USHJA Amateur Hunter Championships - East, Presented by Frank & Eileen, Crown Adult Amateur Hunter 3' and Amateur Owner Hunter 3'3" Champions

Lexington, Ky.—June 27, 2026—The first champions of the 2026 USHJA Amateur Hunter Championships - East, presented by Frank & Eileen were crowned in the Adult Amateur 3' and Amateur Owner 3'3" divisions during the USHJA Amateur Festival – East, hosted by Split Rock Jumping Tour. Grace Walker collected the first tricolor of the week aboard Heaven’s Dream, capturing the Adult Amateur Hunter 3' Championship on Friday, June 26. Caroline Signorino and Sandori followed on Saturday, June 27, securing top honors in the Amateur Owner Hunter 3'3" Championship.

Adult Amateur Hunter 3’​ Championship

The overall Adult Amateur Hunter 3’ Championship title, as well as the 18–35 age group title, went to Grace Walker, of Rixeyville, Virginia, in Zone 3, who piloted Heaven’s Dream, owned by Isabella Griffin, to the top of a competitive field of 76 entries with a score of 253.52. The pair finished third overall in the Under Saddle and fourth overall in the Classic on their way to the championship.

"I have been riding [Dreamer] for maybe eight months now, and this is our first championship, and I am having the greatest time ever on him," smiled Walker. "Winning this makes me really emotional! I have been doing this for a while, but I have never won something like this, so it's really surreal. I do not know how to put it all into words—I am just grateful."

Overall reserve honors went to Madeline Rubin, of Mooresville, North Carolina, in Zone 3, aboard Nuff Said, owned by Briar Field Farm, LLC, with a three-round score of 252.46. The pair also earned the 18–35 reserve title and took first overall in the Handy Round, and third overall in Classic. 

Jaclyn Fisher, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, in Zone 4, rode her own Nureyev SCF to capture the 36-49 age group on a score of 236.54. For the second consecutive year, Mary Beth Canfield, of Austin, Texas, in Zone 7, claimed the 50+ section tricolor aboard Stylized, owned by Laura Cho, with a score of 244.8.

Amateur Owner Hunter 3’3”​ Championship

The Amateur Owner Hunter 3’3” Championship welcomed a competitive field of 42 horse-and-rider combinations vying for top honors. Ultimately, Caroline Signorino, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, in Zone 2, claimed the overall championship title aboard Sandori, owned by Signorino Family Farm, LLC, earning a winning score of 255.87. The pair delivered standout performances, taking the 18-35 section title and first overall in the Classic Round and Under Saddle to secure the tricolor.

"Sandori is a really special horse for me," said Signorino. "The Handy Rounds have been one of our most difficult to finesse, but he's such a brave horse, and he really took a breath in there. He's so athletic, but he's a project for me, and he was a little greener when I got him, so we had to develop him and help him understand that showing is calm."

"It's been awesome," she continued about the championship. "Yesterday he was great. It was a little rainy, but he was very good under those conditions, so it's been an amazing experience."

Reserve championship honors went to Kate Hagerty, of Terrebonne, Oregon, in Zone 9, riding Chalamet, owned by The Hagerty Family, with a total score of 255.69. The pair placed third overall in the Classic and second overall in the Handy Round.

The 36+ championship went to Cece Williamson, of Ocala, Florida, in Zone 4, riding her own Endgame, on a score of 253.878.

The USHJA Amateur Festival - East, hosted by Split Rock Jumping Tour, continues through the week with the Low Adult Amateur 2'6" and Amateur Owner 3’6” championships. Watch every round live, presented by Windsor Stables, on USEF Network.

Held bicoastally, the USHJA Amateur Hunter Championships provide Amateur Hunter riders with a national championship experience across four divisions: 2’6” Low Adult Amateur, 3’ Adult Amateur, 3’3” Amateur Owner, and 3’6” Amateur Owner Hunters. Each Championship includes three phases—Under Saddle, a Classic Round, and a Handy Round—and riders qualify by earning champion or reserve at a USEF-licensed Channel I or Channel II competition. The West Championships will be held during National Sunshine Series I at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California, on October 28–November 1.

The USHJA extends its thanks to the host, Split Rock Jumping Tour; Official Sponsors Herm Sprenger, Nutrena, Parlanti, and StrideFull; Presenting Sponsor Frank & Eileen; Live Stream Presenting Sponsor Windsor Stables; and Supporting Sponsors Essex Classics, RingSide Pro, GumBits, SmartEquine, and Sidelines.

For more information about the USHJA Amateur Hunter Championships, visit ushja.org/AmateurChampionships.

Photos: Winslow Photography