Mary Crane and Forever Bernardini: 2022 North American Field Hunter Champions

Mary Crane and Forever Bernardini

Mary Crane riding her Forever Bernardini won both the 2022 Theodora A. Randolph Field Hunter Championship as well as the Dr. Mathew Mackay-Smith Award for the Highest Placing Thoroughbred in the weeklong competition held in Middleburg, VA. No horse and rider has ever won both of these titles before, never mind in the same year. Open to competitors from all over North America, the competition is aptly held Middleburg VA, well known as the nation’s horse and hunt capital.

“To win this historic event, that for 38 years has attracted the best horse-and-rider pairs from across North America, is amazing. My horse Bernie is so amazing! He’s the ultimate ladies’ foxhunter. He is a Cadillac ride, the classic Thoroughbred foxhunter. Smart, careful and athletic. Owning and hunting this horse is such a privilege,” Crane says. 

Forever Bernardini is a 9-year-old son of Eclipse-Award winner Bernardini, who raced on the flat and over fences prior to Crane purchasing him last year. Crane, ex-mfh of the Norfolk Hunt, is a lifelong rider who also competes her horse Legitimo on the national show circuit. Crane divides her time between Dover, MA, and Upperville, VA. 

*This story was originally published in the February 2023 issue of The Plaid Horse. Click here to read it now and subscribe for issues delivered straight to your door!

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