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Junior Hunter Champions Crowned on Final Day of Kentucky Spring Classic

Vivian Yowan and Ransom.

Lexington, KY – May 17, 2015 – For 17-year-old Vivian Yowan, Kentucky is home. The local resident of the Bluegrass State has captured multiple wins over the years, from the ponies to the Junior Hunters, as well as even riding to the top of the Junior Jumper leader board. Today, in the Stonelea Arena on the final day of the Kentucky Spring Classic, Yowan once again impressed the judges to capture three tricolors in the Large and Small 16-17 Junior Hunter divisions, as well as the Junior/Amateur-Owner Hunter Grand Championship, sponsored by Visse Wedell of Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

Yowan showed Ransom to two blue ribbons on Saturday during the Small 16-17 Junior Hunter division, and duplicated her efforts today to take the first place finish in the handy and the under saddle with her talented mount.

“Ransom is really special to me, especially because I own him,” Yowan said of the bay gelding. “I love him; he is awesome. He has really come into his own this year – he is a horse you can rely on. When we go in the ring, I know I can depend on him. He is so much more confident, and I think that shows through in the ring.”

Ransom was not the only horse that impressed the judges over the two days of Junior Hunter competition. Yowan also rode a new horse, Rookie, owned by Belhaven Stables LLC of Wellington, FL, to the reserve championship behind Ransom. Although the pair is a relatively new partnership, they claimed two second place ribbons on Saturday and returned on the final day of competition to close out the show with the first place over fences and the second in the handy round.

“This is the first show I have ever done with him,” Yowan explained. “His name is appropriate, as he is a little green, just a little bit of a Rookie [laughs]. Tim [Goguen] has been doing him in the 3’3″ Performance and the First Years, and then we decided I would show him in the Junior Hunters. He is a little green, but he really has all of the talent.”

During the Large 16-17 Junior Hunters, Yowan rode Character, owned by Belhaven Stables LLC, to the reserve championship with the first and two third place finished over fences, as well as the first place finish in the handy. It was 16-year-old Tyler Petrie of Moreland Hills, OH who rode to the division’s top honors to secure the championship tricolor with Quite Ruffy 840.

Petrie said, “He actually used to be a grand prix horse, and only a year and a half ago he was still competing in the jumpers. My father and trainer, Scott Petrie, found him in Gulfport, Mississippi, and we wanted him really badly, so we went to go try him and ended up turning him into a hunter.”

The championship win marks a milestone in the junior rider’s career. “It means the world to win champion for the division. I used to have a few horses and ponies that were a little naughty, so for me to be able to know that I can win and I can do this makes me have a lot of self-confidence. This is even more special because it is with Quite Ruffy 840, who just started the hunters. It makes me feel like I can do it, and he can do it, too.”

Earlier in the day it was Annabel Revers and Kingpin who took the Small 15 and Under Junior Hunter Championship, while Emma Wujek and Chabilano Z finished out the week with the reserve championship. In the Large 15 and Under Junior Hunters Emma Kurtz and Fredrick were awarded the champion rosette, while Revers and Diplomat finished as the reserve champions of the division.

The final day of the Kentucky Spring Classic concluded the two-week spring series with the Pony Hunter Grand Championship, sponsored by Visse Wedell of Douglas Elliman Real Estate. Emma Seving was awarded the Pony Hunter Grand Championship for her efforts in the Medium Pony Hunter division with her own Sassafras Creek.

Today marked the end of the Kentucky Spring Classic, but the hunter and jumper competitions at the Kentucky Horse Park continue this summer with the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows, kicking off on July 22, 2015.

For more information about the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.

Kentucky Horse Shows 2015 Horse Show Series Fast Facts

Events: 2015 Kentucky Spring Horse Shows

What:
The Kentucky Horse Shows 2014 series includes two weeks of top hunter/jumper competitions during the month of May. The Kentucky Horse Show Series is the host of the Hagyard Challenge Series and Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby Series.

