Tag Archives: Ky. Summer Classic

Hunter/Equitation, Kentucky Horse Shows, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Alison Robitaille Rides to the Win in $50,000 Kentucky Summer Classic Grand Prix

August 2, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Alison Robitaille and Cassinja.

Lexington, KY – August 1, 2015 – Alison Robitaille has traveled to the Olympics as a first alternate, competed at the World Equestrian Games and won team silver at the Pan American Games, but in recent years, as she busily brings along young horses and two young children of her own, she has been continually knocking on the door of a grand prix win. On Saturday night at the Kentucky Horse Park she knocked the door all the way down and rode away with an impressive victory in the $50,000 Kentucky Summer Classic Grand Prix, sponsored by GGT Footing.

“I’m really so excited. It’s been a long time since I’ve won a grand prix,” Robitaille said. “I’m so proud of my horse. I got her at the end of her 7-year-old year and sort of stepped her up into the grand prix. I’m just really proud of her.”

The mare that Robitaille speaks of his Cassinja, a 10-year-old Holsteiner mare owned by Robitaille’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Firestone. The pair of Robitaille and Cassinja was the ninth in the field of 41 to try their hand at the Florencio Hernandez-designed course set in Rolex Stadium, and they were the first to execute it without fault.

At the conclusion of the first round, six more combinations would join them on the clear list, advancing seven total on to the jump-off. As the first clear, Robitaille was also the first to return, and she laid it down again, finishing faultless with a time of 55.339 seconds.

“I was thinking going in, ‘it’s a long jump-off.’ So I wanted to put some pressure, but I wanted to really make sure that I was clean,” Robitaille said.

While Robitaille’s time seemed like it could be beatable, her strategy greatly paid off in the end.

Lucas Porter and Sleepy P Ranch’s Doma Sue returned next, finishing on five faults in a time of 58.633 seconds, which would end up being good enough for fourth as the next two to return did not fair quite as well.

Both Scott Lenkart, on Fleur De Lis Farms’ Ziezo, and Blythe Marano, on Riverview Farm’s Quabelle, fell victims to refusals on course. Ziezo’s refusal would result in a finish effort of 10 faults in a time of 63.834 seconds for he and Lenkart; Marano and Quabelle would be eliminated from the jump-off after Quabelle stopped twice at the fourth fence of the short course.

Sharn Wordley and Barnetta, owned by the Sky Group, came next, finishing clear but on two time faults after electing to take a slightly longer route to the last fence, finishing on a time of 59.259 seconds.

Wilton Porter and Paloubet, owned by Sleepy P Ranch, followed Wordley, but the refusal bug would strike for a third time in the jump-off phase, resulting in Wilton electing to retire and finish tied for sixth with Marano.

From there the final chance to topple Robitaille’s time was in Juan Ortiz’s hands with Dulien Van De Smeets, owned by Synchronicity Group. It looked like Ortiz had it all the way to the end, but as he tripped the timers the scoreboard flashed 53.38 seconds – just tenths off of Robitaille’s winning time.

“By nature, she’s not the fastest horse,” Ortiz said of Dulien Van De Smeets. “She’s a very scopey, powerful horse. Her advantage is to jump big classes with clean rounds, which is where other horses struggle. Going against a horse like Alison’s, which is a little smaller and lighter on his feet, I had to make too many efforts, and there were not really a lot of places for me to eat strides.”

Ortiz just acquired the ride on Dulien Van De Smeets this summer after getting a call from McLain Ward.

“There was a chance to go to Pan Am Games. So, my friend McLain, one of my best friends in the world, calls me on the phone and says, ‘Juan, I have the horse for you to go to Pan Ams,'” Ortiz explained. “I called the person in charge of the group, and said, ‘McLain just called and said he has the horse for us to go to Pan Ams.’ They said, ‘well, Pan Ams are in two months, and you haven’t ridden the thing.’ I said, ‘well, I trust him.’ My partner believed in me, and McLain thought that it was the right horse for me, so I jogged the mare, jumped the first class, and in the first grand prix I jumped double clear. Since then, we’ve only jumped one grand prix that I haven’t jumped double clear. It’s been an unbelievable experience.”

While Dulien Van De Smeets is a new mount for Ortiz, the winning partnership of Robitaille and Cassinja is one that has been three years in the making, and Robitaille was thrilled with the mare’s quick jump-off performance on Saturday night.

“She’s always been very brave and basically rideable. It’s just been a little bit of a process learning how to go fast on her,” Robitaille explained. “In the beginning, when I went to go fast, she thought that she was in trouble. She would be more looking back at me and worried. Now, in the last year, she’s really picked up on it and is so much more with me. I feel like she gets it more in the jump-off now. It’s really fun. It’s a fun part of bringing young horses along – to feel it come together.”

Robitaille continued, “I have to say a huge thank you to my parents. They’ve been supporting me for such a long time. And I’m so lucky to have my whole team and Efrain Vega who takes care of Cassinja. The whole team is really fantastic.”

Robitaille’s team will head next to HITS Saugerties, after enjoying their past two weeks at the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows.

“I love coming to Kentucky. We’ve been coming probably for 20 years,” Robitaille said. “It’s wonderful to be here and to get to ride out in the fields. We love the footing here. The horses seem to get better after being here for a couple of weeks, rather than feeling like they’re sore and want to go home.”

Sunday marks the conclusion of the Kentucky Summer Classic, and the jumper competition continues in the Rolex Stadium with the NAL/WIHS Child and Adult Jumper Classics beginning at 8 a.m.

Blue for David Beisel and Lavish in $5,000 USHJA Hallway Feeds National Hunter Derby

Every now and then, Lavish wanders out of semi-retirement to play around in hunter derbies with rider David Beisel. On Saturday morning, Beisel taught a few lessons, loaded up the old pro and headed to the Kentucky Horse Park to compete in the $5,000 USHJA Hallway Feeds National Hunter Derby at the Kentucky Summer Classic on Saturday afternoon.

Despite their casual arrival, Beisel and Lavish came prepared to win, turning in an impressive first round over the Bobby Murphy-designed course to earn a score of 85, including the four extra points for taking all of the high options. With their spot high in the top 12 secured, Beisel watched the handy round from the sidelines, developing his strategy all the while.

*David Beisel and Lavish maneuver a slick turn in the handy round to take the win.*

“The name of the class is handy,” Beisel said. “I kept watching the other riders, and even as they turned inside from the Hallway Feeds jump back to the oxer, it seemed to take forever. I started seeing different ways to cut it down and make it a little handier. I checked with the owners, and I said, ‘I’ve got something different in mind. I think it’s super, super handy, and if I can pull it off, I can get some extra points.'”

And pull it off he did. Beisel executed a tight rollback to the aforementioned oxer – only one of two riders to attempt to cut down the turn and take the oxer at a sharp angle.

“For me, it was pretty risky,” Beisel said of his turn. “The oxer in the middle was really hard to jump; you had to catch it on a big angle, which made it quite a wide jump with the brush in front. It didn’t leave much room for air afterward.”

Beisel’s decision paid off, and the judges rewarded the duo with the highest handy round score of 92 for a combined total of 177 points, which would hold out to earn Beisel and Lavish the blue ribbon.

