Amanda Steege and Dutch Warmblood Zidane (ESI Photography)
The consistent jumping by Zidane put him at the top of the leader board with matching first and second round scores of 85, after the previous Saturday, when Zidane and Steege had the highest first round score of 89, but a little playfulness in the second round cost him the win and he placed second.
Exhibitors enjoyed ringside refreshments provided by sponsor Devoucoux as they watched competition over the course designed by Tucker Williams, of Cleveland, Texas, which included a jump set at the bottom of the bank on the outside course.
Steege has had the ride on 11-year-old Zidane for the last three years. She also shows him in the High Performance Division and the International Hunter Derbies. Darragh imported him as a 2-year-old and rides him herself in the Modified Adult Hunters.
Steege was second last year at the HITS Championship and third in 2013 on Balou in the $500,000 Diamond Mills Hunter Prix Final and is very excited about the new format this year, which allows the top 20 riders to show two horses in the Final. She said, “As a rider who has competed in this class for the last few years, I am really excited because I would like to do Zidane and Balou in the Finals. I think a lot of people will show in this class more consistently to get the opportunity to do two in the Finals.”
Second place in the Devoucoux Hunter Prix went to Harold Chopping of Southern Pines, North Carolina, riding Caroline Russell Howe’s Caramo with scores of 81.5 in the first round and 84 in the second. Chopping said, “He’s a wonderful horse – he’s a pro. There’s no green in him, ever. There’s no figuring it out. I just try to do the best job I can getting him to the ring. His owner is on the phone all the time with his breeder in Denmark. If you’re 16-years-old he can teach you a lot and if you are 50-years-old and get to ride that – hey, they’re not all like that.”
Third place went to Classified, owned and ridden by Samantha Schaefer of Westminster, Maryland, with scores of 84 and 81. Fourth place went to Aaron Vale of Williston, Florida, riding Donald Stewart’s Dress Balou, the winner of the 2014 Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final. This was only the third class Dress Balou had shown in since his big win last fall. He warmed up in a Level 0 and Level 1 Jumper class and went to the ring. Vale said he was “thrilled” with the horse’s performance.