Nick Haness and Cavaletto Loma Z Capture $100,000 USHJA WCHR West Coast Hunter Spectacular Win
For an unprecedented fourth year in a row, Nick Haness galloped away with the win in the $100,000 USHJA WCHR West Coast Hunter Spectacular, presented by Irene Neuwirth. The three-time defending champion claimed his fourth victory aboard Cavaletto Loma Z on Friday, March 14, at the Desert International Horse Park.
“I’m just in complete shock and just feeling really excited right now,” said Haness. “Cavaletto Loma Z is an incredible horse. I’m so proud of him tonight.”
Having also earned a win in the WCHR Central Hunter Spectacular and a win in the WCHR Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular, Haness has now brought home an impressive total of six Hunter Spectacular victories. However, Friday’s 58-horse field was certainly not going to make it simple for Haness to pull off the win again.
At the conclusion of the first round of competition – held on Friday afternoon in the Grand Prix Arena – Haness and Cavaletto Loma Z sat in second place with a score of 91.75. Going into the evening’s Playoff Handy Round, the lead with a score of 93 was held by Nicole Bourgeois and Mc Queen. Haness also sat in third with a score of 91 aboard Clear As Day.
With the top 17 returning to the Grand Prix Arena to jump in a different atmosphere under the lights, it was still very much anyone’s game going into round two.
“There’s definitely a big atmosphere and ambiance tonight,” said Haness. “I think that the horses could sense that. I could feel that ‘Cavaletto’ was excited, but he actually warmed up really relaxed for the handy round. He loves the handy, so I was really excited to come in and try to move up in the ranks as he was not on top of the leaderboard after the first round. I was just thinking to myself, ‘I trust this horse very much.’ I know him very well, and I just was confident that my plan would hopefully work out. He delivered everything I asked him to do for me.”
With a seamlessly handy and smooth second round, Haness and Cavaletto took over the top of the leaderboard and remained untouchable there with a second-round average score of 92 for a final, averaged score of 91.88. Bourgeois and Mc Queen, owned by Barbara Lovre, ultimately finished in second place with a very close score of 91.38, and Haness and Clear As Day, owned by Balmoral, held on to third with an overall total score of 91.25
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