Lexington, Ky. – For the first time in the history of the Platinum Performance/United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) Green Hunter Incentive Championship, two champions were crowned last night at the Kentucky Horse Park. In the 3'/3'3" Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship, Patricia Griffith (White Plains, N.Y.) piloted Endeavor, Callie Seaman’s nine-year-old Warmblood gelding, to the top spot and $23,321 in total prize money after three rounds and three days of competition. Sandy Ferrell (Bernville, Pa.) rode Hemingway, Stephanie Bulger’s eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding, to victory in the inaugural 3'6"/3'9" Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship, taking home $10,441 over the two rounds.
Griffith and Endeavor placed third in Round 1 and tied for 40th in Round 2 before returning to clinch the win in the Championship Round with scores of 88.5, 88.5, and 88 for a total 265 points. "[Endeavor] has been everything we hoped for and more," said Griffith. "The first thing we noticed was that he really exhibits all the qualities of a true hunter. He goes around with beautiful movement. He's still, his ears are forward, [and] he jumps beautifully. He's just the epitome of a hunter."
Tracy Fenney (Flower Mound, Texas) and MTM First Dibs, MTM Farm’s 11-year-old Warmblood gelding, placed second in the Championship Round, just .5 points behind Griffith. The pair placed 11th in Round 1 and won Round 2, taking home $24,083 over the three rounds.
3'/3'3" Round 1 Results
3'/3'3" Round 2 Results
3'/3'3" Championship Round Results
Ferrell and Hemingway earned scores of 93, 90, and 92 in the Championship Round for final score of 275 points and victory in the 3'6"/3'9" championship, 11 points ahead of the next combination.
"It was so fun to win the inaugural 3'6"/3'9" Green Hunter Incentive Championship," said Ferrell. "It's so nice that they recognize the 'bigger' horses, so to speak. There's a place for the 4' and beyond horses, so it's nice that they have this new championship. Not every horse is a derby horse, they don't always go to that level. But in instances like this, the Green horses have four years now of coming out and being showcased."
Reserve champions Kelley Farmer (Wellington, Fla.) and Shameless, Aizlynn Radwanski's eight-year-old Warmblood gelding, earned 264 points in the Championship Round and won a total of $5,918 over the two rounds.
3'6"/3'9" Round 1 Results
3'6"/3'9" Championship Round Results
The 3'/3'3" championship also included bonus awards based on performances in the First and Second Rounds.
$5,000 High-Score American-Bred Bonus Award in remembrance of Candie Owens, presented by Oakwell Farms and DS Holdings, LLC - Like Always, Patrick and Jana Rodes’s six-year-old Holsteiner mare, trained by Patrick Rodes.
High-Score Four- and Five-Year-Old Bonus Award - Sandstone, Betsee Parker’s five-year-old KWPN gelding, trained by Kenneth Berkley
$2,500 Texas Super Series Bonus Award, presented by Patrick Rodes - MTM First Dibs, MTM Farm’s 11-year-old Warmblood gelding, trained by Mike McCormick
High-Score Sallie B. Wheeler/U.S. National Hunter Breeding Championship Alumni - Jump!, EMO Stables’s five-year-old Warmblood mare, trained by Winn Alden
Thoroughbred Bonus Award - By Golly, Barbara Baker’s six-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, trained by Ashley Lovegrove
High-Score Mare Award: Queen Celeste, Pony Lane Farm’s seven-year-old Holsteiner mare, trained by Alex Jayne
Top amateur riders were recognized in each championship. Didi Mackenzie (Flower Mound, Texas) earned the 3'6"/3'9" High Score Amateur Owner Award and Piper Benjamin (Lake Forest, Ill.) earned the 3'/3'3" High Score Amateur Owner Award.
The Shapley's Best Turned Out Award in the 3'/3'3" championship was awarded to Anselmo Cholac for grooming Baby Balou, Rivers Edge’s six-year-old Zweibrucker mare, and Wayne Robertson for grooming Diatendro, Kelley Corrigan’s seven-year-old Hanoverian stallion.
The USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Program has gained popularity since its debut in December 2012 and garnered praise from members across the country for its encouragement of the development of young horses. For more information about the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships, visit www.ushja.org/GreenChampionship.
The Platinum Performance/USHJA Hunter Week continues Friday, August 17, with the Classic Hunter Round of the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship.
EQSportsNet is providing wall-to-wall live streaming coverage of and on demand access to every round of both championships. Coverage includes expert commentary on the final rounds, course visualization, and live scoring.
The United States Hunter Jumper Association is a recognized affiliate of US Equestrian. Keep up with Platinum Performance/USHJA Hunter Week by following USHJA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Visit the Learning Center to find out more about the hunter discipline. Watch an Introduction to Show Hunters with Geoff Teall and Hunters: A Winning Round with Danny Robertshaw to learn what makes a winning hunter round by analyzing footage from these championships.
Stay up to date throughout the competition by following US Equestrian on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Use #JoinTheJoy.