Hunter action kicked up a notch during the second week of the Traverse City Spring Series, presented by Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, with the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championships coming to Flintfields Horse Park. With two crownings of overall champions at their respective heights (3’/3’3” and 3’6”/3’9”), anticipation grew for the 2024 Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships taking place in Lexington, KY, this August.
Earning top call in the $10,000 3’6”/3’9” section, Jacob Pope of Columbia, MD, and Family Affaire, owned by Judgement Farms, LLC, collected a combined score of 176 and qualification for the overall championships.
“He’s quiet, always wants to jump in good style, careful and really has a great brain.” gushed Pope of the nine-year-old Selle Français gelding by Contendro L. “For me, that brain—especially for a junior/amateur horse—is the number-one thing. He’s a good enough mover but he’s the whole package, which we love about him.”
The Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championships in Traverse City are one of six regional offerings throughout the U.S. The Green Hunter Incentive Program as a whole was developed to encourage the development of green horses in the hunter ring, a mission that is shared by Traverse City Horse Shows.
With qualification now in the bag, Pope not only has his eye on the 2024 Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships, but also on preparing Family Affaire for the upcoming Adequan/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships with rider Claire Mullally.
“He came to me as a jumper sale horse from my friend Marissa Metzger,” said Pope. “As soon as I got on him, I knew he would be a really good hunter. I put Claire on him and they matched perfectly. She’s been looking for a small junior for a while, so she ended up buying him and it’s honestly been like a dream come true to keep him in the barn.”
Mullally will compete the aptly named Family Affaire at the Junior Hunter National Championships—also being help at Traverse City Horse Shows—at the end of June.
As for Pope himself, he is making the most of the season in Traverse City, a horse show he considered to be just like home. He will compete in Saturday’s $25,000 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby North Central Regional Championship and continue to split his focus with the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring aboard his string of jumpers.
“I love it up here,” said Pope of Northern Michigan and the Traverse City Horse Shows. “We’ve been here for a few years now and the weather’s unbeatable, the rings are wonderful, and the show overall feels new every year. The horses get up here and are refreshed after they’re long winter circuits, so it’s a great place to be and the horses love it.”
Claiming the reserve title for the day in the 3’6”/3’9” Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championship, Kyle Muckler of Ocala, FL, pocketed a score of 170 riding MTM Idolized, owned by Lynn Parker. The third spot went to Nick Haness of Temecula, CA, and his own Ponté on a score of 164.5.
For the full results, please click here.
Custom Romance Named Platinum Performance/USHJA 3’/3’3” Green Hunter Incentive Regional Champion
Leading the walk to the winner’s circle in the $10,000 3’/3’3″ section of the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championships, Nick Haness of Temecula, CA, and Custom Romance, owned by Romance Sport Horses, took home the top tricolor.
The pair conquered the championship with a combined score of 175 after earning a spot in the final round of competition in the 3’ Green Hunter division. Haness swept the podium by also earning the reserve champion title riding Versace for owner Debbie Smith on a final score of 174, and claiming third with Designer Romance, owned by Romance Sport Horses, with a final score of 172.
“Custom Romance is a super nice horse that I have imported and developed since he was a baby so this is a really exciting win for us and for his team,” said California native Haness of the eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Hochadel. “He’s a unique horse and quite talented. He’s been a horse we’ve developed slowly and let him mature in his own time. This is the second season of showing in the pre-greens, so he’s now at this point really dialed in.”
Custom Romance has exceeded all expectations during the Spring Series so far, earning champion during opening week and again this week in the 3’ Green Hunter Division. With three champion ribbons under his belt in just two weeks, Custom Romance is prepped for a good showing at the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships at Kentucky Horse Park in August.
“We’re obviously from the West Coast, so we’re excited to be here in Traverse City and competing in the regionals here,” said Haness, who has been spending his spring and summer seasons in Traverse City for several years. “Our goal is to continue on and do the incentive finals in Kentucky later this summer, so this is a great setup and we’re feeling super confident going forward into that event after winning today.”
In addition to the $25,000 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby North Central Regional Championship on Saturday in the Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring, the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby will take place on Sunday.
For full results, please click here.
