In the middle Adult Amateur division, section “A,” Victoria Watters piloted Eye Remember Rio to the top spot
Wellington, FL – February 4, 2026 – On the last day of hunter competition in the Nutrena/Western Hay Wellington Classic week of the 2007 Winter Equestrian Festival, adult amateur riders had their day to shine, despite overcast skies.
In section “A” of the Adult Amateur 18 to 35 Years Hunter division, Sloan Brown and Stella Blue earned the tricolor with a first and a second place over fences yesterday, and a first and a third today. The pair took the reserve championship in the same division last week. Stella Blue is a 9-year-old Swedish Warmblood cross whom Brown has been partnered with for six years. They train with Rodney Bross, and she credited her trainer with helping her prepare the mare.
“I’ve had for her six years, and we just know each other really well. I just want to start out slow, and hopefully be doing the amateurs by the end of the circuit,” Brown commented. “She was great today. This is a tough ring to ride in (Ring 6), it’s really kind of odd shaped and a little small, but she was really good and focused, even with the weather – I was thinking mares can be a little sensitive to the rain, but she was great. I’m really happy with her.”
In the second section of the Adult Amateur 18 to 35 Years Hunter division, Visse Wedell piloted Maven, her 8-year-old Westphalian mare to the championship. With two seconds and a first place, the pair garnered 22 points for the win. Catherine Jaffe and Rigoletto were reserve champion.
Wedell and Maven have been partnered together for about three years, and she was thrilled with her victory. “She was wonderful! She won the hack earlier in the day, and we went late in the class. I had to sort of gallop down one line and didn’t get anything in that class, but we were second in the other class,” Wedell explained. “I showed last week, and we improved this week. Last year at WEF, she was high up – maybe third or fourth overall – but this year, I just want her to go well, stay sound and be a happy girl.”
Wedell’s other hunter mount, Caiman, was reserve champion in the section “A” division of the same class.
In the middle Adult Amateur division, section “A,” Victoria Watters piloted Eye Remember Rio to the top spot. This is the pair’s fourth WEF together, and they have been reserve circuit champion twice, as well as winning the adult classic in Washington this year. However, Watters noted that one of her goals this year is to just have fun because she is splitting her time between the show ring and motherhood, and she expects to show about every other weekend. As far as her horse is concerned, she said that the Hanoverian gelding is “absolutely phenomenal.”
“He’s in my life at a perfect time. I haven’t been on him since November, and I got in Friday night, got on and won two classes yesterday and was second and third today,” she explained. “I’m a mother at home, and it’s so awesome to be able to get off the plane, go to the show, do something that I have a passion for doing on a wonderful horse, and then go home and make spaghetti!”
Reserve champion in section “A” of the middle Adult Amateurs was Glen Senk on True, owned by Fashion Farm.
The “B” section of the division was swept by Kelly Klein on Cozzi and Oz, taking champion and reserve, respectively.
Hunter competition will resume on Wednesday, February 7, 2007. The first sets of championships will be pinned on Thursday during the third week of the Winter Equestrian Festival. Next week’s sponsors are the Palm Beach Equine Clinic/Adequan Gold Coast Jumper Classic, and the week is presented by bluhammock music.
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