Traverse City, Mich. – June 18, 2021 – Competition in the Polk Family Hunter Ring continued Friday morning, finishing out the Staller Shows Performance Hunter Combined division. Victoria Colvin and her longtime mount, Aristocrat, dominated the division, winning the over fences class and taking top honors on the flat, helping them secure the championship title. The windy, cool weather proved to be a challenge for many, but the 13-year-old gelding stepped up to the plate and made a splash, impressing the judges with his incredible scope and eager expression. Colvin also piloted Dynamo to a first and second-place finish, which ultimately secured the pair the reserve champion title.
Course designer Tom Carlson designed a beautiful layout to help the hunter riders showcase their horses’ talents. Friday’s course helped highlight the horses’ large strides and beautiful form over each fence. The end of the first round presented a long approach to a two-stride line that allowed the riders to open up their horses’ step and gallop up to the long combination.
Despite Colvin only showing Aristocrat during day two of the division, the dynamic pair proved to be a force to reckon with, winning both classes to capture the champion title. This horse-and-rider combination has had tremendous success in the past year, winning top honors in the Performance 3’6 Hunter division at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), the Aiken Charity Horse Show and several other top venues around the country. Colvin spoke highly of the talented horse and noted he shines in front of the judges because of his consistency in jumping each fence with impeccable form.
Colvin piloted Dynamo, the 13-year-old KWPN gelding owned by John and Stephanie Ingram LLC, Thursday during day one of the Performance Hunter Combined division and impressed the judges with his textbook form over each fence and lengthy stride, helping him meet each line and fence with ease. Dynamo and Colvin are no strangers to winning in the Performance 3’6” Hunter division, having won top honors at several competitions such asWEF and most recently at the Aiken Charity Horse Show.
Top hunter competitors from around the country are making their way to Traverse City, Michigan, to join in on the brand new Hunter Incentive Program to highlight hunter athletes and their horses. Over $275K in guaranteed prize money is on the table, and exhibitors have the chance to opt-in to the Incentive Program throughout the 12 weeks of competition for their opportunity to earn add-back prize money. Additionally, horses not enrolled in the program are still eligible to compete for the prize money during the Traverse City Hunter and Derby Finals as long as they have competed for at least three weeks of the Traverse City Horse Shows series. The finals will run concurrently with the highly anticipated 51st Anniversary of the American Gold Cup, held during Week III of the Traverse City Tournament of Champions this fall.
Hunter competition will return to the Polk Family Ring Saturday morning beginning at 8am, spotlighting the amateur-owner and junior competitors.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Victoria Colvin – Performance Hunter champion
On Aristocrat:
“He was very fantastic today. He jumped incredibly, and he did not show yesterday, just today. I have been riding him for about one year now. He shows with John Ingram in the Amateur-Owner Hunter division and I just do the Performance Hunter 3’6” with him.”
On Aristocrat’s strengths:
“He jumps very incredibly. Every jump is always the same, so it is not like one jump is amazing and the next one is not so amazing. He jumps really great, so I think it shines with the judges.”
On Traverse City Horse Shows:
“This is my third or fourth year coming to this show. I love it here, the weather is beautiful. The venue is not giant, which I like more. It is a little bit more together, which I enjoy.”
On upcoming plans:
“I am here in Traverse City for 5 weeks and then I am not entirely sure where we will end up next. I am going to go where the Ingram’s go. We will also be heading to the [USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship] in August, which will probably be a lot of our horses’ biggest goal.”
