Invincible and Ellen Toon won the Hunt Ltd. Amateur-Owner Hunter Championship at the Hampton Classic. (Shawn McMillen)
"He's always just fabulous" in the Hampton Classic's Anne Aspinall Hunter Ring, said Toon. "He loves the grass in that ring, and he loves the atmosphere of the show. And it's good for him that you can't school in that ring [before the class], so it's all new to him, and that really perks him up."
Toon added, "Plus he's a seasoned horse, so we trust each other, and I have a fabulous trainer." Her trainer is her husband, professional trainer Jim Toon.
The Toons found Invincible, 13, in Holland as a 6-year-old. "He was so easy from the beginning-a natural hunter. And we've had so much fun with him ever since. He's just a joy," said Ellen, mother of two children, ages 15 and 26.
Invincible had a vacation this summer, so neither Invincible nor Ellen had shown for five months. To tune him up for Ellen, Amanda Steege showed Invincible in the Hampton Classic's Regular Conformation Hunter division.
"The Hampton Classic so beautiful and so well-run. It's our favorite horse show of the year," said Ellen.
In other action in the Hunter Rings, Zoom, owned and ridden by Laura Sexton, won the Amateur-Owner, 18-35, Championship. Armani, owned and ridden by Madeline Schaeffer, won the Small Pony Hunter Championship, and Truly Noble, owned by Pegasus Show Stable and ridden by Emma Kurtz, won the Medium Pony Hunter Championship. All My Love, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker and shown by Emma Kurtz, won the Large Pony Hunter Championship.