Katy, TX – April 13, 2025 – Three weeks of show jumping action came down to one thrilling conclusion on Saturday, April 12, as Olivia Cliver and Connor 69 rode away with the win in the $100,000 Hildebrand Family Grand Prix.
Cliver and Connor 69 came in to the finale grand prix of the 79th annual Pin Oak Charity Horse Show with a major win already under their belts, having topped the prior weekend’s $50,000 Southern Way Farm Grand Prix. Earning their second win, however, played out a bit differently.
Cliver and Connor 69 were the last pair to jump the Bernardo Costa Cabral-designed course in the Main Indoor at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center, and up until that point, none of the other 20 entries had been able to turn in a clear round. All Cliver needed to do was leave all the jumps up, and the win was hers – and that is exactly what she did.
“I was definitely more nervous than I usually am,” said Cliver. “I knew that if we could jump clean, then we wouldn’t have to jump off, which was the deal I made with [Connor 69]. When we walked into the ring, I said, ‘Please, buddy, just help me so you don’t have to jump off!’”
Connor 69 did just that, and together, Cliver and the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding made the technical track look easy. As they flew over the final oxer in front of the VIP Sponsor Club, the crowd erupted into applause as Cliver had just clinched the win.
“It’s just pretty surreal,” said Cliver. “I definitely knew we could do it. I just hoped more than anything that I could do my part and make it happen.”
With Cliver taking home the win as the only clear round, both second and third place went to Avery Griffin. The 18-year-old piloted Oh My Star Van Strytem to second place with four faults in a time of 72.218 seconds, and she finished in third after riding Bodega Semilly to four faults in a time of 74.432 seconds.
For Cliver, Saturday night’s win was extra special, as all of Connor 69’s owners were in attendance to watch their horse’s win.
“I’m just really thankful to own him with my parents, Mark and Sarah Philpy, Laura and Holt Johnson, Becky Young and Sonja Register,” concluded Cliver. “This was the first time that we had all of them here and had a result like this. So, it’s really fun and really special, and I think everyone is really excited to be here as well.”
To view complete results from Saturday night’s $100,000 Hildebrand Family Grand Prix, click here. Sunday, April 13 marks the conclusion of competition at the 2024 Pin Oak Charity Horse Show in Katy, TX. To learn more about the annual event, benefitting Texas Children’s Hospital, visit PinOak.org.
Katy, TX – April 12, 2025 – For the second year in a row, the win in the $30,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby – sponsored by Rio Agave and held during Week 3 of the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show – went to Jef Lauwers and Hallpass.
Winning the finale hunter derby of the three-week show at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, TX, is no easy feat, and doing it twice consecutively is particularly impressive given the talented field of entries contesting the class each year.
This time, that included 21 horses, each taking on the first-round track designed by Meghan Rawlins and set in the Main Indoor on Saturday, April 11. Lauwers and Hallpass, owned by Sue Copeland, led that field from beginning to end after quickly taking over the top of the leaderboard with dual scores of 89 in the first round.
As the frontrunner, Lauwers was then the final entry to return for the handy round, which presented riders with numerous options of both tracks and fences.
“They gave us a lot of freedom to do what we thought our horses would do best,” said Lauwers. “They left it up to us. I watched some people go before me; I had a plan, but I kind of wanted to see what other people were doing. That’s the advantage of coming back last. You can wait and see what other people do, but Peter [Pletcher] came over to me right before I went and said, ‘Okay, the last one did this and that.’ I said, ‘I’m just going to stay to my plan.’ I know [Hallpass], and I trust him, so I know I can make inside turns and still make a forward run up to a big vertical or oxer. It’s fun to have a horse to count on like Hallpass.”
With a well-executed plan and a horse that he can trust in the form of the 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding Hallpass, Lauwers turned in second-round base scores of 88 and 89. Once coupled with all four high-option bonus jumps and additional handy bonus points, Lauwers and Hallpass secured a second-round score of 194 for an overall winning total of 372.
Finishing in second place with an overall score of 360 was Kelly Lorek and MTM Swerte. Lorek and the 10-year-old Warmblood gelding, owned by Priya Alvarez, jumped up from fourth place in the first round with a score of 190 in the second round. Rounding out the top three was Alexandra Pielet who rode Vex Freedom, owned by Vex Sporthorse Ltd., to a score of 346.
“Hallpass has been amazing,” said Lauwers of his win. “He’s a winner. He knows his job. He comes here, and he knows what he’s doing. He just goes for it. We have a very good connection. We have good bond.”
That bond is particularly impressive seeing as Hallpass does not travel with Lauwers and the team at PJP Farm. Instead, the gelding stays with his owner, Copeland, and she keeps the horse fit between meeting up with Lauwers at the occasional horse show.
