LOUISVILLE, Ky.--John French ws voted National Equestrian of the Year and Paradigm was voted National Horse of the year by USEF members.

John French, National Equestrian of the Year (Photo by Shawn McMillen)They were honored at Horse of the Year Awards Dinner on Jan. 13 and the Pegasus Awards Dinner on Jan. 14 during the USEF Annual Meeting in Louisville, Ky.

For over two decades as a competitor, French of Wellington, Fla., has established himself as one of the most accomplished hunter riders in the sport.

The winner of the 2012 WCHR Lifetime Achievement Award and a four-time World Champion Hunter Rider, French is a member of the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame and is also a highly regarded clinician and coach.

In 2023, French won three major events on three different horses, all of whose hunter careers he started himself.

He added to his list of career successes by beating a field of 83 competitors to win the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Rolex Stadium with Paradigm, Meredith Lipke’s 2012 Warmblood gelding.

French also won the $100,000 WCHR Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular on Kent Farrington, LLC’s Milagro and the $25,000 WCHR Professional Challenge on Marnell Sport Horses’s Babylon—his third consecutive WCHR Pro Challenge win.

 

ON TOP OF his success in the ring as a rider, French received the inaugural Jeff Wirthman Memorial Trophy as the Winter Equestrian Festival’s Leading Hunter Trainer by money won in 2023.

Paradigm, National Horse of the Year (Photo by Shannon Brinkman)“This year I was lucky enough to have three great horses and win three really big events in the hunter world,” said French. “Since I started these horses, it’s like having children and they made it to Princeton."

“I would like to really thank Kent Farrington because four years ago, I pretty much thought I was going to wind down,” said French. “I don’t think I would’ve had the success without the team that I have. I couldn’t do this on my own and I don’t see myself doing it on my own. These last few years with having a team and having someone like Kent, hopefully now maybe I can go on for several more years. I really hope so.”

French is the 2023 winner of the Emerson Burr Trophy, which is presented to an equestrian competing with any horse or pony breed shown in over-fences hunter classes.

As the National Equestrian of the Year, French was a recipient of the Robert P. Strub Trophy .

National Horse of the Year Paradigm is a 12-year-old Warmblood gelding, is by Carrico out of  Queensberry PJ owned by Meredith Lipke.

A 2012 Warmblood gelding nicknamed “Mikey,” Paradigm won the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship with rider and National Equestrian of Honor French.

Paradigm, who was imported from Europe by Mike and Tracy McCormick as a breeding stallion before being bought by current owner Meredith Lipke, beat 83 competitors in that notable win.

An observer was quoted as saying that “French and Paradigm’s exceptional trip embodied everything a derby win should be—grace, scope, style, pace, handiness, and overall brilliance. What a class, what a horse, what a ride.”

Paradigm competed throughout 2023 as a mount for both Lipke in the amateur ranks and French in the open classes.

He was champion a number of times in some of the most competitive shows on the hunter schedule, including the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Saratoga Classic I, the High Performance Hunter Championship at the Middleburg Classic and the High Performance Hunter Championship at Lake Placid.

He was named 2023’s Leading International Derby Horse and the USEF Horse of the Year in the High Performance Working Hunter Division.

“I would like to thank the US Equestrian for honoring us with this award and to congratulate the other nominees as they have had amazing years as well,” said French. “I want to thank my owner, Meredith, who supported me through a broken leg and over the last 12 years. She said, ‘Let’s see how far you can get with Paradigm. Let’s see if we can go to the Derby Finals.’ And that’s what we did. I never thought that he would win all that he won last year. It is because of Meredith, and I want to thank everyone behind the scenes who has contributed to this horse’s success.”

Meredith Lipke was the recipient of the Horse of the Year trophy.ational Horse of the Year