Lexington, Ky.—Nov. 2

Virginia Fout hasn’t known her horse for long, she didn’t get along with him at first, and she doesn’t show very much—none of that stopped her and Carma from riding to the top of the low amateur-owner hunter, 36 and over, division at the CP National Horse Show.

“To have so much success with him indoors when I just got him, this is our first kind of time around [indoors], and I don’t over-show him. I just show him enough to qualify for stuff like this,” Fout, 45, said. “It’s nice when it pays off, especially when you’ve come so far.”

Cheers to the champion! Virginia Fout gives Carma a look at his trophy. Photo by Ann Glavan 

Fout is speaking in literal terms on that last statement—she traveled all the way from Los Angeles, Calif., to compete at the National Horse Show. Fout runs her own event production company, V Productions, in Los Angeles. 

“I produce events, like Oscar parties or press junkets or whatever, I get hired by people to produce events,” Fout explained.

Fout started out working for Universal Studios running their events, but started her own company 14 years ago when she got married.

“It’s been scary [starting my own company] but it’s been good,” Fout said with a laugh. “It allows me the flexibility to be on a conference call in my car at a horse show, like ‘Yeah, I’m at my desk!’ ”

Fout is originally from Middleburg, Va.—her parents met on the horse show circuit where they both competed.

“They met in the 50s, the hunters were very different then! You didn’t count strides, it was all unrelated,” Fout said with a laugh. “And all of us kids are different disciplines, my brother is into racehorses, my sister does three-day eventing, and I’m hunters.

“We just try not to talk about horses at family gatherings,” Fout laughed.

Fout bought Carma from fellow competitor and barn mate Montana Coady in December of last year—the horse was coming off of a one-and-a-half year break for an injury and was looking for a new job.

“It was a little rough trying to figure each other out, but we really formed a partnership,” Fout said. “He’s very different from my 3’6″horse, they’re kind of polar opposites. With him you have to be as quiet as you can and don’t get involved and don’t get in the way, and just tell him where he needs to go. If you get in his way, he just starts getting faster. He’s like, ‘No, don’t do it!’ ”

Fout has two hunters, Carma and Cristiano, and she competed them both at indoor finals this year. Her family still has a farm in Middleburg, Va., so after making the long trip from the West Coast, Fout kept her horses at home in between finals.

“Between Capital Challenge and Washington, I didn’t go to Harrisburg, so I took both horse to my house and I just trail rode them everyday,” Fout said. “They were like hogs in heaven, and it was awesome. And from the house to the barn, it was like 10 feet to go feed them and do whatever with them.

“We trail rode every day except two of the 15 days we were at my house, and they were just so happy,” Fout continued. “It was good bonding time.”

Fout hopes to one day pass Carma on to her 5-year-old daughter to be her children’s/junior hunter, but for now, they’re sticking with the lead line—and who knows, maybe a different sport will spark her interest!

“She’s giving me a run for my money—I’m going to get her a tennis racket for Christmas,” Fout joked.

Danhakl Goes One-Two 

Stephanie Danhakl took champion and reserve in the low amateur-owner hunter, 18-35 division—she’s pictured here with her reserve champion, Quest. Photo by Ann Glavan

Stephanie Danhakl captured both the championship and reserve titles in the low amateur-owner, 18-35 division aboard Enough Said and Quest, respecitively. At the conclusion of the low amateur hunter divisions Enough Said was also named the grand low amateur-owner champion.

“He’s really kind of really perfect,” Danhakl said. “He doesn’t pull, he has enough of a motor, he just stays the same. He’s very careful at the jumps, so you don’t have to worry about him hitting them, and he has a huge stride for being such a little horse, so I can kind of just loop the reins and go around and wear tiny spurs, and he just goes around perfectly.”

Stephanie Dankal with her champion horse (right) Enough Said and reserve champion Quest (left). Photo by Ann Glavan.

This is Danhakl’s first horse show as an engaged woman—her fiancé Peter Raymond popped the question over the weekend.

“I still can’t really believe it, it was a huge surprise for me, I was not expecting that to happen,” Danhakl said with a grin. “But I think it helped my mental focus here because I was just so happy and excited about that, that I just thought everything is good, it doesn’t matter how it goes, I’ll just ride and do the best I can, and enjoy it.”

Want to know what happens when at the National Horse Show, and how you can watch from home? Click here! Check back with the Chronicle later in the week for more from the National Horse Show, and don’t forget to check out the Nov. 24 issue of the magazine for more in-depth coverage.