“He did it beautifully,” Beisel said of Lavish. “He loves his job.”

Hot on Beisel’s heels were last week’s derby winners, Molly Sewell and EL Raymond. In the classic round, the duo outscored the field by earning an 88, including the four extra points for taking the high options.

“EL Raymond went absolutely beautifully in the first round,” Sewell said. “The course was nice and flowing; he jumped beautifully, no rubs; he was perfect.”

The pair was last to go in the handy and missed seeing Beisel’s slick rollback while schooling in the warm-up ring.

“That move did not even cross my mind,” Sewell laughed. “Everyone was like, ‘oh my God,’ and I’m about to walk into the ring like, ‘what did [David] do?’ Bill [Schaub] said, ‘don’t change your plan. Do not change your plan.'”

A minor rub at the first fence would prove to be the round’s only blemish for a score of 86, including the four high-option points. A total score of 174 would secure second place for EL Raymond and Sewell.

Owner Leslie Campbell looked on proudly from the sidelines, saying, “EL Raymond is everything that’s great about this sport. He’s taught so many juniors, and now he has the best ride of his life, Molly, his forever rider now.”

Rounding out the top five were third-place finishers Virginia Ingram and Comanche, whose scores of 84 and 87 combined to a total of 171. In fourth place were Renee Lenkart and Cayman with a 169.5, while last week’s second-place finishers, Lilly French and Candor, took home fifth with a score of 165.75.

The hunter divisions at the Kentucky Summer Classic will wrap up Sunday with the presentation of the Visse Wedell-sponsored grand championship, which will be awarded to the amateur or junior rider who scored the most points.

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

Kentucky Horse Shows 2015 Horse Show Series Fast Facts

Events:
Kentucky Summer Horse Shows, USEF National Pony Finals, Bluegrass Festival Horse Show and KHJA Horse Show, and the 2015 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals and the Pre Green Incentive Championship.

What:
The Kentucky Horse Show LLC’s 2015 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 14-19, 2015

KENTUCKY SUMMER HORSE SHOW – July 22-26, 2015
$25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
$25,000 Under 25 Grand Prix
$50,000 Rood & Riddle Kentucky Grand Prix
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby

KENTUCKY SUMMER CLASSIC – July 28 – August 2, 2015
$25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
$50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix sponsored by GGT Footings
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby

2015 USEF PONY FINALS – August 4-9, 2015

BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL HORSE SHOW – August 11-16, 2015
USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship
USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Championship
$25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
$40,000 Bluegrass Festival Grand Prix sponsored by Audi of Lexington
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby
WCHR Member Event

KHJA HORSE SHOW – August 19-23, 2015
$10,000 Hagyard Welcome Stake
$30,000 KHJA Grand Prix
$5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby

Sponsors:
A special thanks to the generous sponsors of the Kentucky Summer Series: Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Hallway Feeds, Hollow Creek Farm, GGT Footing, Rood and Riddle, Audi of Lexington, Sleepy P Ranch, CWD, Farm Vet, Dietrich Insurance, Take2 Thoroughbred Program, 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) 281-7979, Fax: (859) 231-6097
Stabling – Pat Duncan (503) 510-8797
Stable office – Before Show: (503) 510-8797, 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

Shopping:
Vendors offering equestrian equipment, apparel, jewelry, and home furnishings are located adjacent to the Stonelea Ring.

Hotels:
CLARION HOTEL (http://www.clarionhotellex.com) (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 Ryan McGaughey at Ryan.mcgaughey@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 checkout 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
www.phelpsmediagroup.com

Hunter/Equitation, Kentucky Horse Shows, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Win for Anna Dryden and Petrushka III in High Amateur-Owner Jumpers at Kentucky Summer Classic

August 1, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Anna Dryden and Petrushka III.

Lexington, KY – July 31, 2015 – Anna Dryden arrived in Lexington, Kentucky on Friday morning, just in time to sweep the High Amateur-Owner Jumpers on Friday afternoon at the Kentucky Summer Classic before she heads back home to Manhattan on Saturday.

Anna Cardelfe and Firenze Van De Cadzondhoeve set an early pace to beat of 59.308 seconds, and with only seven entries jumping clear around the Florencio Hernandez-designed course, few others came close to the top spot. Dryden, however, last in the order of go, entered the ring confident that she would take over Cardelfe’s lead.

“I didn’t see Anna [Cardelfe] go,” Dryden said. “But Allison [Robataille] said, ‘you’re going to win this class,’ so I have to listen to the trainer! I went in there and never looked back.”

Clocking the fastest four-fault time of 60.405 seconds on her previous mount, Classified, Dryden was able to get a feel for the course before piloting Petrushka III to the winning time of 57.482 seconds.

Cardelfe and Firenze Van De Cadzondhoeve ended up settling for second, while challengers Sabischy Hassler and New Life HM took third with a time of 61.377 seconds. Trailing closely behind in fourth were Bethany Bolen and Domino Van De Hermitage, who stopped the clock at 61.605 seconds – just .228 seconds away from the third place spot.

Dryden, a new mom, recently hopped back into the saddle during the Winter Equestrian Festival, where she acquired Petrushka III from Shane Sweetnam at the advice of trainer Allison Robataille.

“I’m just having a good time getting back in there,” Dryden said. “[Petrushka III] is perfect. I love her; she’s totally my type. She’s a little quirky, but she’s got a huge heart. Shane finds great horses, and Allison is so good at matching the right horse to the right rider, so I’m really spoiled in that way.”

Before the High Amateur-Owner Jumpers got underway, the Medium Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers took the stage in the Rolex Stadium.

With more than half of the 20 entries turning in clear rounds, it was a race against Maria Brugal and Diabolo Van Cadzanhoeve’s early time to beat of 58.471 seconds.

In the middle of the pack, 14-year-old Sheer Levitin entered the ring on Zin Chin, blazing around the course to trip the timers in just 53.627 seconds and capturing the new lead almost five seconds ahead of Brugal’s time to beat.

“Today was my first Medium Junior class,” Levitin said. “Zin Chin was really good. He’s very brave, but he needs a very quiet ride. I was a little nervous; I didn’t want to mess up, but I thought it couldn’t have gone better today.”

A final challenger, Alexandra Pielet, came close to the top spot with Cavalier Knight, stopping the clock at a time of 56.287 seconds to take the second place ribbon home to Norfield Stables LLC. Levitin’s lead would hold up for the blue ribbon, with early leader Brugal taking home third.

The jumper action will continue at the Kentucky Summer Classic with Saturday’s $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix, sponsored by GGT Footing, beginning at 7 p.m.

McKayla Langmeier Leads WIHS Equitation at Kentucky Summer Classic

McKayla Langmeier is no stranger to great success in the equitation ring. For her mount Ilyana, however, the equitation division is a new ball game, but following the mare’s equitation debut on Friday at the Kentucky Summer Classic it looks like she will be hitting the ball out of the park.

