Eugenio Garza Perez and his longtime partner Bariano won the $216,000 Upperville Jumper Classic CSI****. Garza, 19, has been riding Bariano since 2012 and they have found much success together including winning individual gold at NAJYRC in 2013. At Upperville, they beat 28 starters with a clear round in the jump-off to best Aaron Vale and Finou 4. Victoria Colvin also found success at Upperville winning the $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby on Checklist, a horse she had only been riding for a week.

1. 82 The Chronicle of the Horse
HORSE SHOWS
Cup in Ocala, Fla.
“I’ve grown up with him,” said
Garza. “So when I’m on him, I ride
him as I’ve ridden him.”
In their first trip to Upperville,
Garza and Bariano proved they’d had
no trouble making the transition to
the senior ranks, beating 28 starters
in the show’s first FEI-rated grand
prix since 2005.
Six jumped clear over Michel
Vaillancourt’s course, but the top
eight riders were asked to return
to the jump-off, which meant the
fastest 4-faulters—Marilyn Little on
Corona 93 and Amanda Derbyshire
on Lady Maria BH—joined the list
for the short course.
Aaron Vale and Finou 4 amped up
the jump-off by leaving out a stride in
Perez Relies On An Old
Friend For Upperville Win
From children’s jumpers to grand prix classes,
Bariano has been there through it all.
BY LAURA LEMON, HALEY WEISS AND KIMBERLY LOUSHIN
Eugenio Garza Perez relied on his longtime
partner Bariano to take home the top check
in the $216,000 Upperville Jumper Classic
CSI****. LAURA LEMON PHOTO
E
ugenio Garza Perez and
Bariano demonstrated the
unbeatable edge of a longtime
partnership at the Upperville
Colt & Horse Show when the amateur
duo bested a field of riders with
more seniority and experience in the
$216,000 Upperville Jumper Classic
CSI**** on June 12 in Upperville, Va.
Garza, 19, got to know the Belgian
Warmblood (Jetset-D—Ulderina van
Westleven, Skippy) in the summer
of 2012 when his family bought the
gelding to help him learn the ropes
at the higher levels. The pair won
the individual junior gold medal
at the 2013 Adequan/FEI North
American Junior and Young Rider
Championships (Ky.) and spent the
next year bouncing back and forth
between the high juniors and some
grand prix classes. By 2015, they were
ready for the big leagues, representing
Mexico in the Furusiyya FEI Nations

2. July 4, 2016 • chronofhorse.com 83
the first bending line, setting the bar
with a clear round at 37.20 seconds.
“Beating [Vale] seemed very difficult
when I went in,” said Garza. “Our
plan was to do eight strides from
[fence 1] to 2, and then I saw him go,
and he did seven, so that changed our
plan. And then he was just incredibly
fast, and we gave it our all. Fortunately
enough, it was enough.”
Not only did Garza leave out a
stride like Vale, he bested his time by
0.35 seconds.
“He’s definitely a strong horse, and
he gives it his all,” said Garza. “He’s
110 percent in the ring, so you just
have to be really conscious that he’s
going to do whatever you ask him
to, whether it’s leaving long or short.
You just have to give him the best
shot to jump the fence.
“To go into a grand prix like that
with a horse that I know, it’s really
special,” added Garza. “He’s 15 years
old now, but he’s jumping better than
ever, so we’ll keep going.”
This sight was all too familiar to
Vale, since Garza sped past him in
the jump-off earlier in the season
at the $130,000 Hollow Creek Farm
Grand Prix CSI*** at the Kentucky
Spring Horse Show. “Yeah, you can’t
complain,” Vale joked. “You’ll look
like a bad sport. Never confuse me
with a good sport.
“The main thing is [Finou 4] just
physically has so much ability,” added
Vale. “He can jump good fences easily.
He’s got a huge stride. But at the same
time he’s very elastic. You can add a
stride; you can leave two out. So physi-
cally he’s got a lot of tools. And now
his brain is starting to figure it all out.”
