Eight Championships Awarded in Pro & Future Hunters at 2011 Capital Challenge Horse Show

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Rosalynn and Hunt Tosh. Photos © Parker/Russell - The Book LLC and Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Upper Marlboro, MD – October 4, 2011 – Eight championships were awarded today at the Capital Challenge Horse Show, honoring the best hunters in the country. Sandy Ferrell piloted Showman, owned by Krista and Alexa Weisman, to the championship in the $9,000 Second Year Green Working Hunters. In the $10,000 High Performance Hunters, Hunt Tosh and Dr. Betsee Parker’s Rosalynn earned the top tricolor. Along with those two rated divisions, championships were given in five Future Hunter divisions and the Performance Hunters 3’6”. The Capital Challenge Horse Show, held at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, runs through Sunday, October 9.

The professional hunters will wrap up their divisions tomorrow. The highlight classes of the week for the professional hunter riders are the $15,000 WCHR Professional Challenge on Wednesday, October 5, and the $7,500 WCHR Professional Finals, presented by the John R. Ingram Fund, for the top six hunter riders in the country on Friday, October 7.

Ferrell and Showman won the Second Year Green Hunter championship, but they are no strangers to the winner’s circle at Capital Challenge. Two years ago, they swept the Future Hunter awards with a division tricolor, the North American Championship class victory, and the Grand Future Hunter Championship. Last year he was reserve champion in the First Year Green Hunters.

This week, Ferrell and Showman, a nine-year-old Westphalian gelding by Showstar, won three out of the four over fences classes and were third in the under saddle. The reserve championship went to Taken, ridden by Kelley Farmer for Nancy Amling. They were second in the handy hunter and third, third, and fourth in the other jumping classes.

Although Showman has kept moving up in divisions, Ferrell said that his effort is still at the same level. “I think we all knew back then that he was going to be a top-notch show horse. He tried as hard at three foot to win as he does at 3’9”, as he would at five feet if you put the jumps up. He is such a god given natural athlete that his ability to do things is just endless,” she said.

Ferrell said that the key to Showman’s success is the perfect combination of attributes for a hunter. “He’s one of the few horses out there that really are the whole package. He has the brains, the beauty, the athletic ability and the desire to win. That’s hard to find in a horse,” Ferrell remarked. “He’s irreplaceable. That’s him in the barn too. He has no vices and he’s uncomplicated. He is a pet, and then he goes in the ring and wins.”

Showman has shown lightly this year and came ready to win at Capital Challenge. “I try to never put pressure on him, but certainly if I’m going to turn it up a little bit it’s going to be for a horse show like this. He knows when to turn it on,” Ferrell said. “You get to indoors and the jumps are the right height and they’re decorated beautifully. (With) the ambiance and the atmosphere (here), it’s different, and a horse that wants to win can sense that.”

Like Showman, Rosalynn has seen success at Capital Challenge before. She and Hunt Tosh were reserve champions in the Second Year Green Hunters in 2009 and last year she was champion in the Regular Working Hunters with Kelley Farmer.

Since Dr. Betsee Parker purchased Rosalynn, Tosh picked up the ride again on the talented nine-year-old Oldenburg mare by Lanciano. They were second in both jumping classes yesterday and won the first class today. They added a sixth place in the under saddle class. Reserve champion in the division was Jersey Boy, ridden by Jennifer Alfano for SBS Farms. They placed third in the first three classes and won the handy hunter stake. Jersey Boy is a nine-year-old Hanoverian gelding by White Star.

This was Rosalynn’s and Tosh’s second show back together and their second championship of the year. Tosh said, “It’s really good to have her back and going like that. She jumped beautifully and has the Trip of the Show (92) so far. She jumped great in every class.”

Tosh believes that her attributes are that “she’s super brave and there’s no spook in her. She truly is a trier.” He added, “We were joking around in the schooling ring because she jumped three jumps, and we knew she was going to go in there and try that hard. She is very scopey and has a huge stride. When she wants to be good, you just get up there and try and get out of her way. She knows what to do.”

