Thermal, Calif. – Dec. 9, 2021 – The Green Hunter divisions concluded Thursday in Hunter 1 and included the crowning of the prestigious $1,000 Bridgeport Farms USHJA Green 3’6″ and 3’9″ Hunter Incentive Stake and the $1,000 CPHA West Coast Green 3’6″ and 3’9″ Hunter Stake. Once again, Nick Haness and Only Always proved to be a force to reckon with, taking home the win in both Hunter Incentive Stakes. Haness rode his second mount Sunset Boulevard to the reserve champion spot, while Q The Music and Alexis Taylor rounded out the top three in the $1,000 Bridgeport Farms USHJA Green 3’6″ and 3’9″ Hunter Incentive Stake.
Nick Haness and Only Always
The Green Hunter Incentive Program is open to horses eligible to compete in the Green Hunter 3’0″, 3’3″, 3’6″, and 3’9″ heights. The program is designed to encourage the development of young horses and is multifaceted to include the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships, regional championships, and stake classes throughout the year and across the country. The program and its stake classes bring forth some of the top hunter athletes across the country.
Haness and Only Always, a 9-year-old Warmblood gelding owned by Balmoral, were two for two after winning the Hunter Incentive Stake class for the second week in a row. The pair continued to impress the judges with their consistency and flowing pace as they met each jump with ease and grace. They demonstrated a beautiful hunter round, keeping a relaxed pace throughout the course, and continued to jump in perfect form, earning them a score of 90, helping to set the pace for the remainder of the Green Hunter riders.
Nick Haness and Sunset Boulevard
Wrapping up the Green Hunter Incentive Stake was Haness aboard Sunset Boulevard, an 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Lindsay Maxwell. The dynamic pair came into week two of hunter competition with a reserve champion placing in the $1,000 Bridgeport Farms USHJA Green 3’6″ and 3’9″ Hunter Incentive Stake during Desert Holiday I. Only Always once again caught the judges’ attention with his beautiful, open stride and picture-perfect jump, helping them earn a score of 87.5, just 2.5 points shy of Haness’ first mount, and helping them secure the reserve champion honors for the second week in a row.
Taylor and Q The Music, a 7-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Claire McNichols, came into day two of hunter competition with confidence after being the leading pair in the Brookway Stables Green 3’6″ Hunter division day one of competition Wednesday. They continued on their path of success, earning a Hunter Incentive Stake score of 87, just 0.5 points shy from Haness’ second mount, Sunset Boulevard. They were able to secure themselves a third-place finish out of a competitive group of 16 horse and rider combinations.
Alexis Taylor and Q The Music
Hunter competition will continue in Hunter 1 Friday at 8 a.m. with the highly anticipated $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby and will conclude the day with the $10,000 DIHP 3’3″ Pro Equitation Challenge.
FROM THE WINNERS CIRCLE
Nick Haness – Winner of the $1,000 Bridgeport Farms USHJA Green 3’6” and 3’9” Hunter Incentive Stake
On Only Always:
“Only Always is a brand new horse to the scene. He has quite the presence, and a brilliant jump. Balmoral, Tracy and Carlton Brooks imported him and our goal is to produce one of the nicest horses into the best in the country!”
On Desert International Horse Show:
“The DIHP team is constantly stepping up the game and improving the show grounds. We are excited to be spending our winter here on the west coast with such high quality management and facilities.”
RESULTS
Horse / Rider / Owner / Score
$1,000 Bridgeport Farms USHJA Green 3’6” and 3’9” Hunter Incentive Stake
- Only Always / Nick Haness / Balmoral / 90
- Sunset Boulevard / Nick Haness / Lindsay Maxwell / 87.5
- Q The Music / Alexis Taylor / Claire McNichols / 87
- Advent / Shawn Casady / Marta Rocha / 86.5
- Caldiano / Nick Haness / Double Down Farm LLC / 86.25
- Mattis / Chelsea Brittner / Zenfield Farm / 86
- Ballentine’s F / Shawn Casady / Ashland Farms / 85.5
- D’Avant / Joie Gatlin / Cathy Morris-Schmitt / 85
- Revere / Shawn Casady / Kimberly Gardiner / 83
- Just For Fun / Nicole Kane / Heidi Kane / 82.5
- Esteban / Kylee Arbuckle / Sienna Faidi / 81
$1,000 CPHA West Coast Green 3’6” and 3’9” Hunter Stake
- Only Always / Nick Haness / Balmoral / 90
- Sweet Romance / Nick Haness / Ashley Weiman / 88
- Sunset Boulevard / Nick Haness / Lindsay Maxwell / 87.5
- Q The Music / Alexis Taylor / Claire McNichols / 87
- Advent / Shawn Casady / Marta Rocha / 86.5
- Caldiano / Nick Haness / Double Down Farm LLC / 86.2
- Mattis / Chelsea Brittner / Zenfield Farm / 86
- Ballentine’s F / Shawn Casady / Ashland Farms / 85.5
- D’Avant / Joie Gatlin / Cathy Morris-Schmitt / 85
- Revere / Shawn Casady / Kimberly Gardiner / 83
- Just For Fun / Nicole Kane / Heidi Kane / 82.5