Tag Archives: Summer in the Rockies

Equestrian Aid Foundation to Launch Show You Care Program at Summer in the Rockies

Photo by EQ Media.

Wellington, Fla. – June 16, 2017 – Equestrian Aid Foundation will launch their new horse show program, Show You Care, at the Colorado Horse Park’s Week IV of the popular hunter/jumper show series Summer in the Rockies. Equestrian Aid Foundation is the designated charity during Week IV, which runs from June 28 – July 2.

“We care about the people who make up our horse community and support the mission of Equestrian Aid Foundation,” said Colorado Horse Park’s chief operating officer, Meg Krueger. “We are proud to host the launch of their Show You Care program at Summer in the Rockies.”

Equestrian Aid Foundation Executive Director Louise Smith will be on-site for the official kick-off of the program and will host the exhibitor’s party, sponsored by Tami George Agency/Markel Insurance, Saturday, July 1, immediately following the $60,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix. George will also be on hand for the festivities.

“We are all very excited about Show Your Care and we’re grateful to Equestrian Sport Productions and everyone at Colorado Horse Park for their support,” Smith said. “Many thanks to the Tami George Agency and Markel Insurance for their sponsorship. It will help to spread awareness about the Foundation across the country and help more horse people in need.”

Tami George is an avid equestrian and has served the horse community as an agent for Markel since 2002. “Markel Insurance and the Equestrian Aid Foundation serve the same group of committed equestrians, and I am pleased to support their new show program,” George said. “Together, our helping hands can make a real difference when horse people need assistance.”

The Show You Care program is a simple and impactful way for horse show managers to support the Equestrian Aid Foundation’s mission of helping critically ill and injured horse people – from riders and grooms to judges and ground crew: the very people who populate show grounds day after day.

The program is designed to be uncomplicated. Show managers designate a warmup or schooling class in the hunter and jumper divisions as a Show You Care class. Then the show managers choose a percentage of each entry fee, from 5 to 50 percent, per designated class to donate to the Equestrian Aid Foundation at the end of the show. Because Equestrian Aid Foundation is a nonprofit organization, all donations are tax deductible. Show managers control the depth of their contribution by their selection of the classes and the percentage of contribution.

Upon completing their rounds in a Show You Care class, competitors will receive a green Show You Care lapel ribbon, provided by Equestrian Aid Foundation. Riders are encouraged to wear their ribbons throughout the show and share their photos on social media (hashtags #ShowYouCare and #EquestrianAidFoundation). Winners of a monthly Show You Care social media photo contest will win a prize.

Smith says that she looks forward to the Show You Care launch at Colorado Horse Park, and she encourages other show managers to participate. Caring about seriously injured or ill members of the equestrian community is a great message to send, and Equestrian Aid Foundation promotes supporting competitions in the press, on the web, in email marketing and in our social media.

Interested show managers may sign up now for the Show You Care program for their 2017 summer and fall horse shows. Contact Emily Cleland at Emily@EquestrianAid.org.

The Equestrian Aid Foundation® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that assists people from all corners of the horse world who are coping with life-changing injury or illness and financial crisis. Since its inception 21 years ago, the Foundation has granted over $2.7 million in direct financial aid to equestrians facing adversity. Our needs-based support provides assistance with basic living and rehabilitative expenses to riders, trainers, farriers, grooms, horse farm owners and other equestrians who need a helping hand to get back on their feet. For more information, please visit EquestrianAidFoundation.org.

Kelley Farmer and Unspoken Win the USHJA International Hunter Derby

Kelley Farmer and Unspoken. Photos by AnLi Kelly-Durham.

Parker, CO – July 8, 2014 – Colorado Horse Park got underway with Week V of Summer in the Rockies, their biggest ever with a Derby Day. Spectators crowded around the Derby Field to watch the feature events of the day, the $40,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby sponsored by Serenity Farm and the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. Derby horses from far and wide travelled to Colorado to compete. Some of the country’s finest derby horses showed off their beauty, impeccable jumping form and flowing style in today’s events.

Jasen Shelley of Wellington, FL designed the beautiful courses in the Derby Field.

“I think both the National and the International Derbies rode really well,” said Shelley. “Everyone seemed to have fun and that’s what it’s all about. Juan Diaz is the person to take all the credit for the decorating. He did an amazing job. Pat (Boyle) helped me with the track and we came up with what we thought was a really good track for the competitors.”

The Derby Field at the Colorado Horse Park is an immense arena with footing and interesting banks, ramps and hills. Riders had the option of going down a ramp to a trot jump or go down a two-step bank to the trot jump. Shelley said he didn’t want the riders to be forced to take the bank option if they finished the birch oxer on the hill strongly.

“The hills shaped the way the course rode; we wanted to give them five to six strides at the bottom of the hill before they even had to think about jumping. It was really fun with the hills.”

Farmer and Unspoken down the bank to the trot jump
Farmer and Unspoken down the bank to the trot jump

Twenty-eight derby horses competed in the first classic hunter round then the top 12 scoring horse and rider teams returned for the handy round. Kelley Farmer of Lane Change Farm in Keswick, VA had three mounts that made the cut: Mindful, Point Being, and Unspoken, all owned by Glefke and Kensel, LLC. In addition, Farmer piloted Unspoken who to the top placing and the blue ribbon by earning 185 from the judges in the first round and 192 in the handy. The two judges’ panels awarded extra points for the higher options and one panel awarded a handy score of 9 for a total of 377 points for both rounds.

“She was wonderful last week in Chicago and she was amazing here,” Glefke said. “I got her from McLain Ward and she was jumping 1.25m-1.30m all last year in Florida and she’s just starting to become a real derby contender now. I’m thrilled with the way she is coming up to the derby finals, which is real cool. They got a lot of experience today for the finals.”

“We are thrilled to be here,” he continued. “This is a beautiful facility and Pat (Boyle) runs amazing horse shows. I follow Pat around to a lot of horse shows because he always makes it very believable.”

Farmer expressed her thoughts on Derby Field ring and the course.

“What a nice change to have hills with footing so beautifully built,” said Farmer who also placed third with Point Being. “It’s great; the ring – it is huge and you get to jump the bank and go up and down the hills – I think it is great!

Leslie Steele from Calabasas, CA and her Acres West Farm returned with Apandanto, owned by 4232 Enterprises. The pair was brilliant, earning option bonus points and a total of 373.5.

“He was imported into the United States by Ali Nilforushan and he’s been a jumper,” said Steele about Apandanto. “Ali asked me to press on with him so I brought him here and I showed him in the high performance. I said, ‘Okay, you’re going to be a derby horse!’ I’m lucky. He’s a great horse.”

Steele was also complimentary of the courses.

Leslie Steele and Apandanto
Leslie Steele and Apandanto

“I thought the courses were fantastic,” she said. They were beautiful, fun galloping flowing. I really love it here it has really been a lot of fun. The handy – you could be as handy as you want to be all the options were big and I like that.”

Steele planned to move up with Apandanto and she said that because he has some jumper experience, he can jump really big jumps.

“He knows how to turn inside and go,” she said. “So I chose all the hardest options I possibly could and he handled them really well.”

Two top junior riders impressed the judges in the first round, earning them a spot in the handy round. Hunter Holloway and Hays Investment Corporation’s Lyons Creek Bellini earned the fourth place prize and Kirklen Peterson and Pen Name, also owned by Glefke and Kensel, LLC, were eighth.

The $40,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby was sponsored by Serenity Farm, recognized as one of the top hunter and equitation centers in the country and is nationally recognized for its reputation of producing champions consistently on the local, regional and national circuits.

“The courses were wonderful and the USHJA would be very pleased with the high standard that Pat (Boyle) accomplished here today,” said Cindy Cruciotti, head trainer at Serenity Farm.

A huge field of 44 negotiated Shelley’s $10,000 USHJA course in the Derby Field. Twelve of the best performers returned for a handy round. Leoncito, owned by Lucy Hunsaker and ridden by Meredith Houx Remiger from Sandia Farm in Albuquerque, NM, won the blue ribbon and the victory gallop. Remiger accurately negotiated the course earning a 93 in the first round and an 86 in the second with 4 bonus high option points for a total of 183. In close second was Paul Rohrbach and Nancy Moore’s Morocco with a total score of 181.

“It was a great course,” said Remiger. “I just rode the best that would show off my horse the way he jumps. He went around and had a blast doing it.”

“Toby” has been with Remiger for the last three or four years. She started him in 3’3″ and moved him up to the 3’6′. Remiger thanks Hunsaker, who has had him since he was an unbroken 3-year-old, for letting her ride him.

“I am very lucky,” said Remiger “He loves the derby. He is a wonderful, happy, laid back horse.”

Earlier in the day the $2500 Pony Hunter Derby (Small, Medium and Large) and the $2500 Children’s/Adult Hunter Derby were held in the Olson Family Main Hunter Ring.

Cinderella, owned and ridden by Sarah Bigbee, was awarded the top prize in the $2500 Children’s/Adult Hunter Derby. Brooke Brombach and her own Nantucket earned first place honors in the $2500 Pony Hunter Derby.

“We were a little bit better; we didn’t have as many big chips,” said Brombach about her improvements over her first round. “He loves doing the rollbacks, all the bendings – everything about it was fun. His barn name is Tucker; he is a spoiled little boy. He is 18 years old. He is always begging for cookies. He is a really good pony. I love doing the pony derbies; they are awesome.”

Visit CHP at: http://coloradohorsepark.com/.

