Peter Pletcher Amazes Again In WCHR Pro Finals for the Monarch International Title

AHJF’s WCHR Annual Winners Named in Pro, Amateur and Children’s Divisions

Feature and Photos by Diana DeRosa

Upper Marlboro, MD – “It’s amazing every time,” commented an exuberant Peter Pletcher after winning his third Monarch International Professional World Championship Hunter Rider title,  which took place on October 5TH during the eight-day Capital Challenge Horse Show at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD.   The 2007 WCHR Professional Finals is sponsored by Stillwell-Hansen, Inc., presented by John R. Ingram Fund & the Ingram Family, produced by the American Hunter-Jumper  Foundation (AHJF) and hosted at the Capital Challenge Horse Show.

“The first time you are freaked out.  The second time it’s still unbelievable.  The third time I can’t believe how exciting it still is to win this class.  It never gets dull.  You are just as nervous every time,” concluded Pletcher.

Pletcher, Magnolia, TX, claimed the victory ahead of three-time winner Scott Stewart, Wellington, FL and  defending champion and two-time winner John French, Redwood City, CA after an initial three rounds of six riders was paired down to three. The scores of the final three was the closest margin in the history of this class.  Pletcher’s score of 360.99 was mere fractions ahead of 2nd place finishers John French and Scott Stewart who tied for second with a score of 359.32, but the way the class is structured the score of the tie-breaker judges broke the tie (88 for Stewart to 89 for French) to give French the 2nd place finish, just one spot lower than the previous year when he won it all.

Finishing 4th was Liza Boyd (266.32), 5th was John Bragg (263.99) and 6th was Kirsten Coe (261.49).

THE COMPETITION

Riders had to qualify to compete in this class by earning points in WCHR recognized shows (of which there were 50 throughout the U.S. in eight regions: Southeast, South Central, Central Mountain, Mid-Atlantic, Southwest and Midwest).  AHJF tallies the points based on each rider’s top four WCHR shows.    The top six riders from each region and the top 10 riders in the standings are then invited to compete at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in the WCHR Challenge Class.  Their top score in WCHR recognized divisions earned at the Capital Challenge is added to that total. Those points are then combined with the overall points to determine the final six.

The rounds were scored by three teams of two judges using the open numerical system.  The judges were:   Mark Jungherr, Amesburg, TX and Kip Rosenthal, Brewster, NY;  Bobbie Reber, Wellington, FL and Shane George, Magnolia, TX;  Brian Lenehan, Southern Pines, NC and Penny Waller, Santa Cruz, CA. 

The riders alternated on riding six different horses which they each provided for the class.  These included Peter’s mount Surella, owned by Mary Jane Stone, a 15.3h, bay, Warmblood mare.  Cunningham, owned by Mary Slouka, is a 17.1h, Holsteiner stallion by Cassini 1 out of a Contender mare.  Liza’s choice was Sienna, owned by Annie Gardner, a 15.3h, 9-year-old, bay, Dutch Warmblood gelding by Heartbreaker.  Kirsten’s addition was Aston, owned by Heritage Farm, a 10-year-old, 16.2h, Dutch Warmblood, bay gelding.  Raise the Roof, a 15.3h, 9-year-old, grey, Warmblood gelding by Mr. Blue owned by Cloe Baumrim was French’s choice.  Scott chose True, owned by Glen Senk, a 10-year-old, 16.3h, Belgium Warmblood gelding.  The alternate was Tripple Lutz, owned by Samantha Harrison, a 16.1h, 6-year-old, bay, Warmblood gelding.

The riders were allowed to briefly warm-up on their first horse but for all subsequent rides they had to go directly to the 3’6” course in the ring.  And while the fences were the same for the first three courses, the order in which they were jumped changed each time. For the fourth round, the course was changed to a demanding Handy Hunter class and only the top three competed.

GOING FOR THE WIN

In the first round Boyd took the early lead (92.66) followed by Pletcher (90).  In 3rd was defending champion French and Scott Stewart (both with a score of 89.66).   Bragg was in 5th (89) and Coe in 6th (87.50).  In the second round Boyd again dominated the class after her first and second round scores were combined (185.66).  In 2nd was Stewart (180.66), 3rd Pletcher (179.33), 4th French (179.32), 5th Coe (175.83), and 6th Bragg (174.66).

The third round was critical as it would determine what three riders went into the final round.  While it appeared that Boyd had a very strong possibility of continuing her lead a mistake in a broken line was her demise.  She got too close to the oxer and received a score of 80.66 for a three round total of 266.32.  Ultimately that score would put her just outside the top three in the 4th spot.   That “chip” gave the other riders the break they needed.  After the third round it was Pletcher who went into the final round on the leading score of 270.99, followed by French (269.32) for 2nd, Stewart was 3rd (268.66).

Afterwards Boyd jokingly commented “the six strides (which was the right distance to that fence she chipped) looked very far away so I did seven.”

The final results were an interesting twist because despite the fact that the class was changed to allow an additional two riders to qualify, in the end it was the three past winners who made it into the final three.  They entered in reverse order and Stewart put in a strong performance which gave him a score of 90.66 for the round and with his previous scores he finished on 359.32.  It was French who went next and another strong round with a slightly lower score of 90 tied his score with Stewart’s but the tie-breaker put him 2nd.

Now it was up to Pletcher whose final score of 90 was just enough to give him his third WCHR Professional Finals win.

AHJF President Geoff Teall later commented, “This class for me was almost the nicest so far.  I like the fact that it included more people and new people and yet in the end it was the veterans and past winners who won again.”

PHOTO: Peter Pletcher aboard Aston after winning the 2007 Monarch International Show Circuit Magazine Professional World Championship Hunter Rider title on October 5th at the Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. (l-r Ringmaster with Geoff Teall, Amanda Steege and Hannah Von Heidegger). ©Diana De Rosa Photo