo-Special) earned 280.25 points for third place for owner Bryan Baldwin and Meralex Farm.
"He's the newcomer to the derby world," said rider Sandy Ferrell. "He just turned 6 this year. He's a baby and probably one of the youngest ones out there. But I think it's safe to say for any horseman you're going to fall in love with that horse. His athletic ability is endless, as is his desire to perform. I think we're just seeing the very beginning of his career."
After a short jumper stint in Europe, El Primero was imported to the United States where he quickly found his true niche in the hunter ring. He began the First Year Greens on the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida and made his USHJA International Hunter Derby debut at Devon (PA), where he placed second in the Classic Round and sixth overall.
"He's just an incredible animal," said Ferrell, of Bernville, PA. "He's got such a wise soul and so in control of everything. I count my blessings every day to have this horse and a remarkable team behind me."
Jennifer Alfano, of SBS Farms in Buffalo, NY, displayed not only her incredible riding talents but also amazing grit and determination. After jumping to top scores with Billie Steffee's Maggie May going sixth in the order, she returned aboard her own Miramar 35th in the order. They jumped a brilliant first fence, but then Miramar caught his toe upon landing and fell, catapulting Alfano to the ground. They both regained their feet and slowly walked out of the ring.
Fifteen horses later, Alfano returned to the ring with Helen Lenahan's Miss Lucy, jumping a beautiful round to scores of 88, 88 and 89, good for fifth place. She also returned later with her 2012 International Hunter Derby Champion Jersey Boy, where yet again she earned scores in the high 80s, with 85.75, 89.5 and 86.75 for eighth place.
"Jen's just amazing," said trainer Susie Schoellkopf. "She's very sore, but she's OK. We were so appreciative of everyone's support, and everyone was so nice. All she worried about was the horse. The vet got to him right away, and he looks fine. He's going to be sore tomorrow, but there's no apparent injury."
Coco Fath, of Fairfield, CT, won the top Junior Owner Rider Award in today's Classic Hunter Round. She finished 28th aboard Chemie Ancar with a 249 total. Fath also placed fourth last month in the USHJA Hunterdon Cup Equitation Classic.
Piper Benjamin, of Lake Forest, IL, finished in 25th place and earned the top Amateur Owner Rider Award aboard Corvine.
Farmer once again won the 2014-15 Leading Rider of the International Hunter Derby Championship Qualifying Series with $135,850. Mindful, owned by Kensel LLC, won the 2014-15 Leading Horse of the International Hunter Derby Championship Qualifying Series with $47,610.
Courtney Calcagnini earned the Leading Developing Pro Rider of the 2014-15 International Hunter Derby Championship Qualifying Series with $23,600.
This year the riders will once again contest a tiered Handy Hunter Round format. The top 25 pairs return for action in the $158,800 Section A Handy Hunter Round, with 12 horses shown by Tier I Riders and 13 horses shown by Tier II Riders.
The $39,700 Section B Handy Hunter Round includes a field of 20 riders, with seven jumping for Section B money only. The scores for the 13 Tier II Riders in the Section A Handy Hunter Round carry over to the Section B Handy Hunter Round.
The remainder of the field was invited to contest the $10,000 Derby Challenge, supported by Moyer Farm LLC, and 35 entries are on the order of go for tomorrow.
To view the full results and to see the orders of go for tomorrow's Handy Hunter Rounds, please visit www.ushja.org.
The USHJA, in partnership with the EQSportsNet, is providing a free live webcast of the evening's activities, beginning at 3 p.m. ET. For a complete schedule of the evening's competition, please see the USHJA website.
The 2015 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship is generously sponsored by: Major Sponsor Dietrich Equine Insurance; Official Cooler:Blue Ribbon Custom Blankets; Challenge Prize Money Donor: Moyer Farm LLC; Awards Sponsors: Essex Classics, Grand Prix/Pikeur/Konigs,McGuinn Farm, The Gifted Paddock, Shapley's, Ariat and Bill Rube; Hospitality Sponsor: SmartPak; Donors: Janet Peterson, Ron Danta, Danny Robertshaw and Douglas Wheeler. The USHJA Official Sponsors include: Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Standlee Hay Company and Charles Owen, Inc. USHJA Contributing Sponsors including Perfect Products and Professional's Choice. The Official Broadcast is EQSportsNet.
Finally Farm spent two memorable weeks at the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show in Blowing Rock, North Carolina in July. The show, a favorite stop on the calendar, marks a bittersweet but fun celebration as the unofficial end of summer show.
