Ashton Alexander takes home the blue with a seamless and bold performance aboard Fernway Park. Alexander, of Ocala, FL, is trained by Bibby Hill and Don Stewart of Don Stewart Stables, also in Ocala, FL. Alexander successfully navigated the course, designed by Phil DeVita, and was called back last to test. She managed to hold onto the lead spot to secure her victory, for the second year in a row. Congratulations Ashton – everyone at Southeast Medal Finals wishes you a successful Indoor Circuit!
Contact Information:
Managers:
James Lala, Philip DeVita & Stadium Jumping
(561) 906-6668 jdlala@aol.com
Live feed by Bryan Morgan brought to you by Holly Hill Horse Transport.
Southeast Medal Finals Fast Facts:
WHAT:
The Southeast Medal Finals is an A-rated indoor and outdoor hunter, jumper, and equitation finals horse show modeled after the New England Medal Finals. It attracts top riders and offers both a fantastic prep for those headed to Indoors or a special culmination for those ending their show season.
WHEN: September 17-20, 2015
WHERE: The Jacksonville Equestrian Center, Jacksonville, FL, featuring a large indoor coliseum with over 3,000 seats, two outdoor rings and a turf arena plus schooling rings and 500 permanent stalls. It is centrally located for USHJA Zone 4 and Region 3 competitors. The complex includes a network of adjacent trails, available to explore and enjoy for a casual hack during horse show down times. Area attractions include a 18 hole public golf course across the street, so Dad and Brother will have something fun to do to pass the time and a swimming center within walking distance.
Physical Address: 13611 Normandy Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32221
Jacksonville, FL – September 21, 2014 – Qualifying for the ASPCA Maclay Championship is a very big deal, and all of the riders at today’s competition knew that. As the final day of the 2014 Southeast Medal Finals took place, the anticipated Region 3 ASPCA/NHSAA Maclay Championship was the class to watch. Even viewers not in the stands were able to stream the class from the comfort of their homes and watch as Ashton Alexander impressed the judges and claimed the title of Region 3 Maclay Champion.
Many of the riders were competing on veteran show horses, but judges were focusing their search on the riders themselves and how they connected with their mounts. The ability to practice good horsemanship and to display strong equitation can be vital to success in the industry, and a number of the nation’s top riders have either won or placed high in the Maclay finals themselves.
“The Maclay has created and developed a lot of top riders in our country for many years. Winners have gone on to be top professionals in the industry, and it’s an important class,” said today’s course designer Philip DeVita. “The big key is you have to have excellent flatwork. You have to be well rounded and have the ability to beat the group over fences but then come back and be able to do flatwork and have a strong base and show the judges that you’ve done your homework.”
DeVita continued: “Coming into the class, I don’t say: ‘I’m going to build a hard and challenging course,’ because I think coming into the ring is challenging enough. My style is a lot of bending and serpentining. I make them set their eyes on the jumps and make them shorten and lengthen, because when the riders use their eyes and make adjustments on their own, it separates the good from the best.”
44 horses went through the DeVita designed course and the top 33 were asked back in three groups of 11 for flat work. After the flat phase, the top four were asked back for further testing to determine the final order.
Olivia Woodson and Victor VD Sent
Alexander earned the winning title on Fernway Park, owned by Don Stewart, after flawlessly completing the test. Second place went to Olivia Woodson, who rode Victor VD Sent from Heels Down LLC. Aboard Dexter, Jordyn Katz, who trains with Tiffany Morrissey from Davie, FL, grabbed the third place on the podium.
“It’s a big important class, especially since it’s a horsemanship class. It’s based on your horsemanship and the passion you have with your horse, and I think it shows that you care for the horse and not just care about the ribbons. It’s a talent search for riders,” described Alexander. “We had a good day, but some other kids might be stronger when it comes to finals. It can go any way for anyone. You’re dealing with a wild animal so you just have to be confident going into it.”
Confidence seemed to go a long way for Alexander as she had no problem this weekend at the Southeast Medal Finals. In addition to her Maclay win Sunday afternoon, she also won Saturday’s Phelps Media Group Southeast Junior Medal Finals. Assurance and conviction seemed to be the words of the day as Brook Geddes of Jacksonville, Florida completed her courses with ease in the $500 Southeast Children’s Hunter 3′ Final.
The hometown winner who trains with Andrew Lustig out of Gedday Farm mesmerized the judges on Radius H. At the end of the two rounds, the pair ended the day with 321 points, almost 100 points ahead of their closest competitor.
“Radius H was my sister’s equitation horse before we retired him. Now my mom and I are riding him in the hunter ring,” Geddes said. “I just want to say thank you to Andrew, since I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him.”
Finishing the Children’s Hunter 3′ Final in second place was Sage Morris aboard Darwin. Morris trains with Danica Pryce out of Weston, Florida. Morris completed the finals with 263 points. Right on her heels, to claim the third place prize, was Siena Vasan on Cherche from Palm Ponies, who trains with Jane Fennessy.