Langmeier has been competing Ilyana, a 6-year-old Warmblood mare, successfully in the Large Junior 15 and Under Hunters, and on Friday she gave the young horse a go at her first equitation class, riding to second in the WIHS Hunter Phase and first in the WIHS Jumper Phase before also taking the overall WIHS Equitation victory.

“I’ve been showing her in the junior hunters for a little bit,” Langmeier said. “It’s always been a goal to be doing the junior hunters and the equitation on her. My other mount that I normally do, Skyfall, I did earlier in the week so we decided to try her out in the Washington.”

Ilyana and Langmeier earned a score of 88 in the WIHS Hunter Phase, held in the Stonelea Ring at the Kentucky Horse Park, before heading to the nearby Walnut Ring to lay down a second solid 88 trip, securing them both the WIHS Jumper Phase and overall WIHS Equitation victories.

“She’s really scopey, and she has a huge stride. It was her first time doing it, and she was amazing, so I was very happy with her,” Langmeier concluded.

Taking the top call in the WIHS Hunter Phase with a score of 89 were Victoria Press and Allison Fithian’s Lucky D’Etenclin. Press has accumulated numerous top finishes in the ASPCA Maclay and the Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Medal Finals aboard her second equitation mount, Clover, but with Lucky D’Etenclin, the hunter phase is their forte.

“I really especially like doing him in the hunter phase, because he has a really nice, slow rhythm,” Press said. “I ride hunters too, and I think that’s just where I’m really the most comfortable.”

Both young riders have their sights firmly set on earning ribbons at the equitation finals this fall, but for now, they are greatly enjoying their time at the Kentucky Horse Park.

“I love Kentucky. I like that you can come and show everything in Kentucky,” Press explained. “I was in Spruce Meadows and then Lake Placid, so I did just the jumpers and then just the equitation. Then I did junior hunter finals with just the hunters. This is nice because you get to show everything while you’re here.”

Preceding the start of the WIHS Equitation, the 3’3″ Junior Hunters vied for their championships, were it was newcomer to the division, Elise Buhl, who earned both the championship and reserve championship honors.

The 14-year-old Michigan native just made the move up to the 3’3″ Junior Hunters here in Kentucky with her two mounts, Can Fly and Chabliano Z, and she is already proving to be a rising talent under the tutelage of trainers Tim and Kelly Goguen at Boggs Hill Farm. She and Can Fly, a 10-year-old Warmblood gelding, rode away with the championship, while the reserve went to Chabliano Z, Buhl’s 8-year-old Zangersheide gelding.

“I’m proud of both my horses. I was shocked, but I’m very, very excited,” Buhl said following her successful week. “Chabliano Z I just got at the end of [the Winter Equestrian Festival], and I just got Can Fly in June. They’re really both nice; they’re really just almost perfect, but they are different. [Chabliano Z] is kind of slower; you have to get around him. [Can Fly] you just flow and go with him.”

Buhl hopes to continue to be successful in the 3’3″ Junior Hunters before moving both Chabliano Z and Can Fly up to the 3’6″ Juniors, but she, too, is presently enjoying her time in Kentucky.

“I love just being here,” Buhl said. “The show grounds are so big, and I love all of the rings.”

Hunter competition continues on Saturday with the start of the Amateur-Owner Hunter divisions beginning at 8 a.m., and Saturday afternoon’s schedule will also feature the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby.

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

Kentucky Horse Shows 2015 Horse Show Series Fast Facts

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 14-19, 2015

KENTUCKY SUMMER CLASSIC – July 28 – August 2, 2015
$25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
$50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix sponsored by GGT Footings
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby

2015 USEF PONY FINALS – August 4-9, 2015

KHJA HORSE SHOW – August 19-23, 2015
$10,000 Hagyard Welcome Stake
$30,000 KHJA Grand Prix
$5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby

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.

Website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com

Shopping:
Vendors offering equestrian equipment, apparel, jewelry, and home furnishings are located adjacent to the Stonelea Ring.

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
www.phelpsmediagroup.com

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Kentucky Horse Shows, Show Jumping

Sydney Shulman Sweeps Second Straight Grand Prix Win in Kentucky

July 31, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Sydney Shulman and Wamira.

Lexington, KY – July 30, 2015 – Sydney Shulman is on a roll, and she is not showing signs of slowing down. In the past month and a half the young rider has won four grand prix – first at the Ox Ridge Hunt Club, then at the Fairfield County Hunt Club and just four days ago in the $50,000 Rood and Riddle Kentucky Grand Prix. On Thursday night she returned to the Rolex Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park to capture the win in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic.

Shulman and Wamira, owned by BCF Group, dominated the class at the Kentucky Summer Classic from beginning to end. They were the very first to enter the ring and contest the Florencio Hernandez designed course, finishing clear and advancing to the jump-off. From the 51 total entries, six other combinations would also qualify to give Shulman and Wamira a run for their money in the jump-off, but none would catch the pair’s double clear effort completed in a time of 35.547 seconds.

In addition to Wamira, Shulman also qualified Jill Shulman’s Quidam 13 for the jump-off, and she was joined by Lorcan Gallagher and Sweet Oak Farm’s Casper, Scott Lenkart and Fleur De Lis Farm’s Ziezo, Wilton Porter and Sleepy P Ranch’s Paloubet, Shane Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm’s Eregest Van’t Kiezelhof and David Beisel and Equine Holdings’ Ammeretto.

At the end of the night, the rider results bore a striking resemblance to Saturday night’s $50,000 Rood and Riddle Kentucky Grand Prix, with Shulman and Sweetnam taking the top two spots for the second time in a row in Kentucky grand prix competition, but this time on different mounts.

Sweetnam was one of only three to go double clear, finishing in second on Spy Coast Farm’s Eregast Van’t Kiezelhof with a jump-off time of 36.109 seconds. Finishing in third with their own double clear effort were Beisel and Ammeretto.

“He jumped well,” Sweetnam said of Eregast Van’t Kiezelhof. “The first round went according to plan; I thought he jumped around quite well. I was just worried about the time allowed. I did a couple of turns, and he was fine. The jump off was a little bit like Saturday night; different horses this time, but [Wamira]’s a very fast horse, and Sydney did it again. I think I did fewer strides everywhere, but [Eregast Van’t Kiezelhof]’s a scopey horse, but a little bit slower. I was very happy with him; he jumped well.”

For Wamira, speed is a specialty, which the mare proved on Thursday. While Shulman did not get to watch Sweetnam’s ride, she agrees that while others may have left more strides out, Wamira makes up for it with her big stride and limited time in the air.

“She doesn’t feel like she’s going so fast,” Shulman said of the 12-year-old mare. “Even Brianne [Goutal] said to me, ‘you’re like molasses; you need to go faster.’ But I think she covers so much ground, and she has barely any air time. She really skims the jumps, so I think I was just using her stride to my advantage. To the last fence I took a good shot to it. She sucked back a little bit for a second; I wasn’t sure if I was going to get there, but she tried really hard.”

Just as Wamira is fast, so was the decision to buy her. Shulman’s trainer, Brianne Goutal, had her eyes on the horse for herself, so when she found out she was for sale jumped at the chance to try her.