“Every year at Blowing Rock my mom has a party at our house,” said trainer Liza Boyd. “It’s a going away party for all those in their last junior year and at their last Blowing Rock before they head off to college. It’s a fun way to get everybody together at the barn.
“The pony kids and my daughter Elle do a little dance and song routine,” she added. “Last year the theme was Frozen, and this year they did a rap song. It was great fun.”
Boyd was thrilled that all of the girls going off to college had a memorable and successful two weeks at Blowing Rock, including Addison Byrd, Sarah Isgett, Laura Critz and Grace Howard.
Grace Howard and Hiho Houdini
“Grace is going to the University of Georgia, and Sarah is going to University of South Carolina to ride on the team. It’s exciting they’re both going to do that,” said Liza. “They’re both coming off a strong Blowing Rock and will be up for a new challenge, with academics and the riding team. Addison is going to my alma mater, College of Charleston, and Laura will be heading to Wake Forest University. We are so proud of all of these girls for their dedication to riding and pursing their educations. We will miss them!”
Addison finished up as the grand champion Junior Hunter 3’3” with Too Cool, Sarah and Laura were champion and reserve in the Small Junior 3’3” section with Fiona and Quatrain, respectively, and Grace rode Hiho Houdini to the Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper reserve champion and moved up to 1.35m for the first time, placing sixth in the LP Tate Jumper Classic.
“It all worked out perfectly,” said Liza. “Fieona had an injury and some time off, and Sarah wanted to lease a horse to compete at Blowing Rock, so it was perfect timing that Fieona was ready. Laura and Quatrain have done so well together this summer, and they won the Junior Hunter 3’3” Classic the first week. All of them had great success and dominated the 3’3” Juniors. Some of them might show at indoors, but this is their last Blowing Rock as a junior. It was nice to celebrate there and finish off the summer. This fall they’ll be juggling school and indoors, so this was really the beginning of the end of their junior careers.”
In the 3’3” Large Juniors, Trinity and Mary Carton Mitchener earned the championship and won the classic.
“Mary Carton and Trinity did so well, and it’s fun to watch the three horses that I had purchased as derby horses and trained— Fieona, Quatrain and Trinity—do so well,” added Liza. “Those three, they’re so overqualified for the 3’3” Juniors, and I can’t wait to see where they go from here. To see them with their kids is so rewarding.”
Liza noted that Mary Carton made significant strides during Blowing Rock, winning three of the four over fences classes.
“She’s become super consistent with Trinity, and going to Florida over the winter really helped her. She also focused and practiced more this summer, and her dedication is showing,” she said. “They are a great match and really clicking. She hasn’t even owned him a year yet, and he’s turning into a super solid competitive junior hunter.”
Mary Carton’s sister Larson ended up champion in the Adult Amateur, 18-35, section and won the NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic aboard Graffiti. “The Mitchener girls had a great year,” said Liza. “This will be Larson’s second year at college, and it’s nice to see she’s been able to balance college and riding so well.”
At the other end of the spectrum are the young pony and children’s hunter riders who also enjoyed success at Blowing Rock.
Maggie Hill, age 12, guided Nevada to the Pre-Children’s Hunter circuit championship, and her grandmother Mimi traveled from Montana to cheer her on.
“We enjoyed having them for the two weeks in Blowing Rock,” said Liza. “After Maggie’s very first time in hunters in April, it was amazing to see the change in her here. Every day she takes it all in. At Blowing Rock she was able to stay the two weeks and have some great flat and basic position lessons. I noticed a huge difference from weeks 1 to 2.”
Nevada has his own cheering section at Blowing Rock, having carried a variety of riders to top ribbons at the show, including Caroline Clark Morrison and the late Bruce Ducchosois. “Everybody from that horse show knows him, and [trainer] Havens Schatt thought he looked fantastic. He’s a great horse and very special, so it’s nice to see him continue on to teach Maggie.”
In the Medium Pony Hunters, It’s All Good and Elly Ficca claimed the grand championship and won the classic both weeks, while Highlands Heaven Sent and Ruby Sloan earned the reserve championship. Zola Thompson and Mr. McGregor got great ribbons the first week in the Small Pony Hunters and even won the handy. Elle Boyd also picked up blue ribbons in the Walk Trot both weeks aboard Otis Spunkmeyer.
In the 3’6” Juniors, Eloise earned the Small Junior championship with Stella Styslinger the second week. “I was especially proud of Stella, who had gone out of the country for school,” said Liza. “She hadn’t ridden in a while, and it was great she came back and was so consistent.”
