LaurenGallops

Well, actually, it’s Sunday morning – we returned home from the 159th Upperville Colt & Horse Show by around 8:30, answered emails for an hour or so and then had to stretch out with a book:  woke up around 12:30 and downloaded Saturday’s photos from two cards and answered more emails.

Saturday started and finished as a gloriously bright day of sunshine. Upperville’s “shade” proved how smart everyone was in terms of preserving those old oak trees on the hunter side when they did the footing (green oases within the main hunter ring). The whole week has been a tribute to how well the show committee treats spectators and exhibitors with lots of tents to augment the trees that dot the open fields that comprise the jumper side. The gazillion details that make Upperville such a fabulous show depend in great part on the incredible generosity of the landowners of the farms on each side of Route 50/John Mosby Highway, which provide the uniquely beautiful settings for Upperville .

Okay, we didn’t want to admit it, but we are tuckered out, trying to keep up with the action in all the rings, even with that United Metro golf cart !!! Too much going on all the time. We hardly got to the second hunter ring all week. We shot only the odd round in the many jumper classes that were going on over on the Salem Farm show grounds… We missed a lot – heavens, it would have been a challenge to get everything if it were only one or two rings, let alone five!

Saturday’s hunter side main ring included Ladies Side Saddle, Lead Line, Family Class, Piedmont Silver Foxes Invitational and all sorts of special awards, including Upperville’s Wall of Honor. Breeding classes went on in the main ring and across on the jumper side in ring 2 (the grass ring). Here are a few photos of what we managed to record on film. Hunter action was still going strong at 5 pm when the first ever Upperville Hunter Derby drew a good crowd to the tents and grassy knolls overlooking the new state-of-the art jumper ring.

Francesca Dussek, aboard Dust Off, reacts to the announcement that she is the winner of the Leadline 4-6 class. © Lauren R Giannini

Ultimate winner of the Lead Line 3 & under class, Sydney Pemberton has fun chatting with judge Scott Williamson, partially visible behind Devon Zebrovious who coached the young enthusiast. © Lauren R Giannini

Samantha Schaefer & Sugar Ray, owned by John Skinner, won the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper Stakes Bonus class in the most gorgeous of show settings. The duo also earned the High Junior/AO championship. © Lauren R Giannini

Hunter Derby

Tori Colvin and Dr. Betsee Parker's Inconclusive, shown here in the Handy Hunter round, won the inaugural Upperville Hunter Derby. After the Hunter Derby, everyone watched Union Rags, trained by Michael Matz for Mrs. Phyllis Wyeth, win the Belmont Stakes - streamed live on the big scoreboard - amazing & great day at Upperville! © Lauren R Giannini

OMG – look at the time! Two hours flies by when you’re sifting through hundreds of photos, but we must get some sleep – forget the beauty part, we need to get through Sunday – with breeding classes in the morning on the hunter side and the $75,000 Upperville Jumper Classic in the afternoon at 2:30, but make plans to get to the showgrounds early to avoid the traffic for the grand prix. Lots to do on both sides – last-minute shopping, of course, and the Prix d’Elegance parade of carriages takes place at 1 pm in the T A Randolph Field.

We ♥♥♥♥ Upperville!!!

For information: visit Upperville Colt & Horse Show’s website – if you can’t get to the show on Sunday, take advantage of livestream covereage!!! All you need is your computer and high speed internet access – just scroll down the home page & click on the TV!!! Easy Peasy!!!

We’ve said it before & we’ll say it again:

We ♥♥♥♥ Upperville!!!