Traverse City, MI – July 24, 2011 – Clouds and humidity could not dampen the spirits of the hunter riders at Horse Shows by the Bay today, as they smoothly traversed the courses on this final day of Series III. Champion and Grand Champion honors were granted this morning and afternoon, with the adult hunters beaming despite the lack of sun. The Adult Amateur division in particular drew quite the crowd for the $1,000 NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic, in which the top 12 horse and rider pairs returned for a competitive second round. Sue Hehl and her own Something’s Cookin’ cooked up a win in the classic, with Jodi Waller on Sokko, owned by Lindsey Waller, coming in second. Gabrielle Thornton and Az Is, owned by Terri Dandino, completed the top three, making for a talented trio of horse and rider combinations taking home hunter ribbons today.
The younger section of the Adult Amateur division turned out better than Lindsay Lyden and Fox Meadow Farm’s Copperfield could have imagined, with the pair winning all four over fences classes. The pair were also a solid second in the under saddle class. Terri Irrer rode Rhythmicon, owned by Debra Gross, to the Middle Adult Amateur Hunter champion title, which they accepted with a smile. Stephen Martines and one of his three mounts, Westcliffe, earned the champion ribbon and cooler in the older section of the division. The Grand Adult Hunter Champion title went to Lindsay Lyden and Copperfield, who accumulated the most points in the division. There was nothing but positivity in the Adult Amateur ring today, enough to make anyone’s day a little brighter.
The $1,000 North American League (NAL)/Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) Classic began after all sections of the Adult Amateur Hunters finished up over fences, with the second round score determining the top 12 riders to return for the NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic. The competition grew, as did the crowd, when the class started with the nine fence course. A few horses seemed a bit tired after having already completed two courses, but second winds prevailed and many polished rides emerged. Sue Hehl and her own Something’s Cookin’ had the third-highest score going into the second round with 83 points. After a beautiful second round and a score of 85, the highest in round two, the duo won the class with an overall score of 168. Earning 78 points in the first round and a smooth 82.5 points in the second round, Jodi Waller and Sokko, owned by Lindsey Waller, took home second place in the classic. Rolling into third place in the classic was Born to Roll and owner/rider Alana Andrews with a final score of 155.5, just five points behind Berger and Sokko. Today’s Adult Classic was sponsored by Camping World – Ila Lemonis.
Continue reading Hunter Classics Cap Off Radiant Week at Horse Shows by the Bay Series III