Scott Stewart Wins Ninth $30,000 WCHR Professional Final at 2026 Capital Challenge Horse Show
Scott Stewart made it a week to remember when he took home the top prize in the $30,000 World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Professional Final, presented by World Wide Technology on Friday, October 2, 2026, for the ninth time in his career. In the Ariat National Adult Medal Final, Brendan Weiss piloted Audi 2000 Z to the win. The Grand Adult Amateur Hunter Champions were also crowned, with Jessica Yeager and Scribble dominating in the winner’s circle. The Capital Challenge Horse Show continues through Sunday, October 4, at Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD.
Scott Stewart in his winning presentation for the $30,000 WCHR Professional Final, presented by World Wide Technology, on El Salvador.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
The top four riders in the WCHR National Professional Rider standings – Scott Stewart (Flemington, NJ), Victoria Colvin (Loxahatchee, FL), Kate Conover (Ocala, FL), and Michael Britt-Leon (Alpharetta, GA) – qualified for the WCHR Professional Finals. They competed on four unfamiliar horses chosen from a donated group of horses. Course designers Ken Krome, Meghan Rawlins, and Joe Carnicom once again collaborated to concoct four separate courses to test the combinations.
Scott Stewart and Checkmark scored 94.66 in Round 2.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
The four horses included:
El Salvador, a 2021 Oldenburg gelding by Eldorado vd Zeshoek x Carthago, owned by McKayla Brombach
Checkmark, a 2018 Warmblood gelding by Rastell, owned by Kirby Kohn McCool
Beaulieu’s Quentin, a 2017 Selle Luxembourgeois gelding by Beaulieu’s Quissini x Concorde, owned by Francesca Nguyen
Astro MF Z, a 2018 Oldenburg gelding by Chacoon Blue, owned by Robertson Family LLC
Re-Ride Horse: Paradise City, a 2018 KWPN gelding by Peppermint Blue x Lehnbach, owned by Logan Elizabeth Smith
Stewart started round one in the final position on Beaulieu’s Quentin, earning a respectable score of 88.83 but it would be the only score below a 90 that Stewart would see for the rest of the night. Over the second track, Stewart piloted Checkmate as the first to return and laid down a masterclass, earning a score of 94.66 from the judges. His highest score of the night came in round three aboard Astro MF Z where the judges rewarded him with a 95.33. Clocking in one last round with the youngest horse in the field, Stewart earned a 93 and tallied 371.82 points for the lead.
For Stewart, who has competed as part of the final four a record-breaking 23 times, the class was the icing on the cake to an already stellar week.
“This has probably been one of the best weeks I’ve had at Capital Challenge in a very long time,” he admitted. “I’ve been lucky enough to have some really great weeks, but this is probably at the top.
“All of the horses were actually quite good for me tonight,” Stewart continued. “I think I got a little lucky because I was able to do the young horse last, so I got to watch him go multiple times, and he got to get a little bit of his freshness out of him. That being said, I still believe this class comes down to 50% luck.”
Checkmark started his night with Michael Britt-Leon, who rode to a score of 91.66; Checkmark was named the Best Horse of the night.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
A heartbreaking single point separated Britt-Leon from the victory as he delivered impressive rides across each round to become the only rider throughout the night to earn four scores above 90. His highest score of 94.5 in round four with Paradise City earned him a total of 370.82 points and an almost three-point lead over the third place finisher.
“It was amazing that so many people donated horses so we could do this class,” expressed Britt-Leon. “I think they all jumped well for all of us, so that made that part exciting.
“I try not to watch the others too much because I think we all do something a little bit different,” he continued. “I take my time trotting in the ring and figuring out how much pressure I can put on them, and then after landing from the first jump, you typically know what you need to do for the rest of the round.”
Conover slotted into the third-place position, exhibiting grit and determination as she piloted re-ride horse Paradise City in round three to an impressive score of 94.66 after an unfortunate separation from the previous mount. She then doubled-down in the final round to earn the highest score of the class with a 96.66 on Checkmark and a total of 367.98 points.
“He was a nice horse with a big stride and big scope, and I’m happy he was standing there for me to hop right on and go,” Conover detailed of her re-ride mount, Paradise City.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
“He was a nice horse with a big stride and big scope, and I’m happy he was standing there for me to hop right on and go,” she detailed of her re-ride mount, Paradise City. “Everyone who donates these horses gives us nice information to say how the horses are which is very helpful.”
Rounding out the top four was Tori Colvin, who was leading the way in WCHR points heading into this year’s show. Her high score of 94.66 in the final round with Astro MF Z made up one of three rounds also above a 90 for a total of 365.65.
“This final is something we definitely plan our year around.” – Tori Colvin, shown here on Quentin's Beaulieu.
Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
“I have a lot of great horses that I get to ride, and they're all lovely,” Colvin commented of the mounts that helped her achieve so many WCHR points. “This final is something we definitely plan our year around.”
Despite the plethora of victories in this class spanning from 1998 all the way to this evening’s win in 2026, Stewart says the class remains a highlight of his year.
“I think this year especially was fun,” enthused Stewart. “We all get along great, and it was a fun class. The winning doesn't get old.”
For his win in the WCHR Professional Finals, Stewart was presented with the All The Way Perpetual Trophy, donated by Elizabeth Busch Burke and Lisa Burke Horkan. Checkmark, owned by Kirby Kohn McCool, was honored with The Far West Farms Perpetual Trophy as he tallied the highest final score of the night with 375.31 points as well as the highest-scoring round with Kate Conover, earning a 96.66.
Final Results: $30,000 WCHR Professional Finals, Presented by World Wide Technology
1 Scott Stewart: 88.93, 94.66, 95.33, 93.00; T= 371.82
2 Michael Britt-Leon: 91.66, 93.00, 91.66, 94.50; T= 370.82
3 Kate Conover: 87.33, 89.33, 94.66, 96.66; T= 367.98
4 Victoria Colvin: 88.33, 90.33, 92.33, 94.66; T= 365.65