The Upperville show dates were
just days after Vale’s house burned
down on June 3, leaving him and his
wife Mallory with only about half a
week’s worth of show clothes in their
camper. However, the horse commu-
nity stepped up to help the Vale family
with a GoFundMe page, created by
longtime client Sharon van der Walde,
and raised more than $50,000.
“Unbelievable,” Aaron said at the
time. “The horse community is a small
one, but a supportive one. You know, it
means the world to me.”
From Mexico To Texas To
Miami And Beyond
When Garza’s older brothers began
studying at Southern Methodist
University (Texas), his family moved
from Mexico to Texas six years ago
and bought their ranch, El Milagro, in
Hickory Creek, outside of Dallas. In
the United States on a P1 Visa as an
athlete, Garza is finishing a gap year
before he heads off to the University of
Miami (Fla.) in the fall.
“I always talked about [doing a gap
year],” Garza said. “When we moved
to Dallas, I set this four-year goal
that was for the Olympics. But I’m
not quite ready yet. I’ve learned to
enjoy the journey, and it’s just been
great. The gap year just seemed like
it could help me develop as a person
and as a rider. Now that it’s coming
to an end, it’s sad, but it’s amazing. I
think I’ve grown more this year than
the last four years that I was in high
school because you’re out on your
own, and you have more freedom
from your parents.”
Garza plans to study business, with
a minor in psychology.
“[Psychology] always sounded
interesting,” he said. “I talked to my
parents a little bit, and they said it
was a good tool to have for life, sports,
family, relationships, and business as
well, so I’m really looking
forward to psychology.”
While he’s pursuing a
degree, Garza will continue
showing and working with
a few younger horses he’s
developing with his trainer,
Irish show jumper Eddie
Macken. Garza says he’s
going to “take it as it goes,”
but he hopes to compete
for Mexico at the 2018
World Equestrian Games in Bromont,
Quebec. In the meantime, Garza
intends to continue campaigning
Bariano as long as he’s willing.
“This guy has given me every-
thing,” said Garza. “He’s going to
retire with us. I know the horse so
well that I’ll know when he’s nearing
his end. To grow up with the horse
has been an amazing journey. He’s
given me priceless memories that I’ll
always cherish.”
Colvin Checks Back Into The
Spotlight
Since the inception of her extraordi-
nary junior career at age 9, Victoria
Colvin’s name has seldom left the
equestrian headlines for the
countless championships and
He’s given
me priceless
memories that I’ll
always cherish.”
—EUGENIO GARZA PEREZ
$216,000
UPPERVILLE JUMPER
CLASSIC CSI****
Upperville, Va.—June 12
HORSE/RIDER FAULTS TIME PURSE
1. Bariano/
Eugenio Perez/
MEX
0-0 36.85 $71,280
2. Finou 4/Aaron
Vale/USA
0-0 37.20 43,200
3. Vasco/Adam
Prudent/FRA
0-0 37.55 32,400
4. Le Conte/
Andrew Kocher/
USA
0-0 39.23 21,600
5. Uppie De Lis/
Andrew Kocher/
USA
0-0 39.91 12,960
6. Lady Maria
BH/Amanda
Derbyshire/
GBR
4-4 38.94 9,720
7. Corona 93/
Marilyn Little/
USA
4-4 39.24 6,480
8. NLF Favorite/
Paul O’Shea/
IRL
0-VW — 5,400
Also competed: 9. Primo Calypso/P. O’Shea/IRL, 4;
10. Quidam’s Good Luck/A. Vale/USA, 4; 11. Esprit/S.
Coles/USA, 4; 12. Vavoom/T. Cambria/USA, 4; 13.
Willow/M. Nusz/USA, 4; 14. Basje/H. Chopping/CAN,
4; 15. Rebeca LS/B. Goutal/USA, 4; 16. Balous Day
Date/M. Ashe/USA, 5; 17. Coriandolo Di Ribano/L.
Tisbo/USA, 5; 18. Gentley/F. De Wandel/BEL, 8; 19.
Cannavaro BH/A. Derbyshire/GBR, 8; 20. Ace/A.
