Upper Marlboro, MD - Scott Stewart started out his day by winning in his first division with Enjoy, owned by Rose Hill Farm. Enjoy, a six-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Cassiano, won three classes and was second in the under saddle to win the championship in the First Year Green Working Hunter Section A, sponsored by PJP Farm. The reserve champion was Lapis, ridden by Holly Orlando for Missy Luczak Smith. They placed first, second, and third over fences and third in the under saddle.
Stewart bought Enjoy as a three-year-old, and he was purchased by Rose Hill Farm for junior rider Chloe Hymowitz. Stewart described, “He's like a big pony, and he's really good for Chloe in the juniors. He's a little horse, but he has a great jump and a big stride.”
Enjoy was presented with the Grand First Year Green Hunter Championship and the Magda and George Z. Lefton Memorial Trophy donated by Stacey Lefton Glick. The grey gelding also won the Grand Green Hunter Championship sponsored by Balmoral Farm Inc./Uphill Farm, Inc. and won a cooler sponsored by Carleton Brooks.
Beholden, a six-year-old Westphalian stallion by Continus Grannus, was a shoo-in to win the model class. He added two firsts, a fourth, and a fifth over fences. He capped off the top tricolor with a win under saddle for the Green Conformation Hunter, sponsored by Lisa A.H. Cudahy championship. The reserve championship went to Lugano, ridden by Chris Payne and owned by Susan Moriconi, was first and fourth over fences, second in the model, and second in the under saddle.
Beholden, who is an approved stallion in Germany, showed at Capital Challenge last year in the Future Hunters. Stewart believes he has won a tricolor at every horse show he's been to, but thinks this week was special. “I thought this was one of his better ones,” he said. “He's such a big horse that the 3'6” is sometimes too easy for him, but he really tried hard all week. He's really big and doesn't know it, and he's a stallion but he's always well-behaved.”
The Regular Conformation Hunters, sponsored by Hidden Hollow and Ginny Edwards, awarded the championship ribbon to Showman. Showman, a 10-year-old Westphalian gelding by Showstar, won the Regular Conformation model class. He went on to place first, first, second, and sixth over fences and was first in the under saddle. Peter Pletcher rode Becky Gochman's Touchdown to the reserve champion ribbon after they placed first, second, and fifth in the division and second in the model.
It was a reunion for Stewart and Showman in the spring; he and partner Ken Berkley originally imported Showman and he was purchased by the Weisman family soon after arriving in the U.S. “I never got to ride him much. I think I jumped him over a three-foot course once,” Stewart said of their early relationship. “This is my third time showing him. He's so laid-back and is super sweet. He is probably the easiest horse at the horse show.”
Showman won the Grand Conformation Hunter Championship and was presented with the Kenneth M. Wheeler Perpetual Trophy donated by BJ Meeks and Pablo Perez.
Alexandra Crown's Garfield won the Tribute Perpetual Trophy donated by Scott Stewart as the horse who earned the highest cumulative numerical point total in a single professional division. He was also named the Grand Hunter Champion, an award sponsored by RSB Farms, Inc. and Rob Bielefeld, and presented with the Janet Polk Read and Margaret Hough Sabbatini Memorial Trophy, donated by the Goguen Family. Stewart was named Leading Hunter Rider, sponsored by the Gibson Family and Shadyside Farm and Hobby Family Foundation. He was presented with the BJ's Hunt Room Trophy,
The EMO Professional Trip of the Show was a tie between Garfield and Balou, ridden by Amanda Steege for Lisa Arena. They both received scores of 90 in their respective divisions.
Remarking on his great success this week, Stewart said, “There have been times when we won all of the WCHR awards, but I don't remember winning all of these horse show awards before. It's pretty exciting. All of my horses went so amazing all week. It's just been a lot of fun. I'm fortunate to have really great horses that I've had for a long time. I've gotten to know them all since they were babies. Even Garfield, I rode him as a First Year horse. That makes it a little easier job for me!”
