News

Nick Haness Headlines Professional Hunter Competition at Pennsylvania National Horse Show

Harrisburg, Pa. – October 15, 2024 – If anyone was looking for Nick Haness on Tuesday, October 15, in the winner’s circle at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA, was the most likely spot to find him. Haness made frequent trips there throughout the day as he ultimately piloted Modern Man to the Grand Hunter Championship – among numerous other accolades.

Nick Haness and Modern Man. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

On their way to taking home the horse show’s greatest hunter honors, Haness and the 8-year-old Warmblood gelding, owned by Lynn Olson, first earned two wins and a second place over fences, as well as a win under saddle, to claim the Green Conformation Hunter Championship, sponsored by Goshen Hill/Caroline Moran.

Next, it was the Green Hunter Grand Championship that saw them returning to the ring to accept a tricolor, and then ultimately, the Grand Hunter Championship, sponsored by Copper Fox LLC/Kendall Meijer. 

“I got a phone call earlier this year about this horse,” explained Haness, who hails from Temecula, CA. “I knew the horse a few years ago when he was a really young horse, and Shelley [Campf] and her program had developed him beautifully. I’ve watched Shelley win on this horse throughout our circuits in Thermal and on the West Coast. She wasn’t going to be making the journey back East this year herself. So, she had asked if I would be interested in riding him at the Incentive Finals in Kentucky earlier this year and the summer. Then, depending on how that went, we would keep going through indoors and that was sort of our game plan.”

Nick Haness and Modern Man. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

After the Green Hunter Incentive Championship went well, Modern Man stayed on the East Coast for Haness to ride, and the horse has continued to impress.

“His jump is so extravagant,” said Haness. “He’s not a horse I have to ever worry about getting a rub in the schooling ring. He just always wants to jump carefully, correctly. He has grown up a lot. He was green at times, but whenever it was important this year, like in Kentucky, at Capital Challenge and in here, he always found a way to rise to the top.”

Haness continued, “This is just really totally unexpected, but I’m pleasantly surprised to be here as the champions and the grand champions at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show.”

Nick Haness and Day Won. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

For the Green Hunter Grand Championship, Haness was presented with the Kimberton Hills Challenge Trophy, and for the Grand Hunter Championship, he was awarded the Beaufort Hunt Perpetual Trophy.

Earning the reserve championship in the Green Conformation Hunter division behind Haness and Modern Man were Steven Gregorio and Customized.

Haness’s top results didn’t stop there, however. Prior to clinching numerous tricolors with Modern Man, Haness first rode Day Won, owned by Balmoral, to the Green Hunter 3’9” Championship, sponsored by KPF.

Taking the reserve championship in the division were Matt Cyphert and Ritz.

Nick Haness and Et Cetera. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

“I rode Day Won for Carleton [Brooks] at Balmoral maybe a year and a half ago when he was a first year green horse in the very, very beginning,” said Haness of the 7-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding that was then leased out for the past year. “We just got him back. I didn’t even know I was going to show him this week. Carleton kind of sprung it on me two days ago and said, ‘Hey, you want to ride [Day Won] again this week at Harrisburg? I said, ‘I love riding him. Let’s go. Let’s do it!”

Haness continued, “I haven’t ridden him in a minute. The first class, he was solid. He got a nice ribbon, but he went in for the handy yesterday and laid down a tremendous effort, a beautiful round to score a 92, which was a big, exciting win.”

Nick Haness and Odette. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

Haness’ third division championship of the day came aboard Et Cetera, owned by Glade Run Farm LLC. With Haness in the irons, the 6-year-old Holsteiner gelding earned two wins over fences and a third in the under saddle to claim the top honor in the Green Hunter 3’ – Section A. Haness also earned the division’s reserve championship aboard South Coast.

In Section B of the Green Hunter 3’, the championship went to Michael Britt-Leon and Maverick, owned by Sadie Furr. Earning the reserve championship were Elizabeth Naber and Toussaint.

Michael Britt-Leon and Maverick. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

With Odette, owned by John and Stephanie Ingram, Haness earned both his fourth and final division championship of the day and victory in the $10,000 Green Hunter 3’3” Winners Stake, sponsored by Bridgeport Farms. With three wins over fences, the 8-year-old Oldenburg mare earned the Green Hunter 3’3” – Section A Championship, and a high score of 93 also earned Odette the EMO Agency Professional Hunter High Five Award.

