For 173 years, horses have been jumping around the Upperville showgrounds in Virginia. That’s 21 years longer than the Kentucky Derby has existed. Despite its long history, this year Upperville is embracing something entirely new. Sixty Thoroughbreds participated in the inaugural $25,000 Upperville Thoroughbred Hunter Derby. For a breed most commonly associated with racetracks rather than show rings, the event felt like the start of something much bigger than a horse show.
