The third annual California Professional Horsemen’s Association CPHA West Coast Green Hunter 3′ & 3’3″ Incentive Championship, presented by The Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund, welcomed twenty-one entries onto the grass of the Pacific Field at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park at San Juan Capistrano.
Read MoreSome of the sport’s brightest young hunters competed in the inuaugural two-round $10,000 Blenheim EquiSports Young Hunter Championship, presented by Brookway Stables. With an average score of 85.5, six-year-old Quentin, piloted by John French and owned by junior rider Charlotte Murray, looked like a seasoned campaigner to emerge the winner.
Read MoreThe name John French and the phrase “Hunter champion” are synonymous. With a calm, cool, and collected riding style, and buoyed by his uncanny ability to create precise and rhythmic rounds, French has captured the title of World Champion Hunter Rider four times in his career, and was the winner of the inaugural United States Hunter Jumper Association International Hunter Derby Finals in 2009, riding the flashy gray gelding Rumba.
Read MoreSkyhawk, an 8-year-old warmblood owned by Laura Wasserman, has had a stellar lead up to the championship with three derby blues this year—most recently at the Menlo Charity Horse Show (Calif.), his last show before heading to Kentucky.
Read MoreJohn French has been attending the Menlo Charity Horse Show for almost 30 years, so he was delighted to top the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby there, claiming the blue with Skyhawk and the red ribbon on last year’s winner Center Court.
Read MoreJohn French, the current World Champion Hunter Rider and USHJA Hunter Derby Rider of the Year for the West Coast continued his winning ways on Meadow Farm LLC’s Soldier, with a combined score of 401.5. French also claimed the 4th spot on Center Court owned by Hiller Farms LLC.
Read MoreAfter leading both the Classic Round and the Handy Round, John French emerged victorious in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby aboard Laura Wasserman’s Skyhawk.
Read MoreThe $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, was won by John French and Laura Wasserman’s Skyhawk. John also rode Hiller Farm LLC’s Center Court to second and Meadow Farm LLC’s Soldier to third place.
Read MoreJohn French was awarded the Romfh Equestrian Apparel Leading Professional Hunter Rider Award for accumulating the most points in the professional hunter sections.
Read MoreTwenty-five derby horses took to the grand prix field on Friday afternoon for the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Showpark Ranch & Coast Classic. It was John French aboard Center Court who emerged victorious, leading both rounds and finishing with a two-round total of 383.
Read MoreAs John French turned towards the final fence, he saw the distance waiting for him. Since he and Skyhawk held a comfortable lead after the first round of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the HITS Coachella Desert Circuit IV he planned on skipping the final two high options and not take the risk. But when the distance presented itself, he knew he had to go for it.
Read MoreJohn’s spectacular fall season included the grand hunter championship and leading hunter rider titles at Capital Challenge, as well as division titles at Washington International (D.C.) and the CP National Horse Show (Ky.).
Read MoreThe legendary catch-rider focuses on the strengths of the horses he rides and the people he works with.
Read MoreA four-time winner of the World Champion Hunter Rider title, California’s John French has made a decision to relocate as well as amend his mission for Waldenbrook Farm. Now working out of Templeton Farms in Templeton, California, near Paso Robles, French is accepting a select group of sale horses as well as horses in training.
Read MoreFrench and Center Court took the blue with an overall total score of 374, nearly twenty points above the competition.
Read MoreHunter and equitation expertise were featured at The Capital Challenge Horse Show, presented by World Equestrian Center, on Friday. In the WCHR Professional Finals, sponsored by Madison Hills Farm, the top six hunter riders in the country went head to head over three rounds, with John French leading the victory gallop.
Read MoreOne of the highlights of the Menlo Charity Horse Show is the USHJA International Hunter Derby Presented by Dr. Daryl K. Hoffman, this anxiously anticipated class on Thursday afternoon is steeped in tradition never ever disappoints.
Read MoreIn the $25,000 WCHR West Coast Hunter Spectacular at the Blenheim June Classic I, Small Gesture dominated the first round scoring with an impressive 92 from not just one panel, but both panels of judges. Competing fifth out of 30 entries, and holding the lead in Round Two, the refined dark bay, owned by Iwasaki & Reilly, finished with an overall score of 180.5.
Read MoreOn a field of green grass decorated with a beautiful Hunter course and an audience spectating from a hilltop gala, John French and Iwasaki & Reilly’s Small Gesture earned the top call in the 2016 $25,000 USHJA World Championship Hunter Rider West Coast Hunter Spectacular at the Blenheim June Classic I.
Read MoreJohn French took home a multitude of blues today including the Performance Working Hunter 3’3 Handy aboard Uptown, the First Year Green/High Performance Working Hunter Handy aboard Sochi, the Performance Working Hunter 3’6 aboard Small Package, and the Performance Working Hunter 3’6 Handy aboard Soldier.
Read More
