Liza Towell Boyd & Ondine D’Orleans. Photo ©Sportfot
World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Week at the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) came to a celebrated peak at Wellington International on Saturday evening. The country’s best hunter combinations went head-to-head in the $150,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular with a win for Liza Towell Boyd of Camden, South Carolina, riding Ondine D’Orleans for owners Finally Farm and Neill Sites.
Meghan Rawlins (CAN) designed the two-round class that allowed riders to show off their horses over a Classic first round and then a Handy track. The panel one judges consisted of Alex Jayne and Rob Bielefeld, panel two was Chris Wynne and Mary Eufemia and panel three held Mary Lisa Leffler and Mark Jungherr. Entries for the “Saturday Night Lights” class qualified by winning the championship or reserve championship title in their respective divisions at the 3’6” height or above or were pre-qualified based on their 2024 WCHR National standings.
From a 36-horse field at 3’6”, 3’9” and 4’ heights, 12 returned for the Handy round, which included several options to show off inside turns, as well as a walk or trot-through question to a double combination of split rail fences.
The WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular is the highlight of WCHR Week 6 at Wellington International each year and is Boyd’s fourth time winning the featured class.
“It's been a while [since my last win], and every win was in different chapters of my life,” recalled Boyd, who was the inaugural winner of the Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular in 1997. “This is an amazing mare and this is her home turf; she grew up here.”
Bred in Florida by Monique Keitz, the 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood was reserve champion in the Equine tack & Nutritionals 3’9” Green Hunters during the week.
Inspired by watching the mare’s sire Vigo D’Arsouilles carry Belgium’s Philippe Le Jeune to a gold medal at the 2010 World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, Keitz bred Coco Chanel Z to the stallion. The result was a chestnut mare that bore a striking resemblance to Brunello, Boyd’s partner for three consecutive USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship titles.
“I could jump the moon on her. I feel like she knows this venue, and I had a good feeling this morning when I rode her. She came in for the second round and jumped her heart out,” continued Boyd, who returned for the Handy course sitting in second, but laid down a unanimous winning round to post a score of 91.166 for an average of 91.24.
Six-time winner of the Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular Victoria Colvin of Loxahatchee, Florida, returned in the lead and held on for the reserve title aboard Paradigm for owner Meredith Lipke. She combined scores of 91.833 and 89.166 for an overall average of 90.499. Amanda Steege of Ocala, Florida, rounded out the top three riding Lafitte De Muze. Together, Steege and Lafitte De Muze won the Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular in 2021. Steege combined an 88.25 and 89.333 to average an 88.791 for owner Cheryl Olsten.
Of the evening’s Handy course, Boyd noted, “There were a lot of different things you could do; there were good turns and you could really show a gallop. It brought out the best in the animals and it made for a great class. I talked to her the whole way around, and I swear she listened.”
One of four horses to jump at the 3’9” height on Saturday night, Ondine D’Orleans will now take a well-deserved break before returning to competition during WEF 9 and 11 as hunters take to Wellington International's grass derby field.
Boyd ended the evening with gratitude for the opportunity to soak up the spotlight in the International Arena at WEF. “This is so special for us hunter riders. Derby Finals is our Olympics, but this WCHR week is our World Cup Final. We work so hard to get here and to win this class means the world. I couldn't be happier.”
Liza Towell Boyd & Ondine D’Orleans are presented as winners of the $150,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular. Photo ©Sportfot
Final Results: $150,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular
Ondine D’Orleans & Liza Towell Boyd
Owner: Finally Farm & Neill Sites
91.333 / 91.166
Average: 91.24
Paradigm & Victoria Colvin
Owner: Meredith Lipke
91.833 / 89.166
Average: 90.499
Lafitte de Muze & Amanda Steege
Owner: Cheryl Osten
88.25 / 89.333
Average: 88.791
Divine Romance & Patricia Griffith
Owner: Hallowell Lane Farm
87.333 / 88.666
Average: 87.999
Concerto & Caroline Ingalls
Owner: Caroline Ingalls
88.416 / 87.333
Average: 87.874
Colter & Sophie Gochman
Owner: Sophie Gochman
88.003 / 87.5
Average: 87.75
Odette & Nick Haness
Owner: John & Stephanie Ingram
88 / 87
Average: 87.5
Queen Celeste & Nick Haness
Owner: Glade Run Farm
87.166 / 85.666
Average: 86.416
Babylon & Paige Walkenbach
Owner: Walkenbach Equestrian
87.166 / 85
Average: 86.083
Damas De Tannerre & Emily Williams
Owner: Autumn Janesky
84.516 / 72
Average: 78.258
Tiara & J.J. Torano
Owner: Morgan Naivar
86.5 / 69.666
Average: 78.083
Grand Remo & Stella Propp
Owner: Aquitaine Equine
84.916 / Elim.
Average: 42.958
