HARRISBURG, Pa.--Kate Conover on Clear As Day won the Grand Hunter Championship at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show on Tuesday, Oct. 14,

Kate Conover on Clear as Day (Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography)With four wins and a second place in the Green Conformation Hunter, Conover won the Grand Green Hunter Championship with enough points to also to also win the Grand Championship.

“It’s very special,” said Conover. “I’m from Pipersville, Pa., originally, so I was coming here as a kid and watching, and this is a big deal for me. Coming from this state to win Grand Hunter Champion, it’s amazing.”

Clear As Day is normally ridden by Nick Haness, but he was unable to ride this week, so trainer Carleton Brooks asked if Conover would ride him in Harrisburg.

“Nick is one of my best friends, so we kind of share horses,” said Conover. “I’ve ridden horses when he’s not here in the past, so he gave me all the directions I needed to have a successful week, and Carleton’s program is great, so it was really fun to come here.”

“He’s as easy going as can be,” Brooks said of the gelding. “He likes to lay down a lot, and he can be frisky, but he’s always been show, all show. By the time he comes to the horse show, he’s all show.”

Michael Britt-Leon on Cannon Beach was the reserve champions in Green Conformation Hunters.

 

HUNT TOSH on Cannon Creek was High Performance Hunters Champion.

It was “Cannon’s” first show since competing at the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, so Tosh was eager to see how the gelding would go after the break.

“It’s always a little nerve-wracking, thinking if you’re making the right decision or not,” said Tosh. “He went in there, and he was spectacular yesterday; 95, first class and great in the handy. He’s such a dependable horse, and he’s always wonderful, and I’m lucky to be able to ride him.”

The High Performance Hunter reserve champion was David Wilbur on Cannon Beach.

Michael Britt-Leon on Cannon Beach won the 3’6” Green Hunter Championship, and Britt-Leon was also awarded the Leading Hunter Rider Award.

“He was quite green when we got him, and he just gets better and better and better every single week,” said Britt-Leon. “He’s been a really fun horse to bring along. Shari Rose, who we bought him from, finds so much quality in the horses. She’s an excellent, excellent, excellent horsewoman, one of the best. So, I trust her, and when I see one that I like a lot that she has, and she tells me it’s a good one, it’s always worked out to be a great one.”

The reserve championship in the 3’6” Green Hunters was Crystal Young on MTM Nonchalant.

Tori Colvin won three Championships.

Colvin's success in Harrisbug began early in her junior days and now continues in the professional divisions.

On Tuesday, she won three championships, including the 3’9” Green Hunter Championship on Dicoblue PS , the High Performance Conformation Hunter Championship on Jenkins and the 3’3” Green Hunter Championship on Et Cetera.

“He was really good,” she said of Dicoblue PS. “In the first round yesterday, he was maybe a little nervous, I think with the lights and everything out there. But he went out and got a 95 in his first round, which obviously doesn’t say he was nervous, but he was just a little more starstruck than normal. He gave really, really good efforts, and then today he was super relaxed. He jumped great. He’s just a very, very lovely horse.”

Jordan Kilkenny on Animated was Reserve in the High Performance Conformation Hunters, Jennifer Hannan on Chilled was Reserve in the 3’3” Green Hunters and Daniel Geitner on Aeronautic was Reserve in the 3’9” Green Hunters