Brooke Fuchs and EQ Escalade earned the win in the Arabian Mounted Native Costume class. Photo Credit ©Sportfot.

New York, NY – September 20, 2017 – The fourth annual Rolex Central Park Horse Show (RCPHS) began on September 20, in New York City’s Wollman Rink with U.S. Open competition celebrating the versatile Arabian. Aljassimya Farm proudly presented the third annual U.S. Open Arabian competition at RCPHS, showcasing the natural beauty and athleticism of one of the world’s oldest and most notable breeds.

The evening began with the Arabian Mounted Native Costume class, impressing and entertaining the spectator audience as they experienced both horses and riders galloping in traditional dress used centuries ago. A number of classes were offered throughout the night and included under saddle competition featuring Hunter Pleasure Pro/Am, Western Pleasure Pro/Am, and Country English Pleasure Pro/AM, as well as in-hand and halter competition. Classes alternated between performance classes and in-hand competition. In-hand competition saw Junior Mares, Junior Stallions, Senior Mares, and Senior Stallions presented to a panel of judges. Gold, silver, and bronze medal champions for each division were honored throughout the evening.

The Arabian Mounted Native Costume class saw Brooke Fuchs pilot Dr. James Blevins and Kimberly S Butler’s mount, Eq Escalade, to top honors. The silver medal was awarded to Squeezebox, owned by Mary Elizabeth Kelly and exhibited by Virginia Goodwin, while the bronze medal went to Hawk Haven Farms’ entry, the 28-year-old HL Sanction, exhibited by Cathy Vecsey.

Melissa Fry’s mount Harry Trotter, exhibited by both John Ryan and Fry, was awarded the gold medal in the Arabian Country English Pleasure Pro/Am competition, which saw the largest number of class of entries. “This is my second year being back after 17 years away from Arabian horse competition,” said Fry, who hails from Annapolis, MD, of her winning ride. “To be doing this after only the second year back – it’s just such a perfect experience. The Arabian has always been a part of my life, so I’m just so proud to be here representing the Arabian breed.”

The silver medal went to Katherine Kirby and Kirby Arabians LLC’s entry CP Manifesto, piloted by Joshua Shino and Katherine Kirby. Dr. Nancy O’Reilly of Amazing Horse Woman LLC’s entry, CSP Hennessy, took third with Jim Lowe and Nancy O’Reilly in the irons.

After traveling all the way from her hometown of Montecito, CA, Dr. Nancy O’Reilly said that Wednesday night’s ride was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “I ran the New York Marathon here, and now I’ve ridden in Central Park. My bucket list is getting smaller,” she laughed. “This has been a wonderful event. You can’t make stuff like this up. The story will get better and better as the years go on. The horses that are here and the trainers that are here, they’re the best. This is what it’s all about. Being surrounded by people who love horses and who love their horses. Those are the people you want to be around.”

The J. Frank and Sara Chisholm entry from Palmetto Arabians LLC, PA Kid Khan, earned top honors in the Arabian Western Pleasure Pro/Am class, taking the gold medal for a second consecutive year at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show with riders Rob Bick and Janie Heslep. Holdin Aces, owned by Joelle Wright of East Manor Arabians and piloted by Tommy Garland and Ray Price, took the silver medal, while the bronze medal was awarded to PA Appalonia Dancer, riders Tim Phelan and Lisa Gaudio, and owners Lisa Gaudio and James Kazanjian.

In the Arabian Hunter Pleasure Pro/Am class, PA Mayhem, ridden by Caralyn Schrotter and Brooke Hines, earned the gold medal for owner Debra Hines. The Combs Family Trust entry Wize Beybe, guided by Daniel Weeks and Christina Balch, earned silver medal honors, while Kim Bergeron of Rollingwood Farm’s Ggrand Slam, piloted by Charles Ethier and Kim Bergeron, received bronze medal honors.