Robitaille/USA, 8; 21. Echo Van T Spieveld/V. Colvin/
USA, 8; 22. Clearwater/M. Little/USA, 8; 23. Adamo/A.
McArdle/USA, 8; 24. Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve/M.
Ashe-Cawley/USA, 8; 25. Fenom Van Klapscheut/E.
Lehrman/USA, 12; 26. Barlando/C. O’Regan/IRL, 12;
27. Caramello Z/F. Zamudio/ARG, 21; Air Force One/K.
Godek/USA, VW; Rosiere Vesquerie/L. Tisbo/USA, VW.

3. 84 The Chronicle of the Horse
HORSE SHOWS
titles she’s earned in the hunters, equi-
tation and jumpers.
But in her first year as a professional,
the 18-year-old slipped off the radar,
leaving people to wonder if she could
make the leap to the senior ranks.
Colvin proved she plans to stay
relevant by winning the $20,000
USHJA International Hunter Derby at
Upperville with Alexandra McReady’s
Checklist. In the twilight heat of June
11, the Loxahatchee, Fla., resident
piloted the 11-year-old warmblood
gelding of unrecorded breeding
through a course that caused many
pairs to have rails and refusals.
“He was just amazing,” said Colvin.
“He’s my type. He’s there for you, and
he’s very scopey and jumps amazing.”
Colvin’s catch-riding expertise
came in handy, as she only received
the ride on Checklist earlier that
week, competing in one schooling
jumper class before entering the
derby. The horse proved to be a
perfectionist, just like Colvin.
Scott Evans and Daniel Geitner
originally found the horse in Germany
and imported him to campaign in the
derbies. According to Evans, Checklist
is sensitive, Thoroughbred-like, and
takes his job seriously.
This was Colvin’s fourth Upperville
derby outing, and she’s been unde-
feated each time.
“Every time I’ve come to Upperville,
it’s gone well,” said Colvin. “I don’t
think there’s been a bad year yet. I love
it here, and this week was fantastic
weather. Sometimes it hasn’t been
the best weather, but other than that
it’s a fantastic show. The scenery
is amazing, and it’s so quiet and
peaceful, but then you come [to the
derby], and there’s a crowd. To have a
crowd cheer for the hunter derby—it’s
spectacular. I love it here. I’m going to
come every year.”
“What we would like to do is focus
on the derbies,” said Evans, who has
known Colvin since the start of her
junior career. “It’s something that Tori
and I have talked about, and it’s some-
thing that we really like. We want to
support the derbies. It’s so important
for our sport in this country. Tori and
I love the jumpers, but we also have a
soft spot for the hunters.
$20,000
USHJA INTERNATIONAL HUNTER DERBY
Upperville, Va.—June 11
Judges: Panel 1: Scott Hofstetter, Julie Winkel; Panel 2: Sue Ashe, Mike Rosser
1ST ROUND 2ND ROUND TOTAL
HORSE/RIDER PANEL 1
SCORE/
HEIGHT OPTION
PANEL 2
SCORE/
HEIGHT OPTION
PANEL 1
SCORE/BONUS/
HEIGHT OPTION
PANEL 2
SCORE/BONUS/
HEIGHT OPTION
1. Checklist/Victoria Colvin 86/4 90/4 90/8/4 89/8/4 387
2. In The Know/Samantha Schaefer 80/4 86/4 87/8/4 90/10/4 377
3. Classified/Samantha Schaefer 81/3 85/3 88/10/3 80/9/3 365
4. Extraordinaire/Tommi Clark 85/3 83/3 85/5/3 85/6/3 361
5. Falcor/Jason Berry 83/3 84/3 82/8/2 78/7/2 352
6. Attila/Jason Berry 76/2 82/2 84/8/3 82/8/3 350
7. Caramo/Harold Chopping 82/3 87/3 75/7/3 75/7/3 345
8. La Patron/Chad Keenum 75/2 75/2 76/7/4 84/8/4 337
9. Autumn Rhythm/Sloane Coles 84/3 91/3 64/5/2 71/6/2 331
10. Cobalt Blue R/Jason Berry 79/0 76/0 78/6/2 76/6/2 325
11. Cristal/Brandon Gibson 74/2 70/2 71/8/3 73/4/3 310
12. Candor 15/Peter Wylde 78/3 78/3 — — 162
23 horses competed.