Liza credited Stella’s dedication as well as help from her equitation mount Centerfold K and trainer Jack Towell for the entire winning effort. Stella missed the first week but traveled to Blowing Rock as soon as she could to prepare for Week 2.
“Centerfold has proven to be a great one to get Stella into the ring before she shows Eloise,” said Liza. “Stella also came early on the Monday. We all went to Grandfather Mountain., but my dad stayed at the show to teach Stella. She made the effort to get there, and he made the time to give her a lesson. That’s dedication from both of them, and it paid off and made her champion, and they won the 3’6” Junior Hunter Classic.”
Lily Bennett enjoyed a variety of firsts during Blowing Rock: She moved up to the 3’6” Juniors and got nice ribbons on Maraschino in the Smalls and made her debut aboard new mount Carasco.
“Carasco recently won the U.S. Junior Hunter Finals with Daisy Farish, and we just got him from trainer Bill Schaub,” said Liza. “It’s so exciting for Lily. I think she learned a lot and got more comfortable at the 3’6”. We’re thrilled that she has these two in the Small Juniors.”
Grayanna Griggs also got great ribbons on Beaujolais in the 3’6” Large Juniors, and JoAnn Loheac did the same on Chestnut Avenue in the Amateur-Owners, including a win in the classic during Week 1.
Erin McGuire and Kasarr made their presence known in the Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers, winning the Spin The Night Challenge Trophy and the Lucky One Trophy as the grand champions. The pair also placed second in the LP Tate Jumper Classic.
Brunello made his 2015 USHJA International Hunter Derby debut the second week of Blowing Rock in preparation to defend his USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship in August.
“It was his first derby since the championship last year,” said Liza. “It was bittersweet. In the fist round he felt amazing and was as good as ever, scoring 90 and 92 for the top score. He jumped amazing, and I felt I had my horse back. In the Handy Round he was tired, and I didn’t strategize very well. I was rusty at strategizing.
“He wasn’t as fit as he was last year at this time, and I honestly should have done a few low options and he could have won. I had an unlucky rail behind., but that’s sort of the risk you take,” she admitted. “On the flip side, it was great preparation for the championships next month, where he’ll need to do the high options. Hopefully, it was the good rub before the derby finals.”
Brunello
At Blowing Rock, “Ike” tackled two jumper classes prior to the derby and worked hard in between his classes on fitness. Now, he’ll have an easy week before shipping to Kentucky on August 9 for the championship, August 14-15.
“We really trained on him there, and now I feel like this week will be easy for him,” said Liza who will be going for her third consecutive championship title. “He’ll go in the paddock and get fresh. Being an older horse, we’re not going to teach him anything. We just want to keep his mind and body fresh. I did all my training at Blowing Rock, and this week we’ll go on trail rides.”
As icing on the cake, Liza clinched the World Championship Hunter Rider Southeast Regional Professional and the Handy titles during Week 1. “I must credit Sterling for helping me attain these victories,” said Liza with a smile. “He was First Year Green Hunter reserve champion during Week 1 and scored a 90 in the Handy.
Addison Byrd also earned the WCHR Southeast Regional 3’3” Junior Hunter title, with Laura Critz placing third. Grayanna Grigg claimed second in the WCHR 3’6” Juniors, with Zola Thompson, Elly Ficca and Ruby Sloan placing third, fourth and fifth in the Pony section.
While Finally farm enjoyed the mountains of North Carolina, Hardin Towell spent July in France and Spain where he earned top ribbons in competition aboard his jumpers.
Special thanks the Finally Farm photographers and friends for the many great images!
The Tryon Summer 3 Horse Show, July 8-12, proved to be another enjoyable time for the Finally Farm team with victories and tricolors from the Walk-Trot to the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers.
Just Matt in just blue!
One highlight was the return of Alison Thorp and Just Matt who clinched the Adult Amateur, 36 and over, championship after a long break from the show ring.
Just Matt, 16, has been a fixture at Finally Farm for many years. "Alison has had him since he was 4 years old," said trainer Liza Boyd. "Alison's Matt and Neil Sites' horse Doc have been around the barn the longest. I showed Matt in the First Years in 2005. He was second in the stake behind Indian Summer at Devon that year. It was funny. My dad called me on Saturday after Matt won both classes and said, 'It was like Devon all over again!'"
Alison and Just Matt step into the show ring on special occasions, and their last show together was nearly a year earlier at Blowing Rock.
