The World Championship Hunter Rider Professional Finals, held Friday night during the Capital Challenge Horse Show (p. 8), is an entertaining class to watch and great fun (perhaps mixed with some anxiety) for the riders. But this year the leaders of the American Hunter Jumper Foundation included a new twist to the class when they added a handy hunter course as the fourth and final round. It was a great addition.

The class, based on the format of the World Show Jumping Championships, pits the top four riders in the WCHR professional standings in a catch-riding competition. They compete on four different horses over four courses, and the six-judge panel scores them on their effectiveness, style and the way the horses perform for them.

When I saw the line-up for this year’s “Final Four” of John French (the eventual winner), Peter Pletcher (three-time winner), Scott Stewart (three-time winner) and Louise Serio (two-time winner), I knew it would be an incredibly close finish. These talented riders have the ability to squeeze the most points out of each round and each horse.

With the addition of the handy course, the riders had the opportunity to really show off and take risks during the final round. Louise was in fourth after the first three rounds, and it was great to watch her take those chances on her final ride. Even though it didn’t work out for her this year when her horse dropped a leg over the second fence, the spectators saw a lesson in sportsmanship. Louise gamely cut the turns and rode her best for that blue ribbon and didn’t just settle for a safe fourth round.

Although Scott’s final ride scored an 88, I think the spectators wanted to see a 98. Scott was by far the most aggressive rider in the final round, and his horse responded well, taking all of the tight turns with ease. After Scott’s performance, which included a daring gallop to the single oxer in the center of the ring, the spectators cheered wildly. Their enthusiasm turned to boos, however, when Scott’s scores lit up the scoreboard.

AHJF Executive Director Michele Perla was also surprised by the crowd’s reaction. “To hear that was great,” she said. “It wasn’t just a few people, it was the entire place! I love the fact that we actually had people boo and they got to do that. That was a moment I’ve never experienced before. I think the judges were offended. It wasn’t as if the scores were out of whack, though. They were all in agreement. They all saw what they saw. Likewise, they get to give their opinion, and the crowd got to give their opinion back. I loved it.”

In fact, after this year’s inaugural handy hunter round was so well received, Michele said they’re considering a more challenging course for next year that includes rider options, such as inside turns and different approaches.

This year the Capital Challenge featured a hugely popular live-feed video stream. Those unable to attend the show could watch the classes in the indoor ring “live” on their computers thanks to EquestrianSport.TV. (You can even watch the rebroadcast anytime.) As it turned out, the Pro Finals class was so popular that the number of viewers crashed the server during the class. One technician estimated that more people watched the Pro Finals live-feed than did the grand prix the following night! To me, that says a lot about the popularity of the Pro Finals and the great work the AHJF is doing to keep this class fresh and exciting. I can’t wait until next year!


Tricia Booker