Hunter competition during Championship Week at HITS Hudson Valley in Saugerties, New York, reached a thrilling finale on Sunday, September 6, with the third annual $300,000 ClipMyHorse.TV Hunter Classic Final. Serving as the culmination of not only a week of world-class sport, which included an FEI CSI3* division and World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) designation, but also an outstanding summer season, the class drew exhibitors and spectators in large numbers around The Ring to watch some of the nation’s top hunter horse-and-rider combinations vie for top honors. When the final scores were tallied, it was Augusta Iwasaki and Positano that rose to the top to claim the lion’s share of the impressive prize money.
The event welcomed an elite field of 20 horse-and-rider combinations who earned their invitations through qualifying classes held throughout the season at various HITS venues, with the top three finishers from each qualifier securing a coveted spot in the final. Competitors first contested a classic hunter round over fences set at 3’6”, with the top six returning for a second round.
A unique three-panel judging format added another dimension to the championship. Panel one featured Tucker Ericson, panel two was represented by Archibald Cox, and panel three was comprised of Tom Brennan. Two panels judged from different locations around The Ring, while the third evaluated each performance remotely via ClipMyHorse.TV livestream. Scores from all three panels were combined to determine the final totals and overall placings.
Course designer Meghan Rawlins of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, produced an elegant, flowing track that showcased brilliance and rideability. Augusta Iwasaki and Positano impressed from the start, earning scores of 89, 89, and 92 from the three judging panels for a first-round total of 270, placing them third heading into round two. The pair returned with another stellar performance in the second round, bringing their overall total to 546 and ultimately securing the win.
“He is literally my dream horse,” said Iwasaki of Victoria Lacagnina’s 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Aragorn x Cicero Z). “I cannot say enough good things about him. His jump is unbelievable, and the canter is amazing.”
Though they appeared totally in sync to deliver two commanding rounds, Iwasaki and Positano are a relatively new partnership. Positano was sent to Iwasaki and her team at Makoto Farms earlier in the summer season to be marketed as a sale horse. After the pair claimed third place in the $100,000 USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider Hunter Spectacular in Traverse City, Michigan, it was an easy decision for Iwasaki to give Positano the ride in Sunday’s $300,000 ClipMyHorse.TV Hunter Classic Final.
“My other good hunter, Small Love, has been showing in the junior hunters this summer,” she explained of her process in choosing her mount for the HITS Championship Week class after qualifying during the 2026 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit. “Positano was so amazing in the spectacular earlier this summer, so I knew I had to do him in this class. His jump is everything a hunter should be, and I love that he lands each lead so effortlessly.”
A decorated hunter rider with a lengthy résumé of major victories, Iwasaki recently made the transition to the professional ranks. Having competed in the ClipMyHorse.TV Hunter Classic Final each year since its inception, she also emphasized what makes the class so special.
“I’ve competed in this class for three years now,” shared Iwasaki. “I really like that you have to qualify and that it’s two rounds now. The money is crazy. I’m definitely going to use it to buy some lottery tickets, so hopefully I can keep Positano!
“Thank you so much to Victoria for letting me ride Positano in this class, and to HITS in collaboration with ClipMyHorse.TV for putting on such a wonderful class,” she concluded.
The previous two champions of the prestigious class joined Iwasaki on the podium. The 2024 champion, Four Aces, the 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Acodetto 2, returned to the podium with David Wilbur in the irons for owner Maria Zuraitis, earning second place with a score of 540.5. The 2025 winner, Havens Schatt, rounded out the top three aboard Haku, Caroline Moran’s eight-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Chaccoon Blue, with an overall score of 533.
Junior and amateur riders also stepped into the spotlight on Sunday for the $50,000 ClipMyHorse.TV Junior Hunter Classic Final and $50,000 ClipMyHorse.TV Amateur Hunter Classic Final. After earning their places through qualifying classes in the Children’s and Adult Hunter divisions throughout the season, the riders returned for the highly anticipated Finals, each contested in a traditional two-round classic format over fences set at 3’.
In the $50,000 ClipMyHorse.TV 3’ Junior Hunter Classic, a field of 12 junior riders from across the country took on the opening round before the top six combinations returned for the deciding round two. Ultimately, Kayla Bumbolow rose to the top aboard Cancan, her own 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Cassini I, with a two-round total of 500.
“It feels amazing to win this class,” said Bumbolow. “It’s so different from traditional hunter classes, and it was so much fun. I’m so thankful to my trainers Kim and Caroline Perlman and the team at Riverstone. I don’t know where I’d be without them.”
Finishing close behind was Iliana Marchetti, who piloted Audi 2000 Z, North Run Inc.’s 13-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Arko III x Cassini II), to second place with a two-round total of 496. Raines Gammon rounded out the podium aboard Vanderpump, Elizabeth Reilley’s 17-year-old Warmblood gelding (Acorland Della Caccia x Wellington), earning a total score of 486.
In the $50,000 ClipMyHorse.TV 3’ Amateur Hunter Classic, Sarah York claimed top honors from a field of 13 amateur riders aboard Qrumpet, her own seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Qredit Hilltop x Fürstenball), with a two-round total of 508.50.
“This class is something we’ve aimed for all year, and to come out on top is just amazing,” shared York, who trains with Chris Strucker and the team at Suffolk Run, LLC in Marshfield, Massachusetts. “I’ve only been showing Qrumpet about a year, and she’s just exceeded all of our expectations.”
Isabella Henick finished in second aboard Double Down, her 11-year-old Württemberger gelding (Diarado x Quattro B). Casey Zuraitis Blackman completed the top three with Balico, Marita Zuraitis’s eight-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Balou du Rouet x Locato).
For full results from the $300,000 ClipMyHorse.TV Hunter Classic Final, the $50,000 ClipMyHorse.TV 3’ Junior Hunter Classic Final, and the $50,000 ClipMyHorse.TV 3’ Amateur Hunter Classic Final, please visit showmanagementsystem.com and catch up on any action you may have missed on ClipMyHorse.TV. Though HITS Championship Week has come to a close, competition resumes on Wednesday, September 9, for The League National Finals, presented by Marshall & Sterling Insurance, and then returns for the two-week Fall Series on Wednesday, September 30.