"Alison doesn’t show a lot, but she comes out to the barn from Charlotte to hack him and take lessons twice a week when she's home," said Liza. "She says riding is her exercise and therapy. She loves coming to the barn, and half the time we chat about the girls for 45 minutes and lesson for 10. She's a great supporter and always watches any young horses we have. She’s been with us a long time, and it's fun to have her back in the ring. She just steps right up and is champion. For 16, Matt looks great and is jumping as good as ever."
In the Amateur-Owner 3’6" section Summer Place and Maddy Thatcher joined forces with her sister Kelsey (who rides with Our Day Farm) aboard Bugsy Malone to take the two tricolors. Chestnut Avenue and Joann Loheac also had impressive performances, taking second in the Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic.
In the Asheville Regional Airport High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers, Maddy and Kelsey tied for reserve champion with Maddy aboard Show Show and her sister riding Dulf Van Den Bisschop.
Mary Carton Mitchener and Trinity capture the Junior 3'3" Handy out of 20!
Too Cool and Addison Byrd continued their domination in the Junior Hunter 3’3” section, earning the championship. Mary Carton Mitchener won the handy on Trinity with a super performance.
In the pony ring, Highlands Heaven Sent and Ruby Sloan captured the Medium Pony Hunter tricolor and Zola Thompson earned the Small Pony Hunter reserve championship aboard Mr. McGregor for the second consecutive week.
"The pony kids were on fire," said Liza. " Zola was so consistent these two weeks. She had great rounds every time she went in the ring. It's so rewarding to see a kid get so consistent. And for Ruby to come back after her vacation and be champion was impressive. She felt a little pressure, but it worked in her favor. She rode great.
"I'm really proud of those girls," Liza continued. "They're really maturing and getting consistent in their riding. Both have come a long way in their riding in a short time. Even though they did so well at the show and with Blowing Rock less than a week away, they’re making the effort to come and take lessons. They're putting the time and work ethic into it, and it's paying off."
Liza's daughter Elle tied for the Walk-Trot championship aboard Otis Spunkmeyer in a similar fashion. After riding bareback on Friday morning and swimming in the afternoon, she returned to the show at 6 p.m. wanting to practice for the next day's classes. Even though it was dinner time for people and ponies, Elle wasn't going to be sidetracked..
Eloise the Small Junior Hunter champion with Megan Rosenthal
Too Cool and Addison Byrd
"When she finally got on that evening, she said to me, 'Mommy, this pony is here for a reason!'" said Liza laughing. "She's really a quiet and mild mannered child, but she's fierce when it comes to the pony. It’s my own fault. That’s how I am. I must be prepared!"
Liza perfectly prepared Ballerino for his show ring debut this week. He claimed second in the USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Stake and earned top ribbons in the Pre-Green hunters in his first show. "We got him in April, and Lisa and Jack (her parents) bought him from Arly Golembek," she noted. "He was imported from Argentina. We took him to shows this past couple of months and did the ticketed warm-ups to get him fit.. He was great here, really brave and quiet. He's quite a good jumper and just needs to get stronger behind. He has the brain and the disposition to be a derby horse, so we’ll see. You never know about a 6-year-old and what will happen, but I'm really excited. He got better in every round. He actually looks like a mini Brunello."
In fact, Brunello returned to the show ring here as well, making his 2015 debut. He and Liza jumped around in a 1.10m jumper class. "He trotted in and pricked his ears up. He was so happy to be in the ring," said Liza who is aiming for "Ike" to peak at the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship in August to try and defend his title. "He was clear with time faults! But he jumped around clear and bright and fresh, and he felt great. He did this one class and a ticketed warm up to keep him jumping fit. We're doing the same program we did last year. He will do another jumper class the first week at Blowing Rock, and then we'll aim for the USHJA International Hunter Derby the second week.".
Congratulations to Grace Howard and Hiho Houdini for moving up to the 1.20m Low Junior/Amateur-Owner jumpers!
Please enjoy these behind-the-scenes photos at Tryon!
The Finally Farm team spent the week of the July 4th holiday attending the Tryon Summer 2, held July 1-5 in Spring Mill, North Carolina. In addition to celebrating the Nation's birthday, Finally Farm riders also collected some red, white and blue ribbons of their own.
In the 3'3" Junior Hunters, it was a Finally Farm sweep as Trinity, Maraschino and Quatrain dominated the section, taking most of the top ribbons, including the championship and reserve.
Trinity with Taylor St. Jacques, left, and Maraschino and Lily Bennett
With several riders on vacation with their families, Finally Farm welcomed catch riders Taylor St. Jacques and Caroline Passarelli who earned championship results with Trinity and Highlands Heaven Sent, respectively.
