Edited Press Release
For 18-year-old Campbell Hudkins, galloping her longtime partner Diara Rouge in open space has been a regular part of the mare’s routine. The pair frequently spends time outside the arena, galloping through the woods of their Farmington, CT-based farm, located less than two hours from the Fairfield County Hunt Club.
That made the USHJA National Hunter Derby, sponsored by Justin Dye, at the Fairfield June Show an ideal opportunity for Hudkins to show off her mare’s versatility. The pair captured the feature derby event of the competition, impressing judges Rob Bielefeld and Carla Sharp over the course of two rounds on the grassy hunter course.
Wynatte Chu and Contador finished second, followed by Kristen Abbatiello and Idylle FZ.
“She’s just very brave and so much fun to ride,” Hudkins said of Diara Rouge, with whom she’s been partnered for nearly eight years. “I’ve had her since she was 7, and I was about 11, so I’ve had her for a long time, and she’s just been an amazing horse for me. I’ve done everything from the ‘Big Eq’ finals to the jumpers with her—and now a hunter derby.”
Campbell and Diara Rouge set the tone with a smooth and stylish classic round before returning as the final combination in the handy. Hudkins did not shy away from the pressure that comes with the position, opting for an inside turn to the trot jump that no one else attempted.
“I wanted to be a little bit more handy. I definitely tried to do a really tight turn back from [fences] two to three, and then I did an inside turn to the trot jump, which no one else had done,” she detailed. “It was a little tight, but we made it work, and I was really happy I did it, just kind of testing the handiness.”
You’d be hard pressed to find a junior division Hudkins hasn’t taken on at Fairfield, having grown up in the area.
“I’ve been coming to Fairfield since I was really little…I did the Short Stirrup, the Children’s Hunters, the jumpers, the derby, equitation—I mean I’ve done just about everything there is to do,” she said. “To see all the improvements that have been done in the last couple months here—it’s just one of my favorite places to come and show locally.”
The June Show offers four hunter derby events at varying levels in addition to equitation and high performance jumper competition, which returned to the schedule in 2025 following a brief hiatus.
“We’ve been here for this whole week, and we’ve been able to do the jumpers, the hunters, and equitation [divisions] on the sand and on the grass,” Hudkins added. “I love this horse show. It’s super close to home, and I’m really excited.”
Tananbaum and Wu Share Grand Hunter Championship
The Overall Grand Hunter Championship was a shared affair Friday, with amateur rider Brenda Tananbaum and junior rider Valentina Wu sharing the Sunny Pierson Perpetual Trophy.
Both riders finished their divisions with 44 points, with four victories and a third-place finish each. Tananbaum’s top results came aboard her Red Notice in the 3’3″ Amateur-Owner Hunter 36+ division, while Wu excelled aboard her own Neptune Edition in the 3’3″ Junior Hunters.
“My biggest takeaway is that I was able to ride through some nerves today and get things accomplished. My other horses were all really good also today, so that makes me feel really good,” Tananbaum said.Few are as a familiar with the FCHC venue as Tananbaum, who has ridden at Fairfield County Hunt Club – Stables with trainer Jenny Martin-Rudaz for nearly 40 years, first coming to the Club in 1987.
“I’ve been training with Jenny for that whole time. It’s a great partnership and friendship,” she shared. “I just love being here. It’s my home. I live about a mile from here, and I can’t [imagine] riding anywhere else.”
Wu’s trip to Fairfield, meanwhile marked her first horse show experience in Connecticut. The 14-year-old form Long Island, NY, has been partnered with Neptune Edition for four years, and the 9-year-old Holsteiner by Numero Uno was Wu’s very first horse when the gelding was just 5 years old.
“He’s always been my favorite. He’s definitely a little spicy sometimes, and he has a little bit of energy over the fences, but he always helps me [out],” Wu shared. “He had never [shown] on the grass before, so this was a great experience for him.
“The 2025 Fairfield June Show concludes Saturday, June 21 with the return of Grand Prix show jumping to the Fairfield Hunt Club. The $15,000 Grand Prix takes place at 1pm ET and is open to the public, with free admission. Forty-five minutes before the start of the class, the Grand Prix course walk will also be open to the public. Earlier in the day at 10am, Family Fun Day will take place on the FCHC Clubhouse Lawn.
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