We’re more accustomed to seeing Heather Senia Williams coaching people outside the show ring, rather than riding in it.
But Heather, who works for Beacon Hill Show Stables in Colts Neck, had a chance to demonstrate her talent on a horse yesterday at the Capital Challenge show, where she won the $5,000 World Champion Hunter Rider Developing Pro Challenge. The 33-year-old competitor, who turned pro when she was 18, took the opportunity when Lillian Soroken offered her DiCaprio for the class. It was an impromptu decision. Heather didn’t even have the right clothes, and had to buy a shadbelly to be properly attired for the competition..
“A lot of times I’m not here during this week because it’s also the USEF Talent Search Finals,” said Heather.
“The stars just sort of aligned that I was able to be here, and I had the opportunity from the Sorokens to ride this great horse so I said I was going to take advantage and do it while I can.
“The majority of my professional career is really spent training,” she continued. “I don’t do a lot of competitive riding for myself; I do a lot of schooling jumpers and preparing horses. I would say that’s primarily what my riding entails, but I knew I was going to be here this week and it’s a rare occasion.”
Heather andDiCaprio 3, a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Contender, scored 85.66 and 88.66 for a total of 174.32. Jared Depermentier and Brad Wolf’s Sebastian were second with scores of 85 and 87.66 for a 172.66 total. Vivian Yowan and Sazerac, owned by IMB of Jupiter LLC, finished third after they scored 86.41 and 86.16 for a 172.57 total.
Heather Williams and DiCaprio. (Shawn McMillen Photo)
Heather was in third place after the first round, but their second-round score propelled them up the standings.
“Coming into the second round, I took a peek at the scores before I got on and I saw that the top riders were all really within one point of each other,” she said. “I knew if I had a good trip, I would have a real chance at moving up. I tried to stick to my plan. I know my horse really well, and I had a road map of how I wanted to ride the course and luckily it panned out exactly how I’d hoped.”
It was a sweet victory for Williams, who was the first person to ride DiCaprio 3 when he arrived in the barn two years ago.
“We brought him home to the barn from Capital Challenge actually, and I took one lap around the indoor ring. She told her boss, Stacia Madden, “This horse has to stay!’” she recalled. “It’s full circle that I rode him the very first day he came to the barn and loved him so much. Now it’s two years later, and I feel like I helped him stay in the barn and he helped me win this class. To win a class like this is always special, but to do it on a horse I have such a relationship with makes it even more special.”
She added, “I’m very grateful to Stacia Madden for giving me the opportunity to do this class and Max Amaya (of Stonehenge Farm) for always being such a supporter of my riding and myself since I was a young professional. I’m good friends with Patricia Griffith (of Heritage Farm), so she was nice enough to help me today. Lydia Ulrich and T.J. O’Mara were also here, so between the three of them, I was really lucky to have a great crew help me.”