Wellington, FL – April 4, 2012 – It was an exciting week for SBS Farms, as professional rider and trainer Jennifer Alfano joined the Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. Although Alfano spent most of the Winter Circuit in Ocala, FL, the talented rider definitely was leaving nothing to chance as she rode Miss Lucy to the High Performance Working Hunter Championship.
On Wednesday afternoon, Alfano piloted Miss Lucy to the first and second place ribbons over fences, earning scores of 86 and 82, respectively. The pair then continued into the under saddle, receiving the third place for their efforts. Returning on Thursday, Alfano expertly guided Miss Lucy to another third place win over fences, and an incredible first place finish in the Stake class.
“We were trying to get the horses warmed up for Saturday’s Derby,” Alfano explained. “Miss Lucy really felt on, and she gave the courses her all. She is such a wonderful horse and I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to ride her at all of these shows and in such prestigious events. She has really proven herself during our time together, and she only continues to get better.”
Alfano also showed Jersey Boy in the High Performance Hunters, steering him to top ribbons in the division. On the first day of competition, the team took the third place ribbon for their score of 79 in the first round of over fences. Together, they also took home the blue ribbon prize for the top score of 85 on the second day of competition. Although they posted great results, Alfano admitted that Jersey Boy must have known it was Miss Lucy’s time to shine.
“Jersey Boy can be a funny horse,” Alfano elaborated. “He chooses the silliest places to be spooky, but we knew that he needed to get in the ring and warm-up before the Derby. We cared more about having fun out there and being ready for competition day, rather than worrying about being the best. There was no need to push the two of them anymore than necessary.”
Also showing at the Winter Equestrian Festival was Karen Macdonald’s Rapunzel with Alfano in the irons. The pair competed in the First Year Green Working Hunter, taking several good ribbons in the division, including a fantastic handy round. Alfano looks forward to continuing on to the Camden Equine Circuit in South Carolina after concluding their stay in Wellington, FL. There is already talk of the prestigious barn competing at the Kentucky Spring horse shows held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington this upcoming May. With all of the success they have seen early in the year, there is no telling what the Spring Circuit will bring.
“She was great, she loved it out there and had a lot of fun,” Alfano said of Rapunzel. “I showed Rapunzel for the experience and both Miss Lucy and Jersey Boy as a way of getting them acclimated to a new place. We showed them very sparingly in Ocala, and I think that kept both of them really fresh. Miss Lucy jumped outrageous, and it was a really good sign with the Derby approaching on that Saturday.”
Based out of Buffalo, NY, SBS Farms’ Susie Schoellkopf and Jennifer Alfano run one of the foremost show hunter training operations in the country, and travel nationwide to compete in the nation’s most prestigious horse shows. SBS Farms, Inc. continues the proud tradition of the Saddle and Bridle Club as one of the top show stables in the northeast. Schoellkopf is also the Executive Director of the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, which houses both The Buffalo Equestrian Center as well as SBS Farms. Built in 1922, the 160-stall facility is a historical landmark, with its unique English Tudor and gothic style architecture. For more information on SBS Farms and the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, please visit www.thebtrc.org.
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