Washington, D.C.—Oct. 28
For trainer Peter Wylde, Annabel Revers’ big wins at the Washington International Horse Show aren’t a surprise, they’re based of plenty of hard work getting to know her horses and catering to their needs.
“When you work with a rider, yes you have to work on the rider, but with her we’re really working on making each horse go better,” said Wylde. “How can we make this part better? What can we do?
“She’s a naturally gorgeous rider, and I love that the horses live at her farm so she’s really connected with the horses,” he continued. “The horses are part of their family, and there’s a total respect for the animal.”
That connection and individual attention paid at the Verizon Center, where Revers guided her own MTM Hands Down to the large junior hunter, 15 and under, championship and the overall grand junior hunter title. Her small junior hunter, Kingpin, finished in reserve in his division as well, after earning the Georgetown Trophy for the highest mark of any junior hunter—a 93. The judges honored Revers with the Best Child Rider on a Horse title for her efforts.
Annabel Revers piloted her own MTM Hands Down to the grand junior hunter title. Photo by Mollie Bailey.
“It’s really exciting,” said Revers, Weston, Mass. “I’ve never been Best Child Rider at a major finals show before today. It was really exciting to consistently put in good rounds and prove that I can put in good enough rounds to be champions, because they don’t always get hack ribbons.”
Revers has had the ride on MTM Hands Down, a 13-year-old warmblood of unrecorded breeding, for almost three years. She said that unlike Kingpin, who likes a looser rein and relaxed ride, “Cody” goes best in a little bit of a frame.
A win in today’s stakes class boosted Kingpin to the reserve title in the small junior hunter, 15 and under, division with Annabel Revers up. Photo by Mollie Bailey.
“He likes a pretty soft ride,” said the 16-year-old, who won the division title over Mimi Gochman and Papyrus. “He likes if you stay relaxed and take it slow in the corners, then get a gallop toward the jumps. Overall he’s very straightforward and he was very brave here this week which I was really happy about.”
Papyrus and Mimi Gochman claimed the large junior hunter, 15 and under, reserve title. Photo by Mollie Bailey.
ADVERTISEMENT
Next up Revers will take both hunters to the CP National Horse Show (Ky.).
Peaking At Just The Right Time
While Revers earned the grand hunter title, it wasn’t a runaway victory. Hunter Siebel’s As Always earned an equal number of points in the large junior hunter, 16-17, division, missing out on the grand title as more of As Always’ points were under saddle. Hunter Holloway rode The Governor to the reserve title.
Hunter Siebel and As Always jumped to the large junior hunter, 16-17, championship at Washington. Photo by Mollie Bailey.
Not that Siebel, Woodbridge, Calif., is complaining. She’s been steadily improving over this indoors season with “Big”—a moniker earned thanks to his 17 ¼ hh status.
“We were USEF Horse of the Year last year in 2015 for the younger juniors,” said Siebel, 17. “This year he’s been great. I’ve never been champion with him back east so it’s kind of fun.
“He rides like an equitation horse,” she continued. “You have to make sure he’s round around the ends of the rings, and once you face the jump and have enough energy you can move up and stay smooth.”
Hunter Holloway and The Governor earned the large junior hunter, 16-17, reserve title. Photo by Mollie Bailey.
At home Siebel trains with Archie Cox, but she paired up with her childhood trainer John French during her fall tour.
“He was able to give me good advice about how to ride in the warm up area, which is so small,” she said. “It all worked out great.”
Another of French’s charges, Boss, won big on junior weekend. Katherine Dash rode that horse to the small junior hunter, 16-17, title. Dash, of Seattle, has been leasing Boss from Laura Wasserman this season, and in Washington she edged out Boris and Holloway for the win.
ADVERTISEMENT
Katherine Dash piloted Boss to his second championship of the Washington International Horse Show, this time in the small junior hunter, 16-17, division. Photo by Mollie Bailey.
Dash has been on a roll throughout the indoor tour, winning titles at Pennsylvania National and Capital Challenge (Md.). before coming to the capital. That horse also claimed the regular conformation title earlier in the week with French.
Hunter Holloway and Boris claimed the reserve small junior hunter, 16-17, championship. Photo by Mollie Bailey.
A Perfect Partnership
Emma Kurtz has been a regular in the awards presentations at the Washington International for several years, and this time around she rode Wisdom to the large junior hunter, 15 and under, title.
Emma Kurtz piloted Wisdom to the small junior hunter, 15 and under, title. Photo by Mollie Bailey.
The 16-year-old lights up when she talks about the 8-year-old Holsteiner (Casall—Ilaischa) owned by Rivers Edge.
“He’s the most perfect horse ever,” said Kurtz, who recently celebrated her 16th birthday by getting her driver’s license. “Literally all I do is kick and chuck the reins. I don’t touch his mouth at all. He lives with [Scott Stewart, who trains Kurtz along with Ken Berkley, Amanda Lyerly and Mike Rheinheimer] and I meet up with him at shows.
“He did Harrisburg and Kentucky last year and he was so perfect for a baby,” she continued. “He just did a few little green things, and this year he was really pulling it all together. He’s been so solid.”
Kurtz didn’t even have to practice leading up to the fall indoor season. After earning top ribbons at Devon (Pa.), he didn’t show again until Capital Challenge.
Get full results at ryegate.com.
Want more Washington International Horse Show? No problem—we have you covered. And don’t miss the Nov. 14 issue of the Chronicle of the Horse magazine for full analysis of the competition.
