Lexington, KY – August 15, 2025 – The final championship round of the 3’/3’3″ Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship kicked off competition in the Rolex Stadium on Friday morning during the Bluegrass Classic at the Kentucky Horse Park. The top 30 horses from the first two rounds of competition were invited to return for the final round, where they started with a clean slate. In the end, it was Scott Stewart who earned the winning title after he piloted Cadet to scores 88, 88, 90 for a total of 268. Just one point behind him was Holly Shepherd with El Porvenir Zara to place second, while the winners from the first round, Samantha Schaefer and Game On, took home third.
“This is our fourth horse show that we have had,” Stewart reflected on his ride. “He is just perfect to ride and he is as easy as it looks. A good friend of mine called me and told me about a horse in Munich while he was over there on vacation and took an extra day to try him, and I am glad that he did.”
The 3’/3’3″ Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship saw over 165 combinations to the Rolex Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, where they competed for a share of the $193,844 prize purse from Wednesday, August 13, through Friday, August 15. Wednesday’s competition began with a record-breaking 169 entries in the First Round taking on Ken Krome’s and Meghan Rawlins’ course. Judges Abby Blankenship, Jeanne Marie Dunford-Miller, Lynn Forgione, Tammy Provost, Mike Rosser, and Scott Williamson, scored Stewart and Cadet with a 278, placing them eighth in the First Round. The pair opted to use the bye system, securing their spot directly in Friday’s Final Round. Samantha Schaefer and Game On topped the First Round and also chose to advance via the bye. Holly Shepherd and El Porvenir Zara earned their place in the Final with a strong second-place finish in Thursday’s Second Round.
“Fortunately, he did well enough the first day that he did not have to show yesterday,” Stewart commented on the bye system. “I like that change in the format. He was a little bit more interested in going early today and just very consistent.”
Scott Stewart & Cadet
Hunter-style curves starting at the 3’ height before moving up to the 3’3” height. Stewart, of Flemington, New Jersey, rode in on Cadet, a 7-year-old Zangersheide, halfway through the Final Round to set the tone on an impressive 268. Shepard of Grand Bay, Alabama, came closest to catching him with a 267 aboard El Porvenir Zara, a 6-year-old Silla Argentino. Consistently strong throughout both the First and Final Rounds, Samantha Schaefer of Westminster, Maryland, rode Game On, a 7-year-old KWPN, to a third-place finish.
A longtime competitor in the USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Program, Stewart has now claimed the Championship title a record seven times, more than any other rider in the program’s history. His victories include six titles in the 3’/3’3” section and one in the 3’6”/3’9” section. For his efforts this week, he won $20,769 and was awarded the Bye for Now Perpetual Trophy donated in honor of Joey Darby.
Shepherd was the first person to show El Porvenir Zara in the hunters and has been thrilled with the talented mare’s performance. “She did her first show this winter in March, and she really didn’t know how to canter, so she’s come a very long way,” said Shepherd. “I don’t have the pleasure of riding that horse every day, but other people have been filling in the gaps and doing a great job, so I am super excited to be here.”
Holly Shepard & El Porvenir Zara
Schaefer was equally pleased, noting her mount’s quick development in a few short months. “We acquired him at the end of last year from Jonathan Cohen and Alex Jayne,” she explained. “He’s come so far this year. In April, I didn’t expect to even be entering the championships and then he won the opening day! I was able to get him the day off yesterday, and I thought he was excellent again today.”
Samantha Schaefer & Game On
Each year, the Green Hunter Incentive Championships offer additional recognition to riders through the Rider Ranking System, which categorizes riders into tiers based on their prior competition year earnings within the program. New in 2025, the system expanded to include a third tier, creating even more opportunities for lower-earning riders. Tier I riders are those ranked 1-45 on the list, while Tier II riders are ranked 46-100, and the new Tier III riders are 100 and below.
“The committee works all year long [for this championship],” said Colleen McQuay, USHJA International Hunter Derby & Incentive Task Force co-chair. “There are a lot of moving parts behind the curtains for these events. I have to thank my committee because they are very committed and along with the staff, we have great days like today because of them.”
This year, 3’/3’3” Tier II riders competed for an additional 20% of the total prize money, which totaled $55,384. Evan Caluccio, of Marshall, Virginia, took the top Tier II honor and $16,615.20 aboard Abigail Zuckerman’s MTM Carry On. The pair finished tenth overall on a score of 260.5. Based on scores from the First and Second Rounds, Tier III riders had a chance at an additional 10% of the total prize money, amounting to $27,692. Sara Taylor, of Sherborn, Massachusetts, and Stephanie Danhakl’s To The Moon secured the top Tier III distinction and an extra $8,307.60.
Between rounds, additional awards were presented to 3’/3’3” competitors.
- Rider Style Award: Kelly Mullen
- $500 High Score Thoroughbred Award: Ifwhizkycouldtalk, owned by Catherine Brown and ridden by Susan Lyman
- $5,000 High Score American-Bred Award in remembrance of Candie Owens, presented by Oakwell Farms and DS Holdings, LLC: Freedom, owned by Rachel Miller and ridden by Jennifer Alfano
- $500 High Score 4- And 5-Year-Old: Hallmark, owned by Garland Alban and ridden by Katie Cooper
- $2,000 High Score Texas Super Series, presented by Colleen McQuay and Patrick Rodes: SWS Cheers, owned by Steve Weder and ridden by Jeff Gogul
- $500 High Score Mare Award: Kessina, owned by Marisa Metzger and ridden by Jacob Pope
- Top Amateur Owner rider: Josie Evans, with a score of 458.5 on her own Handcrafted
The 2025 Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship concluded on Friday, but the week continues with the 2025 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, featuring the championship handy round on Saturday morning in the Rolex Stadium.
For more information about the Kentucky Horse Shows, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.