HITS Hudson Valley VIII on September 2-6 brought the 2026 HITS Hudson Valley Summer Series to a close in grand fashion, with Championship Week garnering a coveted World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) designation. Held at the HITS showgrounds in Saugerties, New York, the week represents the culmination of a summer-long competition series, featuring the highest prize money stakes of the season in the jumper, hunter, and equitation rings. Additional highlights include not only a full CSI3* division, but also four $25,000 hunter derbies, the Arion Sellier Equitation Classic — which includes a $25,000 trainer bonus, and the highly anticipated $300,000 ClipMyHorse.TV Hunter Classic Final. With top hunter riders in the spotlight all week, it was in Friday’s $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Great American Insurance Group (GAIG), on September 4, that Michael Britt-León and Prime Time rose to the top of a talented field to take the win.
Riders entered The Ring on Friday to take on a thoughtfully designed course by Meghan Rawlins of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. An esteemed judging panel of Archibald Cox and Tucker Erickson evaluated the field through a flowing classic round before the top combinations returned in reverse order of merit for the handy. With opportunities to take risks and show off along the way, the handy round rewarded riders willing to be bold while still maintaining the style and precision expected in the International Hunter Derby ring.
Britt-León and Prime Time entered the handy round in the top position after setting the standard in round one. The pair earned a score of 89 plus four high-option bonus points for a first-round total of 93. With only half a point separating them from the competition heading into the handy, there was little room for error.
“The handy was a bit complicated today; there were a lot of options, and I don’t do well with options,” laughed Britt-León. “Going into the handy, I was only leading by half a point, so I was worried I was going to have to do all the crazy inside turns. However, as the class played out, I felt like I had a bit more room, so I opted to skip the one trickier turn, but we did all the rest of them, because I love to be handy and show off.”
The decision paid off. Britt-León and Prime Time returned with another score of 89, adding three high-option points and four handy bonus points to finish on a winning two-round total of 189.
The $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by GAIG, marked just the latest triumph on an impressive list of top finishes for Britt-León and Prime Time, Mark Dorfman’s 10-year-old Holsteiner stallion by Comme Il Faut. Having been in Britt-León’s program for a few years, the stallion began his career with Dorfman in the Amateur-Owner Hunters before Britt-León took over the reins. Today, the pair primarily focuses on the International Hunter Derby classes and High Performance Hunter division. From top results during the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, to Friday’s victory at HITS Hudson Valley, Prime Time has become a horse Britt-León knows he can count on when it matters.
“He’s super brave, super scopey,” said Britt-León. “My job is to just guide him around and hold on as much as I possibly can, because he jumps quite high.
“He’s just super consistent,” he continued. “He puts in so much effort in the ring, so all we have to do outside the ring is keep him fit. I’m especially grateful to have such a wonderful owner as Mark Dorfman, who is so supportive of us.”
Britt-León and his team at Windsor Show Stables in Atlanta, Georgia, made the trip north to Saugerties with valuable WCHR points in mind as they prepare for the upcoming indoor season. With Championship Week offering significant prize money across the hunter divisions, the trip provided plenty of opportunities for both horses and riders.
“This is a pretty incredible week,” said Britt-León. “Not only do they have this International Derby, but they also have the $25,000 USHJA National Hunter Derbies for junior and amateur riders, and the esteemed $300,000 ClipMyHorse.TV Classic. The fact that they give that much prize money in the hunters is just amazing.”
The competition remained close behind the winning pair. Evan Coluccio and Dorian Grey N, Mary Antonini’s nine-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Dallas VDL x Heartbreaker), earned reserve honors with a two-round total of 184.50. Laena Romond completed the top three aboard Fellow Z, Maggie Ezring’s 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding (For Pleasure x Clinton), finishing just behind on a score of 184.35.
The hunter excitement continued with the $25,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, which welcomed an impressive field of 59 horse-and-rider combinations. Following the opening classic round, the top 12 returned in reverse order of merit for the handy, where tight scores left little room for error and everything still to play for.
For the second year in a row, Laena Romond and Forsini proved unbeatable. Romond piloted the experienced gelding to another standout performance across both rounds, finishing on an impressive combined score of 195 to secure the victory and defend their title.
“We’ve brought him through the ranks since he was a 3’ Green horse,” explained Romond of Lexi Maounis’s 10-year-old Warmblood gelding (For Pleasure x Cassini II). “All the points were really close coming back for the handy, so you did feel like you had to pull out all the stops, because it was really anyone’s class to win. He really laid it all out.”
Patricia Griffith came within striking distance of the win aboard Lordy, Hallowell Lane Farm LLC’s 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding, ultimately earning reserve honors with a two-round total of 193.85. Havens Schatt rounded out the podium aboard Caroline Moran’s eight-year-old Holsteiner gelding Casamigos (Casall x La Calidad), finishing on a total score of 191.
WCHR competition continues through Sunday, September 6, with more top hunter action still to come during HITS Hudson Valley Championship Week. For complete results and updates throughout the weekend, please visit showmanagementsystem.com.