The Arabian Junior Mare Halter class saw top performance from Ted Carson and Geneva CS, owned by Jeff and Sybil Collins and James and Kay Smith Collins. The silver medal went to MD Mirka, presented by Michael Wilson and owned Manuel Durini Medrano. The gold medal in the Arabian Senior Mare Halter class went to Rodolfo Guzzo and Triana, owned by Triana Holding LLC. The silver medal standing went to Sashaa LHT, presented by Michael Wilson and owned by Frank Hennessy, Hennessey Arabian Horse Partners LLC.

Baha AA, owned by Baha Partners LLC, and Andrew Sellman were presented with the gold medal in the Arabian Senior Stallion Halter division to conclude the evening’s competition, while Ted Carson and Tempezst, owned by Nichole Mesik, captured the silver medal. Arabian Junior Stallion Halter saw yet another win for Ted Carson, this time earning the gold medal with SF Baahir Jawhar, owned by Chloe and Al Cox of Sycamore Farm LLC.

One of the panel judges, Graham Smith (AUS), commented on the high caliber of Arabian horses displayed in Wollman Rink. “It’s been a great experience. The facility is amazing, and I give that credit to the organizers,” he said. “New York is New York and what a great place to promote not only the Arabian horses, but also the other disciplines as well. The level of talent we saw tonight was very high. I was happy with the placings and the horses are competitive.”

Nancy Harvey, President of the Arabian Horse Association (AHA), was a first-time attendee to the Rolex Central Park Horse Show and commented, “I was amazed at the quality of the horses, and just the ambiance of the entire facility was wonderful. Everything was amazing. I don’t have enough superlatives to describe this experience.” She continued, “I think an event like this is exceptionally important for the outreach that it provides. A lot of people in this city never get to see horses, let alone Arabian horses. It’s wonderful to see the support that the Arabian community gives to each other, and if we can show others that these horses are important to us, we’ve done our job,” she concluded.

For more information, visit www.centralparkhorseshow.com.

Full results from the 2017 U.S. Open Arabian presented by Aljassimya Farm are available at www.arabianhorseresults.com.

Cathy Vecsey and HL Sanction.

September 21, 2016 – New York, NY – The third annual Rolex Central Park Horse Show (RCPHS) began on Wednesday evening, September 21, in New York City’s Wollman Rink with featured competition celebrating the Arabian breed. The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) and Aljassimya Farm proudly presented the second annual Arabian U.S. Open at RCPHS, showcasing the beauty, athleticism, and diversity of the Arabian breed through a variety of classes.

The Rolex Central Park Horse Show runs through Sunday, September 25, with five days of multi-discipline equestrian sport for Arabians, jumpers, dressage, and hunters. The $216,000 FEI Grand Prix CSI 3*, presented by Rolex, and Friday night ceremonies will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network on Sunday, September 25, from 9-10:30 p.m. EST.

A mix of in-hand/halter and performance classes graced Wollman Rink Wednesday evening, as the Arabian horses kicked off opening night in Central Park. To start, the Arabian Mounted Native Costume class portrayed the magic and romance of the Arabian horse as ancestors of modern day light breeds. The performance division also included classes in Hunter Pleasure Pro/Am, Western Pleasure Pro/Am, and Country English Pleasure Pro/AM. Junior Mares, Junior Stallions, Senior Mares, and Senior Stallions were then presented in-hand to highlight the horses as desirable breeding stock based on their conformation and shape. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Champions were awarded for each of the classes offered.

The gold medal winner of the Mounted Native Costume class for the second year in a row was HL Sanction, owned by Hawk Haven Farms and exhibited by Cathy Vecsey. At an incredible 27 years of age, the beautiful Arabian, bred by Jayne Solberg, displayed the bloodlines of sire The Chief Justice and dam Overlook Seratifa. The silver medal was awarded to Captain Courageous PA, owned by Madison Fernandes and Krystal Duarte, and exhibited by Kayleigh Meyer.

