Edited Press Release
The Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championships returned to Flintfields Horse Park during the Traverse City Spring Series, presented by Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, and were host to dominating performance by Nick Haness of Temecula, CA.
Competing at their respective combined heights of 3’ & 3’3” and 3’6” & 3’9”, the top 12 in each section returned for a final round to determine the 2025 champions with $20,000 in total prize money up for grabs.
A cut-off of 80 was set for the $10,0000 Performance/USHJA 3’ & 3’3” Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championship. Haness headed into the final round in the lead with a 93 aboard Navarino, owned by Brianne Tsakopoulos, and sitting in second with Glade Run Farm’s Et Cetera on a score of 90. His fate was secured when Et Cetera laid down an impressive 96 to move up and take the overall title.
Watch the Winner
“What makes this horse special is his way of going and his expression,” said Haness of the seven-year-old Holsteiner gelding. “He has such a crisp jump and is extremely athletic.”
After having a successful 2024 season with Et Cetera, Haness has aimed for 2025 to be a year of championships for the gelding, highlighted by the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships in Kentucky. “This year, we’re taking it easy and targeting these main events,” said Haness. “We’re trying to strategize which ones to target and get the best results from. It’s nice to have that reward pay off when you know you’ve saved the horse for a certain class and it goes well.”
Haness continued his success on Thursday with the championship title in the $10,000 Platinum Performance/USHJA 3’6” & 3’9” Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championship. This time topping the first 3’6” incentive round on a score of 89, Haness continued his dominance with Hush Money, owned by Glenda Monkarsh, securing the top tricolor with a final score of 88.5.
“When Hush Money came to our barn, he started at a low point,” said Haness. “Our goal has been to make him a happy horse, and he’s become such a special part of the whole team.”
The eight-year-old Hungarian Sport Horse gelding has found a happy balance between the professional and amateur classes, successfully competing with his owner in the Adult Hunters. “He was the Adult Hunter WCHR Winner at Capital Challenge with his owner,” said Haness. “For a horse to be able to go with an amateur and then be able to come here and jump as well as he did is pretty remarkable.”
Watch the Winner
Competing a total of twelve horses throughout Thursday’s regional championships and taking home the winning title in each, Haness stands as an exuberant supporter of the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive program.
“I’m such a supporter and so happy with the program,” expressed Haness. “It gives young horses a chance to develop and shine from the bottom level of the sport all the way to the top. It also gives owners a reason to allow professionals to produce quality horses and keep the hunter divisions thriving. The regional [championships] are a significant part of the program because it gives the horses a fair chance to produce championship rounds to get to the finals.”
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