The Colorado Horse Park Summer in the Rockies Fast Facts

What: Summer in the Rockies AA-Rated Hunter Jumper Show Series

Event Dates:

June 4-8 Summer in the Rockies I
June 11-15 Summer in the Rockies II
June 18-22 Summer in the Rockies III*
July 2-6 Summer in the Rockies IV
July 9-13 Summer in the Rockies V*
July 16-20 Summer in the Rockies VI

*WCHR Member Events

Hunter Highlights:

$5,000 National Hunter Derby – Week III
$15,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Winsome Farm – Week III
$10,000 National Hunter Derby – Week V
$40,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Serenity Farm – Week V

Jumper Highlights:

$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Holiday Inn of Parker Grand Prix – Week I
$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Littleton Equine Medical and Platinum Performance – Week II
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by McElvain Energy – Week III
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Griffis Residential – Week IV
$50,000 Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix – Week V
$50,000 Parker Adventist Hospital Grand Prix – Week VI
$10,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family
$20,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family

Plus:
$10,000 July Grand Prix Rider Bonus for the Leading Grand Prix Rider sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family – Weeks IV-VI

Prize List:
For a hard copy of the prize list, please e-mail prizelist@cohorsepark.com with your name, address and phone number and specify which prize list you would like (spring/fall or summer).

Entries:
Mail to The Colorado Horse Park, 7522 South Pinery Drive, Parker, CO 80134 or fax to (303) 841-7879. Entries close 30 days before each show.

Contact Information:

Pat Boyle, Show Manager                         (847) 274-6834
Brian Curry, Show Manager                        (303) 918-2908
Show Office                                                 (303) 841-7461
Show Office Fax                                         (303) 841-1419
Colorado Horse Park Main Office               (303) 841-5550
Colorado Horse Park Main Office Fax         (303) 841-7879

Directions:

Address: 7375 E Bayou Gulch Rd, Parker, CO 80134

From North: I-25S exit Ridgegate Parkway – go east under the freeway. Ridgegate Parkway to S. Chambers Road, approx. 3 miles (Traffic light) – turn right/south onto Chambers Road. At end of Chambers Road turn left/east onto Hess Road. Hess Road to Parker Road/Hwy 83 – turn right/south onto Hwy 83 approx. 4 miles to Bayou Gulch Road. (Traffic light). Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

From South: I-25N, exit Founder’s Parkway. Founder’s Parkway to Highway 86, approx. 4 miles (traffic light). Turn east/left onto Hwy. 86 to Franktown/Hwy 83. At Franktown go north on 83 approx. 7 mi. to Bayou Gulch Rd. (Traffic light), turn right/east onto Bayou Gulch Rd. Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

AnLi Kelly-Durham for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

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

One-Two Finish for John Pearce in $25,000 Littleton Equine Medical Center/Platinum Performance Grand Prix

John Pearce and Chianto.

Parker, CO – June 14, 2014 – John Pearce left the others in the dust in the $25,000 Littleton Equine Medical Center/Platinum Performance Grand Prix, blazing through not one but two speedy jump-offs to capture the win with Chianto and second place with Johnny B Good. Karen Cudmore and Southern Pride finished third in the feature event of Summer in the Rockies II at the Colorado Horse Park.

Pearce had plenty of competition in the jump-off, with four other horse and rider combinations from the 21-horse field joining his two horses in the race for the top prize. Among those were Paul Rohrbach and Camerino, who won last week’s $25,000 Holiday Inn of Parker Grand Prix and were looking to build on that success. But Pearce was unstoppable with the two horses owned by Forest View Farm, and Chianto was quickest of them all.

“That horse is such a star,” Pearce said of Chianto. “He’s won more grand prixs than I can count.”

The event kicked off with a horseless jumper class for children, who raced around a course of beautifully designed small jumps. It set the festive mood for the afternoon, and spectators got into the competitive spirit, eagerly applauding clear rounds and cheering on each horse and rider who took center stage in the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena.

Representatives from sponsors Littleton Equine Medical Center, a well-respected large animal clinic in Littleton, CO, and Platinum Performance, producers of top-quality supplements, were on hand to watch the grand prix, and Colorado Horse Park founder and president Helen Krieble thanked them for their commitment over the years.

Hector Loyola designed the course with the aim of creating a fair test for the grand prix veterans in the field as well as those less seasoned at the upper levels. There was no single bogey fence, and rails fell throughout the course. Loyola said that he likes to put questions all around the course but also create an element that is a central focus for riders.

“The big question of the whole course was at fences 8, 9ab and 10,” he said. “I didn’t want to get too many people there, which I didn’t, but I did get them to concentrate on that line. That was the main part of the course that I put all their attention on. I thought it was a very fair course for everyone competing.”

That question asked riders to navigate a bending line from the Littleton Equine Medical Center oxer to a vertical-vertical combination, followed by another bending line to an oxer. The combination, set off the rail toward the center of the ring, tripped up a few horses, but many others successfully cleared the challenging element.

“He had rails everywhere, and there wasn’t any real trappy area,” Pearce said of Loyola’s course. “Some people knocked the first jump down, some people knocked the last jump down. Everything was relative, and it was well done.”

John Pearce and Johnny B Good
John Pearce and Johnny B Good

Rohrbach, of Parker, CO, and Camerino, owned by Wells Bridge Farm Inc., were first to go and advanced to the jump-off with a clear round. Pearce was fifth to go with Johnny Be Good and secured their jump-off position as well.

The first round was put on hold after the seventh rider due to a passing thunderstorm, but the weather gradually cleared and competition resumed. The first two to return after the hold, Armando Hassey on Taggert Enterprises LLC’s Eminem and Kelsey Van Ackeren on her own Vernon G, were unfazed by the weather and jumped clear rounds to earn enthusiastic applause from spectators.

Karen Cudmore and Southern Pride, owned by Blair Cudmore, joined them a few rounds later, and then Pearce and Chianto completed the group for the jump-off. Loyola had aimed for five to eight clear rounds, and the results were right on the money with six horses advancing.

The jump-off challenged riders to step on the gas and give their all. There were opportunities to save time with tight turns as well as pick up speed and gallop to a couple of the fences. A double combination – fences 9ab of the first round jumped in the other direction – partway through ensured that riders maintained precise control.

“I like to have both long gallops and turns, so there’s a balance of what the riders have to do and a fair chance for different types of horses,” Loyola explained.

Rohrbach and Camerino led off with a four-fault round, dislodging a rail at the combination and finishing in 42.158 seconds. Pearce and Johnny B Good followed them and laid down the first clear with a speedy time of 39.426 seconds.

Van Ackeren and Vernon G were up next. The pair had a scary moment at fence 12, but Van Ackeren made a good save, recovering and completing the short course with jumping and time penalties.

Karen Cudmore and Southern Pride
Karen Cudmore and Southern Pride

Hassey and Eminem tried to challenge Pearce’s lead with neat, efficient turns, completing a double clear effort in 41.297 seconds. Cudmore and Southern Pride bettered Hassey’s time but couldn’t quite catch Pearce despite a valiant effort. They finished in 40.867 seconds, leaving Pearce and Chianto to jump last and determine which of Pearce’s horses would come out on top.

“I really wanted to win with Johnny because he’s been second so many times but hasn’t won a grand prix yet,” Pearce said. “But I wanted to go fast with Chianto because I didn’t want him to be fourth. The gap between first and second was really tight to fit him in between, so I had to really try to win with Chianto today.”

And Chianto, as he has done many times before in his long grand prix career, came through with a top-notch effort in the jump-off to seal the victory. He made the short course look easy with fluid turns and rapid adjustments, completing it in the winning time of 37.858 seconds.

“I thought it was a really good class,” Pearce said. “I think it’s one of the best classes I’ve jumped here in a while. I don’t say that because I won – I just thought the course was good. We had the right amount clear. It wasn’t too small and it wasn’t too big, and it was technical enough. The class suited the group really well.”

Next week at Summer in the Rockies III, top show jumping competitors will return to face off in the $30,000 McElvain Energy Grand Prix. Summer in the Rockies II wraps up Sunday, featuring the $5,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic in the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena.

Click here for full results from Saturday. Visit the Colorado Horse Park’s website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout Summer in the Rockies.

The Colorado Horse Park Summer in the Rockies Fast Facts

What: Summer in the Rockies AA-Rated Hunter Jumper Show Series

Event Dates:

June 4-8 Summer in the Rockies I
June 11-15 Summer in the Rockies II
June 18-22 Summer in the Rockies III*
July 2-6 Summer in the Rockies IV
July 9-13 Summer in the Rockies V*
July 16-20 Summer in the Rockies VI

*WCHR Member Events

Hunter Highlights:

$5,000 National Hunter Derby – Week III
$15,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Winsome Farm – Week III
$10,000 National Hunter Derby – Week V
$40,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Serenity Farm – Week V

Jumper Highlights:

$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Holiday Inn of Parker Grand Prix – Week I
$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Littleton Equine Medical and Platinum Performance – Week II
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by McElvain Energy – Week III
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Griffis Residential – Week IV
$50,000 Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix – Week V
$50,000 Parker Adventist Hospital Grand Prix – Week VI
$10,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family
$20,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family

Plus:
$10,000 July Grand Prix Rider Bonus for the Leading Grand Prix Rider sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family – Weeks IV-VI

Prize List:
For a hard copy of the prize list, please e-mail prizelist@cohorsepark.com with your name, address and phone number and specify which prize list you would like (spring/fall or summer).

