Emily Ryan of Lake Worth, FL, rose to the top in the Brightview Landscape Services Adult Amateur Hunter 18-35 division with her newly turned hunter, Vaudeville, to highlight hunter action on Friday. In a span of two months, the gelding went from doing the amateur jumpers to making a successful debut as a hunter during Week 8 of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) at Wellington International.

(Photo: Emily Ryan & Vaudeville. Photo ©Sportfot)

Vaudeville, a 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Ustinov, made his third appearance in the E.R. Mische Grand Hunter Arena and came out on top with the champion title. They scored an 80 in Friday’s first round and topped off the day with an 87. Their scores of 85 and 88 from the previous days boosted them to the tricolor.

Back On His Game

“This is only his third week in the hunters ever, and we won both [classes] yesterday, so he was great. In the first round, he was a little spooky, and in the second round, he was back on his game,” said Ryan of the gelding she purchased from Diane Little. “He jumps and moves great and he’s much happier being judged on his looks than he is being judged on how fast he is.

“He’s so sweet—a little dopey and always tilting his head looking for a cookie,” continued Ryan of her gelding’s personality. “The more time you can spend with them, the happier he is.”

Make The Career Switch

Bought as a seven-year-old, Vaudeville was intended for the low and medium amateur jumpers, but Ryan knew he would be happier doing something else. “I tried to make him a jumper for two years because he has unlimited scope and was thinking, ‘this isn’t working—he’s miserable, I’m miserable and we need to make the career switch.’

He Was Born For It

“I didn’t think he was going to switch this fast,” admitted Ryan, who originally hails from Colorado. “We didn’t even decide on the career switch until the first week of January, and he was born for it, apparently.”

With Vaudeville as her only hunter now, Ryan spends her time bringing her young horses up through the ranks and will continue to compete in the medium and high amateur jumpers.

The reserve champion title in the Adult Amateur 18-35 division went to Samantha Karp of Great Falls, VA, riding Palantir.

For full results of the Brightview Landscape Services Adult Amateur Hunter 18-35, click HERE.

Earlier in the day, Scharme Prevost of Morrisville, NC, took champion of the IDA Development Adult Amateur Hunter 55 & Over division riding Harbormaster with high scores of 87 and 89. Reserve champion was awarded to Lisa Baugh of Wellington, FL, and Testify with high scores of 85 and 86.

For full results of the IDA Development Adult Amateur Hunter 55 & Over division, click HERE.

In the Karina Brez Jewelry Adult Amateur 36-54 division, Morgan E. Goodman of Wellington, FL, took home champion riding Symbolique with a win under saddle and high scores of 87 and 88. Tracy Scheriff-Muser of North Palm Beach, FL, earned reserve champion with high scores of 88 and 86.25 riding Whiskey.

For full results of the Karina Brez Jewelry Adult Amateur 36-54 division, click HERE.

For the full results from WEF 8, click HERE.