Narning mid-circuit championships in both of the younger junior hunter divisions was like clockwork for Lucy Davis as she and her horses rode in perfect harmony. Indeed, her 9-year-old gelding, Clockwork, snagged the championship in the small junior hunter division while her 13-year-old mare, Harmony, cleaned up the large junior hunter division today, Feb. 10, in Thermal, Calif.

But Davis, 13, is no stranger to tri-colored ribbons. She earned last year’s Antares Overall Circuit Championship for her performances with Macy Grey in medium ponies. Now, at a new venue and aboard much bigger “ponies,” Davis seems to feel right at home and be on track for another overall championship this year.

Although Clockwork and Harmony finished with reserve championships in their respective divisions for the circuit’s  week three, their points from weeks one and two tallied enough leverage to secure mid-circuit honors by a comfortable margin.

Subsequently, Hannah Goodson Cutt swooped in with her new graceful grey mare, Ceillia, and decisively snagged week three’s large junior hunter, 15 and under championship by wowing judges in three over-fences classes and the under-saddle class. Four blue ribbons out of five is not too shabby; especially on a horse she’s only shown three times.

“She a lot of fun and has gotten so much easier to ride so quickly,” said Cutt. She picked up the 10-year-old Hanoverian only three months before bringing her to this year’s Thermal Desert Circuit. “She moves well, jumps well and she’s graceful—everything a judge looks for. I think we’re a good match and are really going to work well together.”

So while Davis was bringing week three reserve championships home to Old Oak Farm, her barn mate, Lauren Fields, snagged the other junior hunter tricolor by stylishly guiding her own 13-year-old warmblood gelding, Petrus, through 5 stylish rounds.

She described the 15.3-hand gray as “fun and smooth” now, but admits that he took some getting used to. “When I first started riding him, I just had to be really patient and quiet,” she said. Fields picked up Petrus’ reins from Chelsea Wilkinson, who also rode with Archie Cox at Old Oak Farm, last May.

And Petrus’ smooth style showed over fences and under saddle as he earned two blue ribbons for his panache in the air and another for his elegance on the ground.

Meanwhile, nobody could argue against pinning Vida Blue as the amateur-owner hunter, 18-35, mid-circuit champion in the hunter ring next door. With two over fences classes under her belt this week and a 17-point lead over the nearest challenger, Vida Blue continued merrily along her winning ways for owner Lesley Bulechek.

And the timing couldn’t have been better since this week was Bulechek and Vida Blue’s one-year anniversary. With the help of trainer John French, Bulechek found the 9-year-old Holsteiner in Texas during the Indio Desert Circuit’s off week.

“The horse I had for Indio last year got injured, and I didn’t have one to ride,” Bulechek remembered. “So we flew to Florida and tried about 60 horses but didn’t really find anything. John heard about this one in Texas so we changed our flight and tried her there.”

Their connection was almost instantaneous as Bulechek and Vida Blue went on to claim numerous amateur-owner tricolors starting week five of Indio and continuing throughout the year. The elegant gray mare even took her show on the road and won numerous amateur and professional hunter championships in the east whether French or Bulechek sat in the saddle.

“John really knows how to pick a horse,” Bulecheck concluded.

In the next age group up, Lynn Walsh, of Magnolia, Texas, brought her favorite horses to Thermal and raked in the ribbons in the amateur-owner, 36 and over division. One might say it was a walk in the park for Walsh’s 8-year-old Hanoverian MacArthur Park to gallop away with the mid-circuit championship while her 13-year-old warmblood, Ocean Park pinned the reserve honors.

But despite the horses’ competitive spirits in the hunter ring, they love nothing more than playing together at Walsh’s barn. “They’re best friends at home. They get turned out together and scratch each other’s backs,” said Walsh who trains with Peter Pletcher.

“Training them with Peter has been great because he really makes it fun and low stress,” she continued. And it’s that nature of relaxed riding and competition that continues to draw Walsh to show in the west, she said. Not to mention, the new Thermal facility “is incredible,” she added.