Entries:
Mail to The Colorado Horse Park, 7522 South Pinery Drive, Parker, CO 80134 or fax to (303) 841-7879. Entries close 30 days before each show.

Contact Information:

Pat Boyle, Show Manager                         (847) 274-6834
Brian Curry, Show Manager                        (303) 918-2908
Show Office                                                 (303) 841-7461
Show Office Fax                                         (303) 841-1419
Colorado Horse Park Main Office               (303) 841-5550
Colorado Horse Park Main Office Fax         (303) 841-7879

Directions:

Address: 7375 E Bayou Gulch Rd, Parker, CO 80134

From North: I-25S exit Ridgegate Parkway – go east under the freeway. Ridgegate Parkway to S. Chambers Road, approx. 3 miles (Traffic light) – turn right/south onto Chambers Road. At end of Chambers Road turn left/east onto Hess Road. Hess Road to Parker Road/Hwy 83 – turn right/south onto Hwy 83 approx. 4 miles to Bayou Gulch Road. (Traffic light). Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

From South: I-25N, exit Founder’s Parkway. Founder’s Parkway to Highway 86, approx. 4 miles (traffic light). Turn east/left onto Hwy. 86 to Franktown/Hwy 83. At Franktown go north on 83 approx. 7 mi. to Bayou Gulch Rd. (Traffic light), turn right/east onto Bayou Gulch Rd. Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

About the Colorado Horse Park

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, the Colorado Horse Park was founded by visionary Helen Krieble who acknowledged the need for a high-volume horse show and horse boarding facility to serve Colorado. The Colorado Horse Park welcomes more than 75,000 visitors per year and hosts over 40 competitions annually. CHP features a derby arena designed by Olympic-designer Linda Allen and a cross-country course designed by Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor and eventing super-star James Atkinson. There are 300 permanent stalls with capacity for more than 1,000 stalls.

The picturesque property, located only minutes from the town of Parker, hosts international equestrian events in multiple disciplines. Visitors enjoy the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain surroundings and access to miles of trails and open space. The Colorado Horse Park is committed to supporting equestrian education and amateur athletics, preserving open space, fundraising for local charities and supporting the community.

Mary Adelaide Brakenridge for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

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

The USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Program Encourages Development of Young Horses at Summer in the Rockies

Will Roberts and Chicago.

Parker, CO – June 12, 2014 – The USHJA Pre-Green Incentive program is designed to stimulate Pre-Green competition and development. Never before was there an incentive based system to encourage the growth of these horses. The program was launched towards the end of 2012 and has been a huge success thus far.

The inaugural USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Championship was held in 2013 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, with 110 horses attending and three rounds of competition deciding the champions. An even bigger turnout can be expected in 2014, as excitement for the program has become widespread.

As one of many of the diverse classes offered at Summer in the Rockies, the USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Stake has been a hit so far. Last week Mickey Sage and Adonis won the Stake, and this week the winners were MTM Retro and Kelly Lorek.

Before today, Lorek and MTM Retro had competed in two other Pre-Green Incentive classes. Today was their first win in the program, so there was much to be celebrated. The Holsteiner gelding is owned by MTM farm and also shown by Kaitlyn Arnold in the Junior Hunters.

In regards to the Pre-Green Incentive class, Lorek said, “I think mainly consistency is tested out there: their cadence, what their jump is like, and the flow in between it all.”

Many of the rounds put in today showed great evenness, but MTM Retro and Lorek were most successful at making each jump match.

“He comes out pretty much always the same,” said Lorek. “He’s pretty constant. I think the plan is to finish his year out at The Capital Challenge Horse Show and see where to go from there.”

Peroni, ridden by Courtney Calcagnini and owned by KNW Farms LLC, was champion of the Pre-Green 3’3″ Hunters with two wins and a third over fences and a victory in the hack. Lorek and MTM Retro were reserve in the division with three second place finishes and one win over fences with a fourth place in the hack.

The Pre-Green 3′ Hunter tricolor was awarded to Sochi with Will Roberts, and the reserve went to Adonis and Mickie Sage.

Performance 3’6″ Hunters

Pine Hollow Farm finished the day with even more ribbons to add to their collection. After starting the division strongly yesterday, Sarah Rice and McGraw, owned by Kimberley Quinn, lived up to expectations yet again. Today’s second and third over fences led them to the tricolor. Will Roberts’ double win over fences with Viceroy, owned by Bethany Bolen, brought them to the reserve position.

“I really think the smoothness factor is why these two horses come out on top often,” said Rice of the Pine Hollow duo. “They both have a very smooth look. They have a slow rhythm going around the ring which really shows off their large canter strides. And they tend to stay the same the whole time.”

McGraw and Viceroy are both Pine Hollow Farm favorites who are also shown by junior competitors. Roberts is amazed by Viceroy’s diversity while he switches between the hunter and equitation rings.

“He’s got such a great brain,” said Roberts. “He is as fancy as they come. He can do equitation, he can do the hunter derbies – he’s got a lot going for him. He’s a really, really sweet horse. He’s pretty talented. He’s 7 this year and was one of the youngest horses at all the equitation finals last year, and he does it all well.”

Performance 3’3″ Hunters

Today proved to be a success for Roberts, as he and Chicago were named champions and he and Storyline were named reserve champions of the Performance 3’3″ Hunters. Both horses earned a first and second over fences to finish off the division.

Chicago is Colorado born and raised. Roberts saw him showing in the Baby Green Hunters at Summer in the Rockies years ago and knew he had to have him. After he got a solid foundation with Roberts, Chicago was sold to current owner TeriAnn Miller at Pine Hollow Farm. Chicago seems to like being close to his roots here in Parker, as he performs well in the ring with Roberts.

Storyline, a recently imported gelding, is having great success with both Roberts and his wife, Lindsey Roberts, in the tack.

Click here for full results from Thursday. Visit the Colorado Horse Park’s website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout Summer in the Rockies.

The Colorado Horse Park Summer in the Rockies Fast Facts

What: Summer in the Rockies AA-Rated Hunter Jumper Show Series

Event Dates:

June 4-8 Summer in the Rockies I
June 11-15 Summer in the Rockies II
June 18-22 Summer in the Rockies III*
July 2-6 Summer in the Rockies IV
July 9-13 Summer in the Rockies V*
July 16-20 Summer in the Rockies VI

*WCHR Member Events

Hunter Highlights:

$5,000 National Hunter Derby – Week III
$15,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Winsome Farm – Week III
$10,000 National Hunter Derby – Week V
$40,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Serenity Farm – Week V

Jumper Highlights:

$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Holiday Inn of Parker Grand Prix – Week I
$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Littleton Equine Medical and Platinum Performance – Week II
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by McElvain Energy – Week III
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Griffis Residential – Week IV
$50,000 Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix – Week V
$50,000 Parker Adventist Hospital Grand Prix – Week VI
$10,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family
$20,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family

Plus:
$10,000 July Grand Prix Rider Bonus for the Leading Grand Prix Rider sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family – Weeks IV-VI

Prize List:
For a hard copy of the prize list, please e-mail prizelist@cohorsepark.com with your name, address and phone number and specify which prize list you would like (spring/fall or summer).

Entries:
Mail to The Colorado Horse Park, 7522 South Pinery Drive, Parker, CO 80134 or fax to (303) 841-7879. Entries close 30 days before each show.

Contact Information:

Pat Boyle, Show Manager                         (847) 274-6834
Brian Curry, Show Manager                        (303) 918-2908
Show Office                                                 (303) 841-7461
Show Office Fax                                         (303) 841-1419
Colorado Horse Park Main Office               (303) 841-5550
Colorado Horse Park Main Office Fax         (303) 841-7879

Directions:

Address: 7375 E Bayou Gulch Rd, Parker, CO 80134

From North: I-25S exit Ridgegate Parkway – go east under the freeway. Ridgegate Parkway to S. Chambers Road, approx. 3 miles (Traffic light) – turn right/south onto Chambers Road. At end of Chambers Road turn left/east onto Hess Road. Hess Road to Parker Road/Hwy 83 – turn right/south onto Hwy 83 approx. 4 miles to Bayou Gulch Road. (Traffic light). Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

From South: I-25N, exit Founder’s Parkway. Founder’s Parkway to Highway 86, approx. 4 miles (traffic light). Turn east/left onto Hwy. 86 to Franktown/Hwy 83. At Franktown go north on 83 approx. 7 mi. to Bayou Gulch Rd. (Traffic light), turn right/east onto Bayou Gulch Rd. Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

About the Colorado Horse Park

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, the Colorado Horse Park was founded by visionary Helen Krieble who acknowledged the need for a high-volume horse show and horse boarding facility to serve Colorado. The Colorado Horse Park welcomes more than 75,000 visitors per year and hosts over 40 competitions annually. CHP features a derby arena designed by Olympic-designer Linda Allen and a cross-country course designed by Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor and eventing super-star James Atkinson. There are 300 permanent stalls with capacity for more than 1,000 stalls.

The picturesque property, located only minutes from the town of Parker, hosts international equestrian events in multiple disciplines. Visitors enjoy the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain surroundings and access to miles of trails and open space. The Colorado Horse Park is committed to supporting equestrian education and amateur athletics, preserving open space, fundraising for local charities and supporting the community.

Lauren Buettner for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

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

Abigail Albrecht and Kelli Cruciotti Score Equitation Victories at Summer in the Rockies

Abigail Albrecht and MTM Flashdance.

