On the heels of his victory in the Devon Horse Show’s USHJA International Hunter Derby, Lafitte de Muze traveled a few hours south to take another derby in Virginia at the country’s oldest show on Friday.
Triumphant at the Upperville Colt & Horse Show for the third time in a row, the 15-year-old Belgian warmblood gelding responded beautifully to rider Amanda Steege at one of his favorite venues.
“He’s always gone fantastically in this derby, and I really enjoy showing here because of the large number of spectators who come to cheer us on. There aren’t many places where you get that kind of crowd in such an intimate setting. When he does one of his extra-special jumps, I can hear the crowd say, ‘Oooh! Ahh!’ and I really enjoy that part of showing here,” said Amanda, who presents the horse with the help of her barn manager and partner, Tim Delovich.
She was the final rider to go in the classic round, earning scores of 91 and 92 from the judges, along with four high-option bonus points from each panel. That put her in the lead with her longtime partner, owned by Cheryl Olsten.
Returning for the handy round, she and Lafitte handled the course beneath Upperville’s scenic oaks. Scores of 92 from each panel, combined with an additional 14 high-option bonus points, secured the victory and completed their three-peat at the venue.
Evan Coluccio rode Mary Antonini’s Dorian Grey to second place on a score of 368, while Kate Conover guided Privet Farm, LLC’s Proud to Be to third place with 358 points.