Yearbook Issue Riders of the Year, Trends, People We’Ll Miss & More
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Vol. 83, No. 2 January 27 & February 3, 2020 • $4.99 YEARBOOK ISSUE RIDERS OF THE YEAR, TRENDS, PEOPLE WE’LL MISS & MORE Overall Horse Of The Year CASSANTO & Maggie Hill YEARBOOK ISSUE OVERALL HORSE OF THE YEAR: CASSANTO By Kimberly Loushin he alarm blared loudly through Maggie Hill’s Their work paid off, as Cassanto swept the large junior hotel room. The hour was impossibly early—one hunter, 16-17, over fences classes and took third on the few teenagers see unless it’s from the other end, flat to win the division title and the grand junior hunter dropping into the sheets following a late night. honors. Though staying in the warm confines of bed And so as Hill lined up the Holsteiner (Canto— Tmight have been more appealing than venturing out into Stefania) along the stretch of red carpet center ring at the the bitter Kentucky cold, the 17-year-old eagerly piled on National Horse Show to receive his championship coolers the layers, donned her black knit cap, and made her way and extravagant tricolors, a year of triumphs unmatched to barn 24 at the Kentucky Horse Park. by any other show hunter this season ended. They’d As she disturbed Cassanto’s rest for a pre-dawn earned championships from Devon (Pennsylvania), the schooling session in the Alltech Arena, there were no USEF Junior Hunter National Championships—East pinned ears or nips. His ears were pricked, and his (Pennsylvania), Capital Challenge (Maryland) and expression remained pleasant. Washington International as well as grand championships “Indoors is so grueling for a horse no matter what you at Pennsylvania National and the National. do,” said Hill. “It’s as grueling for the people and the But the year also contained considerable health horses, but he’s continued to stay excited. No matter [the struggles for Hill, including countless hospital visits, hour], even at 4 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 11 o’clock at night, he misdiagnoses and problematic side effects. Throughout was still happy to be there. He gets so much excitement those challenges, Cassanto was a constant source of out of showing.” strength to her. Whether enjoying his gravity-defying Typically, Hill and Cassanto have the complete Finally jump or spending a quiet moment in his stall, Hill always Farm team at a show: trainer Liza Boyd, her father, Jack felt better after time with her chestnut partner. Towell, and assistant trainer Katie Wood. But for the National Horse Show it was just Hill and Boyd, and both THE EVOLUTION OF CASSANTO were feeling the pressure to keep their indoors winning Jimmy Torano imported Cassanto and sold him to Susan streak alive. Stanley, who brought him into Ken and Emily Smith’s “We were actually the first two in the ring in the program at Ashland Farm. He made his hunter debut in morning,” said Boyd. “I was like, ‘Oh gosh, you can tell 2013 under the name Sedona, showing in the 3' pre-green that we are really nervous when we are on and in the divisions with young professional Shawn Casady while ring.’ I think the ring opened at 4, and we were on at 3:30. Stanley piloted him in the low adult hunters and then the We can’t say we didn’t try our hardest. And I have to adult amateur hunters. give Maggie credit for that because that’s dedication. She At the inaugural USHJA Pre-Green Hunter Incentive wants to get out there, and she wants to help prepare, Championships (Kentucky), he finished fourth and caught and she wants to be a part of it. At the end of the day she Boyd’s eye. Even over the low fences, he showed perfect wants to learn and understand why we’re doing this and form: forearms parallel to the ground, lower legs even how are we going to take care of him, and that’s always and square, neck and back round with one ear swiveled nice.” back listening to the rider. 26 Maggie Hill worked through serious health challenges to record an unmatched show record in the junior hunters this year aboard Stella Styslinger’s Cassanto. KIMBERLY LOUSHIN PHOTO JANUARY 27 & FEBRUARY 3, 2020 | COTH.COM 27 YEARBOOK ISSUE “I love every single horse, but there’s just a special thing there,” says Maggie Hill of her partnership with Cassanto. LAURA LEMON PHOTO “He always catches your attention, and the style is so, so great,” said Boyd. “He never jumps a bad jump. Wherever you get him, the legs are so correct; the head and neck are down. He follows through nicely behind. He kind of reminds me of a Brunello-type but lighter and a better mover, but that same great jump and brave, and so broke on the flat.” By the end of the winter circuit in 2014, Emily Perez had