Parker, CO – June 13, 2014 – The ASPCA Maclay course set by Scott Starnes in the Olson Family Main Hunter Ring tested riders with various bending lines, a long approach to a substantial oxer, and a tight rollback to an in-and-out. Most challenging for this group of riders were the rollback and the spooky single oxer. Some of the horse and rider combinations struggled with keeping pace through the tight turn. The group was also tested on the flat.

The Washington Hunter and Jumper Phases that ran today also drew quality riders. The Jumper Phase, which ran in the Derby Field, was a test of efficiency while maintaining level-headedness. The bank was incorporated into the course, which was a challenge for some equitation horses. The Hunter Phase then brought the horses back to the perfection of the steady hunter-type ride.

Abigail Albrecht and MTM Flashdance came out on top in the ASPCA Maclay after their jumping round and flat testing. They also earned fifth place overall in the Washington. MTM Flashdance was imported just weeks ago and is already starting off his North American career with style. The gelding, who is owned by MTM Farm, is already proving to be one to watch.

“He is very smart,” said Albrecht. “He thinks so fast and is always on top of his game. He has a great stride and personality, and he is so loving. He doesn’t quite know what he is doing out there yet, so it is a lot of hard work to show him.”

Albrecht has high hopes that her partnership with MTM Flashdance can grow into something great. She has never had a horse that she could take to equitation finals, and she might finally have her ticket to get there.

“It’s just his inexperience we have to work on,” explained Albrecht. “I went to USEF Pony Finals when I was younger, but haven’t gone to an equitation final yet. He probably won’t be ready this year, but I’m hoping for next year. One of my other horses is for sale, and I’m hoping once he sells I can buy MTM Flashdance. I’m hoping to keep this one for a long time.”

MTM Flashdance and Albrecht will continue to show at Sumer in the Rockies to build on the horse’s greenness in the show ring. Trainer Kelly Lorek is helping the pair through the process.

Kelli Cruciotti and Monterrey
Kelli Cruciotti and Monterrey

At the top of the Washington overall standings for today was Kelli Cruciotti. Cruciotti rode Monterrey, her partner at the 2013 ASPCA Maclay Finals where she placed second. Today they received a score of 88 in the Jumper Phase and 77 in the Hunter Phase. These two outstanding scores put 8 points between her and the second place finisher Abigail Weiland.

Monterrey is a favorite for Cruciotti because of heart, opinion, attitude, and presence in the show ring. According to Cruciotti, when she first bought him, he could be difficult at times to get in the ring. But he has now come full circle with his progress.

“He is an awesome horse to be around and work with,” said Cruciotti. “I’m really blessed to be able to ride him. He is a competitor: he expects you to do your job as much as he is going to do it. I’ve had times where I’ve made a mistake and he gets mad. Sometimes it seems like he wants to win more than I do. He has a huge opinion, which I love. His personality in the barn is also hilarious.”

Both phases of the Washington require responsiveness from the horse and effectiveness from the rider. Cruciotti and Monterrey aced this test.

“The different phases are a great test of versatility for the horse,” said Cruciotti. “In the Jumper Phase they have to be neat and tidy and within the time, and the Hunter Phase is more consistency and pace and stride. I like having both, and I love going from ring to ring. It’s a great challenge of versatility. You go up (to the Derby Field) and your adrenaline is running, and then you have to come down (to the Olson Family Main Hunter Ring) and be so calm. The Jumper Phase really suited him – we had to go up and down the banks and hills and he is phenomenal at all that.”

Placing second in the ASPCA Maclay and third overall in the Washington was Jamie Morris with Samsonite. This 15-year-old junior rider has just stepped up to the 3’6″ this year, and she is starting off strong with the help of her trainer Rebecca Johnson. Samsonite is a “been there done that” type of horse with abundant equitation experience. He is leased from Katya Schwab.

“He is really brave about all the jumps, which is very nice,” said Morris. “I feel really confident and safe on him. He is always there for me and is really honest if I make a mistake. I know that he will help save me or get me out of trouble if I need him to, but he’s not just the easy push button horse that does everything you tell him. I’m not just handed the win every time I’ve worked really hard with him. It’s been really fun.”

According to Morris, this is only her third Maclay class ever, and it had the stiffest competition yet. She was very pleased with Samsonite’s performance in both classes today, and is looking forward to seeing where their season leads them.

Leading today in the Junior 3’6″ Hunters are Sophia Depumpo and her horse Limbo. They earned the blue over fences and in the handy, and received second in the hack. This pair is coached by Colleen Acosta, who showed Limbo in the Second Year Green Hunters earlier this week.

Leading in the Junior 3’3″ Hunters are Peroni and Kendall Whitt Peroni is owned by KNW Farms LLC. He was champion of the Pre-Green 3’3″ Hunters this week with Courtney Calcagnini.

The Junior Hunters will finish tomorrow with two over fences classes and a $1,000 Junior Hunter Classic.

Click here for full results from Friday. Visit the Colorado Horse Park’s website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout Summer in the Rockies.

The Colorado Horse Park Summer in the Rockies Fast Facts

What: Summer in the Rockies AA-Rated Hunter Jumper Show Series

Event Dates:

June 4-8 Summer in the Rockies I
June 11-15 Summer in the Rockies II
June 18-22 Summer in the Rockies III*
July 2-6 Summer in the Rockies IV
July 9-13 Summer in the Rockies V*
July 16-20 Summer in the Rockies VI

*WCHR Member Events

Hunter Highlights:

$5,000 National Hunter Derby – Week III
$15,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Winsome Farm – Week III
$10,000 National Hunter Derby – Week V
$40,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Serenity Farm – Week V

Jumper Highlights:

$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Holiday Inn of Parker Grand Prix – Week I
$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Littleton Equine Medical and Platinum Performance – Week II
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by McElvain Energy – Week III
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Griffis Residential – Week IV
$50,000 Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix – Week V
$50,000 Parker Adventist Hospital Grand Prix – Week VI
$10,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family
$20,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family

Plus:
$10,000 July Grand Prix Rider Bonus for the Leading Grand Prix Rider sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family – Weeks IV-VI

Prize List:
For a hard copy of the prize list, please e-mail prizelist@cohorsepark.com with your name, address and phone number and specify which prize list you would like (spring/fall or summer).

Entries:
Mail to The Colorado Horse Park, 7522 South Pinery Drive, Parker, CO 80134 or fax to (303) 841-7879. Entries close 30 days before each show.

Contact Information:

Pat Boyle, Show Manager                         (847) 274-6834
Brian Curry, Show Manager                        (303) 918-2908
Show Office                                                 (303) 841-7461
Show Office Fax                                         (303) 841-1419
Colorado Horse Park Main Office               (303) 841-5550
Colorado Horse Park Main Office Fax         (303) 841-7879

Directions:

Address: 7375 E Bayou Gulch Rd, Parker, CO 80134

From North: I-25S exit Ridgegate Parkway – go east under the freeway. Ridgegate Parkway to S. Chambers Road, approx. 3 miles (Traffic light) – turn right/south onto Chambers Road. At end of Chambers Road turn left/east onto Hess Road. Hess Road to Parker Road/Hwy 83 – turn right/south onto Hwy 83 approx. 4 miles to Bayou Gulch Road. (Traffic light). Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

From South: I-25N, exit Founder’s Parkway. Founder’s Parkway to Highway 86, approx. 4 miles (traffic light). Turn east/left onto Hwy. 86 to Franktown/Hwy 83. At Franktown go north on 83 approx. 7 mi. to Bayou Gulch Rd. (Traffic light), turn right/east onto Bayou Gulch Rd. Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

About the Colorado Horse Park

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, the Colorado Horse Park was founded by visionary Helen Krieble who acknowledged the need for a high-volume horse show and horse boarding facility to serve Colorado. The Colorado Horse Park welcomes more than 75,000 visitors per year and hosts over 40 competitions annually. CHP features a derby arena designed by Olympic-designer Linda Allen and a cross-country course designed by Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor and eventing super-star James Atkinson. There are 300 permanent stalls with capacity for more than 1,000 stalls.

The picturesque property, located only minutes from the town of Parker, hosts international equestrian events in multiple disciplines. Visitors enjoy the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain surroundings and access to miles of trails and open space. The Colorado Horse Park is committed to supporting equestrian education and amateur athletics, preserving open space, fundraising for local charities and supporting the community.

Lauren Buettner for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

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

Paul Rohrbach and Camerino Set the Bar High in $25,000 Holiday Inn of Parker Grand Prix

Paul Rohrbach and Camerino.

Parker, CO – June 7, 2014 – Paul Rohrbach is based just 15 minutes from the Colorado Horse Park and has claimed grand prix titles around the United States. But he hadn’t taken a grand prix victory lap in his hometown until today, when he and Wells Bridge Farm Inc.’s Camerino turned in the only double clear performance to win the $25,000 Holiday Inn of Parker Grand Prix at Summer in the Rockies I.

Helen Krieble, founder and president of the Colorado Horse Park, welcomed back competitors and spectators for the beginning of the summer show circuit. In between the first round and the jump-off, live audio from California Chrome’s bid for the record books in the Belmont Stakes was broadcast over the loudspeakers. Kenny Martin, representing longtime CHP sponsors Holiday Inn, Super 8 and Hampton Inn of Parker, was on hand for the Grand Prix.

“It was wonderful to see so many returning faces,” Krieble said. “This was a great way to start the circuit. We were very excited to have Kenny Martin here today. Those hotels have given us so much for over 10 years. We’re so grateful to him for all he has done for us, and it was a thrill to me to have him here and thank him for his support.”

