Thermal, Calif. – Jan. 30, 2022 – The final day of Desert Circuit II got underway in winning fashion at the Desert International Horse Park (DIHP) as junior hunter riders took to Hunter 1 to vie for their respective championships. Ken Krome designed the courses for the day to conclude hunter competition, and several stellar young athletes brought forth flashy mounts to try to claim top honors. At the end of competition in the Callidae Large Junior 3’6” Hunter 16-17, there were two champions crowned in the California-split division. Section A champion was awarded to Avery Rose Glynn with In Favor, owned by B R Farms LLC, while Skylar Wireman and Record Year, owned by Balmoral, earned the Section B championship.
Glynn and In Favor, a 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding, have been on a roll during Desert Circuit, with Sunday’s tricolor marking back-to-back championships for the pair. Though they were just paired together earlier this year, their top placings throughout the division prove they already have a strong partnership. During Saturday’s portion of the competition, the duo earned two second place ribbons over fences and second place under saddle. They rode to two first place ribbons Sunday to clinch the Section A champion honors. Glynn also earned reserve champion in Section A, this time riding Aventus, owned by Jennifer Cancellieri.
Wireman also recently got the ride on her champion junior hunter mount Record Year, an 11-year-old Warmblood gelding. Saturday, Wireman piloted Record Year to a first and fifth place over fences as well as first place under saddle to set themselves up nicely for Sunday’s portion of the division. They secured the Section B championship Sunday after earning two second place ribbons over fences. The Section B reserve tricolor was presented to Mia Burlington and Aleron LLC’s County Line.
In addition to the division championships, riders also competed to win the Junior Hunter Classics in their respective heights. The first hunter served as the base score for the Classic, and each rider had an extra trip which included additional fences to show off scope and consistency to add a second score for a two-round total. Topping the Platinum Performance Junior 3’3’’ Hunter Classic was Katalina Considine-Rickard riding Harriet Posner’s Fred Astaire to a total score of 164.5. Rose Glynn took the win in the Domino High Voltage Junior 3’6’’ Hunter Classic aboard Everything, owned by Stephanie Ray.
Sunday’s junior hunter competition concluded Desert Circuit II. Desert Circuit III will kick-off Wednesday, February 2, with the Performance Hunters and Green Hunters.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Avery Rose Glynn – Callidae Large Junior 3’6’’ Hunter 16-17 Section A champion
On Everything:
“[Everything] is owned by Stephanie Ray and is training at Bridgeport Farms with John Bragg. He’s only 7 years old, so he’s a little bit on the greener side of the horses in this division. He has a really bright future in the hunters. He’s such a lovely horse; he’s brave. I really like that you can gallop down to the jumps on him. Mitch Endicott is an assistant at Bridgeport and he helped me with him for the last couple days. I’m really thankful I get to ride such a lovely horse. I rode him for the first time last weekend. For being only 7 years old, he’s really a straightforward ride. He’s so brave, really scopey, has a big stride and a really nice jump overall.”
On In Favor:
“I rode [In Favor], whose barn name is ‘Finn’, last week in the Junior Hunters as well and he was champion. It was really exciting for me to be champion again this week. Finn is really a great horse. Every time he goes in the ring he tries his heart out. He’s brave and he has a huge stride and it feels like you’re covering so much ground, which I love. He is owned by B R Farms LLC. He’s in training at Balmoral with Traci and Carleton Brooks. I rode him last week for the first time. It’s nice to get so much experience on a bunch of different horses. Whether they’re easy or hard, I really feel like I’m getting a lot out of getting to ride different types of horses here. A huge thank you to Traci and Carleton Brooks.”
On DIHP:
“I love all the changes they’ve made to the facility. I’ve really enjoyed coming back to watch the grand prixs and the big classes. I think it’s fun that they make those so special. I love that [Phelps Media Group] is doing such good social media coverage of all the different divisions. I’m really enjoying my time here.”
Skylar Wireman – Callidae Large Junior 3’6’’ Hunter 16-17 Section B champion
On Record Year:
“[Record Year] is owned by Balmoral. It’s only my second or third time riding him, so a newer mount for me. He’s a really fun ride. He’s got a great jump and he hunts the jumps well. We put in some great rounds.”
On her rounds:
“[Record Year] felt really good. Yesterday it went kind of late so we went under the lights, which I thought was great practice. He was fantastic under the lights. Today, we won some more and he was, again, really good. The handy was fun, so it was awesome. He’s a catch ride, so if Carleton needs me in the future, I’ll ride him. A huge thank you to Traci and Carleton for the ride on Record Year.”
On DIHP:
“They’ve done a lot of improvements and it’s looking quite beautiful. The jumps are fantastic; they’re filled in beautifully. I love how they’ve redone the footing. There’s a lot to like and Steve Hankin’s done a fantastic job with the facility and it’s really nice now.”