Tag Archives: Mavis Spencer

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

Mavis Spencer Claims Win in 1.40m Open Jumpers at Kentucky Summer Classic

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Mavis Spencer and Cornetiero.

Tim Goguen and Ransom Claim Grand Hunter Championship on Day Two

Lexington, KY – Aug. 3, 2016 – After winning the 1.40m Open Jumpers during the Kentucky Summer Horse Show with Disco Lady, Mavis Spencer returned on Wednesday with her own Cornetiero to best a field of 27, again winning the 1.40m Open Jumpers during the Kentucky Summer Classic.

After Sharn Wordley and Caiman De Sequoias, who he owns with the Sky Group, set the time to beat at 35.558 seconds in the jump-off, it seemed their lead would not be overtaken, until Spencer entered the ring with Cornetiero.

Spencer put in a clear first round and advanced to the jump-off, where she opened her horse’s stride and stopped the clock in 33.801 seconds – two seconds faster than Wordley – to take over the top spot.

“Today Cornetiero was super,” Spencer said. “I didn’t get to see anyone go because we were busy changing bits. I know Sharn is a very fast rider, so my plan was to play to my horse’s strengths. We don’t turn very well, but he’s so quick across the ground, so I used that make up time.”

After Spencer got the ride on Cornetiero during the 2014-2015 Winter Equestrian Festival, the duo went on to jump clear rounds at top European venues during the following summer. After Cornetiero spent the past year in England, the owners recently gave him to Spencer.

“I just got him back two weeks ago,” Spencer explained. “He kind of likes to do things his own way, so we were still kind of getting back into the feel of things last week. Today I was really happy with him. He’s got a world of experience, and he’s very scopey, so I’m very glad to have him back.”

One final challenger, Pablo Barrios, entered the ring with his own Stackfleth. The duo also won a 1.40m Open Jumper Class during the Kentucky Summer Horse Show, but today Barrios would settle for second after narrowly missing Spencer’s leading time by one-tenth of a second. Wordley and Caiman De Sequoias finished in third.

Following next, the 1.35m Open Jumpers took the stage in the Rolex Arena. The speed class saw 23 starters, and each round became progressively quicker until Rebecca Conway and Ark Partners LLC’s Farina stole the lead and held it. Keely McIntosh, who set the early pace to beat aboard Jenny Booth’s So Live Helau, finished in second.

“Farina is a really special horse; I really love her,” Conway said. “She’s very sensitive and careful, and she really anticipates where you’re going. She lands and she’s already turning, so you have to almost think about going straight, because otherwise she turns so quickly. When the jumps come up smoothly, she’s just such a fast horse, and it worked out for us today.”

Conway said she has the ride on the mare for the summer while her owners are in Europe, and this show marks the last week the two will spend together.

“It’s going to be sad not having her around the barn,” Conway expressed. “She’s really an awesome horse. She’s a hard worker and always tries in the ring. You can always depend on her for a good result.”

Conway, who spends the summer in Lexington, concluded by praising the Kentucky Horse Park and surrounding areas.

“It’s great for the horses to be able to jump on nice footing in big rings. It’s also nice for them to be able to go out on the cross country fields on their days off. Everyone here is also very helpful; I love the ladies in the show office. It’s just a nice atmosphere, and for me it’s like a second home.”

The Kentucky Summer Classic will continue on Thursday with the highlight $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic. Other feature events include the $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix presented by GGT Footing and the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby.

Tim Goguen and Ransom Claim Grand Hunter Championship on Day Two of Kentucky Summer Classic

Tim Goguen dominated the professional hunter ring at the Kentucky Summer Classic Horse Show by winning four division championships in the Stonelea Ring. Goguen and Belhaven Stables LLC’s Ransom impressed the judges on Wednesday and claimed the Grand Hunter Championship, sponsored by Visse Wedell.

Tim Goguen and Ransom
Tim Goguen and Ransom

Goguen won three over fences classes and the under saddle class in the Regular Conformation Hunter division with the 8-year-old gelding Ransom. Molly Sewell and Jamie Stryker’s Upcountry Charmer earned the reserve champion ribbon, while Goguen and Ransom captured the division rosette.  Goguen and his wife Kelly were thrilled with the gelding’s performance.

“Ransom has a beautiful way of going, he is very athletic and scopey, and he always tries to jump in beautiful style,” explained Kelly Goguen. “He has been super this week after having a few weeks off.  He picked off where we left off, which is nice.”