Spectators were treated to an exciting class, and Rohrbach’s win didn’t come easy: course designer Mauricio Garcia crafted a challenging course in the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena that asked a variety of tough questions. Of 17 horse and rider combinations, just three advanced to the jump-off.

Following Thursday’s $15,000 Open Welcome Stake, in which Garcia set a tight time allowed in the first round, riders knew they had set a good pace to avoid time faults. They navigated a course that included a challenging triple combination and a line of two verticals set on the short side of the arena.

“I think it was a little bit different,” Garcia said. “I didn’t use the same lines that most course designers do in a ring like this. Today all the riders went forward from the beginning. The triple combination was a little bit hard for some riders, but I didn’t have a single stop in the combination, so that’s a good thing for the designer, the riders and the horses.”

Garcia cites renowned course designers Leopoldo Palacios and Guilherme Jorge as his key mentors, and Rohrbach said he saw some of Palacios’ influence in the course.

“It was the way it was set and the elements that he used,” Rohrbach explained. “Low gates, something airy and something solid, something to pull the horse’s eye down. I wouldn’t say trappy, by any means, but it would make a horse take a look and study a little bit.”

Second-place finisher John Pearce agreed that the course was a true test of horse and rider, and he relied on his trusted grand prix partner Chianto to successfully navigate the first round.

John Pearce and Chianto
John Pearce and Chianto

“I thought the course was very hard,” he said. “It had a lot of challenging technical elements, and I thought you had to ride very technically through it. Chianto’s heart is what makes him a good competitor – he has an unbelievable heart. He felt great out there.”

Rohrbach led off the first round with his clear effort on Camerino. Pearce and Forest View Farm’s Chianto, ninth to go, joined them in the jump-off. It looked for a while like it might be a two-horse race, but Armando Hassey and Taggert Enterprises LLC’s Eminem, last to jump in the first round, were also fault-free.

This put Rohrbach in the challenging position of being first to jump off with two tough competitors waiting in the wings. He opted for a quick but sensible pace, making efficient inside turns. He and Camerino kept all the rails in the cups, finishing smoothly over the Holiday Inn oxer and setting a time to beat of 48.129 seconds.

Pearce and Chianto blazed through the jump-off round with neat, efficient turns, but while they easily bettered Rohrbach’s time, finishing in 44.225 seconds, they pulled a rail at 12, a vertical. Armando Hassey and Eminem chose a more conservative route and took outside turns where the others had gone inside. Hassey still managed a quicker time than Rohrbach, finishing in 47.359 seconds, but he fell victim to the same vertical as Pearce and wound up in third place.

“With John Pearce and Armando, both great speed riders, my goal in the jump-off was simply to try to be double clean and reasonably efficient to put the pressure on the field,” Rohrbach said. “It put just enough pressure on, and I got a little lucky; it worked out well. The course was quite well designed for my horse with his big stride, and he just jumped great.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve won a grand prix, and I’ve never won one here,” he added. “I’ve won in Arizona and California, placed really high in the East and won in the Midwest, but this is a first for me in 19 years.”

Rohrbach has been out of the grand prix arena for the last few years, but is back with a strong contingent of horses. Camerino is the most experienced of his string, but he also piloted Smoke Signal to sixth place with four faults and Akkato to eighth place with eight faults.

“What an entry back into it!” he exclaimed. “It was really a nice course today and we had beautiful weather. Let’s hope I can do it again next week!”

Summer in the Rockies I, the first week of the Colorado Horse Park’s six-week summer circuit, wraps up Sunday, featuring the $5,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic in the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena. Click here for full results from Saturday. Visit the Colorado Horse Park’s website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout Summer in the Rockies.

The Colorado Horse Park Summer in the Rockies Fast Facts

What: Summer in the Rockies AA-Rated Hunter Jumper Show Series

Event Dates:

June 4-8 Summer in the Rockies I
June 11-15 Summer in the Rockies II
June 18-22 Summer in the Rockies III*
July 2-6 Summer in the Rockies IV
July 9-13 Summer in the Rockies V*
July 16-20 Summer in the Rockies VI

*WCHR Member Events

Hunter Highlights:

$5,000 National Hunter Derby – Week III
$15,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Winsome Farm – Week III
$10,000 National Hunter Derby – Week V
$40,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Serenity Farm – Week V

Jumper Highlights:

$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Holiday Inn of Parker Grand Prix – Week I
$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Littleton Equine Medical and Platinum Performance – Week II
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by McElvain Energy – Week III
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Griffis Residential – Week IV
$50,000 Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix – Week V
$50,000 Parker Adventist Hospital Grand Prix – Week VI
$10,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family
$20,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family

Plus:
$10,000 July Grand Prix Rider Bonus for the Leading Grand Prix Rider sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family – Weeks IV-VI

Prize List:
For a hard copy of the prize list, please e-mail prizelist@cohorsepark.com with your name, address and phone number and specify which prize list you would like (spring/fall or summer).

Entries:
Mail to The Colorado Horse Park, 7522 South Pinery Drive, Parker, CO 80134 or fax to (303) 841-7879. Entries close 30 days before each show.

Contact Information:

Pat Boyle, Show Manager                         (847) 274-6834
Brian Curry, Show Manager                       (303) 918-2908
Show Office                                                 (303) 841-7461
Show Office Fax                                         (303) 841-1419
Colorado Horse Park Main Office               (303) 841-5550
Colorado Horse Park Main Office Fax        (303) 841-7879

Directions:

Address: 7375 E Bayou Gulch Rd, Parker, CO 80134

From North: I-25S exit Ridgegate Parkway – go east under the freeway. Ridgegate Parkway to S. Chambers Road, approx. 3 miles (Traffic light) – turn right/south onto Chambers Road. At end of Chambers Road turn left/east onto Hess Road. Hess Road to Parker Road/Hwy 83 – turn right/south onto Hwy 83 approx. 4 miles to Bayou Gulch Road. (Traffic light). Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

From South: I-25N, exit Founder’s Parkway. Founder’s Parkway to Highway 86, approx. 4 miles (traffic light). Turn east/left onto Hwy. 86 to Franktown/Hwy 83. At Franktown go north on 83 approx. 7 mi. to Bayou Gulch Rd. (Traffic light), turn right/east onto Bayou Gulch Rd. Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

About the Colorado Horse Park

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, the Colorado Horse Park was founded by visionary Helen Krieble who acknowledged the need for a high-volume horse show and horse boarding facility to serve Colorado. The Colorado Horse Park welcomes more than 75,000 visitors per year and hosts over 40 competitions annually. CHP features a derby arena designed by Olympic-designer Linda Allen and a cross-country course designed by Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor and eventing super-star James Atkinson. There are 300 permanent stalls with capacity for more than 1,000 stalls.

The picturesque property, located only minutes from the town of Parker, hosts international equestrian events in multiple disciplines. Visitors enjoy the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain surroundings and access to miles of trails and open space. The Colorado Horse Park is committed to supporting equestrian education and amateur athletics, preserving open space, fundraising for local charities and supporting the community.

Mary Adelaide Brakenridge for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

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

Janet Hischer and Cutler Quick on Their Feet to Win 1.30m/1.40m Open Jumpers at Summer in the Rockies I

Janet Hischer and Cutler.

Parker, CO – June 6, 2014 – Janet Hischer decided to change up her summer plans and come to the Colorado Horse Park this year, and it’s already paying off. She and Cutler blazed through a speedy jump-off round in 39.935 seconds and took home first place in the $2,500 Open Jumper 1.30/1.40m on Friday morning in the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena.

The first to make the jump-off was Nicki Wilcox on J.E.S. Quito, sixth in the order, who ticked a rail coming out of the double combination to finish with four faults in a time of 44.029 seconds. Hischer and Cutler were next to go and set a time that proved unbeatable, though several tried.

Katharin Gualtieri and Castalano came closest with their time of 41.785 seconds. Courtney Frederick and Soulshine were also double clear and finished third with a jump-off time of 43.157 seconds, three seconds behind Hischer and Cutler.

Hischer said Cutler’s natural speed and maneuverability make him tough to beat.

“He’s half Thoroughbred, by a Holstein stallion, and I know he’s really fast,” she said. “I just cock up in the half seat. I show mostly in Southern California and see Rich Fellers all the time, so I get in the jump-off and pretend I’m Rich Fellers. Cutler is a little bit hot, and I just try to manage him and go.”

Cutler performed well today over the course set by designer Mauricio Garcia. Hischer said the course was “pretty technical.” She chose to add a stride in a five-stride line following a double combination that Cutler jumped “a little bit up in the air,” taking advantage of his adjustability to make the distance work.

Hischer, who owns and operates Twisted Tree Farm in Scottsdale, AZ, got Cutler three years ago from a friend who asked if she would take him because he wasn’t a good fit for the friend’s daughter.

“He was skinny and ugly, and everybody thought I was crazy,” Hischer laughed. “I brought him back home and played with him. He’s a character – he plays games. I don’t think he’s really a spooky horse, but he likes to make you think he’s spooky.”

She hasn’t competed in Colorado for six years, usually heading to Canada for Spruce Meadows, but she chose to return for all six weeks of Summer in the Rockies this year. She is especially happy to be in the area since her niece, Jackie Smith of Parker, CO, just had a baby, and she’s enjoying the Colorado Horse Park facility so far.

“It’s a lot of fun – a beautiful place,” she commented. “I really like the people here.”

$1,000 Young Jumper 7/8 Year Old Championship

Also competing Friday morning were young horses vying for the $1,000 Young Jumper 7/8 Year Old Championship. All five in the class successfully advanced to the jump-off, and three of the five were double clear.

