Scott Stewart and Golden Rule.
Lexington, KY – May 15, 2014 – Five championship tricolors were presented in the Stonelea Ring today at the Kentucky Horse Park, and three of them went home with Scott Stewart and his string of talented mounts.
Not only did Stewart ride away with numerous championships from the Kentucky Spring Classic, he and Dr. Betsee Parker’s Lucador delivered a clean sweep of the Green Conformation Hunter division.
The 6-year-old Oldenburg gelding came in to the day with two wins over fences and a win in the Green Conformation Model. Today, he earned two scores of 89 over the Bobby Murphy designed courses to secure victories in both of the over fences classes as well as a win in the under saddle.
This week marked only Lucador’s sixth time competing over 3’6,” but he has already proven quite successful. He was named Green Conformation division champion each of the five times that he showed during the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), sweeping all of the classes in the division multiple times throughout the winter and ultimately earning him the Green Conformation Hunter circuit championship.
“This is his first show since Florida, and next week he’ll head to Devon,” Stewart said. “He’s been really easy so far. We don’t really jump him at home. He’s generally quiet, but he likes to buck. So the first day you have to make sure he is definitely quiet because he’ll land from the first jump and throw in a buck. Other than that, he’s pretty straightforward; he’s a good mover and brave, the packaged deal.”
Finishing in reserve position in the Green Conformation Hunters were Havens Schatt and High Time, owned by Deborah Perkins.
Stewart’s next championship of the day came aboard Stephanie Danhakl’s Golden Rule in the Second Year Green Hunters.
The Oldenburg gelding has only been competing in the hunters since WEF Week IV, but he has seen success right from the start with both Stewart and Danhakl, earning multiple tricolors throughout WEF. He continued his winning ways today, taking the top call in both of the over fences classes before being named champion.
The reserve championship in the Second Year Green Hunters was presented to Jennifer Hannan aboard Jennifer Smith’s As Always.
Stewart’s final championship, earned in the High Performance Hunters, came down to the wire between him and Kelley Farmer with Everly and Mindful, respectively. Each mount earned two wins over fences, but Everly, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker, clinched the top title with the win in the under saddle. Mindful, owned by Larry Glefke and Kensel, LLC, would finish just behind Everly for the reserve championship.
Farmer also made her own sweep of the day, winning both the championship and the reserve championship in the Regular Conformation Hunters. The championship went to Point Being, while reserve went to Quotable, both owned by Larry Glefke and Kensel, LLC.
Quotable has seen the winners circle countless times in the division, but at 7 years old and as a First Year Green horse, Point Being is the new comer in the division. Today though, it was his turn to take the top calls in both of the over fences classes and bring home the division’s highest honors.
“One brother has to give the other brother a chance sometimes,” joked Farmer. “It’s only fair that the barnmates take turns at the top.”
Taking their turn at the top in the First Year Green Hunters were Tim Goguen and Ransom, owned by Saddle Ridge LLC.
“He’s a scopey, scopey horse,” Goguen said. “I think he’s going to go on and do the High Performance and do that quite well. He’s a fun horse to ride. He’s got a great personality. He’s like a little kid actually, when you ride him and you’re around him.”
Goguen and Ransom will head to Devon next week and then back to Kentucky for the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows.
Hunter competition continues tomorrow through Sunday, May 18 at the Kentucky Spring Class and includes this week’s hunter highlight class: the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 17.
For more information on the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.
Emily Riden for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
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