Jennifer Alfano and Maggie May rode to the championship tricolor in the Second Year Green Working Hunters at HITS Ocala VII Ocala Tournament. Photo By: ESI Photography.
Ocala, FL – March 4, 2014 – Jennifer Alfano triumphed with new and known mounts alike last week at the HITS VII Ocala Tournament. Alfano rode to the top of the class in the First Year Green Working Hunter division aboard Counting Stars, a new face at SBS Farms. The Westphalian gelding, formerly known as Diplomacy, is a recent addition to the SBS Farms string, though Alfano has shown the horse earlier this winter for previous owner Nikki Murphy. Alfano consistently beat fields of 30 or more contenders to take home top ribbons with Counting Stars, a feat she hopes to continue accomplishing while the gelding finds his home with SBS Farms.
“He is new to us, but he keeps getting better and better, and becomes more consistent each week,” Alfano explained. “I am really excited about him. He is not spooky at the jumps, and is very nice to ride. He is super scopey and has a lot of jump. He is also extremely brave.”
Alfano continued, “He is a First Year, but he is an 8-year-old, so he isn’t super green. We are going to start doing him in hunter derbies since he has so much scope, and is so brave. I think he will be a good fit for the derbies.”
New horses were not the only ones taking home tricolors with Alfano at Ocala last week-Maggie May continues to shine in the Second Year Green Working Hunter division. The Brandenberger mare is proving herself a regular hack winner with another first place finish in the class, in addition to topping two of the over fences rounds. Owned by Billie Steffee, Maggie May’s wins this weekend add to an already impressive record that began last year when she dominated both the Jacksonville and Ocala circuits.
“She has been great; she loves the bigger jumps,” Alfano said. “She is so talented, that as the jumps keep getting bigger she is getting better. It is so easy for her.”
Alex Trolli continued her winning ways with Del Piero, owned by Doreen Toben, and Lolito, owned by the BTRC, to take top ribbons in the Antares Children’s 15-17 Hunter Horse division. The young talent brought home the first place in the under saddle with Del Piero, also riding the mount to the second and third place over fences. Trolli also rode to the third place finish over fences with Lolito.
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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