Bjorn Ikast of Parker, CO piloted his own Spice Boy through the fastest jump-off in a time of 39.891 seconds to claim the win. Spice Boy competes in the 8-year-olds but is quite a bit younger than most of his competition, as he won’t turn 8 until Dec. 15.

Bjorn Ikast and Spice Boy
Bjorn Ikast and Spice Boy

“He’s a very late 8-year-old, but he seems to be doing great!” Ikast said. “He’s a really nice horse. I got him in Chile, so I called him Spice Boy. He is very good to turn and can turn very sharply, so it worked out for me today.”

Ikast noted today’s course was “friendly” and required him to ride fast in the jump-off.

“It was a lovely course,” he said. “I really like the course designer, Mauricio Garcia – it’s the first time I’ve ridden his courses. I’m really happy with it and I hope I will say the same after the Grand Prix tomorrow!”

Ikast also rode his 7-year-old Supernatural, who was first to go in the class, to third place with a time of 40.435 in the jump-off. He returned fourth in the order with Spice Boy and chased down Paige Coles’ time of 40.029 seconds with Springfield Hill, who ended up in second place as the top 7-year-old in the class. Coles came out of the ring with a big smile.

“He’s so much fun to ride!” she exclaimed. “I just got him in the fall of last year. He’s my baby. We’re still getting to know each other – we’ve only done four or five shows. He is awesome and has so much power underneath him. He’s willing to do anything.”

She also enjoyed the course and felt it was a perfect fit for Springfield Hill.

“It was really open, which is good for this horse especially,” she explained. “He just gallops up and jumps great off the longer stride coming out of the corner.”

Coles is from Wellington, FL, but is currently a student at the University of Denver. She has been coming out to Colorado to compete every summer since she was 12.

“The people are great in Colorado – they’re so nice,” she said. “The weather is awesome. I’ve seen the horse show grow, which is really cool. It’s a different scene.”

Jumper competition continues Saturday with the featured class of Summer in the Rockies: the $25,000 Holiday Inn of Parker Grand Prix. Click here for full results from Friday. Visit the Colorado Horse Park’s website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout Summer in the Rockies.

The Colorado Horse Park Summer in the Rockies Fast Facts

What: Summer in the Rockies AA-Rated Hunter Jumper Show Series

Event Dates:

June 4-8 Summer in the Rockies I
June 11-15 Summer in the Rockies II
June 18-22 Summer in the Rockies III*
July 2-6 Summer in the Rockies IV
July 9-13 Summer in the Rockies V*
July 16-20 Summer in the Rockies VI

*WCHR Member Events

Hunter Highlights:

$5,000 National Hunter Derby – Week III
$15,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Winsome Farm – Week III
$10,000 National Hunter Derby – Week V
$40,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Serenity Farm – Week V

Jumper Highlights:

$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Holiday Inn of Parker Grand Prix – Week I
$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Littleton Equine Medical and Platinum Performance – Week II
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by McElvain Energy – Week III
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Griffis Residential – Week IV
$50,000 Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix – Week V
$50,000 Parker Adventist Hospital Grand Prix – Week VI
$10,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family
$20,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family

Plus:
$10,000 July Grand Prix Rider Bonus for the Leading Grand Prix Rider sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family – Weeks IV-VI

Prize List:
For a hard copy of the prize list, please e-mail prizelist@cohorsepark.com with your name, address and phone number and specify which prize list you would like (spring/fall or summer).

Entries:
Mail to The Colorado Horse Park, 7522 South Pinery Drive, Parker, CO 80134 or fax to (303) 841-7879. Entries close 30 days before each show.

Contact Information:

Pat Boyle, Show Manager                          (847) 274-6834
Brian Curry, Show Manager                        (303) 918-2908
Show Office                                                 (303) 841-7461
Show Office Fax                                          (303) 841-1419
Colorado Horse Park Main Office                (303) 841-5550
Colorado Horse Park Main Office Fax         (303) 841-7879

Directions:

Address: 7375 E Bayou Gulch Rd, Parker, CO 80134

From North: I-25S exit Ridgegate Parkway – go east under the freeway.  Ridgegate Parkway to S. Chambers Road, approx. 3 miles (Traffic light) – turn right/south onto Chambers Road. At end of Chambers Road turn left/east onto Hess Road.  Hess Road to Parker Road/Hwy 83 – turn right/south onto Hwy 83 approx. 4 miles to Bayou Gulch Road. (Traffic light). Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

From South: I-25N, exit Founder’s Parkway.  Founder’s Parkway to Highway 86, approx. 4 miles (traffic light). Turn east/left onto Hwy. 86 to Franktown/Hwy 83. At Franktown go north on 83 approx. 7 mi. to Bayou Gulch Rd. (Traffic light), turn right/east onto Bayou Gulch Rd. Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

About the Colorado Horse Park

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, the Colorado Horse Park was founded by visionary Helen Krieble who acknowledged the need for a high-volume horse show and horse boarding facility to serve Colorado.  The Colorado Horse Park welcomes more than 75,000 visitors per year and hosts over 40 competitions annually.  CHP features a derby arena designed by Olympic-designer Linda Allen and a cross-country course designed by Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor and eventing super-star James Atkinson. There are 300 permanent stalls with capacity for more than 1,000 stalls.

The picturesque property, located only minutes from the town of Parker, hosts international equestrian events in multiple disciplines. Visitors enjoy the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain surroundings and access to miles of trails and open space.  The Colorado Horse Park is committed to supporting equestrian education and amateur athletics, preserving open space, fundraising for local charities and supporting the community.

Mary Adelaide Brakenridge for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

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
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Rice, Acosta and Sage Step Up to the Plate in the Hunter Ring at Summer in the Rockies I

Sarah Rice and McGraw.

Parker, CO – June 5, 2014 – The 3’6″ and 3’3″ Performance Hunters ended gracefully for champions Sarah Rice on McGraw and Colleen Acosta on Chaika, as both pairs’ consistencies throughout their divisions led them to tricolor honors. Also in the main hunter ring today, the Pre-Green Hunters were put to the test; Mickie Sage and her newest mount were not afraid to answer.

Rice and McGraw moved up in the ranks enough to pass yesterday’s 3’6″ division leader Mickie Sage. Sage and Harlu were awarded reserve champion after receiving two sixth place ribbons today. Double blue ribbons over fences today snagged Rice the top spot. Rice’s seamless and consistent rounds with McGraw served as successful preparation for lessor Katie McDonnell, who will ride the gelding in the Junior Hunters next week.

According to Rice, McGraw felt good when they started the division but even better as they ended it. Her goal was to set him up with a positive experience so he could settle in, and she did just that.

“I just want him to stay nice and solid and consistent in the Juniors,” explained Rice. “That’s his strength – he’s just rhythmic and smooth, big-strided and chill. My only goal is to keep him nice and relaxed and happy.”

For Rice, who is Texas based, this is her first time showing at the Colorado Horse Park. So far, she has high praise.

“This is my first time here and I love it,” said Rice. “I love the new footing in the hunter and jumper rings. I really like the facility, the horse show management and office staff are great, and I am really enjoying it here!”

Colleen Acosta and Chaika
Colleen Acosta and Chaika

Leading after the first day of the 3’3″ Performance Hunters was Acosta on Chaika, and they again put in a strong effort. While they did not pin quite as high as yesterday, riding to fourth and eighth place finishes, yesterday’s blue ribbons were enough to secure the champion title for them. Acosta was in the ring with the mare to prepare her for her owner who shows in the Children’s Hunters. According to Acosta, Chaika is the ideal children’s horse.

Pine Hollow Farm, based in New Caney, TX, will certainly not be lacking in the ribbon department after today. On top of assistant Rice’s tricolor honors, head trainer Will Roberts came home with the reserve title in the 3’3″ division with Chicago. The Rhinelander gelding is owned by TeriAnn Miller who shows him in the 3’3″ Amateur Owner Hunters.

“The goal for all of the horses we have here (from Pine Hollow Farm) is to make the best showing experience possible and hopefully win championships in everything we can,” said Rice.

Concluding the day in the main hunter ring were the Pre-Green Hunters. Sage and her newest mount Adonis dominated, collecting the divisional championship with first and second place finishes over fences. Adonis also won the $1,000 Pre-Green Incentive Stake and $1,000 Pre-Green Classic. The flashy Westphalian gelding is owned by Fire Horse Equine LLC and has only shown with Sage once before this week.

“A couple of weeks ago, he became our newest member of the farm,” said Sage. “He is so beautiful and athletic. He’s gorgeous and a total hunter package.”

Mickie Sage and Adonis
Mickie Sage and Adonis

Sage’s goal is to qualify him for the USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Program Championship this year in Kentucky. Her hopes for this new gelding are high, and today’s results did not fall short.

Click here for full results from Thursday. Visit the Colorado Horse Park’s website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout Summer in the Rockies.

