The Children’s Hunter Older division kicked off competition on the final day of week 5 at WEF in the FarmVet Ring 7 as 16 combinations contested for the champion ribbon. With a two-point lead over the division’s reserve champion, Hanna Lloyd and Google It produced 22.5 points across the division to earn the champion title.
Lloyd teamed up with James Lala and Virginia Confer’s seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding for the first time this weekend under the tutelage of trainer Jeff Di Carlo. With two first places and a fourth over fences and a sixth under saddle, they brought home the championship ribbon.
Hanna Lloyd and Google It. Photo © Sportfot.
The division win was extra special for Lloyd as this was her first weekend showing at WEF this season and the gelding is entirely new for her. “I’ve only ridden him four times total,” she explained, “I was supposed to show him two weeks ago, but it was canceled due to weather. This is the first weekend I have been able to come down and ride him since then.”
As a full-time student in Hopewell Junction, NY, Lloyd is only able to travel down for the circuit on weekends. She keeps her junior hunter horse, Belle-Aire, stabled up north for the winter so that she is able to ride during the week and weekends that she is not able to come to Wellington.
“My goal is to come down as often as I can to show, and to do the best I can while I am here. This weekend was an incredible start that I didn’t expect, but this horse is so wonderful,” Lloyd said. “I really love being here and the energy of this show; everyone here has the same purpose because they want to be here and perform well.”
Lilah Bass of Magnolia, TX secured the reserve champion ribbon aboard Natalie Bass’s 11-year-old Trakehner gelding (Donaudeen x Tivoli), Zeppelin. The pair completed the division on a total of 20.5 points with a first, second, third, and sixth place.