“He just mainly shows here in Texas,” explained Lauwers. “So, it’s super fun to always be able to count on a horse like that and on an owner like Sue Copeland. [While we’re in Wellington, FL], she calls me and texts me. She’s like, ‘Okay, Week 3 countdown! What do you want me to do?’ I was like, ‘Just flat him a little and jump him a little bit.’ So, it is teamwork. He’s a dream, dream horse.”
Lauwers has been riding Hallpass for more than four years, and he calculates that they have together earned eight USHJA International Hunter Derby wins. However, Lauwers had extra motivation to earn the win on Saturday night at Pin Oak.
“Today I really tried to do a very good job with my horse,” concluded Lauwers. “I have a friend, she’s a sponsor here from the Wiesner family, Jaynne. She’s not doing that good. I went to go see her last week and she was like, ‘How is the show?’ I said, ‘Not good because you’re not here!’ and I told her, I said, ‘I’ll do my best for you tonight.’ So, it’s nice that it worked out and that I could bring home a win with her in the back of my head.”
To view full results of Saturday, April 11’s $30,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, sponsored by Rio Agave, click here.
Katy, TX – April 12, 2025 – It was a busy day for hunter derbies at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show in Katy, TX, on Friday, April 11, during Pin Oak Week 3. The USHJA National Hunter Derby, sponsored by Olde Oaks Farm and The Hunton Group, was split into two divisions to create both an Open and a Junior/Amateur class.
The first derby win of the day went to Jennifer Alfano and Freedom in the $15,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Open with a score of 189.5 (90 + 4, 91.5 + 4). Owned by Rachel Miller, Freedom is an “old soul” in a young body. At only 6 years old, the North American Warmblood only just started his competition career in 2024, but he displays the confidence of a much older horse.
“He is the definition of an old soul,” Alfano said. “He has the best brain of any young horse. If I told you he was 15, you would totally believe me. He’s not green, not one little bit. He’s brave. He aims to please. He tries to do his best to answer every question you throw at him.”
“He went in and was smooth, and he felt great,” said Alfano, describing her first round. “I was a little nervous about the handy because there were a lot of high scores, and there were a lot of us bunched together at the top. It’s a tough decision to do a lot of hard stuff with a young horse, but he just stepped up and said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.’”
Freedom was clearly quite proud of his win – so proud that he wanted to hold his ribbon himself. “He stood out there and reached down and ripped his ribbon off his neck. He was holding the ribbon in his teeth, like he was so proud of himself,” Alfano said.
Originally, Freedom was sent to Alfano to find a new home, but all it took was one winter together before Alfano decided she wanted to keep the gelding in her barn.
“They sent him to me in October of last year to sell, and I fell in love with him,” she said. “This winter, I was actually considering buying him myself, because I loved him. One of my customers saw him and also loved him, so she bought him. He’s been a great horse. He’s funny. He has the best personality.”
Alfano was closely followed in the Open division by Natalee Haggan and MTM In Love with a score of 188 (88+4, 92+4). Haggan previously won the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Open on April 5. Belynda Bond and Kimberly Guthrie’s SWS Gotham City took home third with a score of 187.5 (89.5+3, 91+4), half a point behind Haggan.
Ellie Goodfriend Gets Victory in $15,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Junior/Amateur
In the $15,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby – Junior/Amateur, sponsored by Olde Oaks Farm and The Hunton Group, 16-year-old Ellie Goodfriend and her own RSH Kallahan Z stormed to the top of the leaderboard with a score of 188 (90+4, 90+4). It was an extra special win for Goodfriend, who is competing at the Pin Oak Charity Show for the first time, after missing last year’s competition due to brain surgery.
“I started having seizures, and I had the surgery last year to help prevent it,” Goodfriend said. “So far so good; I haven’t had any since, and hopefully that continues. I’m excited to be here this year and, so far, I really like it here.”
Goodfriend got the ride on RSH Kallahan Z, or “Muffin,” just under a year ago. At first, she was uncertain of the Zangersheide gelding, and while she now enjoys riding the 9-year-old, her score on Friday still took her by surprise.
“When I first showed him, he was a little green, and he wasn’t the most friendly in the barn,” Goodfriend said. “You have to be nice, light and soft, but he’s really fun. I came into today prepping for the junior hunters, so it was really exciting to have a good outcome.
“During the first round, my stomach was in knots,” Goodfriend said. “I was going around, and I could feel myself trying to make the wrong decision. I kept calm, and it worked out. Once I got my score, I was definitely in shock.”
Goodfriend’s original goal was simply to make the callback for the handy round. Having achieved that, she decided to go big or go home. “I definitely wanted to show off for the handy,” Goodfriend said. “I took some of the turns. He was game for it. Afterward, I was very happy with him.”
Caroline Oliver and her own Penelope OPL followed Goodfriend on the leaderboard, taking second place with a score of 174 (80+4, 86+4). In third place, Shannon Davidson and her own Styled finished out the top three, with a score of 173 (82+4, 83+4).
