So many memories at the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame

At the Devon Horse Show, all the attention is on the champions of the moment; those who win the hunter derby, the division titles, the leading rider honors.

But for one evening each year, after the hunter classes at the show have ended, there is a gathering to offer accolades and share memories. Those who have made a lasting impression on the sport over the decades are honored at the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame’s annual dinner. Since 1995, the names added to the Hall’s roster have included scores of legends.

Among them are riders, trainers, breeders and organizers who are well-known today, such as Rodney Jenkins, Leo Conroy, Sallie Wheeler and Diana Dodge. Less contemporary, but equally respected, are the likes of Peggy Augustus, Junie Kulp, Hope Montgomery Scott and Gordon Wright, as well as so many others who made their mark over the generations. Induction into the Hall ensures a place in a pantheon of greats who will never be forgotten because of their contributions to the sport.

As master of ceremonies Scot Evans observed, the hunters are “where it all begins” for so many international riders.

“That’s the American system.”

The Hall, founded by Carol Maloney, is chaired by trainer Jimmy Lee, who is assisted in running the organization by Kathy Gilbertson. As Scot noted they are “the two people who are keeping this together.”

Nina Bonnie, one of the 2026 inductees, is an achiever in multiple ways. They include a winning record in the show ring on horses she bought young and made herself. Beyond that, she has served horse sport and the Kentucky Horse Park.

Always gracious and personable, she came by her sense of duty not only as a personal obligation, but also as a heritage. This spring, she followed her late mother, Mrs. A.C. Randolph, into the Hall. Mrs. Randolph bred and trained show horses, as well as race horses and field hunters. She served as master of the Piedmont Fox Hounds for more than 40 years, and her grandsons also became masters of foxhounds.

Nina, who was married to the late Ned Bonnie, was introduced by her sons Shelby and Robert at the dinner. In addition to being a top amateur rider, she served as chairperson of the Kentucky Horse Park and started its foundation.

“I’ve had a wonderful time. I love what I’ve done at the horse shows and I hope all of you all continue to do it for a long time. It’s a great sport,” she told those at the dinner.

Nina continues to ride, currently enjoying a former steeplechaser who has become a pleasure mount.

Humor always has a place at the dinner if the speaker handling an induction lets their wit shine through. When Don Stewart is doing the honors, it’s really a roast, and you know it always will be good for more than a few laughs.

Don said that because Archie’s father and stepmother would be on hand at the dinner, the honoree wisely suggested “don’t be too rude.”

Archie is originally from Long Island in the Locust Valley area, where he trained with Cynthia Williams (who was on hand at the dinner) and was “surrounded by upper crust, entitled, wealthy snobby neighbors,” Don related with a smile, noting he did “dodge the `Locust Valley Lockjaw’ accent.”

Mentioning that Archie graduated from Drew University with a degree in political science, Don suggested that had he chosen that line of country for a career, he probably would have been a success in it because “he can argue like no other.”

After a stint training in New Jersey, Archie moved to California for a job with Karen Healey and wound up staying. After opening his own Brookway Stable, he went on to train the winners of 53 national high score awards. Some of his most notable students, as cited by Don, were Olympian Lucy Davis and Stephanie Danhakl “winner of everything.”

Archie chuckled as Don stepped away and he took the microphone, “I think that went pretty darn well compared to how it might have gone…”.

Of his philosophy toward horses, he said, “Let them be as good as they can. I’ve had great horses and great owners and I look forward to quite a few more years doing this.”

The most emotional speech came from Andre Dignelli, best known for his equitation training success. His brother and business partner in Heritage Farm, Michael Dignelli, introduced him at the dinner. The two have always been a team.

Andre, who was near tears several times during his speech, told of getting started with no money but with an abundance of determination.

“We had a lot of love and not a lot of anything else,” he recounted about growing up with very caring parents.

“We had a makeshift little barn in the backyard, a couple of off-the-track thoroughbreds we got out of a local Pennysaver. We’d go to local horse shows. We would take in all the free lessons.” That meant watching their “heroes,” such as Rodney, Leslie Burr and Katie Monahan and picking up on what they saw.

“We would go home and jump garbage cans and learn how to braid,” he remembered.

While many doors were closed to Andre, Hall of Fame member Judy Richter opened her door.

She was generous but also no-nonsense, and he worked hard at her Coker Farm.

“I was terrified of her.” he admitted. She was the key to his future, and they grew to understand each other.

“If you want to keep a horse out back in the tractor shed, there’s a place for you here,” she advised, before giving him his biggest breaks. He went on to ride a junior jumper owned by her son in the 1985 USET finals.

“Winning that class changed my life, It was the first time I actually felt `seen,’ ” he told his audience. Andre went on to ride another of her horses to a team bronze medal at the Pan Am Games in 1991.

The trainer, who survived kidney cancer with a transplant from his husband, noted, “The most rewarding part of my job has been the hundreds of students I have taught and mentored. They have stood on the podiums as my students and my alumni from Pony Finals to the Olympics Games and everywhere in between.” (His  former student, Tori Colvin — who won the USET class in 2015 — was honored at the Hall dinner as Lady Rider of the Year. And another former student, Kent Farrington, was ranked number one internationally in June).

The McKinney family was recognized for its long history in the horse world. Rigan McKinney, a famed steeplechase jockey and trainer, owned and operated the Stony Point horse farm in Lexington, Ky. One of his daughters, Tamara McKinney, a star U.S. skier, was also an accomplished rider as a junior.

Her step-sister, Laura, became the owner of Stony Point, and in between working with her race horses, rode hunters, as did her mother, Frances McKinney. Laura’s sister, Ouisha, an equine artist specializing in wool and earthenware, also is involved with the farm.

Horses have their own place in the Hall, and two were inducted for 2026. They are Becky Gochman’s Catch Me, ridden by Scott Stewart (a boxed Breyer model of the memorable Holsteiner was on every table) and Betsee Parker’s Lone Star, ridden by Hunt Tosh, who spoke about how much that special horse meant to him.

Aside from the inductees, many other awards (such as the one that went to Tori) are presented at the Hall dinner.  Betsee, whose California Love was Regular Conformation Hunter of the Year and Horse of the Year, got the Owner of the Year trophy and Scott Stewart, California Love’s rider, took the tricolor as Gentleman Rider of the Year. John French was Trainer of the Year.

Wunderkind J.J. Torano was named Hunter Seat Equitation Rider of the Year. But that title is an understatement when looking at his achievements. He rode in the hunter derby at Devon, where he was a winner in the jumpers, and he also won a jumper class at Upperville the following week.