Hudson Valley V, the second week of the 2025 HITS Hudson Valley Jumping Tour®, marked an important stop on the summer calendar with its designation as a World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) event. Held at the HITS showgrounds in Saugerties, New York, the week featured a full schedule of elite hunter classes and drew top riders from across the country. One of the numerous highlights was the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Great American Insurance Group, held Friday, July 25. Amanda Steege and her longtime partner, Laffite de Muze, delivered a standout performance to take the win.
Riders navigated a thoughtfully designed course crafted by Danny Foster, of Milton, Ontario, Canada, along with Chris Jones of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and judged by Ryan Roy and Phillip Long. The class began with a flowing classic round and continued with a handy round contested in reverse order of merit by the top 12 combinations. Riders brought forward their best efforts in what proved to be an exciting and competitive class from start to finish.
Steege and Laffite de Muze entered the handy round in third place after earning a first-round score of 183, which included an 86 from panel one and an 89 from panel two, plus four bonus points from each for high options. In the handy, they delivered again, earning scores of 88 and 89, plus four high-option points and four handy bonus points from each panel, bringing their total to 376 and securing the win.
“I think what’s really amazing about ‘Laffite’ is his consistency in his style of jumping,” said Steege of Cheryl Olsten’s 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Darco x Malito de Rêve). “Every time you walk into the ring, he’s giving you 110 percent.”
Steege and Laffite are no strangers to major wins, with past victories in classes such as the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Devon Horse Show and the $50,000 Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular at the Winter Equestrian Festival. Still, Steege shared that the gelding continues to teach her new things.
“He’s taught me to listen to the horse and really feel what’s happening underneath me,” she explained. “I’ve been working on showing off more pace with him, and I think he did that really well in both rounds. The handy was really fun. It had some gallop in the beginning and then got really technical with tight turns as the course went on.”
Preparing for the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship this August in Lexington, Kentucky, Steege and her team at Ashmeadow Farm, based in Califon, New Jersey, use WCHR week at HITS Hudson Valley as an important part of their lead-up.
“This WCHR week has been huge here at HITS Hudson Valley, with most of the top riders in the Northeast coming,” she noted. “This derby class in particular had a few of the horses that you could see at the top of Derby Finals in August.
“HITS has really stepped it up,” she continued. “The footing and the jumps are beautiful, and they’re giving nice prize money, especially in the hunter classes. It’s obviously paying off, with the caliber of horses here this week.”
Laena Romond earned second place with Fellow Z, Heritage Farm Inc.’s nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding (For Pleasure x Clinton), on a total score of 366.25. Eleanor Kunsman rounded out the top three with Corzico Melloni Z, Brody Sporthorses’s eight-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Cornet Obolensky x Cala Millor Hann), scoring 361.
WCHR competition continues through Sunday, July 27, while the third week of the 2025 HITS Hudson Valley Jumping Tour® begins Wednesday, July 30, with the New York Horse & Pony show, bringing more top sport to Saugerties. For complete results, please click HERE.
