Scott Stewart and Catch Me (Phelps Media Group)

Lexington, Ky. - No one has won the Leading Hunter Rider title at the CP National Horse Show more than Scott Stewart, and on Wednesday at the Kentucky Horse Park he did it again.

Stewart rode to division championships in the First Year Green Hunters, the Green Conformation Hunters, the Regular Conformation Hunters and the High Performance Hunters before also claiming the Grand Hunter Championship and Leading Hunter Rider titles.

"I have some age on me," Stewart joked regarding his record nine wins of the Leading Hunter Rider Challenge Trophy. "I'm fortunate to have a good group of horses. I have Samantha, Julie and Terence who got the horses ready for us. They make everything easy for me. They should get most of the credit."    

While Stewart is quick to credit his talented team, he was the one who rode Catch Me, First Light, Lucador and A Million Reasons to their division championships. He kicked off the day by winning the First Year Green Hunter championship, sponsored by Goshen Hill, aboard Catch Me.

The 8-year-old Holsteiner gelding, owned by David Gochman, topped the under saddle as well as an over fences before ultimately taking the top honor. The reserve championship in the First Year Green Hunters was awarded to Amanda Steege aboard Ellen Toon's Mirror Image.

Stewart's sweep of four out of five of the day's professional hunter divisions continued in the Green Conformation Hunters, sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Garber. He guided Stephanie Danhakl's First Light to two blue ribbons over fences and a second place finish in the model before they were named the division champions. The reserve championship in the Green Conformation Hunters went to Shelley Campf and Playlist, owned by Alexandra Zell.

In the Regular Conformation Hunters, it was again Stewart who stepped forward for the championship award presentation, this time with Dr. Betsee Parker's Lucador.

"Lucador we've had for a few years, so I know him well," Stewart said of the Oldenburg gelding. "I think he likes the height even better than last year. He's a very scopey horse and a good horse. He's only 7 years old, so he's really maturing."

The reserve championship in the Regular Conformation Hunters, sponsored by the Wheeler Family, also went to a Parker-owned horse, with Hunt Tosh riding Cold Harbor to the win.

The Second Year Green Hunter division, sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Oare and Ms. Patricia Adikes-Hill, was the only one in which another of the talented professionals at the CP National Horse Show was able to break through Stewart's sweep of the championships. This time the top tricolor was awarded to Jennifer Alfano and her own Candid.

"He has been awesome. Every time in the ring he has just been perfect," Alfano said of the 7-year-old Holsteiner gelding. "I am so excited, and it's fun that I own him. I always get so nervous; I usually mess up on my own horse because I get so nervous!"

Far from messing up, Alfano and Candid claimed the win in two of the over fences classes and finished third in the handy before ultimately earning the championship.

"He's such a fun horse. He's easy, and he's so fun to ride," Alfano said. "He always gives you a great jump, no matter what. He's awesome. He's a little shy. He has a little bit of 'stranger danger.' He's shy with people he doesn't know, but he's really sweet."

Alfano started Candid as a pre-green horse and has been bringing him along ever since.

"They are a great team," said SBS Farms' Susie Schoellkopf, who has witnessed Alfano and Candid working together every step of the way.

"It's so nice. Jen has done all the work on him and has brought him along from pre-green to now. I don't think there are many professionals who have done that, so it's a feather in her cap."

Finishing in reserve behind Alfano and Candid were Kelley Farmer and So To Speak, owned by Larry Glefke and Kensel, LLC.

In the final division of the day, the High Performance Hunters, Stewart was again back on the top of the list, this time with Parker's A Million Reasons.

The mare was purchased last year immediately following the Pennsylvania National Horse Show for Stewart to ride, and he moved her up to the High Performance Hunter division during the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival.

"A Million Reasons just stepped up to the High Performance in Florida," Stewart said. "She's been winning a lot, but I think this is the best she's gone. She's a really scopey, easy jumper. She's a special horse."