Completing the day was the $500 Southeast Adult Hunter 3′ Finals, where Charity Durgin, from Fit To Print Farm in Woodstock, Georgia, claimed another win. With only two and a half years of competing under her belt, Durgin and Lead Story are cleaning up in the Adult Hunters.
“Today was wonderful, and the course was user-friendly and flowy with the jumps coming up nicely. [Lead Story] was excellent as always, and we had a perfect trip. He sealed the deal for me. Now we’re ready for Indoors,” laughed Durgin. “I’m very grateful for my horse. He’s truly a special one. He had done the first and second year [green hunters] and the junior medals with his previous owner, and now he’s doing the adults and equitation with me.”
For the second day in a row, Durgin and Lead Story nabbed the blue ribbon, finishing today with 319 points. Second place with 304 points went to Sherri Geddes on Geddaway who is owned by Geddaway Farm in Jacksonville, Florida. Taking the third place ribbon was Alexis Martin on Budweisczar.
WHERE:
The Jacksonville Equestrian Center, Jacksonville, FL, featuring a large indoor coliseum with 3,000 seats, two outdoor rings and 500 permanent stalls.
13611 Normandy Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32221
FEATURES
4-Day “A”/Jumper Level 3 USEF-Rated Horse Show
The Phelps Media Group Southeast Junior Medal Finals
Ashton Alexander leads the victory gallop for the Phelps Media Group Southeast Medal. Photo by Randi Muster.
Durgin and Lead Story Win Adult 3′ Medal Finals
Jacksonville, FL – September 20, 2014 – There was no room for error today at the Southeast Medal Finals as riders were within tenths of a point of one another in their ride to the podium. In the Phelps Media Group Southeast Junior Medal Finals, Ashton Alexander and Fernway Park narrowly took the top call, and in the Southeast Adult 3′ Medal Finals, Charity Durgin and Lead Story also pulled off the lead by a tight margin.
Alexander and 16-year-old Fernway Park, owned by Don Stewart out of Ocala, Florida, had the blue ribbon in sight going into the second round of the Phelps Media Group Southeast Junior Medal Finals. The second round course incorporated jumps that riders had seen in the opening round, yet were positioned backward and at differing angles.
“I’m blessed to have such an amazing horse that knows how to do all of it. In the opening round, we had final scores of 85 and 86. I had a slightly higher score coming in from the first round, but Madison [Butehorn] had a higher score than I did. However, with a combined total, I was able to move up to first,” said Alexander. “Grant is Don [Stewart’s], and I started showing him in October of last year. He’s my best friend, and I love him to death. He has the best personality, and he has the cutest expression of how he goes.”
Alexander trains with Don Stewart and finished the Phelps Media Group Southeast Junior Medal Finals with a score of 335.5 points. Alexander and Grant will compete tomorrow in the ASPCA/NHSAA Maclay Region 3 Championship Finals. Madison Butehorn from Naples, Florida aboard Icarus finished with a total score of 333.5, just behind Alexander. Butehorn trains with Alan Korotkin of Castlewood Farms in Wellington, Florida. A third place finish of 322 points went to Fiona Steinmetz aboard her mount Crimson Z. Steinmetz hails from Tallahassee and trains with Andrea Duffy.
Earlier in the day, Charity Durgin and Lead Story took the blue ribbon in the Southeast Adult 3′ Medal Finals. Going into the second round, Durgin, who hails from Woodstock, Georgia and trains with Sharon Enteen, and Lindsey Tomeu, who rides out of West Palm Beach, Florida and trains with Allison Sweetnam, were neck and neck.
“[Lead Story] is a 13-year-old Oldenburg and is owned by Fit to Print Farm. I had a great first round, and my second round was amazing. He was quite a wonderful partner,” said Durgin.
After both rounds, Durgin and Lead Story edged out Tomeu aboard Take Note, finishing with a total score of 384 and 383 respectively. The third place finish went to Reily Reiker of Ocala, Florida who trains with Don Stewart.
The competition continued when Siena Vasan from Boca Raton, FL nabbed the blue ribbon in the Tenney’s Custom Saddlery Children’s/Adult 2’6″ Medal Finals. Aboard Quasa Granda, Vasan had no problem with the course, as her horse can easily jump a 1.60m. She was the last of six riders to return for the shortened test, and she flew through the course with flying colors.
“I came to the Southeast Medal Finals last year and did the Children’s ponies, and we were originally going to get another pony. But after seeing the kids in the Maclay, I got a horse,” explained Vasan. “Coming back this year, I wanted to be successful since this is where it all started, and [Quasa Granda] is such a good horse. He’s really sweet and friendly and is super smooth.”
Following right behind Vasan, Olivia Albright from Winter Park, Florida earned the second place ribbon in the Tenney’s Custom Saddlery Children’s/Adult 2’6″ Medal Finals. Sase Morris, of Weston, Florida, came in third.
Tomorrow the 2014 Southeast Medal Finals will live stream the ASPCA/NHSAA Alfred B. Maclay Region 3 Championships on the web. Join in live from the Jacksonville Equestrian Center beginning at 8 a.m. Go to www.southeastmedalfinals.com for more information.