bought him to double as her junior hunter and equitation mount. Then in 2015 Heritage Farm rider Brady Mitchell piloted him to third in the $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Spectacular at the Winter Equestrian Festival (Florida) and third in the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships (Kentucky) behind derby powerhouses Brunello and Mindful. He won the Section B standings the same year and had become a household name. In 2016 Dana Springer purchased him to compete in the amateur divisions, and she showed him lightly. But Boyd still pined for the chestnut, and she finally got A HORSE THAT MAKES YOU WORK her chance that fall at the National. Hill’s riding career started with barrel racing and reining “I was searching for a junior hunter for Stella in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She joined the U.S. Pony Styslinger,” she recalled. “And I was just in the right Clubs, ventured into eventing, and took dressage lessons place in the right time.” from Margie Boyd, Liza’s sister-in-law. When Margie Boyd’s brother Hardin Towell and Hardin’s business introduced her to Liza, Hill got her first taste of the horse partner Darragh Kenny tipped her off that the gelding show world. was for sale, and she zipped over to Spy Coast Farm, just A couple years later, Hill had a season at 3'3" under her down the road from the Kentucky Horse Park, to try him. belt and was looking to move up to 3'6". To Liza and Jack “The canter is just so amazing. I was like, ‘Stella, you there were two obvious choices to help her make that have to have this horse,’ ” Boyd recalled. jump: Cassanto and O’Ryan, also owned by Styslinger. Cassanto and Styslinger clicked right away and “She and Stella, they’re similar,” Liza said. “They’re collected their own wins, including the junior/amateur- soft riders. We just sort of knew that it would work, and owner classic at the 2017 Rolex Central Park Horse it’s such an advantage having horses that are already in Show (New York). But when Styslinger started college, your barn, so you don’t spend a couple months figuring Cassanto came to Hill. out what they like and what you can do in the schooling 28 CASSANTO’S 2019 partnership, Hill believed it would work. “I always saw myself with him,” she said. “He matches COMPETITIVE HIGHLIGHTS my style; we work together, so I can trust him in any WITH MAGGIE HILL situation, and I think he trusts me a lot, which is a good Winter Equestrian Festival (Florida): Weeks 1 and 7—large junior feeling. I think he gets enjoyment out of being ridden by hunter, 16-17, championship me, and I get loads of enjoyment out of every single ride with him.” Devon Horse Show (Pennsylvania): Large junior hunter, 16-17, The 13-year-old gelding enabled Hill to tackle the championship learning curve, but also pushed her to be better. Aiken Summer Classic I (South Carolina): Junior hunter “He wouldn’t put up with mistakes,” she said. “I would championship make mistakes, and he’s like, ‘That’s really wrong.’ I’ve ridden horses that would take it, take it, take it, and he Brandywine Valley Summer Series (Pennsylvania): Junior hunter, 16-17, championship makes you work for it. If you do it right, then he gives it to you. A few chips and then I learned that chipping’s not USEF Junior Hunter National Championship—East Coast his favorite. It’s just part of his character. You learn to (Pennsylvania): Large junior hunter, 16-17, championship laugh at it.” Blowing Rock Charity II (North Carolina): Large junior hunter, Liza believes the gelding’s character has contributed to 16-17, championship his win streak. Capital Challenge Horse Show (Maryland): Large junior hunter, “He keeps us all humble in the way that he’s quite 16-17, championship easy, but he’s been known to buck us both off before, and he’s got a little character,” she said. “He’s a strong Pennsylvania National Horse Show: Large junior hunter, 16-17, championship; grand junior hunter championship personality. I think that is what makes him a winner though. He has that pizazz in him. That’s what keeps him Washington International Horse Show (District Of Columbia): crisp, and that’s what keeps him a winner for so long. If Large junior hunter, 16-17, championship he didn’t have that he’d probably get a little bored, but National Horse Show (Kentucky): Large junior hunter, 16-17, that little character is, in the end, to our advantage.” championship; grand junior hunter championship USEF Horse Of The Year: Large junior hunter, 16-17, champion; A SHOULDER TO LEAN ON grand champion junior hunter, 16-17 In that first year Hill earned victories she’d never imagined, including a championship at Devon in her first appearance.