The reserve championship in the High Performance Hunters was presented to Kelley Farmer and Mindful, owned by Kensel, LLC.

While four of Stewart's mounts are going home with championship tricolors, it was Lucador who claimed the most points in his division to claim the Grand Hunter Championship and conclude the professional hunter divisions at the 2015 CP National Horse Show.

Enough Said and Stephanie Danhakl Good Enough for Grand; Danhakl and Portela Claim 3'3" Amateur-Owner Championships

Stephanie Danhakl and Enough Said are consistently top finishers in the Amateur-Owner 3'3" Hunters, but during the start of the 2015 indoor season, Danhakl felt she did not give the gelding the best of rides. With that in mind, she came in to the CP National Horse Show determined to improve upon her past performance.

"I've had him for about two years, and he's always been an incredible horse for me," Danhakl said. "I feel like I haven't been riding him as well the past couple of indoors, so I was really just focusing on letting him shine here and trying not to mess up. I'm really happy with how he went. He was just really relaxed from the first round to the last."

In an impressive sweep, Danhakl and Enough Said captured all three of the Amateur-Owner 3'3" 18-35 Hunter over fences classes before also finishing second in the under saddle and claiming the division championship and the overall Amateur-Owner 3'3" Hunter Grand Championship.

"He couldn't have gone better. He was amazing. It's just a great way to end the year for us," Danhakl said. "This is one of my favorite horse shows. They really do a beautiful job with the course and the jumps, and they really make it special. It's a huge honor to be here in this company and to do well. I'm really excited."

The reserve championship in the Amateur-Owner 3'3" 18-35 Hunters, sponsored by Fashion Farm and Woodland Way Inc., was awarded to Holly Labry and Ruby.

In the Amateur-Owner 3'3" Over 35 Hunters, Daryl Portela and Winner have been on quite the hot streak. Between the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, the Washington International Horse Show and the CP National Horse Show, Portela and Winner have won eight out of their last 10 over fences classes, including three out of three this week.

Their impressive sweep earned them the championship in the Amateur-Owner 3'3" Over 35 Hunter division, sponsored by Meralex Farm and Hunt Ltd.

"It's amazing. The year before last was my first year here, and the last time that I showed at the National Horse Show before that was in '99 when I had my 3'6" amateur horse. I hadn't shown in quite awhile, and I took a big break from riding," Portela said. "It was awesome [to win here today]."

Portela continued, "[Winner] was really good right from the first class. Today, I think he went the best that - Jimmy [Torano] thinks maybe the best that he's gone all indoors, maybe out of any year. He was amazing today in the stake. It's nice when I start off the bat and win the first class. Then I put a little bit of pressure on myself to keep pushing for more."

Finishing in reserve behind Portela was Stephanie Zimmerman riding Crusader. 

Hunter competition at the CP National Horse Show continues Thursday with the conclusion of the Amateur-Owner 3'6" Hunters and the start of the Junior 3'3" Hunters.

Roberto Teran and Woklahoma Win $35,000 Welcome Speed at CP National Horse Show

For the first jumper event of the 2015 CP National Horse Show, athletes had to call on their horses' speed and accuracy. Forty-seven of the world's best gathered for the $35,000 International Open Jumpers Welcome Speed presented by Elm Rock LLC and Richard De Martini, but it would be Colombia's Roberto Teran and Woklahoma taking home the lion's share of the prize money with the fastest clear effort. In the $15,000 first round of the USEF U25 National Championship, presented by The Porter Family, The Jacobs Family, The Jobs Family and The Keenan Family, Katherine Strauss and All In continued their standout season with a winning effort.

A qualifying event for Sunday's $250,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Lexington, presented by CP, the $35,000 International Open Jumpers Welcome Speed required the athletes to be quick to make sure they were at the top of the leaderboard, but also careful in an effort to leave all the fences intact.

