SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — The Spring Series at Blenheim EquiSports concluded four weeks of grand prix events April 16 with the $50,000 Blenheim Spring Classic IV Grand Prix, presented by Davidson Communities.Vani Khosla, who earned her first and grand prix win aboard her Billy Mexico.The class was preceded by several special presentations. The Shea Therapeutic Riding Center, one of the Chip In For Charity recipients, gave an exhibition led by Executive Director Dana Butler-Moburg to demonstrate the equine therapy work the center does to effectively work with a variety of disabilities in children and adults. Also a part of the Chip In For Charity program, Uryadi’s Village, an organization that works to help support orphans in remote areas, had a silent auction and a “Jump for the Village” fundraiser., where participants pledged a fixed amount of money every time a rider in the Grand Prix cleared the Uryadi’s fence on course.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Katie Gardner and Maldini, owned by Starlane Farms, edged Buddy Brown on Finally Ours by a half-point to capture the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby on April 15 at the Blenheim Spring Classic IV.

“Maldini was amazing today,” Gardner said of the 2007 Swedish Warmblood. “His main job is the adult hunters with his owner, but we have brought him along from the baby greens to the big derbies. He is so brave and honest. I’m thrilled with the win.”

Susie Hutchison and Cantano in 2010

Horsetrader photo / Warren Wilson

LEXINGTON, Ken. — While continuing to win grand prixes (related story below), Susie Huchison received word last month that she will be a 2016 inductee into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame.

The announcement came March 29 from the SJHF, which will induct its newest members in a June 2 ceremony at the Devon Horse Show before the start of the $225,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon. Joining Hutchison as 2016 inductees will be Elizabeth Busch Burke and Katie Monahan Prudent.

Induction into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame is an honor bestowed annually upon select individuals whose contributions to the sport have set them apart and whose influence has had a significant impact on the sport of show jumping and the equestrian community. It is because of their talents, efforts, accomplishments, and what they have brought to the sport, that the Election Committee, comprising some of the nation’s top riders, trainers and officials, voted them as the inductees for the 2015 election.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — An announcement on Tuesday that she was a 2016 inductee into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame didn’t mean there was no work to be done four days later on Saturday.

Susie Hutchison continued a solid year — and legendary career — with a win on Ziedento in the the $25,000 Markel Insurance 1.40m Grand Prix, as the second week of the Blenheim EquiSports Spring Classic series wrapped up.

With 38 entries in the class, FEI course designer Manuel Esparza designed a track that worked for varying levels of competitor experience and produced 10 clear rounds. Of the five double-clean rides, Hutchison and Ziedento, owned by St. Bride’s Farm, took charge. Also at 1.40m in height, the first Interactive Mortgage U25 Series Qualifier of the season ran simultaneously, with Santiago Vallarta and Go For Me earning the blue ribbon.

THERMAL — Two-time Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward and Sagamore Farms’ Rothchild, rose to challenge a top-notch field of 33 riders, including Ocala’s 2015 Great American Million winner Charlie Jayne, to claim a prestigious victory by going double-clear on a challenging course in the first Jewel in the HITS Triple Crown of Show Jumping, the AIG $1 Million Grand Prix on March 20.

It is Ward’s third HITS Million Grand Prix win, the first coming with his long-time partner Sapphire in Saugerties in 2010 and the second in 2012 on Antares F.

The 2016 HITS Desert Circuit was in its final week of the season as an electric crowd descended upon HITS Desert Horse Park to witness the grand finale of the winter show circuit. A large spectator crowd filled the grandstand, as well as a sold-out VIP club and thousands more viewing a live United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Network webcast.

THERMAL — Junior and Amateur riders rode for the win and a piece of the prize money, as they competed in the March 19 $25,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic of HITS Desert Circuit VIII. Along with the purse, the equestrians who are between 13 and 21 years of age were also vying for points as a class was a selection trial for the North American Junior & Young Rider Championship (NAJYRC).

Katie Russell of Pasadena was one of trainer Cynthia Burkman’s 28 Scottsdale Champions, taking Lightning McQueen CRS to the Half-Arabian Hunter Pleasure AATR 40-over Championship.

Schatzberg photo

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The world’s finest Arabian and Half-Arabian horses and trainers come to Westworld here each year to, among other things, test the waters for the new season. And while their miles traveled may be less than their colleagues from other parts of the continent, the prospects of California competitors proved great again this year.

The 61st annual version of the show ran Feb. 11-21 and drew more than 2,400 horses in a myriad of disciplines and events. Among the thousands of entries were the likes of venerable show barns like Stachowski Farms, established in both Ohio and San Marcos, Calif., as well as individuals and smaller operations.

California champions hailed from all types of barns — big, small and in-between, and clearly the Golden State continues to be an influential force in the breed.

DEL MAR — As the distinctive opening bass line of “Under Pressure” rang out in the covered arena at the Del Mar Horse Park with the voiceover “Hi, I’m Legolas, let’s go!”, there was no doubt that Legolas 92 was back in top form as he and Steffen Peters posted the second-highest Grand Prix Freestyle score of their career at California Dreaming Productions’ Dressage Affaire CDI3*/Y/J/U-25, being held March 10-13.

The veteran U.S. Dressage Team pair’s winning score of 82.000% was also the best of any other American team contender in the current Olympic selection year, second only to their own career best score of 84.050% earned at the LA Winter Dressage CDI in Burbank in January.

Rich Fellers and Coupis at HITS Thermal.

ESI photo

THERMAL — Week VII of the HITS Desert Circuit kicked off an exciting week of big money opportunities for jumpers, and Rich Fellers took home another win, this time riding a new horse, Coupis, to the $5,000 Brook Ledge Open Welcome. He took Leslie Nelson’s horse to a double clear round in a blistering 40.649 seconds. Canadian course designer Danny Foster had put riders to the test building a lengthy and technical course set at 1.45 meters.

The jump-off came down to who could master the tight roll back turns and gallop the fastest. Only five of nine entries who had made the jump-off went clean, and a pair of California riders, Mandy Porter of Encinitas and Susie Hutchison of Temecula, finished second and third, respectively.

THERMAL — As the crowd gathered to watch the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Thermal Feb. 13, an impressive line-up of horses and riders from around the globe gathered to jump for the final West Coast qualifying opportunity and a $100,000 prize purse.
Filling the last qualifier on the West Coast, riders were hungry for the opportunity to get on board the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final, scheduled March 23-28 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

German course designer Martin Otto had set a course that created excitement for spectators in the stands and challenged the skill of each horse and riders, which would ultimately separate three riders from the field for the jump-off. Tenth to go was France’s Eric Navet and Catypso, owned by Signe Ostby, testing the course of 16 jumping efforts—Navet and the powerful bay gelding took their time on the course as they navigated the track fence-by-fence in a precise, clear first-round.