Tracy Magness and Tarco Van Ter Moude jump to the biggest win of their careers in the Budweiser/Upperville Jumper Classic.

Just about every little girl on a small pony dreams of one day winning a major grand prix. For most, however, that dream will never become reality.

But Tracy Magness defied the odds during the $100,000 Budweiser/Upperville Jumper Classic during the Upperville Colt & Horse Show, June 1-7, when she and John Bartko’s Tarco Van Ter Moude posted the only clear round in the field of 19 to clinch the biggest win of their careers.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Magness of her win in Upperville, Va. “This is the highlight of my career so far.”

This victory held special meaning for the 37-year-old from Baltimore, Md., because she’s been competing at Upperville since her small pony days.

“I never in a million years thought I would win this class,” she admitted. “I was on the USEF Developing Riders tour in Europe last year. Since I came home, I’ve won 10 grand prix classes with Tarco. He’s been on a roll. When we were over there, we won the [CSIO**** Lipica (Slovenia) Nations Cup]. The experience really gave me confidence.”

Second to go in the featured jumper class, Magness laid down the first clear round of the day at a blazing pace. To her surprise, the next time she entered the ring was for the awards ceremony, not the jump-off.

Hometown rider Alexa Lowe, Upperville, Va., came closest to Magness as the fastest four-faulter on Windsor Farm Sales’ Credit Cruise. Margie Engle, Wellington, Fla., and Hidden Creek’s Coraya Z followed close behind to take third.  

“It was nerve wracking. As the class went on, people were having faults so they were being more careful, just trying to get around clear. Then there were time faults,” explained Magness.

Time isn’t usually an issue for her, though. “I have a pretty fast horse. If I ride him well and he’s going well, the time allowed usually takes care of itself,” she said.

Magness and the 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Darco—Pleiade de Revel) have won eight grand prix classes since January. The big bay has always been a consistent competitor, but he’s reaching new heights this year. Although Tarco was a successful jumper in Belgium before Magness imported him, he hadn’t yet reached the grand prix level.

In addition to being a successful performance horse, Tarco is a valued member of the family. Magness is involved in his daily care and doesn’t have a groom at home.

“He’s a lover. He loves to be petted, and he’s quirky about some things,” said Magness. “He’s hilarious—he has an attitude about a lot of things, but he’s fantastic in the ring.”

Heavy rains in the days preceding the class forced show organizers to move earlier classes from Upperville’s big

grass fields to all-weather footing in the schooling ring. Normally, the competitors compete on the grand prix field at least once before the $100,000 class, but this year, the horses were exposed to new turf and jumps on Sunday.

Magness attributed some of her fellow competitors’ problems on course to the novelty of the ring. When Tarco entered, he was spooked by the shiny Shamu jump standard but quickly got down to business. She had nothing but praise for the course designer Peter Holmes, of Cowichan Bay, B.C.

“The course designer did a nice job placing the jumps, because we’ve had so much rain this week, and the footing was good, considering,” said Magness. “It’s a beautiful setting, and it was a nice course.”

Prant’s Top Performers

While Castlewalk narrowly missed a reserve championship in the second year green hunter division at Devon (Pa.) two weeks earlier, he made up for it by taking the tricolor at Upperville and was awarded the grand green hunter championship.

“He’s really easy and a great horse,” said Scott Stewart, who rode Richard Prant’s gelding to four blue ribbons, placing second in the under saddle. “The footing was a little slippery, but he was really good and very brave.”

An 8-year-old Wurttenberger, Castlewalk began his career in the hunter ring on the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit (Fla.) in 2008 and won several first year green championships, including the titles at Upperville and the Hampton Classic (N.Y.).

“Heather Hooker [Prant’s grand-daughter] shows him in the small junior hunters,” said Stewart. “They were champion together the first time she showed him in Florida.”

Stewart, fresh off his leading hunter rider award at Devon, piloted another Prant-owned horse, Castlekeep, to the first year green championship.

“He had good ribbons at Devon,” said Stewart of the 6-year-old Hanoverian gelding. “He’ll start doing the junior hunters with Heather as well. He’s really laidback and is almost too quiet, but that’s good for Upperville.”

In addition to his two championships, Stewart was also reserve in the green conformation division on Fashion Farm’s Declaration.

“I had a little bit of a rough start on Tuesday,” said Stewart with a laugh. “But Wednesday was good. If the weather holds, Upperville is one of my favorite horse shows. It’s a great area.”

A Horse Of Her Own

While Taylor Brown has collected numerous tricolors aboard other people’s horses, it’s especially sweet when her own mount gets to share the limelight. She and her own Window Dressing, a 7-year-old Hanoverian, won all three large junior hunter, 16-17, classes in the weather-shortened division en route to picking up the grand junior hunter honors.

Bred by Kim Schmidt of Scottsville, Va., in 2002, “Noodle” hasn’t always been Brown’s first priority. “I’ve been catch riding so much I haven’t really had time for her. Finally, she got to a point where I said, ‘Noodle, you’re just going to have to go and do the 3’6″!” said Brown.

But inexperience didn’t stand in the way; the pair garnered championship ribbons at their first two shows in the junior hunters, one at the Lexington Spring Encore (Va.) and the second at the Keswick Horse Show (Va.).

Brown, Palmyra, Va., clearly contributed her fair share of ability to the duo’s stellar outing. Her ability to jell with various types of horses and ponies has made her well known in the hunter ring. Over the winter, she spent most weekends in Florida riding for Scott Stewart at WEF or with Christina Schlusemeyer and Bob Braswell, of Quiet Hill Farm in Ocala, Fla., during HITS Ocala.

