Nick Haness Secures First Victory in $100,000 USHJA WCHR West Coast Hunter Spectacular Aboard HH Elmo

Thermal, Calif—Nov. 7, 2022—Nick Haness of Temecula, California, notched his first win in the $100,000 USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider West Coast Hunter Spectacular aboard Lindsay Maxwell’s HH Elmo on Friday, November 4, at the Desert International Horse Park. 

Leading from wire to wire over Skip Bailey’s beautifully designed tracks, Haness took the high score of 89 in Round One, taking place earlier in the afternoon in the Grand Prix Arena. Returning last for Round Two under the lights, the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding put his best foot forward under the expert guidance of Haness, riding to a score of 91.5 for a total of 180.5.

“To win this class tonight is very special to me being that I am from California and a West Coast supporter,” Haness said. “I have never won this class before, so it is a big, exciting win for me and my career. I have participated several times in this class on the West Coast and I have actually shown in this class in Wellington before. To win it tonight is very exciting and a really awesome win.”

HH Elmo is newer to the Hunter rings but making waves with both Haness and owner Maxwell. “He is just an absolutely incredible horse,” Haness continued. “He is so much fun to ride and I was really looking forward to showing tonight under the lights in the second round. He used to be a Jumper; he was a Grand Prix horse in his previous life and converted to being a Hunter and Lindsay Maxwell shows him in the Amateur-Owner Hunter division as well."

Maxwell made the lifestyle change from primarily Show Jumping to Hunters after an injury sidelined her. With HH Elmo, she competed in higher-level Jumpers across the United States and Europe before taking a more serious approach to the Hunters.

“HH Elmo had the disposition and the looks and the style to be a Hunter, so we put him in the First-Year Green Hunters last year at Thermal and he was awesome,” Haness recounted. “This year, as a Second-Year [Green] horse he’s just been phenomenal to ride and always gives a 10 out of 10. He’s so much fun, very brave and obviously very scopey with the Jumper background, so this is a fun stage for him to demonstrate all his talents.”

“He’s been a spectacular partner and a horse that wants to come in and win every time,” Haness went on. “He came into the ring tonight and whinnied because he always knows when it’s an important class. He comes in and lets the crowd know that he’s here to party and here to win. I was just here to be his partner tonight and just let him do all the special jumping.”

Second place went to Katie Taylor-Davidson with L’Con Reyes, owned by Bravado LLC, on a score of 172.5. Nicole Bourgeois and Hilary Sosne’s Wayfinder took third with a score of 170.

The WCHR West Coast Hunter Spectacular wraps up the 2022 WCHR Member Events. Three WCHR Spectaculars will be held across the country in 2023. The WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular will be held on Saturday, February 18 during WEF 6 at Wellington International in Wellington, Florida. The WCHR West Coast Spectacular will be held on Friday, March 17 during Desert Circuit IX at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California. The WCHR Central Spectacular will be held on Saturday, June 24 during the Traverse City Spring Horse Show at Flintfields Horse Park in Williamsburg, Michigan.

“I think the team at Desert Horse Park does an incredible job raising the bar for the West Coast,” Haness reflected. “As someone who’s traveled around the country many times showing and on the East Coast at really nice venues, California has really raised the bar here at the Desert International Horse Park and I just applaud the team here and everyone that is a part of this team.”

The USHJA sends special thanks to the entire Desert International Horse Park team for hosting the Spectacular; to Official Sponsors Exhibitor's, CWD, Nutrena, Parlanti and Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital; and Award Sponsor Essex Classics.

For more information about the USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider Program, visit ushja.org/WCHR.

Release: Tori Bilas for USHJA
Photos: ESI Photography

$100,000 WCHR West Coast Hunter Spectacular Results

Horse | Rider | Owner
Round 1 Avg. | Round 2 Avg. | Final Score

1. HH Elmo | Nick Haness | Lindsay Maxwell
89 | 91.5 | 180.5

2. L’Con Reyes | Katie Taylor-Davidson | Bravado LLC
85 | 87.5 | 172.5

3. Wayfinder | Nicole Bourgeois | Hilary Sosne
88 | 82 | 170

4. Cimmich X | Benson Carroll | Alexandra Lipacis
84 | 85.5 | 169.5

5. Ravenswood | Jenny Karazissis | Lisa Wu
83.5 | 84 | 167.5

6. Gatsby | Alexis Taylor | Aleron LLC
83.75 | 83.25 | 167

7. Lykke Li-Terma Z | Michelle Morris | Ava Park
80.5 | 85.5 | 166

8. Newton | Katrina Karazissis | Lisa Wu
80 | 79 | 159

9. McQueen | Nicole Bourgeois | Barbara Lovre
81.5 | 77 | 158.5

10. Understudy | Ella Cate Duke | Ella Cate Duke
83.25 | 75 | 158.25

11. Cassario 8 | Shawn Casady | Zoe Wolf
86.5 | 68 | 154.5

12. Ask Anyone | Kylee Arbuckle | Ariana Snowdon
88.25 | 56.5 | 144.75