"I want to send a big thank-you to Heritage Farm for sharing their riders with us," said trainer Liza Boyd. "Both girls are talented and very appreciative for the rides and a pleasure to teach."
Liza also praised Lily Bennett for her consistency and the reserve championship with Maraschino in the Juniors. "At this time last year the mare was a First Year Green horse, so she's still green compared to many other Junior hunters out there," said Liza. "This year she's more made up, and Lily has matured in her riding. She's making great decisions and starting to understand the technicalities of riding a Junior hunter."
Liza also credited Laura Critz for her skill aboard Quatrain. In addition to nice ribbons in the Juniors, Laura also won the Performance 3'3" Handy Hunter class on Quatrain. "She wanted to practice the handy before the weekend, and she went in there and ended up beating everyone," said Liza proudly. "She jogged in there in front of all the professionals, and it gave her a great confidence boost. That win made Quatrain reserve champion, too, and that’s because of her and not me!"
In the Pony Ring, Finally Farm collected a variety of wins and tricolors. Zola Thompson was reserve champion in the Small Pony Hunters and won the Small/Large Pony Classic on Mr. McGregor. Highlands Heaven Sent earned the Medium Pony Hunter championship with Caroline Passarelli, and Teresa Tolar guided Kinda Funny to nice ribbons in the Large Pony Hunters.
After a five-month break from the saddle to work in Washington, D.C., as a page, Alley Milam returned to the show ring to earn excellent ribbons aboard Castelli. "She was great," said Liza. "Alley walked right back in to the 3'6" Juniors and didn't miss a beat. It's good to have her back!"
Chestnut Avenue switched riders and divisions at Tryon but continued his winning ways, carrying Meg Atkinson to the Adult Amateur, 36 and over, championship and the blue ribbon in the NAL/WIHS Adult Amateur Hunter Classic. Owner Joann Loheac was on the sidelines cheering them on.
"Meg helped Joann decorate her house, and in return she got a weekend on a really fancy hunter," said Liza laughing. "It was a barter situation of the best kind! Meg had never shown him before, but they got along great.. Joann will take over the reins next week."
Maggie Hill aboard Nevada with Margie, Liza and Elle Boyd.
Nevada and Maggie Hill also won their respective section championship and classic, taking victory in the Pre-Children's Hunters. Maggie's trainer and Liza's sister-in-law, Margie Boyd, of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, was also on-hand to cheer her on.
"Maggie has come a long way from her background in eventing and dressage to winning in the hunters," said Liza. "She started in April with us and is already super competitive and really learned the hunter style. It's fun to have Nevada back in the barn, too. We had him many years ago for Katie Dawson and then Bruce Ducchossois and Caroline Clark. He's a great horse."
Maddy Thatcher is enjoying her summer break from college and taking advantage of more riding time. At Tryon, she collected a variety of top ribbons in the Hunters and Jumpers aboard her mounts, including Sterling, Scripted, Summer Place, Lancelot 266, Skilliane De Varnel, Show Show, Balvino and Dolce Vita.
"Maddy had a really good show," said Liza. "She rode great and was reserve champion on Sterling in the 3'3" Amateur-Owners and was second in the Classic. She also won the 3'6" Classic aboard Summer Place. She earned top ribbons in the Low and High Junior/Amateurs and was clean aboard Show Show in the High Classic, which was held in the George H. Morris international Ring. She's riding so consistently and is in the ribbons in almost every class on all of her horses."
Other ribbon winners for Finally Farm included Grace Howard and Hi Ho Houdini in the Children's Jumpers, Justified and Kelly Maloney in the Low Adult Jumpers, and Tamara Berkowitz rode Graffiti and Just Matt to ribbons in the Performance Hunters and Take 2 Thoroughbred Hunters, respectively.
Finally Farm would also like to welcome Virginia Barnette, of Columbia, South Carolina, to the barn. In their first show with Finally Farm, Virginia and Rigo Barcardi picked up excellent ribbons in the Pre-Adult Hunters. Finally Farm also welcomed Elly Ficca to the barn in June for the Atlanta Summer Classic Horse Show. She guided It's All Good to excellent ribbons in the Medium Pony Hunter section. Thank you both for joining us!
Special thanks to the Finally Farm photographers for the fun photos!
