Saugerties, N.Y.—Sept. 6

As soon as last year’s Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix finished last year, Don Stewart and Aaron Vale started planning. They knew they wanted the now 6-year-old gelding Dress Balou to come back to defend his title this year.

So they set a plan and kept to it. Show the gelding minimally and have him peak at just the right time. All that careful planning paid off when they accomplished exactly what they set out to do—take home the top prize for the second year in a row.