Victoria Colvin and Checklist checked off all of the high options in the $20,000 USHJA
International Hunter Derby at Upperville to take home the win. KIMBERLY LOUSHIN PHOTO

4. July 4, 2016 • chronofhorse.com 85
“I think it’s a wonderful thing to
have a horse that’s careful and jumps
like a hunter, but also can turn like a
jumper and be dared a little bit,” he
continued. “Notice that there weren’t
a lot of division horses in here. It’s a
different ball game. Everyone wants a
derby horse. Everyone wants to take
a shot—especially at Upperville. This
show means a lot to us.”
Colvin plans to “get more eclectic”
in her show schedule as a profes-
sional. At the moment, she has a
3-year-old and a few 6-year-olds to
bring along in the hunters.
“Throughout my junior career
I’ve had some young ones, and I like
bringing them along, so they kind of
know you,” she said. “It’s fun to me. I
love the jumpers, but now that I have
a lot of young ones, I have to do the
hunters, and I want to. Thankfully, I
have an older, more experienced one
[Checklist] to take in the derby.”
Colvin keeps her string of young
horses in Europe and at home in
Florida. She’ll bring a few of them to
the Lake Placid Horse Shows (N.Y.),
and has three horses in the USHJA
Pre-Green Incentive Program.
Colvin is also concentrating on
creating an international reputation.
“I’ve been focusing a little more on
the jumpers,” she said. “I would love
to be able to do both [the hunters
and jumpers]. I know if I go to
Europe it’s going to be harder, but
it’s going to work.”
This past December, Colvin trav-
eled to the Netherlands to ride for
Stal Wilten. She also has the Spruce
Meadows (Alberta) shows on her radar.
Schaefer Conquers Her
Upperville Foe
The young rider domination
continued with 23-year-old Samantha
Schaefer, who followed Colvin in
the victory gallop in the derby after
taking second on her sister Madeline
Schaefer’s In The Know and third on
her own Classified.
Like Colvin, Sam’s only other ride
on In The Know was in a schooling
Samantha Schaefer finished second with In The Know (pictured) and third
with Classified in the $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at Upperville.
KIMBERLY LOUSHIN PHOTO
s t. t i m o t h y ’ s s c h o o l
s u m m e r r i d i n g c l i n i c s
j u n e 1 3 – j u ly 2 9 , 2 0 1 6
d e ta i l s a n d r e g i s t r at i o n
41 0 · 4 8 6 · 5 4 8 3
r i d i n g @ s t t. o r g
w w w. s t t. o r g / r i d i n g c l i n i c
jumper class earlier in the week.
“Spyder,” a 7-year-old warmblood
(VDL Arkansas—Cavelle), is a new
member of the Schaefers’ Shadow
Ridge Farm.
Chad Keenum sourced the gelding
from Ireland and was showing him
in the first year greens at the St.
Christopher’s Horse Show (Pa.) when
he mentioned Spyder might be a
good fit for Maddie. A week later the
gelding became a permanent resident
of their Westminster, Md., farm as an
equitation mount.
“His job for us is really to be a super-
star equitation horse for her, and I
thought it would be a good experience
for him to come in different rings,”
said Sam. “I did not realize how scopey
he is. I would jump a mountain [on
him.] He’s 7 years old, he’s a first year
horse, this is his third horse show in
the States, and I rode him like he’s been
doing it his whole life.”
Though he’s been asked him to
try a number of different jobs,
Spyder takes each one in stride.

5. 86 The Chronicle of the Horse
HORSE SHOWS
RES: Roland Park, Mount Fair Equine LLC.
LOW AMATEUR-OWNER HUNTER, 18-35 CH:
Countdown, Sachi Kawabata-Porto.
