Silo Ridge Masters and the Highlands Cup
Elite Showjumping Returns to Amenia
By Jamie Marshall
Photos by various photographers
Take a drive around the winding back roads of Dutchess county, and one thing becomes abundantly clear: This is horse country. Think lush, white-fenced paddocks, red clapboard barns, rings with colorful jumps. It’s no surprise that when longtime trainer Judy Garafalo Torres and her real estate developer husband, Pedro Torres, started brainstorming ideas for holding a boutique one-ring jumper show, they looked no farther than their own back yard.
“Over the years we’d talk about it and think about it constantly,” says Judy. “It’s taken 15 years to get it to where we are now.”
When it debuted last October at Judy’s show barn (Higher Ground Farm, across the valley from Silo Ridge in Amenia) the Silo Ridge Masters immediately raised the bar for competitions in the Northeast. Entries were capped at 300—and filled in 24 hours, attracting a who’s who of elite riders.
The couple wanted to create the type of event they’d enjoyed while competing at the highest levels of the sport in the U.S. and abroad.
“In Europe, horse shows are family affairs. It’s a huge goal of mine to make our show accessible to everyone who loves horses—or who thinks they might like horses,” she says. They also wanted to bring the glamour and excitement of a world-class horse show back to the Northeast, home to many of the sport’s top athletes—both equine and human.
Based on last year’s success, they have added a second week—the Highlands Cup—that will welcome teams from Major League Show Jumping, a five-star international circuit, and will culminate in the $340,000 Highlands Cup CSI 5* Grand Prix. A class of this magnitude not only attracts top-tier riders it also attracted a top-tier course designer, Gregory Bodo, who did the tracks for the Paris Olympics and is also a family friend.
The horse-and-rider combos will navigate a challenging course of 10 to 14 obstacles set at 1.60 meters (5 feet 3 inches). Riders that go clear in the first round of the Grand Prix come back to compete in a jump-off, where the goal is not only to clear each obstacle but also to be the fastest to do so.
During both weeks there are multiple classes in different divisions, for amateurs as well as professionals. The action starts each morning at 8 am and ends around 5 pm.
For spectators, there is boutique shopping, lawn seating, food trucks, and kid’s entertainment—everything from pumpkin painting and stilt walking to arts and crafts. Not to be missed during the Highlands Cup: the Bridlemont Concours d’Elegance car show, and two concerts with major artists.
“Our vision is to redefine the horse show experience by combining world class sport with elevated hospitality and lifestyle offerings,” says Pedro. “The goal is to create not just the best show jumping event in the country, but an unforgettable destination for competitors, sponsors, and spectators alike.” For more information on time schedules, entertainment, and admission prices, visit highlandshorseshow.com