UPPERVILLE, Va., June 7, 2024– Amanda Steege and Lafitte de Muze galloped to the top of the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the 171st Upperville Colt & Horse Show presented by MARS Equestrian™. Jimmy Torano rode Laskano to second place and Hunt Tosh finished third aboard Autograph. This signature hunter class was sponsored by Shadow Ridge Farm and Carol Stillwell in memory of Bill Ellis.
Lafitte de Muze is a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood owned by Cheryl Olsten. Steege has been showing Lafitte for seven years, and while he has earned championships at Upperville in the past, 2024 is his first USHJA International Hunter Derby triumph at the show. The pair received a first-round score of 194 and a handy round score of 195 to clinch victory out of a field of 18 entries.
“Winning this class was extra special because I was a good friend of Bill Ellis,” Steege explained. “The history and tradition of this show is incredibly special. You can feel the presence of the people and horses who have been here before you.”
As the first Equine Ambassador for the EQUUS Foundation, Olsten donates all of Lafitte’s prize money to the organization, an animal welfare non-profit dedicated to the protection, rehabilitation and rehoming of at-risk horses and creating opportunities for people to connect with horses through Equine Assisted Services.
In addition to presenting sponsor MARS EQUESTRIAN, UCHS is sponsored by The Ethel M® Chocolate Brand and Lugano Diamonds (Co-Presenting Sponsors of the 2024 FEI CSI4* Jumper Classic.) Other sponsors include Buckeye Nutrition, Nutro Pet Food, The Salamander Collection, B&D Builders, Delta Air Lines, Markel and Piedmont Equine Practice.
For more information on the show, visit www.upperville.com.