Lexington, Ky. – Nov. 2, 2017 – The amateur owner hunter athletes took center stage on Thursday morning as the 2017 CP National Horse Show continued to award championship titles.
Kelly Tropin and Chablis
Eight years after her performance in the Maclay finals at the National Horse Show, Kelly Tropin returned aboard Libertas Farm LLC’s Chablis to top the Amateur Owner Under 35 Hunter division, claiming the championship and ultimately earning the title of Grand Champion Amateur Owner Hunter and the “Ruxton and Scot To Do” Challenge Trophy. Tropin and the 9-year-old Warmblood gelding captured wins in the stake class and the under saddle with a second place ribbon in the handy round to earn the “In Dutch” Memorial Perpetual Trophy and the “Scot To Do” Challenge Trophy. Lindsay Maxwell rode her own Baranus to the win in the handy round and take home the reserve championship award.
Becky Gochman and Catch Me, Amateur Owner Over 35 Champion
Catch Me and owner Becky Gochman continued their domination of the Amateur Owner Over 35 hunter division with wins in the over fences class, the under saddle class and the handy round to ultimately claim the championship tricolor. Gochman could not dream of a better partner than “Snoopy,” the 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding who has guided her to a year full of championships and first place ribbons in their amateur season debut. The pair earned the same title after sweeping the division at the Capital Challenge Horse Show. Staying true to form, Catch Me also claimed the Judith Murch High Performance Hunter division championship, presented by the Corrigan family and Winners Circle Trailer Sales Wednesday with Scott Stewart. The Amateur Owner Over 35 Hunter Reserve Championship and William and Margaret Marquard Memorial Trophy was awarded to stake class winners Virginia Fout and her own Cristiano.
Becky Gochman and Catch Me
Following the completion of the amateur owner divisions, junior hunter competition began where Elly Ficca and her own Quatrain captured back-to-back wins in the Junior 3’3” Hunter over fences and handy round. Ficca and the 13-year-old Westphalian gelding secured maximum points ahead of tomorrow’s stake class and under saddle to determine the champion.
Junior hunter competition will continue through Friday beginning with the Small Junior 15 and under Hunter over fences at 9:05 a.m.
View the original article on Phelps Sports.