Edited Press Release
October 2, 2024 – Upper Marlboro, MD – In a day full of incredible hunter competition, two names were declared as winners of two highly anticipated classes at the Capital Challenge Horse Show on Wednesday, October 2. These impressive victories went to Amanda Steege and Lafitte de Muze, owned by Cheryl Olsten, in the $50,000 World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Professional Challenge, presented by The Gochman Family and the John R. Ingram Fund; and Ryan Kenny riding Outshine, owned by Michael Britt-Leon in the $10,000 WCHR Developing Pro Challenge, presented by the John R. Ingram Fund.
Lafitte de Muze Is Foot Perfect
Amanda Steege and Lafitte de Muze set a standard in their first year together in 2018 and capped it with victory in the WCHR Professional Challenge. Six years later, they would return to the winner’s circle in the class, more mature and with a bond that is evident every time they are in the spotlight. They set the tone in round one with a leading score of 93.66 and followed it up with 91.16 for a total of 184.82 that surpassed the following field by six points.
David Wilbur piloted Four Aces, owned by Marita Zuraitis, to second place with an 88.41 in round one and a stellar 90.33 in round two for a total of 178.74. Michael Britt-Leon and Private I, owned by Kelly Sims, placed third with scores of 90 and 87 for a 177.
In their seventh year together, Steege is mindful of Lafitte’s career and plans his schedule accordingly.
“We pick certain classes throughout the year that we really aim Lafitte for and try to have him peak at,” she said of the 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by the great sire Darco and out of Everlychin de la Pomme, a mare that campaigned in the jumpers with Shane Sweetnam and won the Grand Hunter Championship at CCHS in 2013 with Scott Stewart. “Derby Finals was obviously one of them, and this class was one of them. I felt so happy that the plan came together here, and I’ve really been working with Lafitte. We have this motto of calmly confident – just trying to go out there and pick up the canter and show a little pace without overdoing it and attacking the jumps.
“Now here we are, seven years later, and to win this same class again is very exciting,” she continued. “I think it’s remarkable to have a horse like Lafitte for seven years and have him still be so at the top of his game. Every round that I do on him, he tries so hard. He never comes out of his stall and feels like he doesn’t want to go to the ring. I just am so thankful to have him for the last seven years, and I’m looking forward to quite a few more.”
Steege noted that Lafitte is “unbelievably intelligent” and “really a ham” who is always up for a photo opp and posing with his prizes. While Steege and Lafitte have an incredible partnership, it’s Steege’s boyfriend, Tim Delovich, who “is so responsible for Lafitte being Lafitte.”
“Lafitte is amazing, but he’s an athlete and he’s sensitive,” she explained. “Tim is his person and sort of pulled it all together with him. I really do think Lafitte understands this whole thing and that he’s really supposed to be showing off when he’s out there. He makes us all better.”
Following Capital Challenge, Lafitte de Muze will make his debut appearance at the Washington International Horse Show.
Six Months a Pro, Kenny Captures Major Title
At 21 years old and with six months of professional riding under his belt, Ryan Kenny of Alpharetta, GA, rode Outshine, owned by his trainer Michael Britt-Leon, to victory in the $10,000 WCHR Developing Pro Challenge presented by the John R. Ingram Fund.
The pair showed no signs of their burgeoning partnership in the class, securing scores of 91.33 and 93 for a total victorious score of 184.33, which gave them the win by more than eight points. With a total score of 176 after twin scores of 88, Dottie Barnwell Areson and Moonshine, owned by Hallowell Lane Farm LLC, placed second. Pieter Luyckx and Chief, owned by Stephanie Bulger, were third with a score of 173.16.
In addition to their class win, Ryan and Outshine were presented with the Developing Professional High Point Award sponsored by Maria Rasmussen and Sea Change Farm. The new award is given to the developing professional rider who receives the highest scoring round in a professional division in honor of Jeff Wirthman, which the pair won with an 89.5.
Kenny’s original expectation for the Challenge was to have a good experience in order to aim for victory in the future. After an “incredible first round where he jumped out of his skin,” Kenny scored his first-ever scores in the 90s.
Heading into the second round, Kenny remarked, “I was a nervous wreck because I wasn’t planning on actually being able to win this class, but [Outshine] was on fire. He was jumping high, and I just knew that we were going to have another big score. It was extremely fun. That was probably one of my favorite rounds I’ve ever done.”
While nerves remained through both rounds for Kenny, he did note that they keep him “more centered and focused on everything I’m doing. Occasionally, they do get the best of me. However, on ‘Paul,’ I just trust him so much. He’s an incredible animal. He never lets me down.”
Kenny began training with Britt-Leon in his last junior year after riding at a local barn in Georgia. “I wanted to further my success in the equitation and junior hunters,” he said. “I was successful with my last six months as a junior, and that success continued into the adult amateurs, where I won the Horse of the Year award.”
Outshine, a 17-year-old Westphalian gelding, was imported by Greg Crolick as a nine-year-old and then had success in the equitation with Alexandra Worthington and Beacon Hill Show Stables. After a career on the West Coast with Archie Cox and Stella Wasserman as well as the Rose family, Britt-Leon purchased the experienced horse in February 2024 for Kenny to ride.
Kenny expressed, “I am so extremely grateful for all of the horses I get rides on. They’re such incredible animals, and I’m so thankful that they do what they do for us and to learn from them and to get these experiences.
“It feels so amazing to have reached this goal,” continued Kenny, who observed the WCHR Challenge classes at CCHS every year to learn from the best. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to win since watching it as a little kid. These classes are so important to me, and winning it was definitely a dream come true.”
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