The first pair to break the 67-second mark over Guilherme Jorge's track was Audrey Coulter of San Francisco, California, with Copernicus Stable's Domino. They set the pace to beat with a clear round in 66.47 seconds, which would be good enough for fourth place.

Lisa Goldman of Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, took over the lead six rounds later on Mary Goldman's Centurion B. They blazed across the finish line in a faultless 65.02 seconds, posting a time that looked like it might be good enough for the win.

Olivier Philippaerts of Belgium looked like he might be able to steal the lead on H&M Legend of Love, owned by Ludo Philippaerts and Gerald Nothdurft. They left all the rails in their cups, but broke the beam at 66.12 seconds, which would eventually earn third place behind Goldman.

One of the final athletes to compete, Teran had a chance to study the course and prepare with his veteran mount Woklahoma. With a very smooth round using all of the inside tracks, the duo stopped the clock at 63.61 seconds, two seconds faster than Goldman, to take home the win.

"I watched her go, and she was very efficient and very smooth," noted Teran. "I wasn't trying to go for the win. Woklahoma is very fast and everything went to the plan and very smooth. I was surprised that I beat her time."

Goldman commented, "Centurion is not necessarily my speed horse, and there were definitely a few places that I could have been a little faster. I was really happy that I held on so long, but it wasn't a surprise to be beaten."
Both athletes were more focused on Sunday's main event and did not want to push their horses to the max. "I knew the turns were there, I thought I'd take them," explained Goldman. "I wasn't running all out - this isn't my final class, this wasn't where I wanted to be the fastest - so I just wanted to make my turns happen and be as efficient as I could. I left them all up, so I was really excited."

With Wednesday's win, Teran feels confident about the $250,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Lexington, presented by CP. "Woklahoma has been doing the grand prix events down in Wellington and Calgary and all over the world now for two years; she's very solid," he said. "I think coming into Sunday she is going to be one of the contenders for top ribbons. She's very confident; she's super careful. At this point in her life she is ready for any class in the world."

Teran added, "The quality of the venue here is always the best. We always have the best of the best riders and horses. This is absolutely the top of the scale. Any win here at the National is amazing."

The final event on Wednesday night was the first round of the inaugural USEF U25 National Championship, which was a $15,000 Faults Converted class, where all rails were added to the athletes' final times to determine the winner.

The first combination to leave all the rails intact without being conservative was Michael Hughes of Ocala, Florida, riding Christina Fried's Luxina. They tripped the timers at 72.88 seconds, but their lead would be short lived. Katherine Strauss of Southampton, New York, was next to enter the arena aboard All In, and they laid down the gauntlet. The duo raced across the arena, clearing each obstacle and stopping the clock at 68.56 seconds - four seconds faster than Hughes - to take over the lead. The only other rider to come close was Eugenio Garza of Hickory Creek, Texas, with El Milagro's Bariano, who cleared the course just a touch faster than Hughes in 72.03 seconds to take home second place.

"I was really excited coming here out of all the shows we've been to because this is the biggest ring of all the indoors," smiled Strauss after her win. "My horse has a really big stride, so I can use that strong body of his to my advantage, especially here with the course tonight. There were a lot of open fences where you really have to gallop, and that is where my horse can be a lot faster than the other horses."

The U25 division is still relatively new in the United States, but athletes like Strauss enjoy having the opportunity to use it to develop themselves and their horses. She concluded, "I think that it is amazing that USEF and the sponsors are doing things to support and really help develop the upcoming riders. I think this is where the future of the sport is, so I am grateful for the organizations and people who are working hard to develop this division."

The second event in the USEF U25 National Championship will take place Thursday afternoon after the $5,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers, presented by Amalaya Investments and The Nusz Family. The highlight event of Thursday evening will be the $35,000 International Open Jumper Faults Converted class, presented by The Dobbs Family. The weekend will feature the ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay National Championship and the $250,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Lexington, presented by CP.

For more information about the CP National Horse Show, please visit www.nhs.org.