Finally Farm also congratulates Hardin Towell for his continued success at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Alberta. During the North American Tournament CSI*5, June 30-July 5, Hardin qualified for the $400,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup, the featured FEI class of the competition, where he placed 14th aboard Jennifer Gates' Emilie De Diamant AS, with just one rail down. Earlier in the week, the pair placed second in the $50,000 AON Cup as well with a double-clear performance. Great job!
Towell Tops Encana Cup
The ‘National’ Tournament at Spruce Meadows continued on Friday June 5 with the $35,000 Encana Cup 1.45m and a win for Hardin Towell (USA) aboard Jennifer Gates’ Emilie de Diamant AS. With 72 starters, Uliano Vezzani’s (ITA) track saw just seven entries advance to the jump-off. Five of those were able to jump without fault in a race against the clock.
Mexico’s Antonio Chedraui set the pace in the jump-off at 35.33 seconds aboard his own Corcega La Silla to eventually place fifth. USA’s veteran team of Richard Spooner and Show Jumping Syndication International’s Cristallo upped the ante in 33.63 seconds, eventually finishing in reserve. Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) jumped into fourth with the next round in 34.31 seconds aboard Ludo Philippaerts’ H&M Quenzo de la Roque. Towell followed with Emilie de Diamant AS and blazed through the timers in the winning time of 32.91 seconds. Last to go, Conor Swail jumped into third aboard Ilan Ferder’s Viva Colombia in 34.29 seconds.
While owner Jennifer Gates is away at school attending Stanford University, Towell has the ride on all of her horses this week, including Emilie de Diamant AS. Gates rode the 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Diamant de Semilly x Flipper D Elle) throughout the winter and will arrive to compete in Calgary next week. Until then, Towell enjoyed his first ever win in the International Ring aboard the talented mare.
“She has been great all week. She was clean and sixth the first day,” Towell detailed. “I had a time fault yesterday, but she was amazing. I just didn’t ride her great and then today she really came through and she was fantastic.”
“Jennifer competed her on and off in Florida and I did a little bit with her and she has just gotten better and better,” Towell continued. “She is going to be a really good horse for Jennifer in the future.”
Commenting on his first big win at Spruce Meadows, Towell noted, “This year I have had a very good year. I won in Palm Beach and at the Global Champions Tour in Miami and went to World Cup Finals, but I have never really had horses for Spruce Meadows before. Even a 1.45m is pretty intimidating here where even a $200,000 grand prix some places is not the same. It is nice to finally get a win here and hopefully we can keep going forward.”
“This is a great place,” Towell added. “It is just so nice to compete here. I am so lucky to get to come here and ride these horses and compete at a place like this. I think everybody wants to win here. Everybody tries to give it a go every time out there, so it is a lot of fun.”
2024
Liza Boyd rides Crooner Brimbelles Z to the Reserve Championship in the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships!
2023
Brunello inducted into the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame!
Mary Caroline Nolan and Bettina place fourth overall at the Adequate/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships - East
2022
Jack Towell received the WCHR Old Springhouse Lifetime Achievement Award during the Capital Challenge Horse Show!
Elle Boyd rides Kensi to victory in the WCHR Children’s Hunter Challenge at the Capital Challenge Horse Show!
Liza Boyd pilots Guess Who to the Grand Green and Grand Hunter championships at the Capital Challenge Horse Show!
Liza Boyd rides Rebekah Warren’s MTM Hand Him Over to sixth in the $252,505 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship!
Mary Caroline Nolan’s Bettina receives the Best Mare Award in the 3’6”/3’9” USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship with Liza Boyd in the irons!
Elle Boyd earns the Best Child Rider on a Pony Award at the Aiken Charity Horse Shows!
2021
Liza Boyd rides Rebekah Warren’s Cassico to third place in the $311,740 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship!
Elle Boyd rides Betsee Parker’s Medium Pony Baroness Of Lochiel to victory in the USEF Pony Finals! Elle also guides Jill Shulman’s Secret Crush to the Small Pony Reserve Championship!
Liza Boyd and Gigi Manigault’s Walk-Off jump to victory in the $25,000 Aiken Spring Charity Hunter Classic!
Elle Boyd rides Sugarbrook Pink-N-Blue to blue in the USHJA Pony Hunter Derby at the Aiken Charity Horse Show.
Liza Boyd captures the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Hunt and Go at WEF 12 with Sherry Crawford’s Carento!
Liza Boyd rides Gigi Manigault’s Walk-Off to second in the WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular!
Ned Towell establishes Wateree Hounds in Camden, South Carolina, with co-founders Lea Edwards and Vince Paschal.