The Colorado Horse Park Summer in the Rockies Fast Facts

What: Summer in the Rockies AA-Rated Hunter Jumper Show Series

Event Dates:

June 4-8 Summer in the Rockies I
June 11-15 Summer in the Rockies II
June 18-22 Summer in the Rockies III*
July 2-6 Summer in the Rockies IV
July 9-13 Summer in the Rockies V*
July 16-20 Summer in the Rockies VI

*WCHR Member Events

Hunter Highlights:

$5,000 National Hunter Derby – Week III
$15,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Winsome Farm – Week III
$10,000 National Hunter Derby – Week V
$40,000 International Hunter Derby sponsored by Serenity Farm – Week V

Jumper Highlights:

$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Holiday Inn of Parker Grand Prix – Week I
$25,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Littleton Equine Medical and Platinum Performance – Week II
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by McElvain Energy – Week III
$30,000 Summer in the Rockies Grand Prix sponsored by Griffis Residential – Week IV
$50,000 Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix – Week V
$50,000 Parker Adventist Hospital Grand Prix – Week VI
$10,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family
$20,000 High Junior/Amateur Owner Classic sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family

Plus:
$10,000 July Grand Prix Rider Bonus for the Leading Grand Prix Rider sponsored by The Kathy and Brad Coors Family – Weeks IV-VI

Prize List:
For a hard copy of the prize list, please e-mail prizelist@cohorsepark.com with your name, address and phone number and specify which prize list you would like (spring/fall or summer).

Entries:
Mail to The Colorado Horse Park, 7522 South Pinery Drive, Parker, CO 80134 or fax to (303) 841-7879. Entries close 30 days before each show.

Contact Information:

Pat Boyle, Show Manager                          (847) 274-6834
Brian Curry, Show Manager                        (303) 918-2908
Show Office                                                 (303) 841-7461
Show Office Fax                                          (303) 841-1419
Colorado Horse Park Main Office                (303) 841-5550
Colorado Horse Park Main Office Fax         (303) 841-7879

Directions:

Address: 7375 E Bayou Gulch Rd, Parker, CO 80134

From North: I-25S exit Ridgegate Parkway – go east under the freeway.  Ridgegate Parkway to S. Chambers Road, approx. 3 miles (Traffic light) – turn right/south onto Chambers Road. At end of Chambers Road turn left/east onto Hess Road.  Hess Road to Parker Road/Hwy 83 – turn right/south onto Hwy 83 approx. 4 miles to Bayou Gulch Road. (Traffic light). Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

From South: I-25N, exit Founder’s Parkway.  Founder’s Parkway to Highway 86, approx. 4 miles (traffic light). Turn east/left onto Hwy. 86 to Franktown/Hwy 83. At Franktown go north on 83 approx. 7 mi. to Bayou Gulch Rd. (Traffic light), turn right/east onto Bayou Gulch Rd. Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

About the Colorado Horse Park

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, the Colorado Horse Park was founded by visionary Helen Krieble who acknowledged the need for a high-volume horse show and horse boarding facility to serve Colorado.  The Colorado Horse Park welcomes more than 75,000 visitors per year and hosts over 40 competitions annually.  CHP features a derby arena designed by Olympic-designer Linda Allen and a cross-country course designed by Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor and eventing super-star James Atkinson. There are 300 permanent stalls with capacity for more than 1,000 stalls.

The picturesque property, located only minutes from the town of Parker, hosts international equestrian events in multiple disciplines. Visitors enjoy the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain surroundings and access to miles of trails and open space.  The Colorado Horse Park is committed to supporting equestrian education and amateur athletics, preserving open space, fundraising for local charities and supporting the community.

Lauren Buettner for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

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

Sherri Kahn Closes Out Summer in the Rockies in Style with 3’6″ A-O Hunter Championship

Sherri Kahn and Walter.

Parker, CO – July 21, 2013 – Sherri Kahn and Walter scored a personal best of 88 in their second round over fences to seize the win and ultimately the championship in the 3’6″ Amateur Owner Hunters on the final day of Summer in the Rockies. After wins over fences and in the handy on Friday, Kahn and Walter were the clear choice to top the division, though they faced stiff competition from other high-scoring pairs.

Fred Kahn, Sherri’s husband and trainer, was thrilled with Walter’s performance over the Skip Bailey-designed courses.

“I couldn’t be more happy with him or Sherri,” he said. “The second round, where he got his 88, was spectacular. The first round was really good too. In the classic, he was a little tired and had a little rub, but he tried hard. And she’s champion, so I’m happy! It’s a great way to end the circuit.”

“We had a great couple of days,” Sherri said. “He’s a very good boy. He rode really well and was jumping really well. He must like it here.”

The pair was stepping up in height from the 3’3″ Performance Working Hunters after claiming the championship in that division at Summer in the Rockies V.

Kelsey Thatcher and Pony Lane Farm’s Starina B collected wins over fences and in the hack to take the reserve championship. Starina B was a bit exuberant on Saturday, but settled in on Sunday and showed off her eye-catching style over fences. Thatcher and Starina B also took third place in the $1,000 Amateur Owner Hunter Classic.

“She was great,” Thatcher said. “She was a little wild yesterday, but she came out today and was absolutely fabulous.”

According to Thatcher, Starina B’s sensitivity and awareness of the rider make her a challenging but rewarding ride. “You have to be constantly paying attention to her because she’s constantly telling you signals,” Thatcher explained. “She’ll listen to even the slightest degree of body control.”

Nicole Stern and Calabria
Nicole Stern and Calabria

In the 3’3″ Amateur Owner Hunters, Nicole Stern and Calabria scored two wins and the championship ribbon. Calabria just moved up from the Pre-Green Hunters and is also competing in the 3’3″ Performance Working Hunters with trainer Michael Dennehy.

“She’s very easygoing and very eager to please,” Stern said of Calabria. “She wants to be as good as she possibly can. We’re just trying to work out some kinks between us and make sure that we’re a cohesive unit. She aims to please, so it’s just working on getting her to the point where she understands what to do to please. She has a great mind and is definitely learning.”

“We come to the Colorado Horse Park often – it’s a great place to show,” Stern, who is based at nearby Columbine Equestrian Center, said. “They’re really building the courses beautifully, and I think it’s helping the horses jump really well. So I’ve been very, very pleased with the overall experience.”

Elizabeth Hund and Timbuktu wound up with a total of two wins to take home the reserve championship in the 3’3″ Amateur Owner Hunters. Hund bought Timbuktu from Sharon Kvistad, who rescued the off-the-track Thoroughbred to give him a chance at a new career.

“The way I feel about him being a rescue and having a second chance is kind of how I feel about me,” Hund said. “I rode when I was a junior and then I quit for 30 years. I couldn’t afford it, I was working too much, I got married. I started riding again 5 years ago, and this is my second chance to do a sport that I love, that I can still physically do and financially manage. I feel like he and I are getting our second chance.”

“I feel so, so lucky,” she added. “Everything with him is a gift.”

Nicole Lyvere ended Summer in the Rockies on a sweet note with a victory in the $1,000 Amateur Owner Hunter Classic aboard All In. Lyvere and All In edged out Kahn and Walter, who took second, and Thatcher and Starina B, who were close behind in third.

Nicole Lyvere and All In
Nicole Lyvere and All In

“He was perfect today,” Lyvere said of All In. “He just went out there and didn’t spook at anything. We were late on one lead change, but he’s an overachiever, and the second time we went in and did a change, he did it before I even asked. He has to make everything perfect.”

She felt that she benefited from showing all six weeks of Summer in the Rockies, and she saw her horses make marked improvements over that time. “I thought that they got better and better over the summer,” she said. “It kind of becomes a routine, and if you finally get a fix on one thing you had a problem with one week, you can fix it the next.”

“Nikki just continues to amaze me,” trainer Cindy Cruciotti said. “Her technique has gotten so detailed and sophisticated. She just gets on and she doesn’t need to warm up any more – she just does two rounds and feels confident and comfortable with what she’s sitting on and her technique and style. It’s really fun to watch. I’m proud of her.”

Lyvere’s win capped a successful circuit for Cruciotti’s Serenity Farm. The farm, located in Elizabeth, CO, is close enough that the horses can go home and enjoy their usual turnout routine in between competition days.

“We had a great show,” Cruciotti said. “Pat (Boyle, of Showplace Productions) did a super job. The footing was wonderful – not once were my horses sore. They loved coming in these rings. The jumps were always different – appropriate for the level of competition each week.”

“It was really nice to see my horses at the end of the six weeks jumping better than they did when they started,” she concluded.

Sunday was the final day of Summer in the Rockies at the Colorado Horse Park. The successful summer series returns in 2014. The Horse Park continues to offer events throughout the summer and fall, including dressage, eventing, and hunter/jumper competitions. View upcoming events here: http://coloradohorsepark.com/events.

Full results available at http://www.showplaceproductions.com/chp/resultsDivisionList.php?competition=23.

About the Colorado Horse Park

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, the Colorado Horse Park was founded by visionary Helen Krieble who acknowledged the need for a high-volume horse show and horse boarding facility to serve Colorado.  The Colorado Horse Park welcomes more than 75,000 visitors per year and hosts over 40 competitions annually.  CHP features a derby arena designed by Olympic-designer Linda Allen and a cross-country course designed by Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor and eventing super-star James Atkinson. There are 300 permanent stalls with capacity for more than 1,000 stalls.

The picturesque property, located only minutes from the town of Parker, hosts international equestrian events in multiple disciplines. Visitors enjoy the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain surroundings and access to miles of trails and open space.  The Colorado Horse Park is committed to supporting equestrian education and amateur athletics, preserving open space, fundraising for local charities and supporting the community.

Mary Adelaide Brakenridge for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

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

Off-the-Track Thoroughbred Timbuktu Shines in 3’3″ A-O Hunters at Summer in the Rockies VI

Elizabeth Hund and off-the-track Thoroughbred Timbuktu sailed to a win in the 3’3″ Amateur Owner Hunters.

