As a trainer at the junior- and amateur-focused Heritage Farm, Patricia Griffith doesn’t usually have a constant string of rides in the professional divisions, and only occasionally does she get an entry in a USHJA International Hunter Derby.

But when Griffith gets an opportunity, she makes the most of it. One year ago she won the Old Salem derby on Travino, and she was back in the spotlight again at this year’s edition at Old Salem Farm May II, held May 18-22 in North Salem, N.Y.

But this time it was junior hunter Sienna’s turn to top the class. Rain had rendered Old Salem’s all-weather arena footing a bit sloppy, which Griffith said factored into Sienna’s first round score, but the pair still placed third in the classic class.

“She had a beautiful round but just touched a few. Then in the handy, she fired off the ground like she normally does,” she said.

Their second go turned out to be a stunner of a trip, earning double scores of 89 with handy bonuses to snag the win. Sienna’s day job is in the large junior hunter, 16-17, division with owner Lexi Maounis—they were reserve champions at Old Salem Farm May II. Griffith, 33, showed the Hanoverian mare to fifth in the WCHR Palm Beach Hunter Classic Spectacular (Fla.) in February and seventh in the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby in Wellington, Fla., in March.

Despite the infrequency of their shows together, Griffith, Katonah, N.Y., knows Sienna has what it takes to win. The talent that brings her high scores was obvious when Griffith first saw her, showing in Kentucky.

“She was doing the first years, and right away you couldn’t miss her jump. She’s got electric front legs; her front legs are really fast. She makes it all look the same from every distance. She’s really just a great horse, point and shoot,” Griffith said.

Sienna, 9, spent 2008 and 2009 showing in three-foot divisions in Texas, then started in the 3’6″ in 2010. Chris Nelson rode her to win the USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Pin Oak Charity (Texas) last March. Maounis bought Sienna in August, just before the $100,000 The Chronicle of the Horse/ USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals (Ky.). But five days later, the mare was dramatically out of action.

“At the show, she was in the longeing area, and she stepped on a tractor bolt that was in the footing, and it went up into her frog. She had to get shipped across the street [to Hagyard Equine Medical Institute] and have it surgically removed. It was scary because we weren’t sure if it was in the bursa or not,” Griffith said.

“She was out for about a month while it healed, and then she was fine,” she continued.

“She’s one of the best junior hunters we’ve ever had. She’s a great mare. She wants to be treated like a princess in the barn, but in the ring she’s a real winner. She’s a trier, and she’s perfect for the derbies because she’s really brave, and there’s nothing she doesn’t think she can do.”

Good Practice

At 16, Kristen Lutz is a bit younger than Griffith, but she’s got a few winning moves of her own. Lutz claimed Old Salem II’s small junior hunter, 16-17, tricolor on her own Huntington, and then rode a catch ride, Que Sera, to the large junior hunter, 16-17, and grand junior hunter titles.

“It was only my second show on Que Sera, so I was just hoping to ride well and for him to be good—it ended up being great!” Lutz said. “Huntington is going to Devon [Pa.], so showing at Old Salem was good for both of our confidence for that.”

Que Sera is owned by Sophie Cohen and trained by Cynthia Williams. Lutz started taking some lessons with Williams, who then gave her the ride on Que Sera. But her relationship with Hunting-ton, or “George,” has been much more lengthy. Lutz’ parents, Danny and Karen, run Stratford Stables in Purchase, N.Y. Danny found George as a green 5-year-old five years ago and took him on as a project. Kristen was still riding ponies at the time, so Danny started George over fences.

But by 2007, Kristen was ready to move up, and George was ready to show, so she started him in the children’s hunter division.

“He’s come a long way,” she said. “He’s a small horse, but he has a big heart. He’s a little smaller than 15.1, but his jump is big and awesome.”

George and Kristen made the move up to the junior division together in 2008, and they’ve been consistent at the 3’6″ ever since. “He definitely has a really comfortable canter. He’s always right in front of me, and I always know he’s going to be quiet. He’s powerful at the jump, though,” she said.

“Sometimes he’s spooky about the sides of the ring, but he’s definitely getting better about it as he gets older.”

They showed at Devon together last year, and although Kristen had shown ponies many times there, it was George’s first time at such a big venue, so they used it as a learning experience. But by the end of 2010, Kristen and George had taken the small junior, 15 and under, reserve championship at the Pennsyl-vania National.

The Lutzes don’t travel to Florida for the winter, so they spent the cold months showing indoors. Kristen grew up riding with her parents, but in the past few months, she’s added some lessons with Williams to her schedule.

“It’s a new opportunity for me. I enjoy it a lot, and she’s given me some nice horses to ride,” she said.

French Kiss Embraces Blue

During the first week of showing at Old Salem, Tina Furey came so close to a tricolor she could taste it. She and French Kiss tied for the adult amateur hunter, 36-45, championship but had to settle for reserve when the tie was broken.

But Furey wasn’t going to let that happen again. She rode French Kiss, or “Smooch,” to two firsts and two seconds over fences to clinch the tricolor, then topped it all off with a win in the adult amateur hunter classic. Trainer Brooke Baldwin-deGrazia also rode Smooch to the green conformation hunter reserve champion-ship both weeks. Smooch might give the impression of not taking his job very seriously.

“He’s kind of a sleeper; you can find him snoozing at the side of the ring,” Furey said.

“But once you get into the ring, he’s all business. He’s very fun to ride.” Furey, New Canaan, Conn., bought the 7-year-old Westphalian last winter and showed him in the adult amateurs last year as well.

“We’re taking our time with him,” she said.

“My goal is to move up and do the 3’3″ at some point, but for now we’re doing well at 3′.” They placed second in the 2010 North American League Adult Amateur Hunter Finals at the Pennsyl-vania National. Furey rode as a junior and then took some time off, but she’s enjoyed getting back into the ring. She’s ridden with Baldwin-deGrazia for four years.

“She’s done a whole host of good things for my riding,” Furey noted. “She’s really gotten me to be feeling like I’ve got lot of confidence.”