Where:
Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY, site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™, home to the United States Equestrian Federation.

When:
KENTUCKY SPRING HORSE SHOW – May 6-10, 2015
$34,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic CSI2*
$85,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI2*
$25,000 Bluegrass Classic
$25,000 U25 Classic
$15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby
WCHR Recognized Hunter Competition

KENTUCKY SPRING CLASSIC – May 13-17, 2015
$34,000 Welcome Speed CSI3*
$34,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic CSI3*
$127,000 Hollow Creek Farm Grand Prix CSI3*
$50,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix
$20,000 Bluegrass Classic
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby

Sponsors:
A special thanks to the generous sponsors of the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows: Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Hallway Feeds, Hollow Creek Farm, Audi of Lexington, Sleepy P Ranch, CWD, Farm Vet, Dietrich Insurance, Take2 Thoroughbred Program and the Official Hotel The Clarion.

Hours:
8am – 5pm daily

Parking:
Horse Show Exhibitors may purchase a weekly parking pass at the main Horse Park entrance for $15.00. Dogs are permitted at the Kentucky Horse Park on a leash.

Directions:
The Kentucky Horse Park is located 8 miles northeast of Lexington, Kentucky at Exit 120 on Interstate 75.

Information:
Before Show – (859) 233-0492, Email: hakshows@earthlink.net
During Show – Telephone: (859) 254-3343, Fax: (859) 231-6097
Stabling – Email Tom Blankenship at tomblank@bellsouth.net
Stable office – Before Show: (843) 269-4737, During Show: (859) 255-0605
Prize List Advertising – Email Cindy Bozan at cindy@kentuckyhorseshows.com or call (859) 608-3709
Vendors – Email Cindy Bozan at cindy@kentuckyhorseshows.com or call (859) 608-3709
Shownet – www.shownet.biz

Website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com

Shopping:
Vendors offering equestrian equipment, apparel, jewelry and home furnishings are located adjacent to the Stonelea Ring.

Hotels:

CLARION HOTEL (Formerly Holiday Inn North) – 859-233-0512 – Approximately 4 miles (OFFICIAL HOTEL)
Discover the place where elegant comfort in an ideal location meets excellent service and affordability. At the Clarion Hotel Lexington, you’ll find well-appointed accommodations with options of double/doubles, double queens, king rooms or suites, exceptional amenities such as our free hot breakfast buffet, and Southern hospitality at its finest. The best hotel for Keeneland – located in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region – home of the Kentucky Horse Park, the Lexington Convention Center, University of Kentucky, and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail – our Lexington hotel is on Newtown Pike at Exit 115 on I-75, close to all the big attractions, and is the perfect place to stay whether you’re here to get down to business or have some fun. Best of all, bring your furry friends for any trip because the Clarion Hotel in Lexington is also pet-friendly.

CAMPGROUND RESERVATIONS:
Reservations may not be made through the Horse Show office. To reserve a campsite at the Kentucky Horse Park for any of the horse shows, please call the Campground store at (800) 370-6416 or 859-259-4157 or email Sherry Logan at sherryd.logan@ky.gov. Be specific as to the show name and the dates you wish to stay. Check-in time is 2:00 p.m. and check-out is 12:00 noon. You must make arrangements with the Campground store if you plan to arrive earlier than 2:00 p.m. or stay later than 12:00 noon. Vehicles that are not removed from a campsite by check-out time will be towed.

Management:
Kentucky Horse Shows, LLC
P. O. Box 11428
Lexington, KY 40575-1428
859-233-0492 (phone)
859-233-0495 (fax)
email: hakshows@earthlink.net
website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com

Media Contact:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12230 Forest Hill Blvd.
Suite 214
Wellington, FL 33414
561-753-3389 (phone)
561-753-3386 (fax)
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
www.phelpsmediagroup.com

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