Tracey Cover receives Championship trophy from (l-r) Catherine Berger and Linda Armbrust, MFH. / Betsy Parker photo
Tracey Cover from the Middleburg Hunt swept the boards at the 2013 Virginia Field Hunter Championship on Sunday, October 20 with her elegant bay, Brandywine. Judged Best Turned Out early in the day, she went on to win the 2013 Virginia Field Hunter Championship against a highly competent field of riders on some brilliant field hunters. The event had been postponed one week due to a three-day rainfall that dumped seven inches of rain on Virginia’s hunting country.
This year’s championships were hosted by the Blue Ridge Hunt at Woodley in recognition of Barbara Batterton’s win on Linda Armbrust’s Nicki in 2012. Woodley, the home of Brooke and Michelle Middleton, is the well-known venue for the Blue Ridge Hunt Point-to-Point Races and the Blue Ridge Fall Races. Spectators are able to view nearly the entire racecourse panorama from a gently rising hillside along the eastern edge of the course.
Fifty Grand and Mo Baptiste, Snickersville Hounds, earn Reserve Champion. / Betsy Parker photo
After Judge Leslie Hazel from the Orange County Hunt picked Cover as Best Turned Out of the field of nearly twenty competitors, Barbara Batterton led the group on a mock hunt through the hunting country. Mounted judges Jeff LeHew, MFH, Rappahannock Hunt; Jennifer Nesbitt, Keswick Hunt; and Karyn Wilson, Loudoun-Fairfax Hunt (and 2011 Field Hunter Championship winner) rode with the competitors and, after returning, selected ten finalists to compete individually.
A beautiful course was laid out for the individual tests consisting of coops, brush, rails, and timber fences with approaches that varied from up-hill to down-hill, along with a hand gate which finalists had to open and close. A long stretch of open grass was included for a fast gallop required between two of the fences that the Thoroughbreds really ate up!
Once again, last year’s winner Barbara Batterton led off on Nicki with a smooth ride over the course, providing a performance standard for the rest to emulate. “Gee, Barbara,” I said to her afterward, “you could have won this again with that ride!”
“I never want to win this again,” she replied laughing, while pouring herself a Bloody Mary at the hospitality tent. “I’ve been more nervous this week than I have ever been before any horse show! I needed this!” she said, raising her glass.
We spectators saw some very competent horsemanship from all ten finalists, and I didn’t envy the judges in fulfilling their responsibilities. Peter Hitchen announced the Final Results:
Champion: Brandywine, owned and ridden by Tracey Cover, Middleburg Hunt
Reserve Champion: Fifty Grand, owned and ridden by Mo Baptiste, Snickersville Hounds
Third Place: Midnight Rambler, owned and ridden by Hannah Rogers Tucker, Loudoun-Fairfax Hunt
Fourth Place: Lucky, owned by Tom Bishop and ridden by Maria Bishop Shannon, Farmington Hunt
Fifth Place: Eli, owned and ridden by Mark Thompson, Farmington Hunt
Sixth Place: Pocket, owned and ridden by Joy Crompton, MFH, Farmington Hunt
Next year at Middleburg!
Posted October 21, 2013
Tracey Cover and Brandywine take the uphill fence toward the gate, after which comes a 7-board coop on a downhill approach / Betsy Parker photo
Mo Baptiste and Fifty Grand head for the gate. / Betsy Parker photo