Taylor and L'Con Reyes Take Top Honors in $25,000 USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider Summer Hunter Spectacular

San Juan Capistrano, Calif.—June 15, 2021—It was finally time for Katie Taylor and L'Con Reyes to take a Spectacular win in this year's $25,000 USHJA WCHR Summer Hunter Spectacular at Blenheim Equisport's June Classic I. The duo's two-round score of 177.5 put her and Bravado LLC's Oldenburg gelding on top of the leaderboard, ahead of reserve champion Caroline Ingalls with Concerto and third-placed Katalina Considine-Rickard and Lennox RW.

New this year, the Summer Spectacular is a two-round classic presided over by two panels of judges, John Roper of Franklin, Tennessee, with Andrea Wells of Ocala, Florida, and Rachel Kennedy of Brookville, Maryland, with Joni Osteen of Escondido, Florida. Contested by 27 horse-and-rider combinations, Tom Hern of Plymouth, Massachusetts, designed the first round course, as well as the second round that saw the top 12 return.

This marks Taylor's first Spectacular win with L'Con Reyes, or Theo as he is known around the barn, but it is far from the pair's first time in WCHR competition. The Tarzana, California, professional is a veteran, having earned second-place honors with L’Con Reyes in the 2019 USHJA WCHR West Coast Hunter Spectacular and in the 2020 $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular with Kindred.

"It’s a fantastic feeling. I’ve been Reserve Champion twice both on the West and East Coast, so I was ready to step it up and take top honors, especially with my long-time partner, L’Con Reyes," said Taylor of her win. "Theo has been in the top 10 of the WCHR Spectacular multiple times, so I was ready to help him get that championship he so deserved."

"What I love about this class is that it is different than a derby and it only happens a couple of times a year, so it’s a little extra special. I thought the course designer and Blenheim did a beautiful job with the course, including a few new and different jumps. There were a few places in both rounds that really benefitted from a bit more gallop and Theo thrives off of that ride so it worked great for us," she continued.

Coming in second was adult amateur competitor Ingalls, of Rancho Santa Fe, California, with her own Concerto. Their overall score of 173 put them securely in second with just over 10 points more than junior rider Considine-Rickard's 162.75 aboard Kate Considine's Lennox RW.

"It's also so humbling to be able to compete against some of the greatest professional and junior riders not only on the West Coast, but in the country, in classes like this. I am so happy with how both of my rounds turned out. My horse was phenomenal, and I feel that we were able to pick up a strong gallop to the first fence and continue that pace and flow without interruption all the way through," Ingalls said.

For her victory, Taylor earned a $7,500 check along with a custom engraved commemorative frame; embroidered jackets for the rider, owner, trainer and groom; an embroidered cooler; a certificate for a pair of Parlanti tall boots; and a gift certificate from CWD. The top twelve riders were each presented with a rider sash and neck ribbon.

The Shapley's Best Turned Out Award was presented to Everado Rivas, grooming Lennox RW owned by Considine and ridden by Considine-Rickard.

The horse show was a WCHR Member Event, which means WCHR members earn points in eligible classes throughout the week toward regional and national year-end awards, as well as the opportunity to qualify for WCHR Finals, which are held during The Capital Challenge Horse Show in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. For more information about the USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider Program, visit ushja.org/WCHR.

The USHJA sends special thanks to the entire Blenheim Equisports team for hosting the Spectacular. The USHJA also sends thanks to Official Sponsors CWD, Nutrena, Parlanti and Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital.

Photos: McCool Photography

Top 12 Finishers in the $25,000 USHJA WCHR Summer Hunter Spectacular

Place - Horse - Rider - Round 1 Avg. - Round 2 Avg. - Final Score

1. L'Con Reyes – Katie Taylor – 90 – 87.5 – 177.5
2. Concerto – Caroline Ingalls – 87.5 – 85.5 – 173
3. Lennox RW – Katalina Considine-Rickard – 86.5 – 76.25 – 162.75
4. Verdict – Alexis Meadows – 81 – 81 – 162
5. Rolo – Augusta Iwasaki – 78.37 – 83 – 161.37
6. Venice – Shiloh Roseboom – 80 – 80.5 – 160.5
7. Likely Story – Shiloh Roseboom – 83 – 77.25 – 160.25
8. Ask Anyone – Kylee Arbuckle – 77.5 – 81 – 158.5
9. Please The Crowd – Lexi Wedemeyer – 77.5 – 78 – 155.5
10. Brightstar – Katrina Pattinson – 79.5 – 74.5 – 154
11. Positano – Victoria Lacagnina – 78 – 75.5 – 153.5
12. Small Social – Augusta Iwasaki – 82.25 – 70 – 152.25