Scott Stewart and Private Life. PC: Shawn McMillen Photography.
Scott Stewart continues to be Scott Stewart, claiming virtually every prize he was eligible for on Wednesday at the Washington International Horse Show. He was also the reserve champion to himself a handful of times, as well.
First, he took Grand Hunter Championship aboard the once-gangly and now swan-like Private Life — a six-year-old Dutch Warmblood owned by Dr. Betsee Parker. The combination managed to pull out the win in every Green Conformation Hunter over fences classes, making the Championship a foregone conclusion. Which is more than Scott could say for his early years.
“I thought he was going to be an attractive horse and a conformation horse, but he was very immature at the time,” said Scott. “All of a sudden last year he started to blossom and look like a beautiful conformation horse.”
“He may not look it, but he’s really scopey,” Scott continued. “When we tried him, we jumped him over four feet, and it was easy for him. We brought him to a very strange ring outside, and he jumped everything, so his mind was great. I thought he was going to be an attractive horse and a conformation horse, but he was very immature at the time. All of a sudden last year he started to blossom and look like a beautiful conformation horse.”
Scott Stewart and Private Life. PC: Shawn McMillen.
Next, Scott took the win in the Grand Green Hunter Championship with Wonderly, an eight-year-old Brandenburger gelding who is also owned by Dr. Parker. Wonderly did things a bit more colorfully, earning his championship a first, second, and third place finish in the Grenn Hunter 3’6″ over fences classes. This secured the Claire Lang Miller Challenge Trophy, which is awarded to the high point combination from all of the Green Hunter divisions.
“[Wonderly] went great. He’s laid back, which is nice. It used to be that he was a little bit too casual, but I think he’s getting fitter,” said Stewart. “All of my hunters look like they’re fat, but they’re actually pretty fit and muscled up. They go in the ‘gym’ every day, and they get ridden almost every day. He’s pretty strong.”
Scott also took reserve championships in the High Performance Hunters with Cameo, and in the Conformation Hunters with Lucador.
Scott Stewart receives the High Point Hunter Rider Trophy. PC: Shawn McMillen
For all of his highfalutin wins throughout the day Wednesday, Scott Stewart was awarded Leading Hunter Rider Award for a shocking tenth time in his career. How does The Man Of The Hour plan to celebrate?
“This year luckily enough I don’t have any amateurs, so I think we’re going to go out and have a nice lunch at one of those restaurants and have a good time!”
Congratulations to Scott, King of WIHS!
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