Top hunter, jumper, and equitation riders returned to HITS Hudson Valley for the final week of May and the venue’s second week of spring competition. Boasting an expanded schedule encompassing the spring, summer, and fall series, the iconic location is set to host its most successful season of sport yet. The pinnacle of show jumping action came to a head on Saturday, May 31, 2025, as elite combinations put the finishing touches on their warm-up for the $75,000 Voltaire Grand Prix. In a nail-biting jump-off, only the combination of Pieter de Brabandere (BEL) and Dothraki Warlord managed to procure a double-clear effort, making them the class’s clear winners and giving de Brabandere his first grand prix win in the States.
FEI Level 3 course designer Meghan Rawlins (CAN) put forward a fair challenge for the first-round field of 17 horse-and-rider combinations, which included winning international athletes McLain Ward (USA), Nick Dello Joio (USA), and Wednesday’s $5,000 Adequan Welcome Stake winner Michel Feitosa (BRA). Despite less-than-ideal weather conditions, five pairs found their way successfully around the opening track; however, the questions asked in the short course ultimately proved more difficult.
“This morning, I honestly thought the class was going to be canceled because I thought there was no way any ring could hold that amount of rain,” de Brabandere admitted. “When I went to look at the ring though, the footing was great, and the horses all jumped great, which was really amazing.”
Clocking in at 43.062 seconds at the completion of the jump-off, de Brabandere’s round was not the fastest over the track, but knowing his horse’s strengths and weaknesses ultimately paid off.
“My horse has a very big step and likes to go a little bit at the fence, but some lines were shorter, so I really had to be aware of that,” he detailed. “When we went in, there were no other clears, so I really just kind of rode my own round, and I did go a little slower than I was supposed to, but we won, so I have no complaints!
“We got him last year in Wellington and he has been a great horse for me ever since,” he continued of Maarten Huygen’s 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Mermus R x Diamant de Semilly). “He can be a bit naughty sometimes and playful, but he has incredible scope and the heart of a lion. He’s really a war horse, and I can’t wait to see what else he does this summer.”
Ward’s finishing time of 37.799 seconds secured him second place as the fastest four-faulter aboard Princess Dalou H, the 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Vigo d’Arsouilles x Baloubet du Rouet) that he co-owns with the Beechwood Farm and Susie Heller. Finding success in both the hunter and jumper rings, Michael Desiderio (USA) piloted another Tranquillity Farms entry into the HITS winner’s circle as he rounded out the top three on the 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion (Ugano Sitte x Ohio van de Padenborre D’02), Le Muguet.
Competition got underway on Wednesday, May 28, with the $5,000 Adequan Open Welcome, giving riders an early opportunity to find their rhythm for the week ahead. Michel Feitosa (BRA) and Oberon, Jeanne Reid’s 11-year-old Warmblood gelding (Gameboy x Incello) were the only pair to navigate the course fault-free to secure the win. “‘Oscar’ is a horse I have been lucky enough to develop for the past few years from the .90m through his first three-star grand prix, which he jumped here last year,” explained Feitosa, who rides and trains for Halcyon Show Stables in Litchfield, CT. “This is actually his first show of the summer season, so I was really happy with how he felt today, and the course rode nicely. We love coming to HITS Hudson Valley because it’s a great experience for all of our clients, including the hunters, equitation, and jumpers all the way up to these open jumper classes.” Mary Rose Canterbury (USA) claimed the runner-up spot aboard Extase Ste Hermelle, an 11-year-old Selle Français mare (Uto Kervec & Babylis De Ste Hermelle) owned by 5C Ranch and Minerals LLC. Pieter De Brabandere (BEL) and Dothraki Warlord, a 13-year-old Irish Sporthorse gelding (Mermus R x Diamant De Semilly) owned by Maarten Huygens, rounded out the podium.
Momentum carried into the $30,000 Alliant Private Client Cup, Sam Walker (CAN) earned the top placing aboard Carruso PJ, Holman Imports LLC’s nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Carridam x Stakkato). The pair delivered a swift and precise round, stopping the clock at 37.007 seconds to claim the win. Matthew Boddy (GBR) was hot on his heels, piloting Keatingstown Miami — a 13-year-old Belgian Sport Horse mare owned by Harris Equestrian LLC (Ugano Sitte x Darco) — into second place with a time of 37.608 seconds. Rounding out the top three was Michael Desiderio (USA), who took third aboard Le Muguet, Tranquillity Farm’s talented 14-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion (Ugano Sitte x Ohio Van De Padenboree).
Friday’s competition featured the $15,000 STX Open Speed Class, a highlight of the week and the second opportunity for riders to earn points toward the season-long STX leaderboard. At the conclusion of the Hudson Valley circuit, the overall leader will be presented with an STX Tack Locker, while the leading rider across all HITS circuits will be awarded a six-month lease on an STX 2-horse truck — adding extra incentive to every round.
Lucas Mejia Fanjul (USA) claimed the top honors this week with Con Corazon, his 10-year-old Westphalian gelding (Cornet Obolensky x Pilot), clocking a winning time of 82.858 seconds. Fanjul also secured the runner-up spot aboard Camillo Du Perchet, his 12-year-old KWPN gelding (Copain Du Perchet Ch x Dannyboy), finishing in 84.422 seconds. Rounding out the podium was Pablo Mejia (COL) and Newsprint Farms’s Lontender, a 9-year-old KWPN gelding (Up To Date x Contender), who stopped the clock in 75.542 seconds.
The week concluded on Sunday with the $24,500 HorseFlight Jumper Classic, where young talent Alexa Lignelli soared to the top of the leaderboard with XO Onermie. The 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Thunder vd Zuuthoeve x Nabab de Reve), owned by Skyline Sporthorses LLC, stopped the clock in a winning time of 37.168 seconds. Peter Wylde and Nancy Hathaway’s 12-year-old Holsteiner mare Catarina (Cascadello x Diarado) clocked in just off the pace in 37.584 seconds to claim the reserve position in the final class of the day. Rounding out the top three, Tom Monaghan and his own 13-year-old Anglo-European mare Luttoria (Luidam x Vittorio) finished fault-free in 39.358 seconds.
As the premier week of the 2025 HITS Hudson Valley Show Series comes to a close, riders and spectators now look ahead to even more excitement as the spring series resumes on June 4.
