The 13-week Turf Tour concluded at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida. Canada’s Beth Underhill was a regular on this circuit, racking up ribbons on her string of horses string of horses – Count Me In, Viggo, Cadermie and Kodaline – to end up at the top of the overall standings.
Underhill’s results earned her the Leading Rider and Leading Lady Rider awards, which were inaugurated on the Turf Tour this year in memory of Sophie Walker and Andres Rodriquez.
Underhill, who recently rode Count Me In to victory in the Week 10 Grand Prix at the International Polo Club, was thrilled with the honour and her horses’ performance over the past three months. “It was wonderful to have the horses be so consistent throughout the circuit,” she said. “And it wasn’t just one horse that stood out, but all of my horses jumped great. Count Me In really found is stride and I’m so thrilled for him and his owner Sandy Lupton. I’m expecting him to develop into a national grand prix horse in Canada, and I’m looking forward to building on the experience he has gained here for the winter. It’s an honour to be awarded the leading rider awards, and I am looking forward to 2017.”
With the goal of developing young horses and advancing riders, the Turf Tour 13-week is a unique addition to Wellington’s growing winter circuit, offering riders top-tier competition, over $400,000 in prize money, and an unparalleled atmosphere. The ‘show when you like,’ open-ended schedule offers convenience and a more distilled competitive environment, without sacrificing the challenge and competition found at nationally recognized shows. Organized by Olympic show jumper Nona Garson, George D’Ambrosio, and Craig Bergman, the vision that inspired the tour’s conception was bringing back the old world flair to jumper classes by staging competitions on springy, natural turf surfaces away from the chaotic intensity of other show grounds.
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