Two years ago, in Las Vegas, Nev., four of the top United States hunter riders challenged four superstar European show jumpers to a duel.  And, much to the Americans’ chagrin, the Europeans came out on top.

So, the rematch was charged with tension.  And humor.  Yes, this competition might have had the pride of American hunter riders at stake, but it wasn’t a bitter fight.  With wry commentary from Frank Madden and Melanie Smith Taylor, and riders with a sense of humor about the rematch, this class was good entertainment, to be sure.

Scott Stewart started off the American effort strong, with a 85.30 score average from the judges—Linda Hough, George Morris, Julie Winkle, Tom Wright, Ralph Caristo, and Scott Williamson—on Jane Fraze’s Henderson.

British show jumper Michael Whitaker had the unfortunate luck to go first for the Europeans in the class.  Richard Jeffery had set a course full of natural obstacles—wood coops, roll-tops, and natural rails.  In between the fences were decorative split-rail fences. 

Whitaker had—just moments before—won the $75,000 Las Vegas Grand Prix on his own horse, so he wasn’t as prepared as possible to hop on the borrowed hunters and give it a go.  He cantered into the ring on Janie Andrew’s Carson, jumped a few fences, and promptly got lost.  “I was trying to find the numbers.  I didn’t have a chance to look at the course, and I went in and was trying to guess at where I was going,” Whitaker said with a laugh.

He cantered around the ring, and jumped whatever fence came up, including the decorative split-rail fences.  He finished over the correct oxer, and played to the crowd with a one-handed jump, gesturing his confusion.  The crowd roared with laughter. 

The first round wasn’t kind to the Europeans.  Rodrigo Pessoa got surprised when Laura Wasserman’s Quality Time stopped abruptly at an oxer.  But Christian Ahlmann—the only European who didn’t participate in 2005’s hunter challenge—posted an excellent score of 83.3 on Old Oak Farm’s Clockwork.  And Marcus Ehning—just as he did two years ago—gave everyone a riding lesson. He guided Laura Wasserman’s Overseas to a beautifully flowing round, making it look as effortless as his winning grand prix trips.  They got an 88.3 from the judges.

Louise Serio joked later that she much have been watching Whitaker, because in the first round, she turned the wrong way after one fence.  A quick circle rectified the situation, but she ended up with a score of 40 on Alison Baileys’ Tache Rouge. 

John French’s score suffered when Mary Slouka’s Cunningham—a lovely gray stallion—was very spooky and stopped for a score of 23.3.  Pletcher put in a 79 on Fraze’s Mandarin, and the Americans led going into Round 2.

In Round 2—a handy class–the American and Europeans swapped groups of horses.  Stewart set the pace, scoring a 90.3 aboard Overseas.  Ahlmann upped the ante with a lovely round on Fraze’s Henderson for an 89.6.  The remaining three American riders all scored in the 80s to put the pressure on the Europeans.

Ehning and Pessoa put in solid rounds, but Whitaker suffered from Cunningham’s spookiness, and had a sticky go for a 70 score.  The final American total of 464.33 conquered over the Europeans’ 440.99.

“It’s an honor to be in this class, and it’s an honor to be sitting next to this group of riders, these European superstars.  We’re thrilled that we won this time, though we probably would have liked to have seen it go a little bit better than it did.  My one round I’m particularly embarrassed about,” Serio said.  “The horses have a hard time in this venue.  They get a little spooky—it’s so different than anything they’re used to.” 

Jeffery’s course was reminiscent of old-time hunter courses, with its natural rails and minimal decoration.  Judge George Morris enjoyed judging the class.

“These were much closer to the fences of the hunting field and the fences we jumped years ago in the hunter division.  I really respect these guys for sticking their necks out and participating in this.  They’re superstars and icons to all of us, and they’re great sports.  And I respect the American riders for going up against them,” Morris said.

And Morris has a hope that the hunter division might expand.  “I had an idea that the hunters could be an international discipline because lots of the horses for the hunters come from Europe.  I’d love to see the ante upped for the discipline and gradually become an international division—of course, over bigger fences,” he said.

American Hunter-Jumper Foundation president Geoff Teall elaborated: “We’re trying to take the hunters in a new direction.  It’s in the beginning stages, but it’s time for the hunters to get back to being a bit more exciting.  We’re trying to add some international flair to it and involve more and more people in it,” he said.

Hunter, jumper and equitation trainer Karen Healey hopes that expanding the hunters will help rejuvenate the sport.  

“This competition—the World Cup Finals—is obviously the pinnacle of show jumping.  In the hunters, we don’t have that pinnacle.  We’ve lost the top of the pyramid, and we need to recreate it.  Hopefully, if we can do so, it will raise the level all the way through the sport,” she said. 

AHJF officials hope that they’ll announce come definite goals and plans toward that end in the near future.