The amateur-owner hunter athletes took center stage Thursday morning as the 2018 National Horse Show continued to award championship titles. The first championship ribbon of the day went to Lindsay Maxwell of Beverly Hills, California, and her own Belgravia in the Rencourt Foundation Amateur-Owner 18–35 3’3” Hunter division, presented by Ms. Clementina Brown. The pair won three of the four classes in the division and placed fourth in Wednesday’s first over fences round. Reserve champion was awarded to Callie Seaman and her own Endeavor.
Rencourt Foundation Amateur-Owner 18–35 3’3” Hunter division, presented by Ms. Clementina Brown. Photo by Phelps Media Group
“Winning here is an honor,” Maxwell shared. “This is an incredible show with the long and storied history and they do a beautiful job putting it on every year. It’s definitely one of my favorite shows that I go to all year. The competition was stiff and the pressure was on so I couldn’t be happier.”
After claiming the same division championship at the Capital Challenge Horse Show and Washington International Horse Show, Maxwell was thrilled to end the fall indoor season with one more tricolor at the National Horse Show. In addition, Maxwell’s 10-year-old Warmblood gelding’s impressive performances over the course of Wednesday and Thursday ultimately secured him the overall 2018 Grand Champion Amateur-Owner 3’3” Hunter title and the Susanne Stroh Perpetual Trophy.
“It’s fantastic; it feels wonderful! Belgravia – his barn name is Prince – is a spectacular horse. He’s really come through for me this indoors. I’m thrilled with how he performed and it’s an honor to win this here at the National Horse Show. The courses were beautiful. It’s really exciting, I’m really proud of him.”
Lindsay Maxwell on Belgravia. Photo by Shawn McMillen
Following Maxwell and Belgravia’s championship win, the Oare & Adikes-Hill Amateur-Owner Over 35 3’3” Hunter division, presented by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest M. Oare and Mrs. Patricia Adikes-Hill, championship was presented to Virginia Fout and her own Carma. The duo claimed the under saddle and stake classes to help them win top honors in the division, while the reserve championship was won by Lynn Seithel and her own Walk The Line, who won the handy round.
After the completion of the amateur-owner hunter divisions on Thursday, junior hunter competition began with the Small Junior 15 and Under Hunter division, where Maggie Hill claimed the first over fences round with her own O’Ryan and Violet Lindemann Barnett rode to the top of the leaderboard in the handy round with Luscious, owned by Sloan Lindemann Barnett, to secure valuable points ahead of Friday’s stake and under saddle classes to determine the champion.
Violet Lindemann Barnett and Luscious. Photo by Phelps Media Group