Champion Lake Placid and I Love N.Y in Pre-Green Hunters and class winner in Amateur-Owner Hunter 3'3" - 36+ Years.  USHJA Hunter Derby - 3rd Place.  

From the Chronicle of the Horse:

Kingpin Rules First Years at Devon Horse Show
While Amanda Steege has been a regular at Devon for several years, this year marked Kingpin’s first time in the Dixon Oval. The 6-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Carolus II—Mirkowitz) made his debut a winning one, clinching the first year green championship. “He was just so relaxed the entire weekend. This is his first time showing at Devon. You can really never expect exactly how they’re going to act here. Some horses come and seem like they eat up the activity and the attention, and it makes them better and rise to the occasion, and some get nervous, and it goes the other way. For him, I think he really loved it here. Each day he felt better and more relaxed,” said Steege, 37.

“Bruno” is owned by Jimmy and Ellen Toon and lives with them in Wellington, Fla. and South Salem, N.Y., but Steege rode him briefly as a 4-year-old, then picked up showing him again last year. Steege, of Bedminster, N.J., was proud of Bruno’s win in the handy class on Tuesday, and she hopes to continue on with him this year. “I’m a professional rider, so I’m supposed to be able to ride all styles of horse, but there’s certain horses you get on that just feel like you were made for each other, and the style of riding that I like to do is the style he likes as well, which is just a soft, relaxed, trusting ride. It’s never really felt like work for me on him,” she said.

The $500,000 Diamond Mills Hunter Prix is considered by many the premier event for American Hunters.  Top juniors, amateurs, and pros come from all over the US  to vie for an unprecedented payout.  Since the inception of the Pfizer Million in 2010, Tom Struzzieri and the HITS team have been striving to create additional classes that will give riders a significant year-end goal to work towards.  To that end, in 2011 they created the Diamond Mills Hunter Prix, and this year, with the intent to offer juniors and amateurs in the hunter world a shot at big money, they created the $500,000 Hunter Prix Final.

The marquee hunter event, the Diamond Mills Hunter Prix,  offers 75 qualified riders, 5 invitees and 1 wild card a chance to duke it out over 4 rounds over 3’3″ fences with spreads not to exceed fence height.  The fourth and final round was held over a shortened course, complete with handy elements, in the Grand Prix ring amongst the Pfizer Million Grand Prix fences.

Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix - Final Results
HORSE OWNER RIDER PRIZE MONEY

1 Sienna Lexi Maounis Patricia Griffith 150000.00
2 C Coast Z Chansonette Farm LLC Lillie Keenan 90000.00
3 Balou Lisa Arena Amanda Steege 60000.00
4 Pioneer Heritage Farm, Inc. Matthew Metell 40000.00
5 Invincible Ellen Toon Ellen Toon 25000.00
6 Chance of Flurries Helen McEvoy Hope Glynn 20000.00
7 Kistler Cathy Morris Schmitt Joie Gatlin 15000.00
8 Winner James B Pirtle Ent, Inc. Jimmy Torano 12000.00
9 Highline Catherine Cowie Laena Romond 10000.00
10 Gelato Conor Perrin Nick Haness 9000.00

Click on the video below to see Ellen and Invincible in the final round:

Congratulations to Elizabeth Chung and Make My Day.  Champion Children's Medium Pony Hunter at the Hampton Classic Horse Show!  Seen here with proud Dad Jae!

Watch Me Shine was a class winner in the Children's Hunter Ponies with Elizabeth as well!

Brianne Link won a class with Zet Es Zem and was Reserve Champion in the Children's Jumpers!!

Congrats to Ellen Toon piloting Invincible to the Amateur/Owner Hunter Champion 36+ winning three of five classes in the division and 2nd in the other two classes in the division.  In addition Ellen was the winner of the RESALUUTION PERPETUAL TROPHY - A/O 36+,  won the GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP TROPHY for High Score Amateur Owner with a 91.  the pair were also GRAND A/O HUNTER CHAMPION and GRAND HUNTER CHAMPION.

JT was Reserve Champion in the Triple Crown High Performance Hunter Division on Jane Clark's Tigger.

News from JT Farm: Stacey Robertson joins us to teach at the farm.  Stacey, previously with Hunter Farm and Ox Ridge, brings many years of experience in the show ring, training, and working with students of all ages and skills.  Join us in welcoming Stacey to the team.

_ Good luck and congrats to JT Farm students and horses showing at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida.

Sylvia deToledo is riding Edgar in the USEF Talent Search, the Maclay, WIHS, and Medal.  Congrats to Sylvia for her 2nd place in the Medal Week 2 and 4th in Week 3!

Kingpin is showing in the 3'3" Pre-Green with Sandy Ferrell was 2nd and 5th Week 2, and continued his consistent performance in Week 3.

Jimmy showed Tigger Week 2 in the High Performance and was 2nd, 3rd.

And Ellen showed Memphis in the 51+ Adult Amateurs ribboning in every class in the division Week 2.  Moving up in Week 3 Ellen was 2,3 and 4th in the 3'3" Adult Amateurs.

Congrats to everyone on a great start to the Winter Circuit.