Lexington, KY – Nov. 5, 2022 – Hunter competition concluded at the 2022 National Horse Show Saturday with the $10,000 Children’s Hunter Classic and $10,000 Adult Amateur Hunter Classic. The nation’s top children and adult amateur hunter athletes battled for the inaugural championship title in their respective divisions.
Each horse-and-rider combination jumped the first 10-obstacle round designed by Bobby Murphy (USA), which showcased a myriad of traditional hunter features, including various five-stride to two-stride lines and lofty oxers. Murphy’s track challenged both horses and riders, asking the athletes to showcase their mount’s conformation and adjustability while maintaining poise and classic hunter demeanor. Judges awarded points based on each horse’s ability to maneuver the course, and invited back the top 12 horse-and-rider combinations to show in a second round to decide who would be crowned winner.
At the end of the day, it was Que Sera, a six-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, and Emma Rupinski of Saint Louis, MO, who took the top spot in the Children’s Hunter Classic, after accumulating a score of 173 points after two breathtaking rounds. Breckenridge, a 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding, and Abigail Gordon of Statesville, NC, came in second with a combined score of 171.
The adult amateurs entered the Alltech around midday, where the audience witnessed Elliot and Kendall Meijer of Grand Rapids, MI, steal the lead by a fraction of a margin – Meijer beat the runner-up by three-quarters of a point to bring home blue with 173.75 points aboard the nine-year-old Selle Francais gelding owned by Copper Fox LLC. In second was Freedom and Jeanine Cash, of Winthrop, MA, with a combined score of 173 points.
Competition will continue in the Alltech Arena Saturday evening with the highly-anticipated Longines FEI Jumping World Cup CSI4* qualifier at 7:00 p.m (EST).
RESULTS
Horse / Rider / Owner / R1 Score / R2 Score / Total Score
$10,000 Children’s Hunter Classic
1. Que Sera / Emma Rupinski / River Run Farm, LLC / 86 / 87 / 173
2. Breckenridge / Abigail Gordon / Ashland Farm / 88 / 83 / 171
3. Pritchard Hill / Agatha Lignelli / The Lignelli Family / 84 / 85 / 169
4. Candor / Talia Kirson / Ashland Farm / 79.5 / 81 / 160.5
5. Easter / Colvin Hall / Kristoff Petro / 79 / 79 / 158
6. Hallmark / Maya Grove / Maya Grove / 85 / 72 / 157
7. Madewell / Shayne Vasquez / Richard Cunkle / 76 / 77 / 153
8. You Otto Know / Sophia Delellis / Sophia Delellis / 80 / 70 / 150
9. Logan / Ava Scharbo / Ava Scharbo / 82 / 64 / 146
10. Meant To Be / Ava Norton / Ava Norton / 83 / 61 / 144
$10,000 Adult Amateur Hunter Classic
1. Elliot / Kendall Meijer / Copper Fox LLC / 88 / 85.75 / 173.75
2. Freedom / Jeanine Cash / Jeanine Cash / 86 / 87 / 173
3. Lennox RW / Carland Alban / Garland Alban / 86 / 84.25 / 170.75
4. Caemlyn Z / Julia Mc Nerney / Julia Mc Nerney / 85 / 85.5 / 170.5
5. Que Sera / Lilly Rupinski / River Run Farm, LLC / 82 / 88 / 170
6. Small Social / Ava Peck / Ava Peck / 83 / 85 / 168
7. MTM Sandwich / Piper Klemm / Piper Klemm / 84 / 83.5 / 167.5
8. Fenway / Victoria Chaconas / Cynthia A Chaconas / 81 / 86 / 167
9. Czarito / Allyson Hall / Allyson Hall / 87 / 79 / 166
10. All In / Jacquelynn Chistenson / Brenda Christenson / 81.5 / 81 / 162.5
11. Ocelot / Sarah Bachor / Sarah Bachor / 79 / 82 / 161
12. VDL Etolon / Caitlin Geary / Caitlin Geary / 78 / 80 / 158