RES: Luigi, Victoria Flagg LLC.
LOW AMATEUR-OWNER HUNTER, 36 & OVER
CH: Loyalty, Fashion Farm.
RES: Tucker, Diane Monroe.
JR. HUNTER, 15 & UNDER CH: Dominik, David
Gochman.
RES: MTM Hands Down, Beechwood Stables
LLC.
SMALL JR. HUNTER, 16-17 CH: Temptation,
Autumn Janesky.
RES: Ronaldo, KW Mahon Inc.
LARGE JR. HUNTER, 16-17 CH: Casallo, Erin
McGuire.
RES: Park Place, Kelsi Okun.
Betsee Parker.
RES: Wistful, Stacey McFadden LLC.
3'3" PERFORMANCE HUNTER, SEC. A CH:
Callucci, Lynn Rice.
RES: City Smarts, Darprin Enterprises LLC.
3'3" PERFORMANCE HUNTER, SEC. B CH:
Levitation, EMO Stables.
RES: MTM Hands Down, Beechwood Stables
LLC.
3'3" PERFORMANCE HUNTER, SEC. C CH:
Kingpin, Beechwood Stables LLC.
RES: Falcor, Willoughby Stables.
AMATEUR-OWNER HUNTER, 18-35 CH:
Classified, Samantha Schaefer.
RES: Cosil, Annie Diehl.
AMATEUR-OWNER HUNTER, 36 & OVER CH:
Cristiano, Virginia Fout.
Earlier in the day he topped the
ASPCA Maclay class and put in
competitive rounds in the other equi-
tation classes with Maddie.
“I can’t say enough good things
about the horse. He’s quiet; he’s brave.
He’s like a modern show horse,” said
Sam. “We’re really excited about him.
The fact that he can do this a little bit
too, to kind of help get his experience,
it’s even better.”
Last year’s derby at Upperville
ended in disaster for Sam’s other
mount Classified. The 11-year-old
Hanoverian (Lordanos—Rose Of
Khan) left half a stride out to the
in-and-out and flipped on landing.
“We were really lucky to walk away
from it,” she said. “The horse could have
very easily broken his neck, and I said
I would never do a derby again on him.
I said, ‘That’s it. I didn’t buy this horse
to do the derbies. This is stupid.’ It was
really scary, and I didn’t know if the
horse would ever really show again.”
To her relief, “Lordie” walked
out of his stall fine the next day. In
February she returned to the inter-
national derby ring, taking ninth
in the $100,000 class at HITS Ocala
(Fla). The following month they were
runners up in the $50,000 derby at the
Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.).
“He’s such an awesome horse. I don’t
know how I got so lucky to have him.
He’s such a star. He’s kind of my go-to,”
she said. “He tries to please you. You
can’t make a horse up that way.”
Richard Taylor (center) handled Jump! to
the Best Young Horse title at Upperville for
owners Betty and Ernest Oare. The 3-year-old
mare is out of Betty’s former amateur-owner
hunter Fine Kiss. KIMBERLY LOUSHIN PHOTO
It’s been years since Pamela Simoneau had a pony showing at Upperville, but Westley proved
he was something special when he took home the Best Young Pony title with Drew Taylor
handling (pictured). KIMBERLY LOUSHIN PHOTO
Upperville Colt & Horse
Show
Upperville, VA— June 6-12.
GREEN CONFORMATION HUNTER CH: Patriot,
The Wheeler Family.
RES: Buttoned Up, Jenna Zimmerman.
REGULAR CONFORMATION HUNTER CH: Cold
Harbor, Betsee Parker.
RES: Centrico, Peyton Kanstoroom.
1ST YR. GREEN HUNTER CH: Largesse, Ceil &
Kenny Wheeler.
RES: City Smarts, Darprin Enterprises LLC.
2ND YR. GREEN HUNTER CH: Gotham, Betsee
Parker.
RES: Cristiano, Virginia Fout.
HIGH PERFORMANCE HUNTER CH: Casanova,