Renowned horseman George Morris of Wellington, Fla., judged at the Texas Sport Horse Cup, including the hunter derby, and conducted an equitation clinic during his time on the show grounds.

Morris also helped Britt McCormick design the course, which he described as a calculated departure from the “grotesque flower garden” that Morris feels defines most hunter courses at modern horse shows. The abundance of artificial elements on those courses, Morris said, “are things you wouldn’t ever see in the hunting field and have nothing to do with the meaning of the sport.

“I’d like to see some of the hunter divisions [not just the derbies] incorporate these natural fences,” Morris added. “The fences are what make the sport.”

Morris had high praise for McCormick: “I thought Britt McCormick absolutely grasped the purpose of what I was after. His fence construction was excellent. There wasn’t an abundance of groundline, and there was great variety of fences. The point is not always to make the course easier; it’s to make it realistic and to preserve the sport.”

Derby winner Camira also impressed Morris. “She’s a lovely, big, blood type,” he stated. “She moved beautifully, certainly jumped well, had plenty of scope and was beautifully turned out and conditioned. And of course Peter rides masterfully. He’s definitely one of the masters.”

Handy round winner Jana Rodes also received kudos from Morris.

“Jana is a top rider,” Morris declared. “But her horse [Dress Up] was a little greener. Afterward, I told Jana I didn’t give her as high a mark as the other judge because the horse was a bit greener on the turns, although she still scored in the 90s. But the horse is a beautiful type and jumped beautifully, too. I liked it very much.

“There were a bunch of lovely horses,” Morris added. “Because the fences looked different, some [derby] riders were tentative and rode weakly. They need to go in there and push their confidence a little bit. But those riders were a small percentage. Most of them coped very well.”

Morris recalled that his first time conducting a clinic in Texas was in 1962, in Beaumont.
“Gordon Wright sent me there,” Morris said, “and that was my initiation. Then I met Conrad Homfeld in 1964. So I’ve known Texas for years. They have a very good horse culture and, for the most part, very gutsy riders. They also have lots of great horse families.

“They’re not as close to places like California or New York, and isolation from the top of the [equestrian] pyramid always makes it difficult,” he said. “But there’s a lot of interest, enthusiasm and history in Texas. It’s a great place.“