Tosh, who won the WCHR Professional Finals in 2009, is happy to be back at Capital Challenge. “It is a great horse show. They showcase the hunters, and they put a lot of money out there for us. Everyone brings their best hunters so if you can do well it is really special.”

In the Performance Hunters 3’6”, the championship went to Rumba, ridden by Tara Metzner for Dogwood Hill LLC. The 11-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding by Carano placed first over fences and third under saddle. The reserve champion was Winner, ridden by Jimmy Torano and owned by James Pirtle Ent. The eight-year-old Warmblood gelding by Haarlem won an over fences class.

The Future Champions of Hunter Sport Are Crowned

In the Future Hunter 6 & Over division, Safe Haven and John French took the championship. They won two over fences classes and were sixth in the under saddle. Safe Haven, a six-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding by Crelido, is owned by Gail Morey. The reserve champion was Tristan, ridden and owned by Scott Stewart. They were first, third, and third over fences. Tristan is a six-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Okeanos.

The champion in the Colts & Geldings division was Peron, ridden by Kate Conover for Redfield Farm. The division is sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Tim Goguen & Boggs Hill. Peron, a six-year-old Warmblood gelding, won two over fences classes as well as the under saddle class. Andante, a five-year-old gelding ridden by Tammy Provost and owned by Provost and Wendy Hofmeister, was second and third over fences and third under saddle for the reserve championship.

She’s Cool, ridden and owned by Scott Stewart, won the Future Hunter Mares division, sponsored by Penelope Ayers and Ravens Wood Farm. The Hanoverian mare by Embassy won two classes over fences, was second over fences, and fifth under saddle. Reserve champion in the division was Small Celebration, ridden by John French for Iwasaki & Reilly. Small Celebration, another six-year-old Hanoverian mare by Embassy I, was first and fourth over fences and they won the under saddle class.

As Always, a six-year-old Brandenburg gelding, captured the championship in the Future Hunter 3’3” division sponsored by Pegasus Show Stable Inc./Christa and Michael Endicott & Mr. and Mrs Hunt Tosh. He was ridden by Jennifer Hannan for owner Jennifer Smith. They placed first, second, and third over fences and were sixth in the under saddle. Northstar, ridden by Havens Schatt for Cece Williamson, was the reserve champion. Schatt and the seven-year-old German Warmblood gelding placed first and fourth over fences and were second under saddle.

The high point champion of the day was Bacardi, a five-year-old KWPN gelding by Casco. Bacardi and Havens Schatt won all three over fences classes and placed second in the under saddle class for the championship in the 5 & Under division. The reserve champion tricolor went to Enjoy and Scott Stewart, who were second in all three jumping classes. Enjoy is a five-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Cassiano.

Competition for the professional hunters continues tomorrow with championships for two sections of the First Year Green Working Hunters, Green Conformation, and Regular Conformation. The Amateur-Owner Hunters begin their competition as well.

During the day, the Future Hunters will return for head-to-head competition in the $25,000 Added Future Hunter North American Championship, and the Grand Future Hunter Champion will be crowned. The best under saddle horses will compete in the World Champion Senior Hunter Under Saddle class.

In the late afternoon, the first rounds of the WCHR Professional Challenge and WCHR Emerging Pro Challenge will be held. An awards ceremony will start at 6:30 p.m., which leads into the final rounds for the two Challenge classes.

For full results, please visit www.capitalchallenge.org and for live scoring please visit www.equestrianlive.com. If you can’t attend the Capital Challenge Horse Show, remember you can log on to www.equestriansport.tv to see all the action live.

In its 18th year, the Capital Challenge Horse Show sets itself apart with a distinct and unique focus on preeminent hunter competition. Held each autumn at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, this year’s show takes place on October 1-9.

Top competitions include the ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals and the THIS National Children’s Medal Finals, along with the Capital Challenge Equitation Weekend, presented by Bigeq.com. In addition to these prestigious equitation events, the Capital Challenge Horse Show will once again host the World Champion Hunter Rider Finals and will assemble the country’s best horses and riders to compete in junior, amateur, and professional hunter classes.

For more information, please visit www.capitalchallenge.org.

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