Hall of Famer, National Jousting Champions Honored with Touch of Class Award

From left: MD Jousting Association President Vicki Betts; award winner Mikayla Miller; and Horse Board Executive Director Ross Peddicord. Also honored but not pictured were Buck Schuyler, Michael Virts and Vincent Reinhold.

ANNAPOLIS, MD (April 29, 2016) –  The Maryland Horse Industry Board, a program within the Maryland Department of Agriculture, awarded its April Touch of Class Award to four jousting champions and from Caroline, Frederick and Calvert counties.

Buck Schuyler from Henderson (Caroline County), who won the title of the National Jousting Association’s Hall of Fame champion, and three other Marylanders who are reigning national jousting champions —Michael Virts (Frederick County), Mikayla Miller (Calvert County) and Vincent Reinhold (Caroline County) — were honored during the Maryland Jousting Association’s annual meeting on April 23 at St. Margaret’s Church in Annapolis.

The award is presented monthly by the Maryland Horse Industry Board to honor Maryland horses and people who achieve national and international recognition. The award is named after the Maryland-bred mare Touch of Class, who won two show jumping gold medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Schuyler won his title at the National Jousting Association Hall of Fame tournament in Mt. Solon, VA in June 2015. He also serves as president of the National Jousting Association and became the organization’s first presiding president to win the national title.

Virts, who is one of the winningest jousters of all time, won his championship in national competition on his horse Smarty last fall in the Professional Division in Petersville, MD.

Miller, who is a senior at Calvert High School in Prince Frederick, won the Semi-Professional class at Petersville with her mount, Tyke. It was Miller’s third state and second national title. She will attend Bridgewater College in Virginia next year, majoring in biology and equine studies.

Reinhold was the national amateur class champion, riding his horse, Romeo.

The award was presented by Vicki Betts, president of the Maryland Jousting Association and Ross Peddicord, executive director of the Maryland Horse Industry Board.

“ Jousting is not only our official state sport, but along with steeplechasing and interscholastic polo, it is an equestrian discipline where, year after year, Marylanders dominate in national competition,” Peddicord said. “We are a powerhouse in many equine sports, but particularly in these areas.”

The Horse Board started the Touch of Class program in September, 2011. Since then the Board has honored more than 100 Marylanders and their horses in 26 equestrian disciplines, all national and international champions. For more information about the Touch of Class Award and the Horse Industry Board, contact Ross Peddicord at ross.peddicord@maryland.gov or 410-841-5798.

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