“I’d tried the mare and, in fact, I was trying it for another student of mine. Immediately when I got on the horse, I just knew it was for [Sydney],” Goutal said. “Just judging by her other horses, and the way she rides her other horses, to me the horse was a perfect match. I actually wanted the horse for myself the year before. She wasn’t for sale at the time, and then a friend told me the horse was for sale. I don’t think anybody could have gotten to her faster to try. Before I hung up the phone I was on the horse. She’s just lovely, and it’s a good match. Sydney rides her great.”

Shulman added, “Brianne said, ‘you have to come try her.’ It was literally the last day of WEF, so [Wamira] was leaving on a flight to Brazil on Monday, and it was Sunday. So I tried her Sunday; we vetted her Sunday, and I got her Monday. It was the fastest turn around. I think I jumped four jumps on her when I tried her, but I loved her type. I really trust Brianne when she says this is going to be a great fit for you. We watched a ton of videos, and we knew that once we connected, it would be good. So I kind of just went with it, and ever since then, it’s been great.”

Shulman plans to compete Wamira primarily as a speed horse through the end of the year, including at the American Gold Cup and the Hampton Classic.

At the Kentucky Summer Classic, competition continues on Friday with the 1.40m Open Jumpers beginning at 8 a.m. Grand prix action resumes Saturday night with the $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix, sponsored by GGT Footing, beginning at 7 p.m.

Emma Kurtz Claims Top Ribbons in Junior Hunter Divisions at Kentucky Summer Classic

Junior rider Emma Kurtz is a familiar face in the winner’s circle at horse shows across the country, and on Thursday the young talent added a few more blues to her collection in the Junior 15 and Under Hunter divisions at the Kentucky Summer Classic.

As the day began with the Small Junior 15 and Under Hunters, Kurtz piloted Molly Hay’s Kahlua to double second-place finishes over fences, proving to be the most solid combination of the division so far. First place went once Hayley Fleming’s Wesley, ridden by Anna Beth Athey, and once to Hilary Gerhardt’s Count Down and Emma Wujek.

“Kahlua used to be a jumper; this is probably either her sixth or seventh show as a hunter,” Kurtz said. “She’s awesome. She has the best canter in the world. I just have to hold her straight; she knows what she’s doing.”

The blue ribbon in the flat portion went to Abigail Dubose and her own Rose Gold, with second place going to Julia Tait and Falcon Ridge Stables’ Legacy, leaving both the division’s championship and reserve championship highly in contention at the end of the day.

The Large Junior 15 and Under Hunters kicked off next in the Stonelea Ring at the Kentucky Horse Park, with Kurtz returning in the field of 16 with two entries: Prologue and Fredrick.

Kurtz and David Gochman’s Fredrick impressed the judges over the Bobby Murphy-designed courses, riding away with the blue ribbon in both over-fences classes and on the flat.

“He was really great today,” Kurtz said of the chestnut gelding. “We had a light rub in the first round, then the second was really good. He’s lazy so you just have to keep a feel of him and keep your leg on.”

Following closely behind with second and third place finishes over fences were Rachel McMullen and her mare, Clear Sailing. McMullen partnered up with the Thoroughbred-cross in January during the Winter Equestrian Festival, and the duo has been experiencing success ever since.

“She’s great to ride,” McMullen said. “She’s super smooth and gives you a great feeling in the air. She’s pretty much your typical bay mare; she has a little bit of an attitude, but we’ve gotten along pretty well and figured each other out.

You just have to watch a little bit with the paying attention, but other than that she’s a dream. I love her.”

Kurtz other ride, Prologue, delivered smooth rounds as well, earning third and fourth over fences to round out the day.

“I’ve been riding Prologue for a little over a year now,” Kurtz said. “He’s really cool. He has the best jump.”

Brett Burlington, who had the ride on Sweet Oak Farm’s Caraway, claimed the remaining blue ribbon in the division’s second over-fences class.

Keep an eye out for both young riders during the Bluegrass Festival and KHJA horse shows as they continue to compete at the Kentucky Horse Park this summer.

The junior hunter divisions will wrap up Friday, and the amateur owner hunter divisions are scheduled to show Saturday and Sunday. The grand champion award, sponsored by Visse Wedell of Douglas Elliman Real Estate, will be awarded to the junior or amateur rider with the highest number of points on Sunday. The highlight hunter event of the week, the $5,000 USHJA Hallway Feeds National Hunter Derby, will take place on Saturday.

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

Kentucky Horse Shows 2015 Horse Show Series Fast Facts

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 14-19, 2015

KENTUCKY SUMMER CLASSIC – July 28 – August 2, 2015
$25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
$50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix sponsored by GGT Footings
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby

2015 USEF PONY FINALS – August 4-9, 2015

KHJA HORSE SHOW – August 19-23, 2015
$10,000 Hagyard Welcome Stake
$30,000 KHJA Grand Prix
$5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby

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.

Website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com

Shopping:
Vendors offering equestrian equipment, apparel, jewelry, and home furnishings are located adjacent to the Stonelea Ring.

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
www.phelpsmediagroup.com

Hunter/Equitation, Kentucky Horse Shows, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Triple Victories for Abigail McArdle at Kentucky Summer Classic

July 30, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Abigail McArdle and Harriri.

Lexington, KY – July 29, 2015 – Adam Prudent and Madeleine Stover earned victories for Plain Bay Sales at the Kentucky Summer Classic on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, it was Abigail McArdle’s turn.

McArdle claimed three back-to-back wins in the $5,000 1.40m Open Jumpers, the 1.35m Open Jumpers and the 1.30m Open Jumpers, giving the Plain Bay Sales team a clean sweep of all of the 1.35m and 1.40m Open Jumper classes held so far this week at the Kentucky Horse Park.

In the $5,000 1.40m Open Jumpers, McArdle piloted Plain Bay Sale’s Harriri to the victory, finishing double clear with a jump-off time of 39.050 seconds.

From a starting field of 34 entries, 20 completed the first round Florencio Hernandez designed course without fault, turning the jump-off portion into a close foot race – all mostly in hot pursuit of McArdle and Harriri’s time.

The pair had gone only second in the order and returned immediately to set the jump-off time that would hold up for the entire remainder of the class. While none could beat McArdle’s time, all of the top five would come within just two seconds of it. Amanda Derbyshire and Lady Maria BH, owned by David Gochman, came the closest, finishing in second on time of 39.301 seconds. Rounding out the top three and finishing in a time of 40.276 seconds was McArdle’s fellow Plain Bay Sales rider, Madeleine Stover, on Chester Ridge LLC’s Camillo.

At only 8 years old, Harriri is a relatively new mount for McArdle, having been purchased by Plain Bay Sales and started during the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival with the intention of turning the mare into a competitive children’s horse for the 1.30m.

“I was just going to get on and do a couple classes,” McArdle said. “Then we realized, ‘hey, this horse has got some scope.’ So then we did a couple of 1.35m, 1.40m and 1.45m classes. We realized that this horse is special. She’s only 8 so we’re taking it a little bit slowly, but you’re definitely going to see her in the grand prix within the next couple of years.”

McArdle continued, “We always say she’s going to be super special and as big a winner as Cosma [20], and so far that’s been very true to form.”