Goguen and Ransom have had a successful career with many wins as a First Year, Second Year and Junior hunter horse. Their most recent accomplishment was winning the Regular Conformation division in Traverse City at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival earlier in the summer. Tim and Kelly Goguen operate a training business two miles from the Kentucky Horse Park during the summer, and they reside in Wellington, Florida in the winter.

“He puts in a lot of effort to be a tight ball at the top of the jump,” Kelly Goguen continued. “He is always trying to do it right; either a horse has that, or they don’t. Ransom is very sweet and laid back around the barn, and he is fun to be around.”

Goguen also earned a tricolor in the First Year Green Hunter division on Garland Alban’s 6-year-old gelding Category. Their division highlights were winning two over fences classes, placing second in the under saddle, and finishing third in the handy round.

“Category has gone really well this week,” Goguen said. “He’s a good jumper and very balanced. He’s still a bit green in his mouth, so the turns in the handy can be more difficult for him, but it went well. Everything came up nicely for us in our rounds yesterday. He was good!”

Jane Gaston rode her KWPN gelding Because to the First Year Green Hunter Reserve Championship.

Goguen’s domination continued in the professional hunter ring by winning the Green Conformation Hunter division with Belhaven Stables LLC’s Splendid. The pair also won last week’s Conformation Hunter division championship at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. They won two blue ribbons in an over fences and handy class, as well as the second place in two over fences classes. Jeff Gogul and the 6-year-old Westphalian gelding Cortes were the reserve champions of the Green Conformation Hunter division.

Goguen and Capella continued yesterday’s lead in the Second Year Green Hunter division to clinch the division championship on Wednesday.

The day wrapped up Sydney Shulman winning the High Performance Working Hunter Championship with DK-USA Sporthorse’s Cosmeo for the second week in a row. Shulman and the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion won blue ribbons in three over fences, and red ribbons in the under saddle and handy.

“I am extremely happy and satisfied!” Shulman said. “When you work so hard when you are home, it’s so nice to come to a show where the horse goes in and does everything you practiced at home and your work transfer to the ring. It feels like you did the right work!

“I always knew Cosmeo had the jump and the brain, and it has just been a matter of putting it all together,” she continued. “He is very smart! If I teach him something once he will do it perfectly the next 50 times. I am very lucky!”

The Kentucky Summer Classic will continue on Thursday with the highlight $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic. Other feature events include the $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix presented by GGT Footing and the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby.

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

Media Contact: Rebecca Walton
Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
phone 561.753.3389 fax 561.753.3386
PhelpsMediaGroup.com

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

Mavis Spencer Triumphs in Open Jumpers 1.40m at Kentucky Summer Horse Show

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Mavis Spencer and Disco Lady.

Madison Sellman Wins ASPCA Maclay aboard Alvarez L

Lexington, KY – July 29, 2016 – Despite being her first show with Disco Lady, Mavis Spencer made winning look easy as she piloted the 8-year-old mare to victory in the Open Jumpers 1.40m on Friday at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show.

“I think Disco Lady is a super mare,” Spencer said. “She’s so talented; she’s so scopey and so brave and careful. I think she’s everything you would want; she has all the good qualities you want to have in a top horse.”

Spencer and Disco Lady were clear over the first eight fences in the power and speed class to advance to the speed portion, which they completed in a quick 33.483 seconds.

“I ended up doing 7 strides after the double where a lot of people had done 8, just because I know she’s so careful,” Spencer said. “She’s got such a big step as well, so I can kind of gallop up and challenge her a little bit to the fences and she jumps better for it. It all worked out well today; it was a good course for her.”

Spencer said she got the ride on the Neil Jones Equestrian entry last fall after George Whitaker and Denise Wilson had been showing the mare.

“Tim Collins bred her, and she’s owned by team Collins Strijk and Alfons de Vrindt, so she’s been going through their program,” Spencer explained. “I think it’s very nice for them to have bred her themselves and brought her along and now for her to start the big classes and be successful.”

The early leaders in the class, Shane Sweetnam and Sweet Oak Farm’s Cantero Da Lagoa, clocked a time of 34.194 seconds. Their time held the lead for the majority of the class until Spencer overtook them, leaving Sweetnam to settle for second. Third place went to Spencer Smith, who tripped the timers in 35.133 seconds with Azibantos.

Earlier in the day, the High Amateur Owner/Junior Jumper division took the stage in the Rolex arena. Emma Wujek and her own Ugaf took home the win with their effective round, going double clear and stopping the clock in 59.377 seconds.

Just a second behind the leading time, Benjamin Simpkins and Grindstone Farm LLC’s Vivaro B finished in second place with their time of 60.94 seconds. Third place went to Adrienne Sternlicht and Starlight Farms 1 LLC’s Helios and their time of 63.031 seconds.