The reserve championship in the Green Hunter 3’3” division went to John French and Kaiden.  

Laena Romond and Forsini. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

In Section B of the Green Hunter 3’3” the championship was awarded to Laena Romond and Forsini, owned by Lexi Maounis. The reserve championship went to Amanda Steege and Wish.

Back in the winner’s circle with Haness, his highly successful day concluded with two more special awards, the Leading Hunter Rider Award, sponsored by Hesslink Williams, and the Kenneth Wheeler Style of Riding Award, sponsored by the Wheeler Family.

Nick Haness. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

As the rider with the greatest number of points in one of the 3’6” or higher professional divisions, Haness’ name will now be added to the Leading Hunter Rider wall inside the Harrisburg Coliseum.

“This is a very special show to me,” concluded Haness. “I have worked my whole life to – it gives me the goosebumps to be on that wall, the leading rider wall. This is a super exciting moment. I’ve won a lot of things in my career. Those have been all great. I’m very excited about those wins and proud, but this one’s a big one to me. Harrisburg is such an important horse show for our industry, and it is just all the best horses and riders. That wall has so much history on it with people I’ve idolized and looked up to for many, many years.”

Also having a banner week was David Wilbur aboard Four Aces, owned by Marita Zuraitis. Wilbur and the 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding took home two firsts and a second place over fences before being named champions of the High Performance Hunters, sponsored by the Wheeler Family.

David Wilbur aboard Four Aces. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

Four Aces had previously been ridden to top results throughout the year by Brian Feigus, but when Feigus got kicked prior to the PNHS, Zuraitis asked Wilbur to handle the ride.

“You don’t get many opportunities to ride horses that good, so you hope you can put it all together. Luckily, we did,” said Wilbur of the horse that he describes as “one of the nicest horses I’ve ever ridden in my life.” “It was definitely, I’d have to say, one of the best weeks for sure of my riding career.”

Wilbur continued, “He just tries all the time. It’s amazing how he walks into the ring, and you can let him just gallop down to that first jump. He showed indoors at Capital Challenge, and he showed here, but these are his first two indoor shows in America – for sure in Europe he had a lot of experience. He just really always is trying for you, and if you can give him a good ride, he’s always going to give you the best he can give you.”

Mary Lisa Leffler and Chime. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

In the High Performance Conformation Hunters, sponsored by Sunset View Farms, the championship went to Mary Lisa Leffler and her own Chime.

“I’ve had [Charm] since she was a baby green,” said Leffler of the 10-year-old grey Holsteiner mare. “She always likes to peek a little bit, now we’re – knock on wood! – getting it. She’s tiny. She’s only about 15.3. She has a huge step, and her oxers are amazing.”

Earning the reserve championship in the High Performance Conformation Hunters were Haness and Jenkins.

In the Green Hunter 3’6”, sponsored by the Lannie Lipson Foundation, the championship went to Halie Robinson and Circa, owned by Wade Equestrian Farms LLC. Earning the reserve championship were Britt-Leon and True Cassini.

Halie Robinson and Circa. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

“I think everybody knows that she’s one of the greatest horses of all time, so I was happy that she got to have her glory day today like she deserved,” said Robinson, who took over the ride on the 8-year-old Holsteiner mare roughly a month ago. “She is as incredible as she seems. She is as lovely as she looks. She is so powerful and so athletic. I think she could be a grand prix horse also. I think the thing that really stands out to me for her is that she’s so kind, and she’s so humble. She’s just a really, really sweet horse.”

Concluding the day’s professional hunter competition were the winners stake classes, where the win in the $10,000 Professional Hunter 3’6” – 4’ Winners Stake, sponsored by the Ingram Family, went to Greg Crolick and Chappy. In the $10,000 Green Hunter 3’ Winners Stake, sponsored by Windsor Stables, John French rode Encanto to the win.

Earning the BioStar Happy Horse Award, presented out of the 3’6”-4’ Winners Stake, were Ashley Worthington and Last Call. For full results of all professional hunter competition at the PNHS, click here.