Hunting Big Wins In The Congress Hunter Derby
The Quarter Horse Congress has a long history of honoring the Hunter discipline with its special event, the Hunter Classic. Exhibitors vied for added money and bragging rights in the Open and Non-Pro divisions with many Non-Pro exhibitors going up against the professionals in the Open division as well.
A Challenging Course
David Miller of Daufuskie Landing, South Carolina, has been designing the Congress Hunter courses for the past four years. “The Hunter Classic is one of three premier classes that we have between the NSBA World Championship Show’s Hunter Derby, the Congress Hunter Classic and the AQHA World Show,” he said. “These classes should be the most challenging that we see all year.
“I wanted to build a course that involves turning, control, the ability to gallop where you can and the ability to show your horse in the best form you possibly can. This is a class about form, style, grace over jumps.
“We put things that are different from the everyday Hunter course and add elements they might see in a Hunter field that make it exhibitor friendly, and where the crowd likes to see it too. We add lots of foliage, lots of natural colors and lots of greenery everywhere we can, to try to make it where horses, riders and the crowd enjoys it – and that we showcase our sport.”
In the 2025, the course was the same for both Open and Non-Pro exhibitors and horses. In the Hunter Classic, the top 15 exhibitors and ties compete in a shortened second round. Two judges score the class and a composite is calculated for each round, with an overall composite based on both round scores determines the winner.
David noted that the 2025 course had several bending lines for both right lead and left lead, and because the arena is an oval, he noted some control was needed to get through the galloping bending lines and to rate back the turns at the end of the arena. “It’s a complete different feel than the NSBA World Show’s Derby, because that arena is much larger and you can do more things in the larger space,” he said.
Jessica Johnson Wins, Has Four In The Top Ten In The Open Classic
Jessica Johnson had a busy day in the Open Working Hunter Classic, showing four horses to first (One Al Of An Amen, with a score of 346), second (DGS Vintage, scoring 339), fourth (DGS Legacy, with a 322 score) and sixth (Kiss Me Next, with a score of 320) in the class.
Jessica Johnson and One Al Of An Amen.
“I was very fortunate to have four very nice horses. They all were so fun,” she said.
Jessica showed One Al Of An Amen, known as Axel, to the win, earning $3,250. “Every day we just never know what we’re going to have,” she laughed. “Every day he throws you a little different. You’re either the winner or the loser with him. But today, he came to play.
“The course was challenging and it brought out a lot of good in a lot of the horses. It kept everyone on their toes and the horses really had to pay attention. I think it made the horses jump better because they had to pay attention. I enjoyed it.
“Probably the best part for me was when I went into the pen and he took a deep breath and exhale, and I knew he would let me help him out and do this.”
In the first round, Jessica tied herself in the standings with top scores of172 each for One Al Of An Amen and DGS Vintage. “It was wild, the first and second place in that round tied and the third and fourth place scores tied,” she said.
'Goose' Takes Flight In Non-Pro Hunter Classic
Miranda Schaefer and Kryminal Justice were crowned the champions in the Non-Pro Working Hunter Classic, earning the win with a combined score of 331 on the two rounds. The team earned $2,856.83 in earnings.
“I bought Goose at the Congress as a two year old and he’s five now. This was his first time to show the Hunter Classic, and now he’s won it. I’m so grateful for this horse. We’ve had a great couple of years showing together.
“We’ve had quite a good year this year including being reserve world champion at the NSBA World Show in Amateur Hunter Hack and here at the Congress we were reserve champions in Amateur Working Hunter and in the top five in Equitation Over Fences and Junior Working Hunter.
Miranda enjoyed the David Miller-designed course. “It rode really flowy and my horse excels at those bending lines so I loved that part,” she said. “And it was a beautiful course, as always with David’s design.”
The 2025 All American Quarter Horse Congress continues through Sunday, October 26. To view complete show results, the live video feed in various arenas or the upcoming schedule, please visit quarterhorsecongress.com or the Horse Show Tracker app.
Miranda Schaefer and Kryminal Justice after their Non-Pro win.
About NSBA
Established in 1983, National Snaffle Bit Association has expanded from its roots in the Western Pleasure discipline to recognize various disciplines and eight breed associations in competition. NSBA’s mission is to grow the show horse community through various equine programs and events where every activity benefits horses, breeders, owners and exhibitors alike.
National Snaffle Bit Association has more than 20,000 active members and more than 44,000 registered horses across its eight alliance breed organizations. NSBA members earn more than $13.5 million in monetary awards at NSBA-sanctioned horse shows annually, and the association sanctions nearly 600 horse show events and close to 200,000 horse show entries each year.
To learn more about NSBA, please visit nsba.com.
