For additional racing photos, please visit the steeplechase gallery at Susan M. Carter Photography.
Piedmont Hunt Point-to-Point is held across the street from the Upperville Horse Show grounds, the oldest continuous horse show in the U.S. It is a spectacularly beautiful area with picturesque stone wall jumps that feature prominently in the races. Here Westbound Road and George Hundt, Jr. clear one of the walls with the mountains in the background. The pair won the owner rider timber race.
Early in the week, the weatherman was calling for all sorts of unpleasant weather, including possible snow. Fortunately the snow held off and race day, although cold, had lovely blue skies with a smattering of clouds. This is the open flat race.
Timber races usually have smaller fields than hurdles but Piedmont’s maiden timber race was as big as any race on the point-to-point circuit with eleven starters. Here they go over the fifth jump.
The feature race of the day was the Rokeby Challenge Bowl, a three and a half mile race over timber. Incomplete and Charles Fenwick, III won the race for the third time, retiring the trophy.
Last summer Genghis suffered from atrial fibrillation and his owner, Sara Collette, thought that he might not be able to continue racing. Genghis is full brother to the famous Salmo and I considered giving him a retirement home. In the end, I acquired a half brother to two time Charles Town Classic winner, Researcher, and Genghis went back to racing. Here he is with Diana Gillam in the Lady Rider Timber race.