Parker, CO – July 20, 2013 – Elizabeth Hund’s Timbuktu, a rescued off-the-track Thoroughbred, proved that his new profession in the hunter ring suits him to a T with a win in the 3’3″ Amateur Owner Hunters. Hund and Timbuktu took all the inside routes and tight turns to earn the blue in the handy round.

Hund bought Timbuktu about a year and a half ago. His previous owner had purchased him for a pittance after his racing career ended. When he came to Hund, he didn’t know how to jump and had been out to pasture for some time.

“He’s been showing at this level for just this year and he’s been doing really well,” Hund said. “He doesn’t have the physical talent – he doesn’t have the jump quite – that a lot of the other hunters do, but he’s got a great heart. He’s a rescue horse and he’s out here competing and doing really well against really expensive horses.”

“It just makes you feel great,” she continued. “Here’s a rescue horse that God knows what would have happened to him, and he’s having a good life and being competitive. We’re having fun and then we occasionally win, which is really great. It is the icing on the cake because I didn’t expect anything.”

While it’s taken plenty of work to get Timbuktu ready to compete at this level, Hund said his work ethic has been a big help. “He just has a lovely attitude,” Hund said. “He’s like, ‘I’ll try to do anything you tell me. I don’t know if I can do it but I’m going to try.’ He has a really big heart so he’s been fun.”

She is thrilled to see how far the horse has come and feels he is quickly gaining confidence. “He can often come in for the first round and be a little up and anxious, but he is clearly getting the hang of this because both rounds today he walked in and was like, ‘I’ve got this. I know what I’m doing,'” she said. “He was mellow and easy and totally confident, and that’s one of the things that we’ve had to work to develop.”

Hund rode with much-loved Colorado trainer Keiri Kaneps until Kaneps’ untimely death in 2012, and Kaneps was the one who helped her find Timbuktu. Hund now trains with Ashley Keeler, a friend of Kaneps’ who has taken on many of her former students.

“She’s great,” Hund said of Keeler. “I think she’s quite a good teacher and she’s quite a good trainer. And she walked into a difficult position, when you think about it. Everybody really liked Keiri but she’s not Keiri. But she’s been really professional and she’s put her brand on it and it’s just been great. I’ve loved her.”

Another winner in the 3’3″ Amateur Owner Hunters was Meg Gehron, who piloted Talan to first place over fences. Gehron and Talan made their debut in the division a winning one, stepping up successfully from the 3′ Adult Amateur Hunters.

Gehron trains with Freddie Vazquez of Messenger Hill Farm, and Vazquez rode Talan to the championship in the Green Conformation Hunters earlier in the week.

“He was really balanced and he was responding really well,” Gehron said. “I could leg him up to the jumps and he’d just walk down the lines – he has a huge stride.”

Gehron described Talan as a horse with a lot of personality. “He’s kind of an instigator,” she laughed. “He really likes to poke at things and grab things, and he’ll pretend like he didn’t do it. He has an innocent face. He’s like the kid who eats glue in class. He’s so cute – you can’t get mad at him.”

Sherri Kahn and Walter
Sherri Kahn and Walter

It is shaping up to be a competitive race for the 3’3″ Amateur Owner Hunter championship, which concludes with three classes on Sunday, the last day of Summer in the Rockies VI. In the 3’6″ Amateur Owners, Sherri Kahn and Walter jumped to an early lead, winning both classes on Saturday.

Kahn and Walter put in a confident first round and then navigated the twists and turns of the handy round with ease.

“Everything flowed well,” Kahn said. “There was one jump where I felt I could have come out of the turn a little bit better. Other than that, he was really good.”

“I thought her riding was very good,” said Frank Kahn, Sherri’s trainer as well as her husband. “She stepped up and made each lead equal. She usually finds the jumps a little better off her right lead, and today she was really good off the left lead.”

Riding and competing is a family affair for the Kahns, who have a farm in Bucyrus, KS. Their daughter, Kara, also had a successful day, winning a class in the Small Junior Hunters with her own Maverick.

“The shows are when we spend the most time together – we make it our vacation – and it’s a lot of fun,” Sherri said. She noted that this is Kara’s last junior year, so mother and daughter will be soon be competing against each other in the amateur owner divisions.

“After the last jump, I was pretty confident,” Kara said after her winning ride. “I didn’t think I would have won, but I felt really good about it. The first time he ever did the juniors was here last summer, so he’s still learning everything, and it’s nice to come full circle.”

“My dad is my trainer, along with Jane Schweiger sometimes,” Kara continued. “It’s really fun because we all work together. It’s fun to watch my mom win and I learn a lot from her. When all of her friends tell me that I ride like her, I just take it as a really big compliment. She’s someone I look up to.”

Kara and Fred will cheer Sherri on as she returns on Sunday to try to continue her winning ways in the 3’6″ Amateur Owner Hunters.

The Small and Large Junior Hunter championships went to the pairs that got off to a strong start on Friday and rode the momentum into Saturday’s competition. Emma Willsky and her own Simply Said, who went three for three on Friday with wins over fences, in the handy and under saddle, picked up another win in the second round on Saturday to emphatically claim the Large Junior Hunter championship over Kai DeVoglaer and Colleen McKenzie’s Castello in the reserve spot. Willsky and Simply Said also won the $1,000 Junior Hunter Classic with the high score of 169.

“Our second round was probably our best round of the week,” Willsky said. “He was a really good boy.”

Willsky, like Hund, trains with Ashley Keeler, who was pleased with Simply Said’s consistent effort during the final week of Summer in the Rockies.

“He’s just been great this week,” Keeler said. “He’s been on top of his game. He came out every class jumping as good as he’s ever jumped and listening as well as he’s ever listened. I’m just thrilled with him.  He was ready to be great in every single class this week and he never faltered. He’s just a fantastic animal.”

She watched Willsky’s partnership with the horse improve over the course of the summer. “They were like clockwork at the end,” she said.

Caitlin Boyle and Finders Keepers added a third win on Saturday to their two from Friday to clinch the championship in the Small Junior Hunters. Amanda Hauser and Calido’s Son improved off their solid efforts on Friday to take a win and a second on Saturday and earn the reserve championship.

“The first round he seemed a little fresh, but after that we were a lot better,” Boyle said. “I was more on it yesterday than I was today, but we still finished up well. The singles were nice and the outside lines had a good forward rhythm to them. Everything flowed nicely.”

Boyle will finish out the Summer in the Rockies circuit with a low junior jumper class on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Amateur Owner Hunter divisions will wrap up in the Olson Family Hunter Arena.

Full results available at http://www.showplaceproductions.com/chp/resultsDivisionList.php?competition=23.

The Colorado Horse Park Summer in the Rockies Fast Facts

What: Summer in the Rockies AA-Rated Hunter Jumper Show Series

Event Dates:

Summer in the Rockies I June 5-9, 2013
Summer in the Rockies II June 12-16, 2013
Summer in the Rockies III June 19-23, 2013
Summer in the Rockies IV July 3-7, 2013
Summer in the Rockies V July 10-14, 2013
Summer in the Rockies VI July 17-21, 2013

Prize List:

Click here for an online version of the prize list. For a hard copy of the prize list, please e-mail prizelist@cohorsepark.com with your name, address and phone number and specify which prize list you would like (spring/fall or summer).

Entries:

Mail to The Colorado Horse Park, 7522 South Pinery Drive, Parker, CO 80134 or fax to (303) 841-7879. Opening date for Stall Reservations: April 1, 2013. Closing date May 20, 2013.

Contact Information:

Pat Boyle, Show Manager                          (847) 274-6834
Brian Curry, Show Manager                        (303) 918-2908
Show Office                                                 (303) 841-7461
Show Office Fax                                          (303) 841-1419
Colorado Horse Park Main Office                (303) 841-5550
Colorado Horse Park Main Office Fax         (303) 841-7879

Tentative Schedule:
Wed – Sun: Show starts daily at 8 a.m. unless otherwise noted

Directions:

Address: 7375 E Bayou Gulch Rd, Parker, CO 80134

From North: I-25S exit Ridgegate Parkway – go east under the freeway.  Ridgegate Parkway to S. Chambers Road, approx 3 miles (Traffic light) – turn right/south onto Chambers Road. At end of Chambers Road turn left/east onto Hess Road.  Hess Road to Parker Road/Hwy 83 – turn right/south onto Hwy 83 approx 4 miles to Bayou Gulch Road. (Traffic light). Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

From South: I-25N, exit Founder’s Parkway.  Founder’s Parkway to Highway 86, approx 4 miles (traffic light). Turn east/left onto Hwy. 86 to Franktown/Hwy 83. At Franktown go north on 83 approx. 7 mi. to Bayou Gulch Rd. (Traffic light), turn right/east onto Bayou Gulch Rd. Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.

About the Colorado Horse Park

Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, the Colorado Horse Park was founded by visionary Helen Krieble who acknowledged the need for a high-volume horse show and horse boarding facility to serve Colorado.  The Colorado Horse Park welcomes more than 75,000 visitors per year and hosts over 40 competitions annually.  CHP features a derby arena designed by Olympic-designer Linda Allen and a cross-country course designed by Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor and eventing super-star James Atkinson. There are 300 permanent stalls with capacity for more than 1,000 stalls.

The picturesque property, located only minutes from the town of Parker, hosts international equestrian events in multiple disciplines. Visitors enjoy the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain surroundings and access to miles of trails and open space.  The Colorado Horse Park is committed to supporting equestrian education and amateur athletics, preserving open space, fundraising for local charities and supporting the community.

Mary Adelaide Brakenridge for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

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