For more information on the results of the $15,000 Open USHJA National Hunter Derby, click here. For more information on the results of the $15,000 Junior/Amateur USHJA National Hunter Derby, click here.
Katy, TX – April 11, 2025 – Fresh off their victory in Wednesday’s $15,000 1.40m Welcome Stake, Allison Kroff and T-Quick Hurricane Z returned to the ring at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show to clinch another major win. This time, they stormed to victory in the $25,000 Rudy’s BBQ Grand Prix, held on Thursday, April 10, during Pin Oak Week 3.
“This has just been a spectacular week; it’s kind of what dreams are made of,” said Kroff, who operates Kroff Stables out of Scottsdale, AZ. “We won the Welcome yesterday, and [T-Quick Hurricane Z] was incredible. She came out again today feeling fabulous, game and ready to go.”
Kroff and “Fifi” were one of 29 entries that took on the Bernardo Costa Cabral-designed course and one of seven that advanced to jump-off. When they returned to the Main Indoor Ring as the penultimate pair to jump-off, the time to beat had been set at 40.674 seconds by Diego Bedoya and Baglioni, owned by NRG Farm LLC.
Kroff, though, had her roughly three-year partnership with Fifi and her extensive knowledge of the 13-year-old Zangersheide mare on her side.
“There were lots of speedy horses in there. There was an option in the jump-off to go inside to the combo. I opted not to do that. I know my horse has great foot speed, and she uses that to get scope,” said Kroff of the mare owned by TC Sport Horses LLC. “So, I knew galloping around would be better suited for my horse.”
That plan proved effective, with Kroff and T-Quick Hurricane Z crossing the finish in a winning 38.816 seconds. The remainder of the podium positions were held by the Bedoyas, with Diego Bedoya and Baglioni holding on to second place and Daniel Bedoya and Heritage MBF, owned by NRG Farm LLC, taking third.
For Kroff, the win felt extra significant as it marked her first grand prix victory since a bad fall toward the end of 2023 left her with a broken wrist and three months out of the saddle.
“It feels really special,” said Kroff. “It’s also my husband’s birthday, so it’s [extra sweet] to kind of enjoy the win and his birthday at the same time!”
Of competing at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, Kroff continued, “I love being here. I love the atmosphere. I love the crowd that comes out. It’s really unique and makes it feel special, and you’ve got the whole crowd cheering for you. The horses love jumping here.”
For full results of Thursday’s $25,000 Rudy’s BBQ Grand Prix, click here. To learn more about the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, visit PinOak.org.
Katy, TX – April 10, 2025 – Allison Kroff has been knocking on the door of a win at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, and she got it on Wednesday, April 9. Aboard T-Quick Hurricane Z, she kicked off Week 3 at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center with victory in the $15,000 Stonewall Farm 1.40m Welcome Stake.
“[T-Quick Hurricane Z] has been an incredible partner. She just comes out every single day wanting to win,” said Kroff, who came quite close to winning on multiple occasions during Week 2. After finishing in second in both the $10,000 Summer Hill Farms 1.40m Welcome Stake and the $25,000 Frio Vodka Grand Prix, Kroff came into the final week of Pin Oak with determination – and T-Quick Hurricane Z did as well.
“Again, she comes out and she’s a little fighter,” said Kroff of the 13-year-old Zangersheide mare owned by TC Sport Horses LLC. “She knows the game, and she wants to play, so it makes my job really easy of just telling her the course and having her navigate it with me.”
On their way to Wednesday’s win, Kroff and “Fifi” easily navigated the first-round, Bernardo Costa Cabral-designed course. From there, it was on to the short course where Kroff set the new time to beat at 30.582 seconds.
Fourteen-year-old Michaela Munson and Charlene, owned by Genevieve Munson, then came nearly as close as possible to catching that time, stopping the clock in 30.585 seconds to ultimately take home second place. Rounding out the top three with a time of 31.452 seconds were Diego Bedoya and Kaiser Denfer, owned by NRG Farm LLC.
“The first round was amazing,” said Kroff, who has been partnered with Fifi for roughly three years. “Then, we got to the jump-off, and it was game on. She was ready to go. I definitely wanted to do the six up the first line – which is the leave out – and then make that inside turn. She’s just catty and small enough to where that’s just super easy for her.”
Kroff will next contest Thursday’s $25,000 Rudy’s BBQ Grand Prix before turning her attention to Saturday night’s grand finale $100,000 Hildebrand Family Grand Prix.
Also earning a win in the Main Indoor Ring on Wednesday afternoon was two-time U.S. Olympian Lisa Jacquin. She piloted Coocoo’s-Fire Z, owned by Pamela Buckles, to victory in the $1,000 1.35m Open Jumpers.
To view a full schedule of all remaining competition at the 79th annual Pin Oak Charity Horse Show click here, and to view full results of the $15,000 Stonewall Farm 1.40m Welcome Stake, click here.