Patricia Griffith piloted Victoria Press's Akinda to the championship in the First Year Green Working Hunter Section B sponsored the Sadrian and Kellogg Family. Akinda, seven-year-old Warmblood mare, won three over fences classes and was fifth in the under saddle. Reserve champion Winfield, ridden by Katie Taylor for Hannah Stabler, was second, third, fourth, and sixth in the division.
Griffith and Akinda started showing together at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival and started in the First Year Green division, but she realized that the mare needed to step back down to the Pre-Green division. “At home she was always so made up, but you could tell she didn't have a lot of show experience. She didn't go in and look for the jumps. She was very distracted by everything outside of the ring,” Griffith explained. After some time at three-foot and with more experience, Akinda moved back up to the 3'6” at the end of the winter circuit. Along with Griffith, Akinda shows with owner Victoria Press in the junior hunters.donated by BJ Meeks and Pablo Perez.
“She knew the drill,” Griffith said. “Ever since June, she's a very smart mare, and she was like, 'I've got the name of the game.' Now she knows exactly what she's doing. I've never had a horse get it that fast. Now when you ride her she feels totally confident.”
She described, “You basically get one rhythm. She sights in on the jumps and takes you there. For a small horse, she really jumps in front and behind and gives a good effort.”
Akinda is qualified for the remainder of the indoor horse shows with Press. Griffith expressed, “It was nice that they let me bring her here and ride her. I'm happy for them too.”
The Grey Slipper Award and Perpetual Trophy, donated by Bridget Hallman, was awarded to Megan McGuire's Candlelight for excellence in the professional and amateur hunter divisions.
The Capital Challenge Horse Show continues tomorrow with championships for the Amateur-Owner 3'3” and 3'6” Hunters and three sections of Adult Amateur Hunters. The WCHR Amateur-Owner Challenge 3'3” and 3'6” will be held in the afternoon, and the $10,000 Children’s/Adult Jumper Challenge will wrap up the evening festivities.
Final Results: $20,000 Added North American Future Hunter Championship
1 789 BACARDI HAVENS SCHATT
89 88 87.5 89 90 88.70
94 87 87.5 93 91 90.50 179.20
2 428 CONCEPT SCOTT STEWART
87.5 95 86 85 86 87.90
93 89 88 88 88 89.20 177.10
3 387 AVIGNION JENNIFER BAUERSACHS
83.75 83 88 87 89 86.15
86.5 84.75 89 91 93 88.85 175.00
4 792 BALIN HAVENS SCHATT
82 84 87 82.5 85 84.10
86 85 87 86.5 90 86.90 171.00
5 600 FIRST DANCE ELIZABETH BOYD
88 81.75 82.5 86 87 85.05
88 83.5 83.5 85.5 86 85.30 170.35
6 1268 JOYFUL SCOTT STEWART
87 86 82.75 85.75 83.25 84.95
85 84 84 84 86.5 84.70 169.65
7 618 BY THE WAY JEFF GOGUL
82.25 78 83 82 84 81.85
88.5 86 86 85 89 86.90 168.75
8 452 PARAMOUR SCOTT STEWART
86 87 84 88 87.5 86.50
81 79 81 82.5 78 80.30 166.80
9 381 MARIANO SANDY FERRELL
84.5 82 85 83 83 83.50
82 81 84.5 83.5 83 82.80 166.30
10 1302 MTM U CALL IT TRACY FENNEY
82.5 83.5 85 85.5 83.5 84.00
83.75 80 82.5 82 82 82.05 166.05
11 477 SERAFINO MELISSA FELLER
83 81.5 80.5 83.5 82.5 82.20
82.75 83 82 87 84 83.75 165.95
12 109 WEXLER PETER PLETCHER
84 82 81.5 84.5 80 82.40
84.5 82 80 79 81 81.30 163.70
More from Wednesday at the Capital Challenge Horse Show
Peter Pletcher Returns to the Top with Sambalino in $25,000 WCHR Professional Challenge
Up-and-Coming Pros Get The Spotlight at $5,000 WCHR Emerging Pro Challenge