Washington, D.C.­—Oct. 22

Most show horses get ready for a trip to the Washington International with some extra schooling and maybe a warm up competition or two. With Authentic, it’s a little different.

Since March, he’s shown just three times, the last time being in September. He spent his autumn trail riding around owner Dudley Macfarlane’s Charlottesville, Va., farm, jumping exactly once to get ready.

But that didn’t stop him from succeeding once he arrived in D.C. He and Macfarlane jumped to the top of the Washington International Horse Show Adult Amateur Hunter Championship with marks of 86 and 85.5. He edged out Devon Braswell and Show Girl by half a point, and Sweet Potato Pie and Daryl Whitmoyer took third.

Macfarlane did have one more trick to help her 17-year-old veteran win. In this class last year he spooked at the jumbotron, so this year she dragged a trashcan into the corner of his stall, set up a computer on top of it, and streamed rounds of the second-year green hunters from the Pennsylvania National for him to watch. It worked.

 “He was just on it today,” she said. “I can’t remember two rounds where he was as wonderful as today—no rubs, no swaps. I promised him he’d never have to come back if he would just win this stupid class.”

Macfarlane has had the ride on the Dutch Warmblood (Julio Mariner—Kyraleen) for the last 13 years, buying him sight unseen from Europe on the recommendation of Jimmy Toon. These days Rodney Bross helps her stay show-ready. While Authentic keeps a light schedule, Macfarlane competes other horses in the amateur division, including several horses she’s bred herself.

For a full report from the Washington International Horse Show, check out the Nov. 11 issue of The Chronicle of the Horse.  Full results are available at the official Washington International Horse Show site.