Diane Carney of Telluride Farm led several of her students to top placings this weekend at the Ledge Winter Classic, held January 3-6 at the Ledges Sporting Horses indoor facility in Roscoe, IL.

Catie Hope, 16, took home the championship in the Large Junior Hunter division aboard her new mount, Caped Crusader. The pair took a first and a sixth place over fences and won the under saddle for the tricolor. They also placed third in the $1,000 Junior Hunter Classic.

Hope's consistency followed her into the equitation ring, where she won all three classes. Riding Carmachon, she took first place in the Illinois Hunter/Jumper (IHJA) Medal, the ASCPA Maclay and the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search.

"Catie's riding was outstanding this week. She continues to be incredibly consistent in both the equitation and the hunters," Carney noted. "Everyone rode very well this weekend, and I'm looking forward to the great things we'll see this coming season. Telluride started its year off in a great way."

Hannah Gorman also put in an excellent performance with Cactus and Skyland's Wonder in the Large Junior Hunters. Aboard Cactus, owned by Carney, she won an over fences class and placed sixth in the $1,000 Junior Hunter Classic. With Skyland's Wonder, owned by Ken Gorman, she took second over fences and third in the under saddle, along with third place in the Classic.

Lauren Magraw rode to the reserve championship in the Children's Hunter division with Diabella, owned by Kathleen Hope. The pair took a first, second, fifth and two sixths for the tricolor honor. This was Magraw's first time competing in the Children's Hunters.

Carney, based out of Hampshire, IL, from her Telluride Farm, has been both an active participant and influential trainer in the hunter and jumper community for many years. Her contributions to the industry extend to the many clinics that she teaches every year, in addition to those that she hosts annually for U.S. Show Jumping Chef d'Equipe George H. Morris and top hunter/jumper trainer Don Stewart, Jr. Carney is also a driving force behind the United States Hunter Jumper Association's High Performance Hunter Committee, which seeks to develop a program that will bring the lost art of tradition and horsemanship back to the show ring.