Southeast Medal Finals Fast Facts:
WHAT: The Southeast Medal Finals is an indoor and outdoor hunter, jumper and equitation horse show attracting the top riders.
WHERE:
The Jacksonville Equestrian Center, Jacksonville, FL, featuring a large indoor coliseum with 3,000 seats, two outdoor rings and 500 permanent stalls.
13611 Normandy Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32221
FEATURES
4-Day “A”/Jumper Level 3 USEF-Rated Horse Show
The Phelps Media Group Southeast Junior Medal Finals
Ashton Alexander & Cafe de Colombia (Captured Moments Photography)
Lexington, Ky. – The best junior riders attended the 2014 US Junior Hunter National Championship West Coast July 21-22 in hopes of being crowned the Overall Grand Champion. Over two days of tough competition at the Del Mar Horsepark in Del Mar, Calif., riders competed in three phases: Classic Round, Under Saddle, and Handy Hunter. The Under Saddle phase counts for 20% of the rider’s overall score, while both the Classic Round and Handy Hunter count for 40%. The judging panel of Scott Hofstetter, John Roper, and Christina Schlusemeyer observed the riders, with courses designed by Skip Bailey being a highlight each day. Ashton Alexander came away with the coveted title in the 3’6″ Championship, while Sabrina Tirador claimed top honors in the new 3’3″ Championship.
3’6″ Championship
Alexander (Ocala, Fla.) and Cafe de Colombia, a 12-year-old Belgian mare owned by Doublethink LLC, earned an overall score of 266.60 to claim the Overall Grand Champion title. With scores of 263.00 in the Classic phase, 267.00 in the Under Saddle phase, and 270.00 in the Handy phase, Alexander ended up on top of the leaderboard with Cafe de Colombia, who was also named the Leading Mare of the West Coast edition of the Championship. In the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 division, the pair also scored top honors by a 13.2-point margin.
“It was very exciting,” said Alexander. “It was my first time out in California. I had a great time and a great experience. It was very close and no one knew [who would win] until the end.”
Only one point behind Alexander was Destry Spielberg and Illusion, making them the Overall 3’6″ Reserve Grand Champions. Earning respective scores of 264.00, 260.00, and 270.00 in the Classic, Under Saddle, and Handy phases, Spielberg (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Dogwood Hill LLC’s 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding finished with an overall score of 265.60. The pair had a 10-point victory in the Small Junior 16-17 division to claim the Champion title.
In the Small Junior Hunter 15 & Under division, Grace Prochilo (Wilson, Wyo.) and Irasir was steadiest over the three rounds and earned the Championship.
The Large Junior Hunter 15 & Under Championship went to Hunter Seibel (Woodside, Calif.) and C Coast Z, a 14-year-old gelding owned by Mountain Home Stables.
3’3″ Championship
The competition for the Championship in the combined 3’3″ division, new to the Championship on both coasts in 2014, was about as close as they come. After the three rounds it was Sabrina Tirador (Tustin, Calif.) and her own Holsteiner gelding, Mercury who prevailed with a score of 237.40, only fractions of a point over Reserve Champions Eliza Foster (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and her Oldenburg mare, Paloma, who finished with 237.20. Tirador and Mercury earned scores of 222.00 in the Classic phase, 238.00 in the Under Saddle phase, and 252.50 in the Handy phase to win the Overall Grand Championship title.
“It is my last year as a junior, so winning at Junior Hunter Finals was very special and meaningful to me,” said Tirador. “Mercury was great over the course of the championship. He was super responsive and consistent. Overall, it was a great experience and I couldn’t have done it without my parents and trainers Richard Slocum, David Bustillos, and Allison LaJoie.”
To find out more information about the US Junior Hunter National Championships, visit www.usef.org.
Sympa and Daniel Geitner. All photos by Shawn McMillen.
May 22nd, 2011 – Conyers, Georgia – The 2011 Atlanta Spring Challenge Horse Show came to a close today at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, GA. Attention turned to the International Arena on Saturday evening for the $25,000 Atlanta Spring Challenge Grand Prix and “Preakness Party” which was sponsored by DFG Stables and Daniel and Cathy Geitner of Aiken, SC. The crowd gathered early to enjoy the impressive spread of tasty Mexican fare including ground beef, chicken, and steak tacos with rice and all of the fixings and an assortment of special mini cupcakes to celebrate the occasion. A large screen TV was set up for everyone to enjoy the 136th running of the Preakness Stake. As Shackleford headed towards the winners circle at Pimlico, riders prepared to tackle the challenging Prix course designed by J. P. Godard. The course set at the National Standard offered 15 jumping efforts in the first round including a double and triple combination with a time allowed of 84 seconds. The shortened jump off course included 8 jumping efforts with numerous options and a time allowed of 48 seconds.
It was a fantastic night for Daniel Geitner and his DFG stables of Aiken, South Carolina. Out of the original field, Geitner qualified two mounts for the jump off, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bostwick’s Sympa and CDS Stable’s Neville. DFG’s Christina Jason also advanced to the jump off on the Booth Parker Owned entry Wonder Pomme.
