Jane Gaston Grabs WCHR Amateur-Owner 3’3” Challenge

Story & Photo by Tricia Booker for the USHJA

Jane Gaston and Amarillo.

    “It’s been a very satisfying year,” said Jane Gaston, with a smile after she dismounted from Amarillo, who wore the championship sash for the WCHR Amateur-Owner, 3’3” Challenge victory.
    Although Gaston is no stranger to top accolades, her winning partner in the class, sponsored by Milestone LLC and Havens Schatt, arrived in the country just last Christmas.
     In addition to an alter ego as Pre-Green horse, Amarillo, 6, a Schwaiganger-bred Warmblood (Acolydor—Dynastie), has become a solid performer in the Amateur-Owner Hunter, 3’3” 36 and over, section and proved his mettle against top company in the class of 25 with winning scores of 88, 89 and 90.
   “I’m really thrilled with him. He started out a little ‘pre-greeny’ this first part of the week, and he’s really come around great. So, this is super,” she said.
    Gaston found the chestnut gelding in Southern Germany last winter, and although he’s a beautiful mover and jumper, it was his attractive face that first caught her eye. 
 

    “Then, when I rode him I thought, ‘Oh, this works.’ From the first two or three jumps you knew he was special,” she recalled.
     Amarillo had two starts in the 3’ Pre-Green section on the HITS Ocala circuit in Florida before moving up to the 3’3” Amateur-Owners with Gaston. “That [section] works in my schedule better even though it’s a little harder for a horse that green, but he’s been great,” she said. “He’s been an honest horse and a smart horse—it’s like he got the playbook, read it and went, ‘I got it!’ ”
      Gaston had the WCHR and the Capital Challenge on her radar throughout the year, and this is her second victory in a WCHR Challenge after claiming the 3’6” Amateur-Owner Challenge aboard Lumiere in 2010.
      “I love the WCHR. I really think of all the things you can win, it’s the best,” said Gaston. “It’s exciting, and what I like is in the end it’s a head-to-head competition. I knew I probably couldn’t catch Daryl [Portela, who won the WCHR National Amateur-Owner title], but I’ll keep on hammering. It’s exciting.”
      Amarillo lives at home with Gaston in The Plains, VA, and has already established himself as a trustworthy trail horse, even crossing water confidently. “He’s really easy and pretty straightforward,” she said. “I couldn’t be happier with him.”
      “It means everything to win this class,” she added. “It’s hard work. It’s been a hard year. I was down there with the horse in Florida, taking care of him myself. I haven’t been able to meet up with [trainer] Hunt Tosh as much as I would like, but we’re reunited. He got us right back where we needed to be and on track. It’s been a very satisfying year. It’s all worth it.”

 WCHR AMATEUR OWNER 3'3 CHALLENGE

Pl Number  Horse                     Rider                       J1    J2    J3     Round   Final
______________________________________________________________________________
1   1104AMARILLO                  JANE GASTON            88.00 89.00 90.00          89.00
2   879 MTM INSIDE SCOOP     DIDI MACKENZIE         84.00 86.00 82.00          84.00
3   131 QUITE SIMPLY             ELIZABETH DE GOLI     81.50 83.50 85.00          83.33
4   294 WINFIELD                  TONIA COOK-LOOKER   81.00 85.00 84.00          83.33
5   158 VALENTINE                JAIME AULETTO           80.00 87.00 83.00          83.33
6   650 BALIN                       AINSLEY SADLO           82.50 82.00 81.00          81.83
7   1174WINNER                   DARYL PORTELA           83.00 84.00 78.00          81.66
8   1022COLUMBUS               KATHRYN HAEFNER       79.50 82.50 82.50          81.50
9   235 ENCORE                    MISSY LUCZAK SMIT     82.00 81.00 80.00          81.00
10  547 CATAMOUNT             SANDRA EPSTEIN          79.00 83.00 77.00          79.66