Cosma 20, owned by David McArdle, has continuously been a top mount for McArdle, racking up top finishes internationally and in Kentucky, and on Wednesday it was again Cosma 20 who found her way to the top of the leaderboard. The 12-year-old Hanoverian mare took the top call in the 1.35m Open Jumper speed class where she finished fast and faultless in a time of 56.682 seconds.

From the field of 35 entries, none would come even within eight seconds of McArdle and Cosma 20’s time. The second best time of 64.807 seconds went to Martin Mallo and Michelle Navarro Grau Dyer’s Sato Yama, and third went to Conor O’Regan and Salamander Farm’s Salome De Mars on a time of 64.863 seconds.

“We’ve been trying to jump in a lot of the FEI classes, and I’ve been keeping her as my speed horse,” McArdle said of Cosma 20. “But here in Kentucky it’s a great opportunity for me to jump the smaller grand prix. She’s funny to prepare, because her best preparation is going in a smaller speed class and really boosting her confidence up. This is really preparing me for tomorrow.”

McArdle and Cosma 20 will return on Thursday night for $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, but first McArdle added yet another win to her Wednesday streak. She claimed the victory in the 1.30m Open Jumpers aboard David McArdle’s Tina, while second went to Plain Bay Sale’s Adam Prudent on Pensilvania, owned by Dorothy Cox.

Jumper competition at the Kentucky Summer Classic continues through Sunday with headline events including Thursday night’s class and Saturday night’s $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix sponsored by GGT Footing.

Tim Goguen and Bob Crandall Share Grand Champion Honors at Kentucky Summer Classic

Longtime friends Tim Goguen and Bob Crandall are accustomed to competing against each other across the country, whether they’re in New York, Florida or at the Kentucky Horse Park. On Wednesday, the top riders tied for the Kentucky Summer Classic hunter grand championship, each racking up 50 points by taking home all five available blue ribbons in their divisions.

Crandall and Erin McGuire’s Casallo were the first contenders for the grand championship, adding the final two blue ribbons to Tuesday’s three in the Green Conformation Hunter division. The duo secured the division’s championship, with reserve going to Winn Alden and Elizabeth Nestor’s Covert, who claimed the remaining two second-place spots for a total of five red ribbons.

“Winning all five classes is always great,” Crandall said of his clean sweep. “It doesn’t happen often whether it’s a big or small division, so it’s always great just when you’re happy with your horse. He has just been amazing. It’s been such a treat to have him back, and I thank the McGuires and Jack and Liza Towell for that.”

In the Second Year Green Hunters, Goguen and Saddle Ridge LLC’s Ransom followed suit, claiming the top spot in both the classic and handy hunter rounds for a total of five blue ribbons to earn the division’s championship. The reserve championship went to Isabelle Pott’s Fusagers Carma, who was shown by Jordan Gilchrist.

“Ransom’s just been really steady and consistent through Florida, [the Devon Horse Show] and up here with Vivian [Yowan] in the Junior Hunters and Second Years,” Goguen said. “He’s 6 years old and was reserve at Harrisburg in the First Years and in the Junior Hunters as well. Ransom is just so scopey, and he tries really hard.”

With both Goguen and Crandall tied with perfect scores of 50 points at the end of the day, the grand champion award, sponsored by Visse Wedell for Douglas Elliman Real Estate, was split between the two riders, who willingly shared in the honors.

“I guess if I have to share, sharing with Tim was OK,” Crandall laughed. “Upstate New York reigns again.”

Earlier in the day, Goguen continued his domination of the First Year Green Hunters, piloting Garland Alban’s Capella and Belhaven Stables LLC’s Rookie to champion and reserve champion, respectively.

Goguen and Capella added a first and third to Tuesday’s two firsts and second, edging out the rest of the field to earn the title.

“Capella has been champion or reserve every week that we’ve shown him up north,” Goguen said. “He’s in the same realm as Ransom as far as being very scopey. It’s very easy for him.”

Rookie’s second and fourth place finishes added to Tuesday’s two seconds and first gave him enough points for the reserve.

“Rookie didn’t start until spring here,” Goguen continued. “He has really come along, as well. He’s good going around; he a can jump a very good jump. I think he’s going to win his share in this division, as he’s been doing. We call him a Labrador because he’s so friendly in the barn, and he’ll just get in your lap.”

Rounding out the day were the High Performance Hunters, with the division’s championship going to Fleur De Lis Farms’ Bowie, who was piloted by Courtney Calcagnini. The pair earned two blue ribbons, added to Tuesday’s first and fifths for the top spot. The division’s reserve championship went to Bill Schaub’s Avalon, who was ridden by Molly Sewell.

The junior hunter divisions begin on Tuesday, with the amateurs scheduled to show Saturday and Sunday. The $5,000 USHJA Hallway Feeds National Hunter Derby will take place on Saturday.

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

Kentucky Horse Shows 2015 Horse Show Series Fast Facts

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 14-19, 2015

KENTUCKY SUMMER CLASSIC – July 28 – August 2, 2015
$25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
$50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix sponsored by GGT Footings
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby

2015 USEF PONY FINALS – August 4-9, 2015

KHJA HORSE SHOW – August 19-23, 2015
$10,000 Hagyard Welcome Stake
$30,000 KHJA Grand Prix
$5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby

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.

Website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com

Shopping:
Vendors offering equestrian equipment, apparel, jewelry, and home furnishings are located adjacent to the Stonelea Ring.

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
www.phelpsmediagroup.com

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Kentucky Horse Shows, Show Jumping

Adam Prudent and Madeleine Stover Capture Kentucky Summer Classic Opening Day Wins

July 29, 2015 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Adam Prudent and Joy Ride.

Lexington, KY – July 28, 2015 – If their performances on Tuesday are any indication, Adam Prudent and the team at Plain Bay Sales are in for a great week at the Kentucky Summer Classic. The show got underway on Tuesday morning at the Kentucky Horse Park, and Prudent and student Madeleine Stover kicked things off by earning back-to-back victories in the largest jumper classes of the day.

Prudent’s win of the day came in the $5,000 1.40m Open Jumpers aboard IAG Syndicate LLC’s Joy Ride. Prudent and Joy Ride were one of six to go clear over the Florencio Hernandez designed course, but their time of 69.567 seconds is what would clinch them the victory in the Table II, Sec. 1 speed class.

While no one else was able to break below the 70-second mark, Denise Wilson came the closest. She finished in both second and third, taking second on Nimbus, who finished clear in a time of 70.550 seconds, and third on Catuso, who finished clear in a time of 74.857 seconds.

“This is a great win today for her. I’m very happy,” Prudent said of Joy Ride, a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare owned by Dorothy Cox’s IAG Syndicate LLC. “Dot has owned her for the past six years I believe, and I started riding her last year.”

Prudent continued, “She’s a very hot horse, so no leg whatsoever. You just have to place her to the distance using your eye from far back. She’s a very fun ride and a very fast horse. She has a huge stride, is very, very fast and turns well, so she’s always a good one to have in a speed class.”

Joy Ride has recently been competing to much success in the 1.30m to 1.35m divisions, but the mare made the move up seamlessly to the 1.40m today.

