Harrisburg, Pa. – October 15, 2025 – As the professional hunter divisions came to a close on Tuesday, October 14, at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, the horse that would be crowned Grand Hunter Champion was clear.

With four wins and a second place in the Green Conformation Hunter division, sponsored by Goshen Hill and Caroline Moran, Kate Conover and Clear As Day were the big winners of the day, taking not only the Grand Hunter title, sponsored by Hesslink Williams LLC, but also the Grand Green Hunter Champion honors, sponsored by Copper Fox LLC/Kendall Meijer.

“It’s very special,” said Conover. “I’m from Pipersville, Pa., originally, so [I was] coming here as a kid and watching, and this is a big deal for me. Coming from this state to win Grand Hunter Champion, it’s amazing.”

Clear As Day, owned by B R Farm LLC, is normally piloted by Nick Haness, but he was unable to ride this week, so trainer Michael Knight asked if Conover would ride him in Harrisburg.

“Nick is one of my best friends, so we kind of share horses,” said Conover. “I’ve ridden horses when he’s not here in the past, so he gave me all the directions I needed to have a successful week, and Carleton’s program is great, so it was really fun to come here.”

“Grande” first came to Brooks’ program last summer, and they did a limited number of shows with him. They then came east from California for the indoor circuit, and Haness piloted him to second in the $10,000 3’3” Green Hunter Stake Class at last year’s Pennsylvania National.

“He’s as easy going as can be,” Brooks said of the gelding. “He likes to lay down a lot, and he can be frisky, but he’s always been show, all show. By the time he comes to the horse show, he’s all show.”

Finishing behind Clear As Day and Conover as the reserve champions in the Green Conformation Hunters were Michael Britt-Leon and Cannon Beach.

Hunt Tosh and Cannon Creek Top High Performance Hunters

In the High Performance Hunter division, sponsored by the Wheeler Family, it was Hunt Tosh and Cannon Creek who took the division championship. It was “Cannon’s” first show since competing at the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, so Tosh was eager to see how the gelding, owned by the Wheeler Family, would go after the break.

“It’s always a little nerve-wracking, thinking if you’re making the right decision or not,” said Tosh. “He went in there, and he was spectacular yesterday; 95, first class and great in the handy. He’s such a dependable horse, and he’s always wonderful, and I’m lucky to be able to ride him.”

Taking the High Performance Hunter reserve championship title were David Wilbur and Four Aces.

Cannon Beach is Best in 3’6” Green Hunters

Ever since Michael Britt-Leon started showing Cannon Beach for owner Kelly Sims, the gelding has been racking up top ribbons, and this week was no different. The pair came home with the 3’6” Green Hunter Championship, sponsored by the Lannie Lipson Foundation.

Britt-Leon was also awarded the Leading Hunter Rider Award, sponsored by Hesslink Williams. For the prestigious honor, Britt-Leon was presented with the Elizabeth M. Solter Memorial Perpetual Trophy.

“He was quite green when we got him, and he just gets better and better and better every single week,” said Britt-Leon. “He’s been a really fun horse to bring along. Shari Rose [who we bought him from] finds so much quality in the horses. She’s an excellent, excellent, excellent horsewoman, one of the best. So, I trust her, and when I see one that I like a lot that she has, and she tells me it’s a good one, it’s always worked out to be a great one.”

The reserve championship honor in the 3’6” Green Hunters was awarded to Crystal Young and MTM Nonchalant.  

Tori Colvin Captures Three Championships

Tori Colvin is no stranger to winning at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Her success began early in her junior days and now continues in the professional divisions. On Tuesday, she took home three championships. For John & Stephanie Ingram LLC’s Dicoblue PS and Jenkins, she won the 3’9” Green Hunter Championship, sponsored by KPF, and the High Performance Conformation Hunter Championship, respectively. In the Keystone Arena, she rode Glade Run Farm LLC’s Et Cetera to the 3’3” Green Hunter Championship.

“He was really good,” she said of Dicoblue PS. “In the first [round] yesterday, he was maybe a little nervous, I think with the lights and everything out there. “He went out and got a 95 in his first round, which obviously doesn’t say he was nervous, but he was just a little more starstruck than normal. He gave really, really good efforts, and then today he was super relaxed. He jumped great. He’s just a very, very lovely horse.”

In the divisions dominated by Colvin, the reserve championships went to:

• Jordan Kilkenny and Animated in the High Performance Conformation Hunters
• Jennifer Hannan and Chilled in the 3’3” Green Hunters
• Daniel Geitner and Aeronautic in the 3’9” Green Hunters

3’ and 3’3” Grand Green Hunter Champions Crowned

Daniel Geitner also had a successful day in the Keystone Arena, where he piloted Martin Schlaeppi’s Valentine to the 3’ Green Hunter 6-Year-Old and Under Championship.

When the mare was first imported, Geitner had no plans of showing her during the indoor season, but she proved to take to the hunter job quite easily.

“A friend of mine found her in Germany for me, and I bought her off a video,” said Geitner. “I usually don’t do that, but my buddy was pretty persistent. I did like her quite a bit. She just came here and got it right away. She wants to be slow and a careful jumper and has a huge stride, and I think she’s going to be quite fun for the future, and the present.”

The reserve championship in the 3’ Green Hunters 6-Year-Old and Under went to Conover and South Coast. Geitner and Valentine were also named the 3’ Green Hunter Grand Champions.

In the 3’ Green Hunters, it was again Britt-Leon’s turn in the championship winner’s circle. With his own London Boy, Britt-Leon earned the PNHS 3’ Green Hunter Perpetual Trophy. The reserve championship in the division went to Conover and South Coast.

In the final division of the day in the Keystone Arena, the 3’3” Green Hunters 7-Year-Old and Under, the championship was awarded to Jessica Barno and Indian Rose VD Steine Z, owned by Mariana Favrot. Jennifer Jones and Timing took home the reserve championship.

New for 2025, this year’s PNHS also offered $20,000 in hunter trainer bonus awards. Earning the top bonus award as both the Leading Pro Division Trainer and the Leading 3’3” Green Trainer was Tom Wright. Taking home the Leading 3’ Green Trainer award was Daniel Geitner.

For full results of the professional hunter divisions at the 79^th annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show, visit pnhs.showmanagementsystem.com.