UPPERVILLE, Va., June 11, 2023– By virtue of their slick and stylish handy round, Jennifer Hannan, of Wakefield, Rhode Island, and her veteran partner Mindful triumphed in yesterday’s $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby presented by The Salamander Collection at the 170th Upperville Colt & Horse Show presented by MARS Equestrian™. Hannan also earned the Espoir Equestrian Leading Lady Rider Award. Halie Robinson rode Stonefield Sport Horses, LLC’s Kingston to second place and Louisburg Farm’s Popstar came in third with Molly Ashe Cawley out of a field of 14 starters.
Going into the handy round, Hannan and the 19-year-old Hanoverian gelding owned by Kensel, LLC sat in third position behind Kate Conover and Small Friendship and Victoria Colvin on Mr. Manhattan. Hannan laid down an impressive second round, earning scores of 92 and 91 plus 8 bonus points for taking the higher jump options to seal the victory.
“I was very happy with his first round,” said Hannan. “I felt it was very flowing and he jumped great.”
“For the handy, I was coming from third place, so I turned it up a little and he answered all the questions like he always does.”
As Mindful has gotten older, Hannan and owner Selma Garber have devised a limited competition schedule to keep him feeling his best.
“With an owner like Selma, I’ve been able to tailor his show schedule. It’s best that he stays very fit and we bring him out for special occasions.”
UCHS is the oldest horse show in the U.S. Founded in 1853 as a one-day show to encourage better breeding and care of horses, the show has grown to a weeklong tradition with more than 2000 equestrian and equine pairs competing in a variety of competitive disciplines. Many of the continent’s top professional riders as well as amateurs compete under the spectacular setting featuring the famous oaks at Grafton Farm.
In addition to presenting sponsor MARS EQUESTRIAN, UCHS is sponsored by The Ethel M® Chocolate Brand and Lugano Diamonds (Co-Presenting Sponsors of the 2023 FEI CSI4* Jumper Classic.) Other sponsors include Buckeye Nutrition, Nutro Natural Choice, The Salamander Collection, B&D Builders, Delta Air Lines, Markel and Piedmont Equine Practice.
For more information on the show, visit www.upperville.com.
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About the Upperville Colt & Horse Show
The Upperville Colt & Horse Show, also known as the Upperville Horse Show and UCHS, is the oldest horse show in the U.S. Founded in 1853 as a one-day show to encourage better breeding and care of horses, the show has grown to a weeklong tradition with thousands of equestrian and equine pairs competing in a variety of competitive disciplines. Many of the continent’s top professional riders as well as amateurs compete under the spectacular setting featuring the famous oaks at Grafton Farm—the same location as 1853. UCHS is a 501(c)3 charitable organization that raises funds for The Churches of Upperville Outreach Program and supports other area charities. For complete schedules and up-to-the-minute results, visit the website at www.upperville.com.