Lexington, Ky. – Aug. 18, 2021 – Round two of the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship got underway at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show on Wednesday at 8:30 am in the Walnut Ring. 123- horse and rider combinations came back in no particular order to vie for their spot in the final championship round. Hunt Tosh and Twain took over the top spot of the leaderboard to secure the overall standing. Holly Orlando also moved up aboard her longtime mount, Waverly, to secure the second overall position. Scott Stewart and Fine Art held onto their third-place standing in the competitive class.
Hunt Tosh and Twain
The Green Hunter Incentive Program is open to horses eligible to compete in the Green Hunters 3’0″, 3’3″, 3’6″, and 3’9″ heights. The program is designed to encourage the development of green horses and is multifaceted to include the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships, regional championships, and stake classes throughout the year and across the country. The Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship brings forth some of the top hunter athletes across the country who compete over three days at their designated height. All horses entered are able to compete in the first two rounds, where they receive numerical scores from the judges. The top 30-horses, including those tied for 30th, with the highest combined scores from the first two rounds, will advance to the third round, where they start with a clean slate.
Hunt Tosh and Twain
Hunt Tosh and Twain, a 6-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Ceil Wheeler, first impressed the judges during Round 1 on Tuesday morning. They came into day two of competition with a third-place finish from the previous day with a score of 265.00 After a thoughtful and smooth round, the judges awarded the pair with a 270.50 score, which allowed Tosh to take over the top spot on the leaderboard and secure a top overall standing throughout the rest of the class. The judges were obviously impressed with Twain’s eager expression, athletic jump and even pace throughout the course.
Holly Orlando and Waverly
Another rider to make a big move during the second round of competition was Holly Orlando with Waverly, an 8-year-old Hanoverian mare owned by R & R Hunter Horses LLC. The pair, who have been partnered together for several years, put forth an outstanding round, impressing the judges with a big stride, impressive scope, and quiet composure. The pair head into the championship’s final round with confidence and a clean slate after securing the second overall spot with a combined score of 531.
Scott Stewart and Fine Art
As one of the first pairs to try their hand at the 8-obstacle course for round two, Scott Stewart and Fine Art, a 6-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Caroline Ratigan, continued their strong results with an overall score of 529. Once again, the talented young horse impressed the judges with his scope, composure, and style.
The final championship round of the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive will take place Thursday at 8:30 am in the Walnut Ring as the top horse and rider combinations vye for the lion share of the prize money. If you are interested in streaming the Platinum Performance USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship or the International Hunter Derby, visit horseandcountry.tv. Use code USHJA15 for 15% off a year’s subscription.
Regularly scheduled Bluegrass Festival hunter and jumper competition will begin at 8 am. Livestream links are available on the home page of www.kentuckyhorseshows.com
FROM THE WINNERS CIRCLE
Hunt Tosh – Winner of Round 2 The Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive
On Twain:
“He is great. Kenny and Cecil Wheeler bought him for us and he has not show as much so he was a little bit more green coming into this competition but he has a great personality. He walked into this environment and did not mind any of the changes. He went beautifully yesterday and we were thrilled with him so to come back and be good again today was super special.”
On his plan for today’s round:
“Twain was so great yesterday he was great in the ring. KJ Pearson, who rides for me, rode him and prepared him so I could blame her if there was a mistake today! He was fabulous today and went better today than he did yesterday. He is hopefully getting in the groove and we hope to have a repeat tomorrow. I am going to stay as far away from him as I possibly can and leave it all up to KJ again!”
On The Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive at the Kentucky Horse Park:
“It is such a great event. Hugh Kiuncannon and his staff put on great horse shows. The ring is beautiful and the courses have been great. This is the perfect facility to have this event.”
Holly Orlando – 2nd place overall in Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive
On Waverly:
“Waverly is small, although she does not know that, she has a big stride. I have ridden her for a couple of years and I know her really really well. She is such a special mare and super brave.”
On her plan for round 2:
“You have to get them quiet for the first day, so you just hop that you have some juice for round two and possibly day three. Like I said, I know her really well and you just want to keep her nice and straight and she does the rest of the work. She is very, very cool.”
On competing at The Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive:
“It was hard to miss this show in Kentucky last year. The horses love it here and they always go well. The ring and jumps are beautiful and everything is done so well here so we are happy to be able to come back.”
RESULTS – The Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive
Horse / Rider / Owner / R1 Points | R2 Points
1. Twain / Hunt Tosh / Ceil Wheeler / 265.00 | 270.50
2. Waverly / Holly Orlando / R & R Hunter Horses, LLC / 264.00 | 267.00
3. Fine Art / Scott Stewart / Caroline Ratigan / 265.00 | 264.00
4. MTM La Vita / Dorthy Douglas / MTM Farm / 263.50 | 261.00
5. Creekside / Elizabeth Boyd / Finley Farm, Inc / 262.50 | 259.50
6. Mastermind / Victoria Colvin / Karen Bruce / 272.00 | 248.00
7. Ever So Often / Jamie Taylor / Ava Peck / 256.00 | 260.50
8. Carousel / Elizabeth Boyd / Ashley Neudorff / 263.50 | 253.00
9. MTM Nabilli / Dorthoy Douglas / MTM Farm / 258.50 | 256.50
10. Kyoto / Geffory Hesslink / Brendan Williams / 258.00 | 256.00
11. Rock Point / Scott Stewart / Rivers Edge / 253.00 | 259.50