Nick Haness of Temecula, CA, won for the second time in the $30,000 World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Professional Finals, presented by World Wide Technology.

(Photo:  Nick Haness on Daily Planet won second $30,000 WCHR Professional Finals. Shawn McMillen Photography)

The $30,000 WCHR Professional Finals, presented by World Wide Technology, featured the top four hunter riders in the country riding unfamiliar horses. The riders competed on four horses chosen from a donated group of horses that were presented to the judges and ground jury on Friday morning. Seven were chosen to move forward to the schooling round in the ring before the start of the class, and from there, four were used in the class. For the first time, the final round was a handy course on a borrowed horse. The course designers – Ken Krome, Meghan Rawlins, and Joe Carnicom – came up with a clever design that featured the final four fences as options, which included a bounce.

The four horses included:

• Daily Planet, a 2016 Oldenburg gelding (Diacontinus x Quaid I), owned by Marlene Holland
• O’Neal, a 2018 Warmblood gelding by Braveheart x Maui La Silla, owned by Valerie Renihan
• Klutch, a 2018 Hanoverian gelding by Diacontinus x Cash & Carry, owned by Caitlyn Gidley
• Ton Amie van Spieveld, a 2019 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Le Blue Diamond x Dancier, owned by Ellie Goodfriend

 

The top three riders in the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) National Professional Rider standings – Nick Haness, Geoffrey Hesslink, and John French – qualified for the WCHR Professional Finals along with Wednesday’s WCHR Professional Challenge winner, Amanda Steege.

Haness started out the class on Ton Amie van Spieveld and while a rail set him at a score of 87 to start, it only went up from there with every round. His highest score came in the final handy round on Daily Planet, which he rode to 95.33. His total of 371.65 couldn’t be surpassed, and he won by seven points.

Haness spoke for the riders who all agreed that they enjoyed the class and were happy with the horses chosen as the top four. Haness noted that Val Renihan’s O’Neal was his favorite ride.

“They were all really, really nice horses,” he said. “They all had different traits. Part of the fun of this class was being able to adjust to each horse and try to study each of these riders. This panel of riders are terrific in each of their own ways, and we all have our strengths and weaknesses, just like the horses do. It’s also just a bit of a matter of luck of the draw and being able to just roll with the punches as they come in and figure it out. We are really grateful for this class and for the supporters and the people that gave us horses to ride tonight.”

Steege was the only rider to score over 90 in every round, and her consistency paid off for second place and a total of 364.31. Steege said her tactic of introducing herself to each horse was how she felt she could get to know a horse quickly.

“I love horses, so when I walk up to them in the chute before we get on, I introduce myself, pet them, and look them in the eye,” she explained. “You walk around a little bit and try to get a feel for what their mouth feels like and things like that. It’s funny how many things you can learn about the horse just when you’re standing there or when you walk up to it about its sensitivity level. But all the horses were experienced enough that we didn’t ride anything that was super difficult.”

Hesslink had three scores in the 90s with a great comeback in round three on Daily Planet; he finished with a final total of 355.99 for third place.

“I have done this class five times now, and I thought this was the best format,” he remarked. “Like they said, I enjoyed watching the horses. I feel like getting to see them in the morning and the afternoon, there is a feeling that they’re prepared, and you know their mood and kind of where they are. It was interesting and helpful.”

Rounding out the top four was John French, who had a high score of 95 in the third round riding Ton Amie von Spieveld, which contributed to his total of 345.99.

“I’m used to warming up the first horse and not just getting on and going straight from the gate,” said French, who has competed in the WCHR Professional Finals 16 times. “It is a little bit of luck of the draw, particularly if you’re going to do the handy on somebody else’s horse. Nick and Amanda rode amazing, and they were going to be first and second anyway. I needed to move up, so I asked the trainer about my horse if he could do the inside turns in the handy round. He said the horse was really green and he might shy away from the other fences, but I figured I needed to do it to stay in the running.”

For Haness, the WCHR Professional Finals are a challenging and exciting way to showcase hunter riders’ skills.

“Riding each horse, trying to demonstrate the best hunter style and adaptability and proving the catch riding background, which I love doing, was fun for me,” he pointed out. “I love to study each of these horses and figure them out as quickly as possible while being calm, cool, and soft under pressure. It just has to kind of go your way, and I’m fortunate it did for me. It’s been an interesting year for me. This is my last show in the indoor circuit that I’m showing at myself, so it’s a great way to finish. I’m super proud and excited to wrap up the year this way.”

For his win in the WCHR Professional Finals, Haness was presented with the All The Way Perpetual Trophy, donated by Elizabeth Busch Burke and Lisa Burke Horkan. Daily Planet, owned by Marlene Holland, was honored with The Far West Farms Perpetual Trophy as he tallied the highest final scores of 90.66, 92.33, 93.33, and 95.33 for a total of 371.65.

Final Results: $30,000 WCHR Professional Finals, Presented by World Wide Technology

1. Nick Haness: 87, 94.33, 94.66, 95.33=371.32

2. Amanda Steege: 90.66, 91.66, 91.66, 90.33=364.31

3. Geoffrey Hesslink: 91, 79.33, 93.33, 92.33=355.99

4. John French: 85.33, 92.33, 95, 82.33=345.99