It’s been a fantastic show season here at Hilltop Farm and everyone has been looking forward to the USDF Region 1 Championships in Lexington, VA.  The temperatures were brisk (to say the least), but the sunny sky and fall foliage made for beautiful horse show weather.  Beth Custalow had a strong finish to her season with her wonderful gelding Bvlgari (Bordeaux-Rohdiamant) competing in the Third Level AA Championship and winning their first Fourth Level Test 1 with a score of 64.459%.  Hilltop’s assistant trainer Jessica Fay finished out a strong season with Cha Ching HTF (Contucci-Cordoba) in the Training Level Open Championship.  Tiffany Bragdell showed her own Bellatae (Bugatti-Grusus) to a 7^th place finish in the Third Level Open Championship and earned a wildcard score of 68.333% and showed Lesley Feakins’ sport pony Wicked Games (Wicked Courtjester-Nieuwmoeds Patrick) to a 67.927% and 6^th place in the Second Level Open Championship and a 70.147% and 5^th place in the First Level Open Championship. Congratulations Tiffany on qualifying both of your horses for the USDF National Championships!

Michael Bragdell, Hilltop’s head trainer, had a packed weekend competing horses from First Level through Grand Prix. Faberge Blue (Contango-Democraat), owned by Mitch & Lara Mitchelson and bred by Marie Emrey/Lazy J Sporthorses, wrapped up a fantastic season with a 3^rd place in Saturday’s First Level Test 3 and a 12^th place in Sunday’s huge First Level Open Championship. Iris Aberbach’s Boxster A (Bugatti-Weltbekannt) showed off his maturity and was Reserve Champion in the Prix St. Georges with a 74.211% and was Champion at Intermediaire I with a 71.842%.  Qredit Hilltop (Quaterback-Dream of Glory) was 2^nd in Thursday’s Prix St. Georges and placed 5^th in the Prix St. Georges Open Championship with a score of 72.171%, well above the wildcard score he needed to earn his trip to Kentucky. Witness Hilltop (Hamlet-Burggraaf) was Champion at Intermediaire II with a 68.092% and was Reserve Champion at Grand Prix with a 66.533%.  Not to be outdone, Sternlicht Hilltop (Soliman de Hus-Rascalino) wrapped up the weekend as the last ride in Ring 3 and what a ride it was!  Scoring a 76.397% he won the First Level Open Championship and the Horse of Course sponsored High-Score Award.