This year, performance classes were ridden Pro/Am style, with the exception of the Mounted Native Costume class. Pro/Am allows professional horsemen and women to ride the horses the first direction of the class, while seasoned amateurs rode the second way – proving that teamwork is successful in the show ring and representing the bond and relationship between horse, professional and amateur.
In the Country English Pleasure Pro/Am class, Sally Wheeler Maier returned to the RCPHS for the second year in a row, and also rode Captain Courageous PA. Maier is a hometown New York City resident, living just blocks away from Central Park, and was excited to return for the second annual Arabian U.S. Open.

“It is thrilling to be back. It was so much fun last year and just as beautiful this year,” Maier stated. “It is a perfect setting, and we really have an exciting, showy breed. They are a loving, beautiful horse. They have such beautiful features. I think that starting out with the costume class was great with them really in their element. It was a great evening and a great showcase for the Arabian breed.”

Katie Russell flew in from California with her horse Ariya Encore to compete in the Hunter Pleasure Pro/Am class at RCPHS for the first time and had a fantastic experience.

“This is my first time here, and I feel blessed to be here,” Russell stated. “I think it is pretty amazing to be over 55 and be here competing. Most people have things that they say are their glory days, and I feel like I made a glory day today. This is something pretty amazing to do. We have such a great horse, and a great breed, that I can be out there doing something that I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life. This is a dream come true. I went in the arena, and I looked around and thought, ‘Wow!’ We have the best breed of horses that can do so many disciplines. It was an amazing experience.”

Judge Steve Lieblang also commented on the evening’s competition. He remarked, “Being added into the RCPHS with the Arabians is absolutely amazing. It is an incredible opportunity to get some wonderful exposure. It is great for people who are not normally exposed to Arabian horses to actually see them compete. I think the horses that we had tonight were extremely high-quality, and everyone did an absolutely incredible job.”

Among the night’s wins, competition included three gold medals for handler Michael Byatt. Byatt held Quintessa Partners LLC’s Aria Quintessa in-hand to win the Junior Mare Halter class. He also led Quintessa Partners LLC’s Aria Qatars Angel to a win in the Senior Mare Halter class. Byatt then concluded the evening with a win holding Aria Impresario Holdings LLC’s Aria Impresario in the Senior Stallion halter class.

Andrew Sellman was the handler for Mulawa Arabian Stud’s Vangelis MI to win the Junior Stallion Halter class. Natalie Jones and Anna Redmond rode Wolf Springs Ranches Inc.’s C Hondo to the gold medal in the Hunter Pleasure Pro/Am class. Rob Bick and Janie Wasilewski guided J Frank and Sara R. Chisholm’s PA Kid Khan to victory in the Western Pleasure Pro/Am class, and Joel Kiesner and Alexa Cohn rode I Ask LLC’s Afires Style to a win in the Country English Pleasure Pro/Am class.

Wednesday’s competition was a beautiful display of the Arabian breed and just the start of the 2016 Rolex Central Park Horse Show. Competition continues through Sunday, September 25, with more multi-discipline equestrian sport for jumpers, dressage, and hunters. For more information, visit www.centralparkhorseshow.com.

Full results from the Arabian U.S. Open are available at www.arabianhorseresults.com.

Tickets are selling fast! To get yours, go to http://bit.ly/29LwkkD.

About Rolex Central Park Horse Show
Launched in September 2014, Rolex Central Park Horse Show is the first-ever outdoor, multi-day equestrian sporting event in New York City, showcasing some of the best show jumpers and dressage riders in the world as they vie for top prizes against a backdrop of skyscrapers in one of the world’s most iconic venues. As the event founder, Mark Bellissimo is the CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions and International Equestrian Group LLC; Managing Partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners (WEF), Tryon Equestrian Partners and Colorado Equestrian Partners; and Publisher of The Chronicle of The Horse magazine. The Rolex Central Park Horse Show will feature five days of multi-discipline equestrian sport and performances, ranging from Arabians and Dressage to Hunters and Show Jumping. The Rolex Central Park Horse Show will also host the second annual U.S. Open in the following categories: Jumpers; Dressage; Hunters; U25 Jumpers; and Arabians. For more information, visit www.centralparkhorseshow.com or Facebook at www.facebook.com/CPhorseshow and follow @cphorseshow on Twitter and Instagram.