Francesca and Maggie Jayne Named Grand Hunter Champions at the 52nd WIHS

  • Save
Francesca and Maggie Jayne. All photos © Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Kelley Farmer Awarded Leading Hunter Rider Honors, Bolero and Arani Win Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter Championship

Washington, D.C. – October 27, 2010 – The 52nd annual Washington International Horse Show continued hunter competition for professional and amateur riders today, and a multitude of championship coolers, shining trophies, and fluttering ribbons were awarded. Maggie Jayne of Elgin, IL, rode Francesca for Pony Lane Farm to the Grand Hunter Championship. Kelley Farmer of Keswick, VA, was named the Leading Hunter Rider. Stacy Arani of Dover, MA, and Bolero picked up the Grand Amateur-Owner Championship, and Arani was named the Leading Amateur-Owner Rider.

The WIHS continues through Sunday, October 31. The highlight classes of the week are the $25,000 Puissance sponsored by The Boeing Company on Friday, October 29, and the $100,000 President’s Cup Grand Prix presented by Washington Convention and Sports Authority, CSI 3*-W on Saturday, October 30.

  • Save
Francesca was the Grand Hunter Champion

With strong results and the championship in the Regular Conformation Hunters sponsored by Pony Lane Farm, Maggie Jayne and Francesca, owned by Pony Lane Farm, were awarded the Grand Hunter Championship. They were first, second, and third over fences and won the under saddle and model class. For their division championship, they were awarded the Mary Farren Perpetual Trophy, a repeat performance from last year.

For the Grand Hunter Championship, Jayne and Francesca were presented with the Rave Review Challenge Trophy, donated by Stoney Hill. The reserve champion in the Regular Conformation Hunter division was Listen, owned by Jane Gaston and ridden by Kelley Farmer. Listen won two over fences classes and received a fourth, and was second in the model.

Jayne said of Francesca, “She loves it here, she likes spooky jumps and she loves the footing here. She does well when there are three classes and she always does well in the hack and the model. It’s a good division for us. She is particular, (and) she likes things her way.”

Francesca, who is a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, will also show tomorrow in the junior hunters with owner Madeline Thatcher. Jayne noted, “Maddie and I are extremely different riders and she’s able to cope with any ride. She never says no and she loves showing. She gets better the more she goes. At Harrisburg we were a little rusty and here she just got better and better the more I went around the ring.”

Jayne was excited to win the Grand Hunter Championship and continue her success with all of her horses. “It means a lot because you work very hard to get here and if you come with happy, sound horses and do well, it’s a bonus,” she said.

Listen, a six-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, went on to win the championship in the Green Conformation Hunter division sponsored by Mrs. Stephen C. Clark, Jr. They won two over fences classes and were second in the model. The Valiant Hawk Memorial Challenge Trophy, donated by Mrs. Stephen J. Clark, was presented to Listen and Farmer. The reserve champion was Whatever, ridden by Emily Williams for Boggs Hill. They placed second, second, and third over fences, were third in the under saddle, and fifth in the model.

Farmer was impressed with Listen’s performance this week, especially since he is only six years old. “He’s just a good boy. He’s a quiet horse, but he’s still a baby. It’s mentally exhausting for him. I was so proud of him. He’s had to grow up and learn and show as he did it. He certainly proved that he’s a good horse,” she said.

Farmer picked up another championship in the Regular Working Hunters sponsored by Kim Davis and Rustica Farm with Rosalynn, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest M. Oare. They won two over fences and were second, and they were fourth in the under saddle. For their win, they were awarded the “NOT ALWAYS” Challenge Trophy donated by Miss Peggy Steinman. They also won the Protocol Trophy, awarded to the Regular Working Hunter with the most points at the Devon Horse Show, Pennsylvania National Horse Show, and Washington International Horse Show.

Jersey Boy, owned by SBS Farms and ridden by Jennifer Alfano, were the reserve champions in the Regular Working Hunter division with a first, third, and fourth over fences.

Jayne rode Summer Place, another Pony Lane Farm entry, to the championship in the First Year Green Working Hunters sponsored by Penelope Ayers and Ravens Wood Farm. They were first, second, and third over fences and third in the under saddle. Farmer rode Taken, owned by Nancy Amling, to the reserve championship after they were first, second, and fourth over fences.

Summer Place and Jayne also won the Grand Green Working Hunter Championship and were awarded the Claire Lang Miller Challenge Trophy, donated by Miss Claire Lang Miller.