When at home in Virginia, Brown trains with Peter Foley and Dale Crittenberger of Aldie, Va. In addition
to showing her own horse this week, Brown rode the ex-grand prix jumper Legato for Robert Coluccio, earning second in the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal and third in the ASPCA Maclay.

But this week Brown was especially thrilled with the results she’s had with Window Dressing. The dark bay mare, originally bred as an eventing prospect, had only shown a handful of times in the pre-green hunters before moving into the junior hunter division.

Brown, a high school senior, will attend Baylor University (Texas) next fall to ride on the varsity equestrian team.

“I knew I didn’t want to go anywhere where I knew a lot of people that I’ve been showing against for so long. I kind of wanted to go where I don’t know anyone, so Baylor was great,” she said.

For now, Window Dressing isn’t going anywhere. “Just the fact that I own her and no one can sell her or take her away from me is so awesome. I’m just so happy it’s finally my horse,” added Brown.

Silver For Sliver

After capturing the amateur-owner, 18-35, championship, Caitlin Lane made it clear that she can balance a full-time career and a competitive show schedule and still come out on top.

Lane currently works at a high-powered law firm in Washington, D.C., and plans to keep the profession on her radar for years to come. “I took the LSAT and was debating law school, but I didn’t apply this year,” she said.

Despite living in the District, Lane commutes to her family’s Tartan Farm in Leesburg, Va., on a regular basis to ride Sliver and her other mount, After Party. Her father, Ed Lane, also serves as her trainer and owner of her competition partners.

“It’s fun. I really enjoy it, especially now that I’m working. I try to come out once or twice a week,” she said.

Sliver has also benefited from Ed’s guidance. Purchased three years ago as an eventer, the 15-year-old Trakehner has found his niche in the hunter ring at Tartan Farm. The charismatic gelding learned the ropes under a few different riders.

“He did the first year green hunters with [professional] Sandy Ferrell, my sister Sarah did the pre-green hunters with him a little, and then he did the junior hunters,” said Caitlin. “I got back exactly a year ago, and this was my first show on him in the amateur-owners [where they were champions in the 18-35 division].”

A Winning Steak

Few riders can make a smooth transition from garter straps to tall boots within one show, but 12-year-old Victoria Colvin is no stranger to a change of attire.

She claimed Upperville tricolors on ponies and horses, earning the large pony hunter and grand pony hunter championships with Love And Logic, the large pony hunter reserve championship with All The Best, the medium pony hunter championship with Promise Too and the small junior hunter championship aboard Ovation. She was also named best child rider on a pony.

Colvin has trained with Scott Stewart, Wellington, Fla., for two years, picking up the rides on many of his ponies. Her transition to the junior ring this year has been flawless, yielding championships and major wins right off the bat.

Despite riding so many horses and ponies at each show, Colvin can’t pick one that stands above the rest. “I don’t really have a favorite,” she said with a laugh. “They’re all amazing.”

The seventh-grader from Loxahatchee, Fla., is home schooled, allowing her riding and academic schedules to jell without disrupting one or the other. Once she started riding with Stewart, most weekends and afternoons became dedicated to riding. Her hard work has paid off in spades, though, as she’s enjoyed success on many mounts, including Ovation.

“Ovation is so easy. His changes are good, and he’s very smooth at his canter,” she noted of the striking bay with whom she won the $25,000 Upperville Junior/Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic. Despite a course that was modified due to heavy rains earlier in the week, the pair performed with style and earned scores of 93 and 89, good enough to clinch the win.

Colvin also made her debut at Upperville in the professional divisions, riding Stewart’s Krystall in the green conformation hunter division.

Schaefer And Garfield Pick A Great Line

When Samantha Schaefer, Westminster, Md., designed her course for the Paul And Eve Fout Go As You Please Handy Hunter class, she came up with a plan that showcased her experience at the top levels of equitation. Strict restrictions by the judges, however, made her turn to her trainer, Kim Stewart, for advice.

“Sam had a super idea but had too many elements,” said Stewart. “The judges were very specific. We tried to get around the course as fast as we could because that’s how I think a handy course should be. In and out. Quick and tidy.”

Upperville provides unique classes for participants, and the “choose your own line” challenge is a favorite for many riders. The competitors design their own courses that will show off their horses the best. Each pair had to jump eight fences, include the trot jump, the snake fence and ride through a gate.

Schaefer and Garfield clinched the blue ribbon with an 88, sealing the win with their smooth rollback turn from a natural split-rail vertical to the hunting gate, as well as crisp transitions and flowing lines.

“He’s really brave and perfect,” said Schaefer of the 8-year-old gelding. “We only decided to show in the class today. I didn’t do that much to prepare him; it was nice that he showed during the week because he’d done a lot of the things already.”

Schaefer began riding Garfield this year and shows him in the junior hunters. The Holsteiner is also ridden by Scott Stewart in the first year greens. Kim Stewart found the flashy chestnut in Germany and fell in love with his natural jumping ability.

“I just saw him jump over little crossrails, and he didn’t steer. He wobbled all over the place, but he had great style,” she said.

Katie Huber, Great Falls, Va., on Virtue was the only rider who came close to Schaefer and Garfield, scoring an 86 after a brilliant bending line between two oxers. Both pairs contested the hunting gate easily, but the obstacle proved to be challenging for many competitors.

“I ride him out a lot, and he’s fine,” said Schaefer of Garfield. “He’s not spooky, and he’s easy and straightforward. This is his pre-green year, but we took him to a show and did the 3’6″ and just stuck with it. He’s learning on the job.”