Also making a move up the heights this week were Madeleine Stover and Royal Des Etisse. Stover has been a student of the Prudents for approximately 10 months, and has been seeing great success aboard Royal Des Etisses, a 10-year-old Sell Francais gelding, owned by Chester Ridge LLC. Tuesday was no exception, as the pair produced a double clear effort to win the day’s 1.35m Open Jumpers in a jump-off time of 48.336 seconds.

“[Royal] was doing the 1.30m over in Europe, and Adam [Prudent] found him,” Stover explained. “I got the ride on him all through Florida; we did the medium amateur-owner jumpers, and we did a couple of 1.40m classes. We went up to Spruce Meadows for six weeks, and he was amazing up there. He was super on the field. He just really grew up up there with me, and we got some good ribbons in the 1.30m.”

Stover continued, “Last week here we just did the medium amateur-owners to get back in the swing of things. Then we decided to try to move up this week. We started in the 1.35m today, and he was amazing. It was the perfect way to start. We’re really starting to put it together. It’s just been really fun to go for it now in the jump-offs. Usually I go really slowly, so today I really tried to gallop around. He just stayed right with me. He was super.”

Stover was one of four riders to complete the first round without fault and one of only two to produce a double clear effort. The second double clear and the second place ribbon went Callie Schott and Lori Custer’s Paratrooper, who finished on a jump-off time of 52.277 seconds. Rounding out the top three were Sharn Wordley and Gran Canyon, owned by Ashland Stables.

Jumper competition continues on Wednesday in the Rolex Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park beginning at 8 a.m. with $5,000 1.40m Open Jumpers. Jumper highlights during the Kentucky Summer Classic include the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at 7 p.m. on Thursday and the $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix sponsored by GGT Footing on Saturday night.

Tim Goguen Tops Professional Hunter Divisions at Kentucky Summer Classic

During last week’s Kentucky Summer Horse Show, Tim Goguen consistently conquered the top spots in the professional hunter divisions with his trio of dark bay geldings: Rookie, Capella and Ransom. The proven combinations returned this week, duplicating their winning ways at the Kentucky Summer Classic.

In the First Year Green Hunters, Goguen piloted last week’s reserve champion, Garland Alban’s Capella, to blue ribbons in both over-fences classes, coming in second to Belhaven Stables LLC’s Rookie in the under saddle. In addition to winning the hack, last week’s champion, Rookie, picked up two second-place ribbons over fences.

“They went awesome,” Goguen said. “Capella went really well today. I thought Rookie went better last week, but he was good.”

As the day continued with the Conformation Hunters, it was Robert Crandall and Casallo who swept the field, claiming all three of the division’s blue ribbons. Last week’s champions, Winn Alden and Covert, followed closely behind and placed second to Crandall in both over-fences classes.

Crandall and Casallo are old friends whose relationship dates back to Crandall importing the now-11-year-old Casallo as a 3-year-old stallion from Europe. The pair was recently reunited after Casallo’s current owner, Erin McGuire, put the gelding up for sale as she heads to college. Crandall jumped at the opportunity to lease the gelding for the year: an arrangement both parties are thrilled with.

“It’s just been great having him back,” Crandall said. “He was very good; he’s a joy to ride, really. He’s a big-strided, scopey horse, and if you have him prepared, he’ll canter down to anything. It’s easy for him. He’s always been successful at everything he’s done. Today was hard because I sat last week at Blowing Rock judging, so I feel like I can’t breathe; he had to do a lot of the work today.”

The Second Year Green Hunters were the next to show, with last week’s reserve champions, Goguen and Ransom, coming back to earn the top spot in all three classes.

“Ransom went well,” Goguen said. “He’s a good horse. It was nice to just have those three to go today; I’m very happy with them, very pleased.”

The division’s reserve championship is in question, however, as second place went to a different horse-and-rider combination in each class: once to Just D’o, once to Covert and once to Fusagers Carma.

The professional hunters conclude on Wednesday with the awarding of the division champions and the week’s overall grand hunter championship, sponsored by Visse Wedell at Douglas Elliman.

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

Kentucky Horse Shows 2015 Horse Show Series Fast Facts

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 14-19, 2015

KENTUCKY SUMMER CLASSIC – July 28 – August 2, 2015
$25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
$50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix sponsored by GGT Footings
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby

2015 USEF PONY FINALS – August 4-9, 2015

KHJA HORSE SHOW – August 19-23, 2015
$10,000 Hagyard Welcome Stake
$30,000 KHJA Grand Prix
$5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby

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.

Website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com

Shopping:
Vendors offering equestrian equipment, apparel, jewelry, and home furnishings are located adjacent to the Stonelea Ring.

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
www.phelpsmediagroup.com

Hunter/Equitation, Kentucky Horse Shows, Phelps Media Group, Pony, Show Jumping

Riders Prepare for US Pony Finals at Kentucky Summer Classic

August 4, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Alexandra Pielet and Secret Love.

Lexington, KY – August 3, 2014 – The Kentucky Summer Horse Shows have seen large numbers of entries all summer, but this weekend those numbers skyrocketed in the pony divisions.

The 2014 US Pony Finals competition kicks off at the Kentucky Horse Park in just two days, and hundreds of ponies and young riders took advantage of the opportunity to prepare for the prestigious Pony Finals at the Kentucky Summer Classic. Among them were two Pony Finals veterans who were among today’s top finishers: Sofia Roberts and Alexandra Pielet.

Both Roberts and Pielet will be riders to watch in the Small Pony Hunters as they head into the week aboard Brownland’s Mr. Mack and Secret Love, respectively.

The two ponies dominated Section A of this weekend’s Small Pony Hunters, with Brownland’s Mr. Mack earning the division championship and Secret Love picking up the reserve.

“He’s perfect,” said Roberts of Brownland’s Mr. Mack. “He’s really sweet. At home we work on finding the jumps and going straight.”

That work at home with Lochmoor Stables and trainer Patty Rogers paid off tenfold today for 10-year-old Roberts and Brownland’s Mr. Mack, a pony that she’s owned for two years. The duo finished in the top two of both of the over fences classes this afternoon, including besting a field of 30 competitive ponies to take the top call in Section A of the Small Pony Conformation Hunters.

Roberts, a Wilmington, OH native, hopes that today’s performance proves indicative of what is to come in the week ahead during her third Pony Finals appearance.

“I love the competition, and I love how excited I get,” smiled Roberts.

Pielet, a veteran of numerous Pony Finals, is also looking forward to the high level of competition that the event brings.

“I love that all of the top ponies are here competing against each other. It’s really cool,” Pielet, age 13, said.

Her mount in the Small Pony Hunters, Secret Love, is definitely one of those top competitors. Previously owned by David Gochman and ridden by Lindsey Greenhill and Sophie and Mimi Gochman, Secret Love was purchased by Jill Shulman of Back Country Farm following last year’s Pony Finals. Today he showed why he is one to watch with Pielet in the irons, finishing with both a first and second over fences and ending the day with the Section A Small Pony Hunter reserve championship.