Following shortly after, the Open Jumpers 1.35m got underway, and it was Manuel Lecuona and Golden Point Partners LLC’s Figaro D who bested the field to earn the blue ribbon.

Lecuona and Figaro D completed Alan Wade’s jump-off track in just 29.37 seconds, securing their lead by more than two seconds. Second place went to Blythe Marano, who completed the course in 35.518 seconds with Riverview Farm LLC’s Balade Du Ry Z.

“Alan [Wade] knows what he’s doing, and he makes us ride better and get a little bit more sharp,” Lecuona said. “You have to be precise, and I think that’s good. The horses learn so much. Figaro D is a very competitive horse. He goes in the ring and he wants to jump for you. I’m really happy with him because he always tries his best.”

Lecuona, who is based on a farm in Lexington for the summer, said he loves being located so close to the Kentucky Horse Park.

“The facility is great, the horsemen are great,” Lecuona explained. “We rent a farm here, and we have the turnout that the horses love. In Kentucky they can be horses again and go out and be happy. You feel it, too, when they start feeling happy and jumping really well.”

Madison Sellman Wins ASPCA Maclay at Kentucky Summer aboard Alvarez L

Eighteen-year-old Madison Sellman of New York, rose to the top of 18 entries in Friday’s ASPCA Maclay horsemanship class in the Stonelea Ring at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show aboard her own Alvarez L.

“It was my first round here in Kentucky this year and I thought it went pretty well,” Sellman said. “I have not been showing consistently this summer and it was my first time in the show ring since WEF.”

Madison Sellman and Alvarez L
Madison Sellman and Alvarez L

She has ridden Alvarez, a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding, for two years since purchasing him in Europe with her mom. After he was imported, Sellman moved to train with Stacia Madden at Beacon Hill Show Stables in New Jersey.

“Alvarez is my only horse and he is my partner for life,” she said. “He is typically lazy, but once I get him going he has great self-carriage and is a simple ride. I’ve done equitation with him since we bought him and he really excels at it.”

The equitation course consisted of a challenging eight stride bending line, but Sellman impressed the judges with her fluid jumping round and flawless flat phase.

“Lately I’ve been working on my release over the jumps,” Sellman explained. “I feel like I have been consistent in my riding and I’m continuing to work on being stronger in the basics.”

The pair plans to compete at regionals in Kentucky later in the summer, and Sellman has her eyes set on qualifying for the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search finals, the WIHS Equitation Finals, and the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Championships.

“We have been working on consistency with Alvarez because he can get stiff,” Sellman explained. “I work on loosening him up, making sure he is really with me and allowing him to push off the ground over the jumps.”

The Washington International Horse Show hunter phase also took place in the afternoon at the Stonelea Ring with 30 entries. T. J. O’Mara of Rumson, New Jersey, impressed the judges with his ride on Walstib Stables LLC’s Kaskade and earned a score of 93.

“She was a little fresh in my lesson yesterday, so I was a bit skeptical about how her rideability was going to be today, but she was great,” O’Mara explained. “She really had an open stride, she felt great and I was confident throughout the course.”

O’Mara has been riding the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare for three years, and the WIHS hunter phase was their first class together at the 2016 Kentucky Summer Horse Show.

“I thought the long approach oxer and the last vertical in the course really tested how straight your horse was, so I had to focus on having an opening rein at those jumps with an outside leg,” O’Mara explained. “The lines rode a little easy for me and overall it was a straight forward course.”

O’Mara said he has been working on getting his lower leg stronger this season and not leaning too far forward with his body, as well as his release.

“She can be a bit strong, but I really try to be as soft as possible with my hands and support her with my leg,” he continued.

The incoming freshman at the University of Kentucky plans on balancing his studies for the agriculture economics major as well as competing in the indoor circuit during the fall semester.

“I plan on leaving my equitation and jumper horse with my trainer so they can continue to work with them while I focus on school,” O’Mara said. “I will be in school for about three weeks before going to Maclay regionals, the USEF Finals, and the rest of the indoor circuit.”

Emma Kurtz placed second in the large equitation class with Dr. Betsee Parker’s Patrick, and McKayla Langmeier, the 2015 ASPCA Maclay Finals Champion, placed third on Frake Van Der Meer’s Carrilou. The WIHS jumper phase will take place on Saturday morning.

Upcoming highlights during the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows include the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby, the $10,000 Under 25 Grand Prix, the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, and $50,000 Rood & Riddle Kentucky Grand Prix.

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

Media Contact: Rebecca Walton
Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
phone 561.753.3389 fax 561.753.3386
PhelpsMediaGroup.com