JJ Torano Sweeps Junior Jumper Competitions at Devon with 1.45m JR Jumper SJHF Classic Victory Aboard Vitus K

Devon, Jumpers
May 24, 2026

Junior jumper competition at the 130th Devon Horse Show and Country Fair concluded Saturday evening under the lights of the Dixon Oval with the 1.45m Junior Jumper Show Jumping Hall of Fame Classic. It was ultimately JJ Torano who capped off a dominant week in the division with a third and final victory, this time aboard Jet Show Stable’s Vitus K, completing the coveted Devon Junior Jumper trifecta.

Violet Tatum and Tatum Equestrian LLC’s Polish Warmblood mare, Flotylla, were only a fraction off of JJ’s time in second-place, while Alice Goodwin and her own Belgian Warmblood gelding, Rockefeller G rounded out the top three in Saturday’s final junior jumper class.

For Torano, the victory was especially meaningful after coming close in the same ring with Vitus K in previous years.

“That one with Vitus was very special,” Torano said. “It’s been three years now. My first year here at Devon with Vitus, I jumped clear and had a time fault. Last year, I jumped clear, I was last to go in the jump-off, I had the fastest time and knocked the last jump down. So we really wanted this.”

Vitus K has been a defining horse in Torano’s junior career, helping him step into bigger tracks and more competitive rings.

“He’s a very special horse to me,” Torano said. “My first real high junior, who brought me to everything, my first grand prix ring. We know each other. I know him like the back of my hand. He knows me. We trust each other.”

Although Vitus K is now one of the older horses in the division, Torano said his enthusiasm for the sport remains unmistakable.

“Everyone watching Vitus knows he loves his job,” Torano said. “Watching him go around, everybody can see he enjoys what he does. He has a great attitude. He knows his job. He wants to win every single time he walks in the ring. He gives 100%.”

Torano’s Devon week was marked by consistency and speed, and he said the junior jumper division was his primary focus from the start.

“This was my main goal coming here this week,” he said. “I had equitation and hunters, but this was my main focus. I brought two very competitive horses.”

His plan for the week was simple: make the most of every opportunity in the Dixon Oval.

“John Brennan, one of my trainers at North Run, said the first day, ‘Go for it. We’re at Devon,’” Torano said. “So that was the plan. Everybody was on the same page. Go for it every day. We’re at Devon.”

In the jump-off, Torano said he was never certain he had the win secured until he looked up at the scoreboard. After adjusting his plan early in the course when Vitus K landed from the first fence and bucked, Torano stayed efficient and made up time on the way home.

With the Devon junior jumper sweep complete, Torano will turn his attention to another milestone. He plans to remain in the area before returning to Devon to contest the four-star competition the following week.

“I have never jumped a four-star. I’ve never jumped that height before, but the only way to do it is to jump and get that experience,” Torano said. “It’s not going to be easy, jumping against international riders, but it’s going to be a great experience for me. I need to get out there and learn at a new level.”

Torano finished the night in impressive fashion, earning the Devon Junior Jumper Championship aboard Lyon 50 and reserve honors with Vitus K, while also receiving the Leading Junior Jumper Rider Award and the Shalanno Style of Riding Award.

In the end, though, Saturday night at Devon belonged to Torano and Vitus K, a partnership built on trust, speed, and unfinished business finally completed under the lights of the Dixon Oval.