BRIDGEHAMPTON, N,Y,-- An innovative, new $50,000 Hunt Team Stake debuted at the 49th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show on Thursday, Aug.29 with five teams of three competing over a hunt-and-go course designed by Show Jumping Hall of Famer Steve Stephens.
Brianne Goutal Marteau on Grand Remo (Photo by KindMedia) Under this new format, the riders don't compete together, going in single file over a course as they usually do in a hunt team class but compete individually over a hunter derby type course with the individual scores combined for a team score.
Brianne Goutal-Marteau of Annapolis, Md., and sisters Clara and Stella Propp of New York, N.Y., won with an average team score of 88.19 points,.
The 15 entries competed over a 14 fence course, which was judged by two panels featuring Timmy Keys and Don Stewart and Rachel Kennedy and Bill Schaub.
Each team consisted of one professional and two amateur riders, with the professional’s individual score counting for 50% and the amateur's scores each counting for 25% toward the final team score.
Goutal-Marteau and the Propp sisters each scored over 85 points individually.
Goutal-Marteau had the second-highest individual score of 91 points on Grand Remo.
Clara Propp on Arezzo scored 86.75, while Stella scored 85.38 points on Checkland.
“I RODE Stella’s horse Grand Remo; we just wanted him to get another class in the ring and thought that this class would be really fun,” Goutal-Marteau said. “Clara and I participated in a similar class this winter, and we loved the format. It’s totally different; it brings something fresh and a new perspective to the hunters. The team aspect is so different from what the hunter world has seen, and being able to support and help each other and jump the same course is such a new, fun thing. We are very happy to have the opportunity to ride as a team again, and this is a really important addition that we wanted to be part of.”
“I rode my horse Lucas, show name Arezzo, because he is so brave,” Clara said. “I thought this ring, which can be super spooky and hard, wouldn’t phase him at all. I use him as my equitation horse, and he used to be a hunter. We thought maybe if we pulled him back out for something like this, he would really like it. It was a lot of fun!”
“I rode my horse Checkland or Checkers, and I wanted to ride in today’s class because I couldn’t join Brianne and Clara in Wellington while I was in school,” Stella said. “I’ve never really gotten the opportunity to compete in a team format in any ring, so for me, this was something really exciting to try with my sister and trainer, both of whom I really respect and admire. Checkers was wonderful. I use him in the equitation as well, and we wanted to get him out here and change up the scenery for both of us.”
Second place went to Geoffrey Hesslink of Wellington, Fla., on Spencer, Lily Sonneborn of Washington, D.C. on Spoken, and Maddie Tosh of Milton, Ga., on Paisley Park for a team score of 85.35 points.
Third went to Jennifer Ritucci of Franklin, Mass., on Swoon, Eric Aho of Sherborn, Mass., on Chinaro HS, and Ashley McCaslin of Wellesley Hills, Mass., on Sweet Caroline for a team score of 83.00 points.
The Hunt Team Stake, the first hunt team competition ever held at the Hampton Classic, supports not just the horse show but also the Southampton Hospital Foundation, the EQUUS Foundation and the Center for Therapeutic Riding on the East End.
