Hesslink Wins $5,000 Leading Hunter Rider Award, Pilots Chaka to Grand Hunter Championship
North Salem, NY – May 15, 2025 – Two-time Canadian Olympian Amy Millar joined the winner’s circle at the 2025 Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows on Thursday, piloting Christiano to a fault-free time of 23.45 seconds in the $5,000 FEI 1.45m Two-Phase Presented by Eastern Hay.
One of the premier stops on the American hunter-jumper horse show circuit, the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows host competitions for riders of all levels and ages, ranging from young children on ponies to Olympic veterans aboard their grand prix mounts. Week 1 (May 6-11) was USEF ‘National-6’ rated for hunters and jumpers and designated FEI CSI3*; Week 2 (May 13-18) is USEF ‘Premier-6’ rated and designated FEI CSI4*.
Course designer Alan Wade challenged 47 horse-and-rider combinations from eight nations with a winding 15-effort track in Thursday’s $5,000 FEI 1.45m Two-Phase. Although Millar and Future Adventures’ 15-year-old Brandenburg gelding weren’t the fastest pair over the initial phase, they stepped up their pace for a winning second-phase time of 23.45 seconds.
Amy Millar (CAN) and Christiano won Thursday’s $5,000 FEI 1.45m Two-Phase Presented by Eastern Hay © SEL Photography
“Christiano likes to go fast,” Millar said. “I was here all last week, and my experience has been that there is no speed limit in this ring. These people ride fast. So I came out motivated this morning and this week, and I wanted to get the horses going. The jump-offs in the previous classes have been big, and these guys all come out running. The more practice I get, the better off I will be.
“This facility is gorgeous, and the footing is unbelievable,” she added. “Everything is so nice, and the people are so friendly. It’s a joy to be here. I have a couple of really nice horses here. Jagger HX cruised around easy today, and he’s my main shot for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Then I have another really nice mare, Jelvinia MB, who will do the qualifier and the other classes. I hope to just keep doing what I did today.”
Nayel Nassar (EGY) and Donvier earned second © SEL Photography
Egypt’s Nayel Nassar rode to second place in 23.72 seconds aboard Evergate Stables LLC’s 13-year-old BE/SIES gelding Donvier. The USA’s Brian Moggre finished third aboard another Evergate Stables LLC entry, the 15-year-old Belgian Sport Horse gelding Edgard De Prefontaine, after tripping the timers in 24.12 seconds.
Other jumper highlights included the $5,000 Open Jumper 1.35m, where Daniel Kerins (IRL) had a 1-2 finish aboard Gotham Enterprizes LLC’s Sempa Fidelis (0/57.246) and Purple Road LLC’s Copernicus (0/58.503), respectively. Tori Corts of Wellington, FL, won the $3,000 1.40m Junior/Amateur Jumper with her Semi Automatic (0/0/28.835).
Brian Moggre (USA) and Edgard De Prefontaine finished third © SEL Photography
After a successful first week at Old Salem, Geoffrey Hesslink of Wellington, FL, returned to the Hedge and June Road hunter rings for several more tricolor ribbons. He secured the Grand Hunter Championship for the second consecutive week with his performances in the Green Hunter 3’ division riding Chaka, Dorli Burke’s 6-year-old Oldenburg gelding. As the rider who accumulated the most points in the Green, Green Conformation, Performance, High Performance and High Performance Conformation hunter divisions during both weeks of competition, Hesslink also earned the $5,000 Old Salem Farm Leading Hunter Rider Award for the third consecutive year. This award will be presented on Saturday before the $25,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby.
Geoffrey Hesslink won the Grand Hunter Championship for the second consecutive week, this time with Chaka © SEL Photography
Other hunter champions included Alexander Kral’s 7K Stallone, ridden by Jennifer Wright of Greenwich, CT, in the Green Hunter 3’3” division; Iliana Marchetti’s Secret Weapon, ridden by Trevor Hawthorne of Bedminster, NJ, in the Local Professional Hunter division; and Starbuck Equestrian’s Rio’s Espresso, ridden by Lindsay Juge of New Canaan, CT, in the Local Non-Professional Hunter division.
Full show results can be found on HorseShowsOnline.com. Photos from the event are available via Dropbox.
Located just one hour north of New York City, Old Salem Farm has a long history of hosting world-class horse shows. Over the years, Old Salem Farm has hosted United States Olympic Team Selection Trials, FEI World Cup™ qualifiers, FEI North American Youth Championships and ASPCA Maclay Regional Finals.
Source: Classic Communications