In Section B of the Small Pony Hunters, it was Christina Rogalny and her own Firefly who dominated the day, riding away with the victory in both of the division’s over fences classes.

US Pony Finals festivities get under way tomorrow, Monday, Aug. 4, and the competition officially kicks off Tuesday morning with the Large Hunter Pony Model and Large Hunter Pony Under Saddle classes beginning at 11 a.m.

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
www.phelpsmediagroup.com

Competitions, Kentucky Horse Shows, Show Jumping

Isabel Coleman and Pistol Win WIHS/NAL Children’s Jumper Classic at Kentucky Summer Classic

August 4, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Isabel Coleman and Pistol.

Lexington, KY – August 3, 2014 – The Kentucky Summer Classic concluded with another day of perfect weather as riders gathered at the Rolex Stadium for the NAL/WIHS Adult and Children’s Jumper Classics, sponsored by Johnson Horse Transportation. Isabel Coleman proved that age is just a number when she sped to victory in the Children’s Jumper Classic aboard 22-year-old Pistol, and Sydney Crenshaw had the fastest jump-off of the day with Camera Ready to win the Adult Jumper Classic.

The Children’s Jumper Classic was up first with 54 competitors showing over Richard Jeffery’s track. Thirteen advanced to the jump-off, but only eight were able to produce a second clear effort. Madison Charlton set the original time to beat with Petit Flipper, besting the course in a clear 36.882 seconds. Avery Hinson was the first to beat her, riding Vaillant to clear round one second faster in 35.817 with quick turns a fast gallop.

Coleman was one of the last to show with Pistol, and they put themselves on track for a win when they were able to roll back sharply through each turn. A hard slice to the second to last fence almost cost them the win though when they had to take the outside turn to the final oxer. They picked up the pace and galloped home, beating Hinson by just fractions in a time of 35.465 seconds.

“The plan was to go inside for the second to last jump, but I blew that plan. So I knew I needed to make up time and go really fast to the last jump,” admitted Coleman after her round. The risk to the final jump paid off as she took home the blue ribbon with 22-year-old Pistol, whom she’s been riding for over a year.

“He needs a lot of hand so that you stay connected with his mouth and so he can fire over the jump,” explained Coleman. “He’s a little quiet so you need a lot of leg, but he’s really fun”

Coleman is based in New Orleans, Louisiana, riding with Sean and Livia Steffee at Sandy Creek Stables. She has already won two NAL/WIHS Children’s Jumper Classics this year and is aiming the mount that was found for her by Aaron Vale toward Indoors this year.

The Adult Jumper Classic was up next, and although Sydney Crenshaw was the first to show with Camera Ready, watching the Children’s Jumper Classic paid off. They were able to advance to the jump-off and post the best time of the day by taking every inside turn and opening up the mare’s large stride. They galloped over the final obstacle in a clear 33.174 seconds, setting a mark that the other riders would fin uncatchable. Lindsay Tomeu gave it a try with Cilke Quality SC, but their time of 35.978 seconds would only be good enough for second place. Diego Morales rounded out the top three, piloting Tropbella 3K to a double clear effort in 37.263 seconds.

“I did watch a couple, but ultimately I went in there and knew my plan and tried to execute it,” said Crenshaw. “I did all the inside turns, and she turned great and was really fast.”

Crenshaw is Sports Management major at the University of Georgia, but she enjoys having the opportunity to ride Camera Ready for owner Cathy Coffey of Fit To Print Farm.

“We imported her from Germany three years ago,” noted Coffey. “Camera Ready is great. She loves her job, loves to go to work and is just a pleasure. She is a horse of a lifetime.”

Crenshaw and Camera Ready are also focused on qualifying for Indoors this fall, but they enjoyed having the opportunity to show at the Kentucky Horse Park. “It’s so pretty here; all the rings are really nice, and the people are really great,” she expressed.

Today marks the conclusion of the Kentucky Summer Classic, but competition will resume on Tuesday, August 5 with the start of the 2014 U.S. Pony Finals. The following week, the Kentucky Horse Park will host the Bluegrass Classic Horse Show and the 2014 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals.

For more information about the Kentucky Summer Series, 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.

Where:
Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY, site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™. Home to the United States Equestrian Federation.

When:

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

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

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.

Shownet – www.shownet.biz

Website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com

Ring Dimensions/Specs:

Shopping:
Vendors offering equestrian equipment, apparel, jewelry and home furnishings are located adjacent to the Stonelea Ring.

Hotels:

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
www.phelpsmediagroup.com

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Kentucky Horse Shows, Show Jumping

Steve Heinecke and Stoli Steal the Show at Kentucky Summer Classic

August 3, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

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.

Where:
Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY, site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™. Home to the United States Equestrian Federation.

When:

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

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

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.

Shownet – www.shownet.biz

Website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com

Ring Dimensions/Specs:

Shopping:
Vendors offering equestrian equipment, apparel, jewelry and home furnishings are located adjacent to the Stonelea Ring.

Hotels:

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
www.phelpsmediagroup.com

Kentucky Horse Shows, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Barrios Is Best with Antares in $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix

August 3, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Pablo Barrios and Antares.

Lexington, KY – August 2, 2014 – If the $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix sponsored by GGT Footing is any indication of how the Venezuelan team will perform at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy France, then they look very strong. Pablo Barrios’ rule of the Rolex Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park continued as he piloted Antares to blazing double clear victory, while fellow Venezuelan rider Angel Karolyi took home the second place honors aboard Indiana 127, just shy of Barrios’ winning time.

With 46 entries in tonight’s main event and only two belonging to Barrios, it might not have seemed like the odds were in his favor, but the speedy South American was ready to showcase his winning ways once again. Richard Jeffery’s first round track yielded 16 clears, creating a tiebreaker where only those that took the risks would end up on top.

The pathfinder was another well-known Venezuelan rider: Emanuel Andrade with Hardrock Z. They were able to neatly make their way over each obstacle, and they set the clear time to beat at 40.945 seconds, which held up for fifth place. The next rider in the ring bested his time, which was Brazil’s Paulo Santana on Taloubet. They were three seconds faster in a clear 37.803 seconds, but even that time would not claim the top spot and was beat by the next on course. Angel Karolyi, fresh off of speedy duels at the Spruce Meadows Tournament with Hollow Creek Farm’s Indiana 127, was ready for the challenge. Going early in the order, he added a stride in one of the rollbacks, but left out a stride in the last line, resulting in a clear score of 36.819 seconds.

“I was just being a bit cautious going a little bit early in the jump-off,” admitted Karolyi. “I was the first one to leave out to the last jump, but I wasn’t ready to do two risks going so early.”

Unfortunately for Karolyi, Barrios was two rounds later, and with the opportunity to watch Santana and Karolyi he knew where he could make up time with Antares. The duo sliced sharply back to the combination and galloped full speed to a vertical on the other side of the ring, resulting in a time of 35.315 seconds that would go straight to the top of the leader board and prove unbeatable. The only other rider to slip into a top five position was the United States’ Chelsea Moss with Stormfront Stables’ Operette St. Loise, clearing the course in 39.949 seconds to place fourth.

