Morrow and Chapeau Victorious in USHJA Pony Hunter Derby Championship - West
San Juan Capistrano, Ca.—June 17, 2025—Pony Hunters took to the West Coast during The Oaks Summer Tour 1 on Friday, June 13 in the 2025 USHJA Pony Hunter Derby Championship –West. Taylor Morrow and Chapeau claimed the top honors with a combined score of 167.5. Finishing half a point behind with a score of 167, Harlow Bottarini and The King of Hearts earned the reserve spot. Barlow Kaplan and Crowd Pleaser rounded out the top three with a score of 163.
Seventeen combinations made their way around Scott Starnes' Classic Hunter-style course in The Oaks' Grand Hunter Arena. Morrow, of Rancho Santa Fe, California, riding Chapeau, owned by Rivers Edge, earned an early lead with a score of 82.5. Eloise Clark, of Ross, California, followed closely in second aboard her own Bedford Falls with an 82. Bottarini, of Valley Village, California, scored an 81.5 on her own The King of Hearts to round out the top three after the Classic Round.
"Both rounds were really nice. In the Classic Round, we had a very smooth trip with a lot of nice jumps," remarked Morrow.
Fresh off top placings in the Large Pony Hunters at the Devon Horse Show, Morrow and Chapeau, trained by Christa Endicott of Pegasus Show Stables, are familiar with high-stakes competition. Since partnering last summer, the pair has continued to have success in their respective divisions.
After the first round, the top 12 rider-pony combinations returned to tackle the Handy Round, designed to test maneuverability, adjustability, and agility. Kaplan, of Scottsdale, Arizona, and B R Farms LLC's Crowd Pleaser came back with a Classic Round score of 77, then delivered an impressive 86 to finish third overall. Bottarini moved up the leaderboard into second place after scoring an 85.5, showing off The King of Hearts' handiness. Morrow and Chapeau were the final pair on the course, earning an 85, which secured them the Championship with the highest combined score.
"In the Handy Round, we took all the inside turns and had a nice trot jump," added Morrow. "We're really excited that we won and hope to come back and do it again next year."
Morrow and Chapeau also took home the Large Pony High Score Award, while Bottarini and The King of Hearts won the Medium Pony High Score Award. The Small Pony High Score Award went to Violet Dalton, of Los Angeles, California, and Buttons and Blues, owned by First Blue LLC.
The USHJA Pony Hunter Derby offers Juniors the opportunity to compete ponies in a series modeled after the International and National Hunter Derby programs. Competitors can earn year-end series awards and qualify to compete in either the East Coast or West Coast Championships.
The USHJA Pony Hunter Derby Championships feature two rounds—a Classic Hunter-style course and a Handy Hunter course. Fence heights are adjusted by size (small - 2'3", medium - 2’6", and large 2’9"-3’0"), but the class is not split by size. Each derby is pinned through 12th place.
The USHJA sends special thanks to the entire Nilforushan Equisport Events team for hosting the Championship; to Official Sponsors Herm Sprenger, Nutrena, and Parlanti; and to Supporting Sponsor Essex Classics.
For more information about the USHJA Pony Hunter Derby, visit ushja.org/PonyHunterDerby.
USHJA Pony Hunter Derby Championship – West Results
Rider | Horse | Trainer | Owner
Round 1 Avg. | Round 2 Avg. | Final Score
1. Taylor Morrow | Chapeau | Christa Endicott | Rivers Edge
82.5 | 85 | 167.5
2. Harlow Bottarini | The King of Hearts | David Josiah | Harlow Bottarini
81.5 | 85.5 | 167
3. Barlow Kaplan | Crowd Pleaser | Traci Brooks | B R Farms LLC
77 | 86 | 163
4. Eloise Clark | Bedford Falls | Heather Roades | Eloise Clark
82 | 69.25 | 151.25
5. Hadley Cogorno | Middleton | Patrick Pellin | Amelia Thomas
77.5 | 73 | 150.5
6. Violet Dalton | Buttons and Blues | Lee Flick | First Blue LLC
67 | 69 | 136
7. MacLean Sennhenn | Sugarbrook Adorabelle | Samantha Lubrant | Lynne MacLean
53.75 | 76.5 | 130.25
8. Katherine Nilsen | Maple Side Firework | Devon Gibson | Alexis Nilsen
56 | 69.5 | 125.5
9. India Kulkin | D'Artagnan | Rebecca Bruce Glynn | India Kulkin
38 | 85.75 | 123.75
10. Savannah Barker | News Day | Beverly Jovais | Savannah Barker
76.5 | 45.25 | 121.75
11. Piper Wood | Wilten's Valentino | Katie Taylor Davidson | Lexi Looker
53.5 | 66.5 | 120
12. Lavinia Ecclestone | Jack Sparrow | Traci Brooks | GHF Hamptons, LLC
72 | 45 | 117
Photos: Julia B Photography