Jayne just started riding Summer Place, an eight-year-old Sachsen-Anhaltiner Warmblood gelding, last week at Harrisburg. “We showed him in the Conformation Hunters just to get my feet wet on him. Everything went very well here,” Jayne recalled. “He’s just a very fancy, easy-going horse that we are happy to have. He’s a First Year (horse), but very level headed. He’s very soft, he has a huge stride and a big slow jump. He’s a little different. You have to take your time and go slow so it can be pretty, kind of like Francesca.”

In the Second Year Green Working Hunters, Mary Lisa Leffler of Brookeville, MD, won the championship on Just Dessert, owned by Rolling Acres Farm. They were first and third over fences and third under saddle. Farmer and Bases Loaded, owned by Madison Free, were reserve champions with a first and second over fences.

  • Save
Kelley Farmer was named the Leading Hunter Rider

For her fantastic performances over the past two days, Kelley Farmer was presented with the Leading Hunter Rider Award sponsored by Faraway Farm and the Garnett Family.

Farmer believes that her consistency over the past two days came from top horses. “I couldn’t ask for a better string of horses. It’s a privilege to have animals like that. We get lucky when we have one nice horse, and they come and they go. I happen to be lucky enough right at this moment to have a string of them,” she expressed.

“It means a lot to win. I’ve never been Leading Hunter Rider here, and I really wanted to,” Farmer went on to say. “It feels great. You come to these horse shows and it can go any way. There are a lot of really nice horses and really good riders. It’s a great achievement and I’m excited.”

  • Save
Bolero and Stacy Arani

The Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter Championship went to Stacy Arani on Bolero, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding. They were presented with the Frank Counselman Memorial Perpetual Trophy, donated by Friends of Frank Counselman. The pair was the division champions in the Amateur-Owner Over 35 Hunters after they placed first, third, and third over fences and sixth under saddle. The reserve champion was Sanmorino, ridden and owned by Lisa Williams. They were second, second, and sixth over fences and third under saddle.

Arani was also presented with the Leading Amateur-Owner Hunter Rider award sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest M. Oare, while Bolero wore a cooler sponsored by Willow Brook Stables.

“That was really fun,” Arani said after her presentation. “I have never been champion at Indoors before. I was reserve last week at Harrisburg and that was so awesome for me because I had never been champion or reserve. I consider it something that you can try your whole life and never do it because it’s so hard. I have the most amazing horse. He didn’t touch a jump here. He did everything I asked of him, and I love that about him. You can pretty much depend on him to always do what you ask. He’s definitely a winner; he always jumps high.”

  • Save
Bolero was the Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter Champion, and Arani was named Leading Amateur-Owner Hunter Rider

After a reserve champion at Harrisburg, Arani wanted to try and improve on her performance. “He’s so consistent and he’s so good, so it’s kind of up to me,” she acknowledged. “I feel like I rode as well as I could today so whatever happened I was happy. It just comes down to everybody else and a lot of luck at these shows. A little bit of riding, a lot of luck.”

Arani thanked her sister, Leslie Emerson, and trainer, Sandy Ferrell. “Leslie has done an amazing job with (Bolero). Sandy Ferrell is an awesome trainer, I love her, so it has been a group effort,” she said.

The champion in the Amateur-Owner 35 & Under Hunters was Do Tell, ridden by Bridget Hallman and owned by Hallman and Merry Leggs South. They placed first, second, and fifth over fences. Saving Grace and Grace Stuntz, who were first, fourth, and fourth over fences and fourth under saddle, finished as reserve champions.

The Washington International Horse Show continues tomorrow with the opening classes for the junior hunter divisions as well as the first classes for the amateur-owner, junior, and open jumper divisions. The evening session begins with the always exciting Barn Night at 6 p.m., followed by the conclusion of the first Open Jumper class at 7:15 p.m. and the Open Jumper Gambler’s Choice.

For full results and more information, please visit www.wihs.org.

About the Washington International Horse Show
An equestrian tradition since 1958, the Washington International Horse Show brings top horses and riders from the U.S. and abroad, including Olympic champions, to the nation’s capital to compete for more than $400,000 in prize money and championship titles. About 500 horses participate in show jumping, hunter and equitation events during the six-day show. Special exhibitions, Kids Day, Barn Night, WIHS World of the Horse, boutique shopping and educational and community events round out this family-friendly show. Since its debut, the Washington International has been a popular Washington, DC, fixture visited by presidents, first ladies, celebrities, business and military leaders, as well as countless horse enthusiasts of all ages. WIHS, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, charitable organization, is headquartered in Washington, DC. Learn more at www.wihs.org.

© 2010 Jennifer Wood Media Inc.

One thought on “Francesca and Maggie Jayne Named Grand Hunter Champions at the 52nd WIHS”

Leave a Reply