After Barrios’ winner, Karolyi said, “We’re just getting ready to go to the WEG. We’re focused on that, so I’m happy that if anybody beat me that it was my teammate.”

“I knew that I had to take every risk, and I did it,” explained Barrios after his win. “Antares responded amazingly. I’m definitely taking him to the WEG. He’s just jumping great. He’s strong, powerful, clever, careful and fast. Antares has everything. The only thing that he doesn’t have is experience, and I think I’ve given him a lot of good experience in the last two months.”

Barrios and Antares have only been paired together since the end of the Winter Equestrian Festival. They competed together during the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, but Barrios admits he is a different horse now. “In May, he could jump this course clear, but there was no chance he could go that fast, so there have been huge improvements. I think he’s my type of ride. We get along very well. It’s a great match in a short period of time.”

Although Barrios bought Antares knowing he was talented mount, he did not expect him to be ready for the World Equestrian Games this year. “I knew he had the scope, but I didn’t know that he would develop this quickly,” he noted. “In Calgary, I did the Queen’s Cup and then the $400,000 Grand Prix and he jumped both really well. I still have a month to work with him, but I think I can be competitive at WEG with this horse. I think I can make it to the top 30 because I know he has the scope; I know he’s brave, and I know he’s careful.”

Barrios’ record at the Kentucky Horse Park is unmatched, and he knows that tonight’s victory was very special. “I love this place,” he expressed. “It feels like home. The first time that I came here ever I won the grand prix. It’s something about this place that I feel like I belong to this place.”

He also knows his success would not be possible without his team at Pablo Barrios Show Stables, and his sponsors Purina, Der Dau, Choice of Champions, Healthy Coat, Animo and Devoucoux.

The Kentucky Summer Classic will conclude tomorrow with the NAL/WIHS Child and Adult Jumper Classics in the Rolex Stadium. Next week, Kentucky Horse Park will host the 2014 U.S. Pony Finals, followed by the Bluegrass Classic Horse Show and the 2014 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals.

For more information about the Kentucky Summer Series, 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.

Where:
Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY, site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™. Home to the United States Equestrian Federation.

When:

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

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

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.

Shownet – www.shownet.biz

Website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com

Ring Dimensions/Specs:

Shopping:
Vendors offering equestrian equipment, apparel, jewelry and home furnishings are located adjacent to the Stonelea Ring.

Hotels:

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
www.phelpsmediagroup.com

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Kentucky Horse Shows, Show Jumping

Tim Goguen and Character Capture Championship at Kentucky Summer Classic

July 31, 2014 Associate Editor Leave a comment

Tim Goguen and Character.

Lexington, KY – July 30, 2014 – At the end of today’s Kentucky Summer Classic Second Year Green Hunters, the hotly contested division championship had come down to a tie. Both Character, ridden by Tim Goguen, and Silhouette, ridden by John French, sat tied at 32 points, but with more points earned over fences it was Goguen and Character who claimed the division’s top title.

“He went nicely this week. He tried hard and ended up champion,” Goguen said of Character, a 12-year-old Westphalian gelding owned by Belhaven Stables LLC of Wellington, FL. “We got him the last week of the circuit in Florida, and he’s been pretty consistent. He’s a good horse.”

Goguen and Character came into today with a blue ribbon already under their belt from yesterday, and they added the points from a second and third place finish today to their cumulative tally. French and Silhouette also started the day with a blue ribbon in the under saddle class to their name, and they added one more win to their list with the victory in the Second Year Green Hunter Handy class.

French originally imported Silhouette, a 10-year-old Westphalian mare, from Germany before selling her to current owner Lyn Pedersen. Pedersen, an Old Greenwich, CT native, has had Silhouette on the East Coast while French calls the West Coast home, but French picked up the ride again in the fall of 2013 and has been extremely successful with the mare since.

“She’s a mare, so she’s a little bit sensitive. She has to have a lot of trust in you,” French explained. “You have to keep everything kind of calm and confident. You don’t have to do anything hard to make her jump well. She’s a little cautious – that’s a good word for her. She needs that positive reinforcement.”

French made the trip to the Kentucky Horse Park with numerous mounts this week in preparation for the USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals, to be held August 14-16 during the Kentucky Bluegrass Horse Show.

“We came for this show, and we’ll give them some time off next week and then have them all ready and fresh for the following week,” French explained. “It’s good to come here and just kind of get a feel for how they’re going to be that week.”

Also feeling out how her horses will be during Derby Finals is Kelley Farmer. She swept this week’s Regular Conformation Hunters with Kensel LLC’s Quotable, winning all five of the division’s classes.

In the High Performance Hunters it was again Farmer who took the tri-color, this time with Why, an 8-year-old Oldenburg gelding.

Since being purchased from Bridget Hallman by Larry Glefke and Kensel LLC, Why has been ridden by Evan Coluccio much of the time, but Farmer took the reins this week, earning back-to-back blue ribbons in today’s High Performance over fences classes.

“When things are going well, I like to change them around,” joked Glefke regarding the rider switch.

“I rode him once when we bought him. I showed him once in Michigan, but I don’t know much about him,” Farmer said. “I do know that he’s big strided; he’s scopey, and he’s quiet. He was great today.”

“He’s probably one of the scopiest warmbloods I know,” Glefke added. “He was jumping jumps a grand prix horse jumps out there. I love him; I genuinely love him. I bought him for Kelley and Evan. I thought he would be a great horse to show. Now I am going to put him in the junior division with Kirklen [Petersen].”

The reserve championship in the High Performance Hunters also went to Lane Change Farm, with Evan Coluccio and Cardozo riding away with the tricolor.

Today marked the end of the professional hunter divisions, but the hunter competition continues tomorrow with the Junior Hunters. In addition to offering a full range of competitive hunter divisions, the Kentucky Summer Classic features the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby on Saturday, Aug. 2.

For more information about the Kentucky Summer Series, 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.

Where:
Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY, site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™. Home to the United States Equestrian Federation.

When:

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

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

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.

Shownet – www.shownet.biz

Website: www.kentuckyhorseshows.com

Ring Dimensions/Specs:

Shopping:
Vendors offering equestrian equipment, apparel, jewelry and home furnishings are located adjacent to the Stonelea Ring.

Hotels:

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
www.phelpsmediagroup.com

Horses in the South – An Equine News Publisher

Tag Archives: Ky. Summer Classic

Alison Robitaille Rides to the Win in $50,000 Kentucky Summer Classic Grand Prix

Win for Anna Dryden and Petrushka III in High Amateur-Owner Jumpers at Kentucky Summer Classic

Sydney Shulman Sweeps Second Straight Grand Prix Win in Kentucky

Triple Victories for Abigail McArdle at Kentucky Summer Classic

Adam Prudent and Madeleine Stover Capture Kentucky Summer Classic Opening Day Wins

Riders Prepare for US Pony Finals at Kentucky Summer Classic

Isabel Coleman and Pistol Win WIHS/NAL Children’s Jumper Classic at Kentucky Summer Classic

Steve Heinecke and Stoli Steal the Show at Kentucky Summer Classic

Barrios Is Best with Antares in $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix

Tim Goguen and Character Capture Championship at Kentucky Summer Classic

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