Louise Serio won for the third time in the history of the $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular, picking up this year’s victory with Jennifer Burger’s Rock Harbor on Saturday, February 17, at the 2018 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. On the grass derby field of Equestrian Village, Francisco Jose Mesquita Musa (BRA) and Biscayo won the $35,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50m Classic. Earlier in the day, seven additional hunter championships were awarded.
Louise Serio and Rock Harbor. Photo by SportFot Photography
The WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular takes place during World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) week at WEF as the feature “Saturday Night Lights” event. The United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) founded WCHR in 1992 to recognize hunter riders and the Hunter Spectacular debuted shortly after. Each year, hunter riders look forward to a chance to compete under the lights in the International Arena at PBIEC.
Thirty-six of the country’s top professionals, juniors, and amateurs tackled the two-round course, which is offered at three heights (3’6”, 3’9”, and 4’) and designed by Steve Stephens. The top 12 riders returned for the second round. Each of the competitors qualified for the class by winning either champion or reserve in one of the specified hunter divisions during WCHR week at WEF or through another WCHR designation.
Click here to watch their winning round!
The judges for this year’s Hunter Spectacular were Chris Wynne and Sissy Wickes in position one, Shane George and Rick Fancher in position two, and John French and Mary Lisa Leffler in position three. Overall placings were decided by combining scores from the first and second rounds.
After leading in the first round with a score of 89.50, Serio and Rock Harbor, an 11-year-old Warmblood gelding, returned as the final pair in the handy round. They scored 86.75 for a 176.25 total to win the class.
“My horse was awesome tonight,” said Serio of her partner of six years. “I thought he jumped really well. I’ve never done him in a night class under the lights. I thought he was really on his game.”
Serio, of Kennett Square, PA, won this class twice before, in 2005 with Costello and 2011 with Castle Rock.
Louise Serio and Rock Harbor with USHJA Executive Director Kevin Price, USHJA President Mary Babick, owner Jennifer Burger, Chair of WCHR Committee Caroline Weeden, and ringmaster Steve Rector. Photo by SportFot Photography
“You never know when you’re going to get back here again,” she said. “It’s very rewarding. Jennifer Burger who owns Rock Harbor has been a wonderful client for a long time and she’s been a big supporter, so to do it on her horse is really nice.”
Burger said, “I’m on top of the world. Louise is an unbelievable rider. She’s found me an amazing horse, and tonight was the crescendo of those two things coming together and the best it could be.”
After winning this class the past two years, Scott Stewart of Wellington, FL, and Catch Me, a ten-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Gochman Sport Horse LLC, had to overcome one mistake in the first round and a score of 83.33 to complete their three-peat. They made an amazing move up the standings from 11th to second place with the best second round score of 91 for a total of 174.33.
Scott Stewart and Catch Me. Photo by SportFot Photography
Returning for the handy round, Stewart said he “had nothing to lose.” He continued, “I had a little bit of a funny jump in the first round, so I was really happy that I made it back at all in the second round. I sort of just went for it. It was probably one of the best rounds I’ve ever had, especially for the handy. Everything just worked. The jump that he took a little look at in the first round was the jump I really sliced in the handy, and he was perfect about it. It all just worked out great.”
In her first time competing at WEF, Tracy Fenney traveled from Flower Mound, TX, to finish in the top three of the Hunter Spectacular. She and MTM Outbid, an eight-year-old Warmblood gelding owned by MTM Farm, had an 85.33 in the first round and sat seventh. A solid hand round score of 88.83 moved them up the standings to third with a 174.16 total.
Tracy Fenney and MTM Outbid. Photo by SportFot Photography
“I was a little starstruck when I first got here,” Fenney admitted. “Showing against all of these guys is amazing. It’s a great class and a really fun crowd. My horse seems to deal with whatever, the lights, daylight, he’s good with that. It’s fun to compete against all these guys.”
Final Results: $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular
Horse, Rider, Owner
Round 1 judges score, Round 1 total
Round 2 judges score, Round 2 total, Overall total
1 ROCK HARBOR, LOUISE SERIO, JENNIFER BURGER
91.00 88.50 89.00 89.50
86.75 86.00 87.50 86.75 176.25
2 CATCH ME, SCOTT STEWART, GOCHMAN SPORT HORSE LLC
86.00 78.00 86.00 83.33
88.00 93.00 92.00 91.00 174.33
3 MTM OUTBID, TRACY FENNEY, MTM FARM
82.50 89.00 84.50 85.33
87.00 86.50 93.00 88.83 174.16
4 SHAMELESS, KELLEY FARMER, AIZLYNN RADWANSKI &
86.75 87.50 86.50 86.91
90.00 86.00 85.00 87.00 173.91
5 CINEMAGIC, DAISY FARISH, MERALEX FARM
85.00 89.50 90.00 88.16
84.00 84.00 86.50 84.83 172.99
6 CHABLIS, KELLY TROPIN, LIBERTAS FARM LLC
84.00 90.00 84.00 86.00
86.50 85.00 84.00 85.16 171.16
7 PRIVATE LIFE, SCOTT STEWART, DR. BETSEE PARKER
85.50 84.50 83.50 84.50
86.00 88.00 86.00 86.66 171.16
8 SMALL AFFAIR, AUGUSTA D. IWASAKI, IWASAKI & REILLY
82.00 85.00 87.00 84.66
80.00 87.00 89.00 85.33 169.99
9 MORE FUN, KELLEY FARMER, LIBBIE GORDON
81.00 88.00 83.00 84.00
83.00 85.00 87.00 85.00 169.00
10 CHICAGO, CALLIE SEAMAN, CALLIE SEAMAN
86.50 86.50 85.50 86.16
68.00 62.00 80.00 70.00 156.16
11 KIND OF BLUE, BRADY MITCHELL, FLOAT ON EQUESTRIAN LLC
87.00 83.00 88.00 86.00
45.00 45.00 45.00 45.00 131.00
12 AIRPORT 48, JOHN INGRAM, JOHN & STEPHANIE INGRAM LLC
82.00 87.00 80.00 83.00
ELIM 83.00