Odette Carries Nick Haness to Second Consecutive WCHR Central Hunter Spectacular Victory
World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) week at Traverse City Horse Shows came to a celebrated close on Saturday evening as Nick Haness secured his second consecutive victory in the $100,000 WCHR Central Hunter Spectacular—this time aboard Odette.
The Central Hunter Spectacular hosted in Traverse City Horse Shows’ Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel International Ring is the final in a triple crown of WCHR Hunter Spectacular events that began in Florida in February and continued in California in March.
Meghan Rawlins (CAN) designed Saturday’s two-round class that allowed riders to show off their horses over a classic first round and then a handy track. The panel one judges consisted of Scott Williamson and Cynthia Hankins and panel two was Jennifer Fischer and Santa Ritter. Competitors qualified by winning the champion title in their respective divisions at the 3’6” height or above throughout the second week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by B&D Builders.
From a 37-horse field at 3’6”, 3’9” and 4’ heights, 12 returned for the handy round, which included several options to show off inside turns and scope. Haness, who hails from Temecula, CA, doubled down in more ways than one, sitting in the lead aboard Clear as Day as he entered the ring on John and Stephanie Ingram’s mare, Odette.
“Coming into the second round with big scores definitely adds an element of pressure,” said Haness of his averaged 95 and 98 in the classic round. “But I wasn’t nervous. Honestly, just riding her is a privilege.”
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