UPPER MARLBORO, Md.--Sophie Gochman on Daydream swept her division, winning the Grand Amateur-Owner 3’6” Hunter Championship with Daydream and the Reserve with Coleter, while Brittany Schutt Charming Boy was the Grand Amateur-Owner 3’3” Hunter Championship.

Sophie Gochman on Daydream (Photo by Erin Gilmore Photography)Gochman on Daydream won both the classic and handy in the Amateur-Owner 3’6”, 18-35 division and was second in the stake class to be champion in that division, while she was also reserve champion with her 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Colter.

Daydream was champion of the same division last year with Sophie’s sister Mimi, while Mimi also was reserve champion with Colter in 2025.

“She's just really so easy,” said Gochman. “At home I said, ‘Oh, I think I can canter her with no hands, and so we’ve just been riding around with no hands and just popping around the jumps. She’s so easy on herself and so chill.”

For the first time in a long time, Gochman felt she was able to get back into her riding routine before attending a major event, having returned to the U.S. in April after getting her Masters degree in London.

 

“WE'VE HAD a lot of the spring and the whole summer to work toward this,” she said. “I’ve been coming to WIHS probably since I was 7 years old, maybe younger, so it means a lot to win here today, especially after the handy course because that was quite the challenge.”

 In the hunter competition in The Show Place Arena, Schutt of Hume, Va, on Charming Boy had one of her biggest milestones as she made her amateur debut at WIHS during her first indoor season.

“I've never really had the nice horses to be able to do this at this level,” Schutt said. “It’s been a privilege all year to be able to be out there and be competitive.”

Schutt only competed at WIHS as a regional-qualified rider many years ago during a period when she worked as a young professional.

She said stepping away as a professional and being able to return with a horse like Charming Boy under her trainer Amanda Steege has been an incredible experience.

“I imported him as a 5-year-old from Europe and started him myself,” she said. “Amanda has helped me bring him along to what he is right now, and he’s really just the best. He goes around so beautifully, he carries his ears forward, he’s a great jumper, and he even gets you a good hack ribbon. He’s everything you look for in an amateur or a professional horse.”

Schutt and Charming Boy earned the champion ribbon in the Amateur-Owner 3’3” 36 & Over division as well as the leading rider honors for the division.

Amateur-Owner 3’6” 36 & Over, Champion was Union City ridden by Brittany Schutt, and Reserve was MTM Plus One, ridden by Katie Robinson.

The Reserve Grand Champion was Casallo, ridden by Maryann Zeira.

The Amateur-Owner 3’3” 18-35 Champion was Ocean Road, ridden by Grace Wilson, and Reserve Champion was Remedy, ridden by Stella Propp.