Steve Heinecke and Stoli lead the victory gallop.

Lexington, KY – August 2, 2014 – Winning today’s $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby was no easy feat. It required besting a competitive field of 59 entries and waiting out a few passing rain showers, but there was one mount who made riding away with the victory look easy – Jane Olson Fisher’s Stoli.

With Steve Heinecke in the irons, Stoli took over the lead halfway through the first round, and he held it all the way through to the end, earning the victory gallop around the Stonelea Ring at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Heinecke and Stoli came into the handy round with a score of 94, following a seamless first round course in which they elected to take all four of the high option fences. Hot on their heels were Molly Sewell and EL Raymond, the winners of last week’s $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby during the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. Sewell and EL Raymond, owned by Leslie and Stuart Campbell, came into round two with a score of 93; they were followed in ranking by Adele Norton and her own Pitch Perfect who rounded out the top three with a score of 92.

Norton and Pitch Perfect were the first of the top contenders to return to compete over the Bobby Murphy designed handy course, and they turned in another solid round that fell just short of their first round in score at an 88.5, including the four high option bonus points. That score, coupled with their first round score 92, would be good enough to shoot them to the top of the leader board with 180.5 cumulative total.

That lead would not hold for long, as the next pair in the ring, Christopher Payne and Channing, bested it. Payne and Channing, owned by Susan Moriconi, had finished the first round in fifth place with a score of 90, but their consistency and a second round score of 91 would prevail, landing them in the temporary lead with a score of 181 and giving them the eventual second place finish.

Sewell and EL Raymond returned next to earn a score of 86.50, which, at a 179.50 total, would hold up for the fourth place spot. Following their course, it all came down to Heinecke and Stoli.

The pair did not disappoint. They perfectly matched their first round course, earning a second, equal score of 94 and clinching the far and away winning total of 188.

“I thought the first round was really nice. It was a lot of single jumps, which is nice sometimes because so often when you have a course there are so many jumps that you just have to count to the second one. This demonstrated a little bit more of the horses jumping ability,” Heinecke said. “In the handy, I think it gave some options depending on if you had to make up some points or not which is always nice. [Bobby Murphy] did a nice job with the courses.”

Heinecke continued, “I love the quality of the horses and the quality of the competition here at these shows in Kentucky. It’s a great place for your horses, and it’s a great place to grow and get better against good competition.”

Stoli, an 11-year-old Oldenburg spends much of his time in Charlotte, NC where Heinecke trains out of Marc and Celen Oken’s Hi Hopes Farm, while owner Jane Olson Fisher splits her time between Louisiana and Connecticut, often meeting up with her talented gelding on the road.

“He’s the perfect amateur horse. He’s like mister perfect 99.9 percent of the time,” Olson Fisher said. “He’s very personable. If Steve asks me to do something and I execute it, he does it. He’s very easy to ride. He’s really forgiving, and he always looks cute over fences. He pricks his ears. Even when I’ve done something bad, he just continues to prick his ears and jump the fence. He just has a really great attitude.”

Following his success today, Stoli will return home to Charlotte before looking to the fall indoor finals.

The Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby Series continues during the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show, held at the Kentucky Horse Park August 12-17, 2014. The Hallway Feeds Series consists of seven national hunter derby events, held throughout the 2014 show series at the Kentucky Horse Park. Following the final event, cash prizes totaling $15,000 will be awarded to the series’ leading riders.

To learn more about the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.

Kentucky Summer Series Fast Facts

Events:
Kentucky Summer Horse Shows, USEF National Pony Finals, Bluegrass Festival Horse Show and KHJA Horse Show, and the 2014 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals.

What:
The Kentucky Horse Show LLC’s 2014 series includes five weeks of top competition throughout the summer. These premier hunter/jumper competitions host the Hagyard Challenge Series with seven grand prix competitions that culminate with a Leading Rider Award, as well as the Hallway Feeds National 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:

NORTH AMERICAN JUNIOR & YOUNG RIDER CHAMPIONSHIPS – July 15-20, 2014
KENTUCKY SUMMER HORSE SHOW – July 23-27, 2014
$25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
$50,000 Rood & Riddle Kentucky Grand Prix
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby

KENTUCKY SUMMER CLASSIC – July 29 – August 3, 2014
$25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
$50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix sponsored by GGT Footings
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby

2014 USEF PONY FINALS – August 5-10, 2014
BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL HORSE SHOW – August 12-17, 2014
USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals
USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Championship
$25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
$40,000 Bluegrass Festival Grand Prix
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby
WCHR Member Event

KHJA HORSE SHOW – August 20-24, 2014
$10,000 Hagyard Welcome Stake
$30,000 KHJA Grand Prix
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby

Sponsors:
A special thanks to the generous sponsors of the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows: Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Hallway Feeds, Audi of Lexington, GGT Footing, Equestrian Services International, Johnson Horse Transportation, Farm Vet, Dietrich Insurance, Take2 Thoroughbred Program, Sleepy P Ranch, 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

Ring Dimensions/Specs:

The Stonelea Ring, Murphy Ring, Walnut Ring, Stonelea/Murphy Schooling Ring, the Alltech Arena and the Rolex Stadium have Otto Sport footing consisting of fine sand and synthetic fiber on pvc mats. The Claiborne, Annex, and Covered Arena (old) rings’ footing consists of a sand cushion on limestone base. The dimensions of the competition areas are as follows:

Stonelea: 140′x 280′, Murphy: 135′x 280′, Stonelea and Murphy Schooling: 110′x 400′
Walnut: 300′x 370′, Claiborne: 140′x 270′, Annex 130′x 250′, Covered Arena (old): 145′x 285′ Rolex Stadium: 360′ x 384′, Alltech Arena: 132′ x 265′

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
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