Colvin and DicoBlue PS Conquers $150,000 USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular
Wellington, Fla.—Feb. 14, 2026—For a historic seventh time, Victoria Colvin won the $150,000 USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular, taking place at the Winter Equestrian Festival on Saturday, February 14. Colvin earned the top spot aboard DicoBlue PS, scoring an overall average score of 95.83. Finishing in second was Laena Romond and Oslo, owned by Lexi Maounis.
"DicoBlue PS is the best," Colvin remarked fondly. "He has not been phased by anything. I was confident that he was going to be good in this class, but you also never know. He walked in and was fantastic. I couldn't have asked him to do anything better."
Thirty combinations took to Megan Rawlins' Classic Hunter Style course in the International Ring at Wellington International, scored by three panels of two judges, including Shane George, Alex Jayne, Mary Eufemia, Mary Lisa Leffler, Rob Bielefeld, and Tom Brennan.
Colvin, of Loxahatchee, Florida, in Zone 4, and DicoBlue PS, owned by John & Stephanie Ingram LLC, finished the first round on top with a score of 94.666. Amanda Steege, of Califon, New Jersey, in Zone 2, and Cheryl Olsten's Lafitte de Muze, who won the Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular in 2021, sat in second with a 92. Following close behind, Michael Britt-Leon, of Alpharetta, Georgia, in Zone 4, ended the first round in third with a 91.666 aboard Cannon Beach, owned by Kelly Sims.
After a course change, the top 12 combinations from the Classic Hunter Round returned in reverse order by height section for a Handy Hunter Round. Rising from sixth, Scott Stewart of Flemington, New Jersey, in Zone 2, and Stephanie Danhakl's Cadet finished the night in third, earning a two-round average score of 89.42. Romond, of Brookefield, Connecticut, in Zone 1, scored a 91.24 average across both rounds with Oslo to move them from fourth into the reserve position. Colvin and DicoBlue PS, who won the 2025 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, were the final pair to return and impressed the judges, earning the win.
"The course was really fun in the first round," added Colvin. "It was very flowing with long bending lines. There were a couple of options that you could do, which were fun. In the Handy, the course designer gave us a lot of options, especially at the Valentine's Day complex."
For their win, the pair took home $45,000 in prize money, the Dark Continent Perpetual Trophy courtesy of Jim Greene, a custom WCHR jacket, an embroidered cooler, and a flowered neck wreath. Colvin, as the winning rider, also received the Let's Dance Perpetual Trophy donated by Gene R. Mische.
Riders earning champion or reserve champion in the 3'6" and higher WCHR hunter sections during WEF 6 qualified for the Spectacular. If any of those riders chose not to compete, then the next two riders based on qualifying section points were invited. In addition to those qualifying during the week, pre-qualified riders were also invited to compete based on their 2025 standings in the WCHR national awards programs and Challenge classes at WCHR Finals. The top two of each 2025 Hunter Spectacular were also invited to compete.
"This WCHR week in Wellington is exciting because you get to see some different faces with people coming from Ocala and other places," Colvin said. "It's very competitive. For me, this is always one of the most fun classes to compete in with the big ring, the lights, and the crowd."
Various special awards were also presented during the evening's opening ceremonies and between rounds. The WCHR Peter Wetherill Cup was presented to DicoBlue PS, owned by John & Stephanie Ingram, LLC, as the WCHR Hunter of the Year, with John, Stephanie, and Martha Ingram and Victoria Colvin accepting the honor. Charlie Moorcroft of Wellington, Florida in Zone 4, was awarded the Kavar Kerr Perpetual Trophy for his dedication, leadership, and commitment to the Hunter sport and the WCHR program.
Samba, owned by Rein Family LLC and ridden by Brady Mitchell, received the Charlie Weaver Memorial Award as the highest-scoring Conformation Hunter horse in Round 1 with a score of 83.333. DicoBlue PS was also presented with the Mark Gregory Award, established by Susie Humes-Bronson, for the best-conditioned horse in Round 1. The WCHR Kiara Barnett Rider Style Award, donated by Bryan Baldwin and Tammy Williams, was awarded to Elle Boyd.
The International Club was once again the site of the annual USHJA WCHR Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular Gala, offering patrons the best seats to watch the evening's activities. The Gala helps fund USHJA’s programs and initiatives.
Two more WCHR Spectaculars will be held across the country in 2026. The $150,000 WCHR West Coast Hunter Spectacular will be held on Friday, March 13, at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California. The WCHR Central Hunter Spectacular will be held on Saturday, July 11, at Flintfields Horse Park in Williamsburg, Michigan. The World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida, hosted the inaugural $75,000 USHJA WCHR East Coast Hunter Spectacular on Friday, January 30.
The USHJA sends special thanks to the entire Wellington International team for hosting the Spectacular and to Official Sponsors Nutrena, Parlanti, Herm Sprenger, and Stridefull; Supporting Sponsor of the USHJA Hunter Championships, GumBits; Supporting Sponsor Essex Classics, and the Official Education Partner of the USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider Spectaculars, ICL Academy. Additionally, the USHJA thanks Libertas Farm for the generous donation of the floral arrangements for the Palm Beach Spectacular Gala in honor of Chablis.
For more information about the USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider Program, visit ushja.org/WCHR.
$150,000 USHJA WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular Results
Rider | Horse | Owner
Round 1 Avg. | Round 2 Avg. | Final Score
1. Victoria Colvin | DicoBlue PS | John & Stephanie Ingram, LLC
94.666 | 97 | 95.83
2. Laena Romond | Oslo | Lexi Maounis
90.166 | 92.333 | 91.24
3. Scott Stewart | Cadet | Stephanie Danhakl
87.833 | 91 | 89.42
4. Nick Haness | Styled | Caroline Freeman Equestrian LLC
88.833 | 89.666 | 89.25
5. Nick Haness | Blue Moment | First Blue LLC
87.333 | 91 | 89.17
6. Amanda Steege | Lafitte de Muze | Cheryl Olsten
92 | 85 | 88.5
7. Parker Peacock | Meaningful | Emma Vandenhouten
85.416 | 87.666 | 86.54
8. Elle Boyd | Bugatti | Liddy Strickland
85.666 | 84.666 | 85.17
9. Laena Romond | Forsini | Lexi Maounis
85.333 | 47 | 66.17
10. JJ Torano | Connect the Dots | VBK Equine LLC
85.666 | 45 | 65.33
11. Greg Crolick | Chappy | Carole Chase
87.416 | 40 | 63.71
12. Michael Britt-Leon | Cannon Beach | Kelly Sims
91.666 | 35 | 63.33
Photos: Sportfot
