Christopher Payne and Take Time. Photos by Emily Riden.
Lexington, KY – July 30, 2013 – Christopher Payne always enjoys competing at the Kentucky Summer Classic, so not much will keep him away from the show ring – not even two broken ribs. Despite a recent injury, Payne ushered in the start of the Kentucky Summer Classic, running today through Sunday, August 4, in flawless, winning style. He and Take Time, owned by Sydney Reed of Leawood, KS, finished first and second in the day’s opening classes of the Performance 3’6″ Hunters. Molly Sewell also had an successful day at the Kentucky Horse Park, leading the field in both the Green Conformation Hunters and the High Performance Hunters with Satisfaction and Zin Zin, respectively.
“It definitely still hurts,” Payne said of his broken ribs, “but Take Time gave me great rides so that makes it easier. I imported him as a 4-year-old, and he’s about 11 now, so I’ve had him for some time. He did the Pre-Greens, the First Years, the Adult Amateurs and now the Juniors. He’s just the most steady, most fun horse to ride. He has a very light mouth so you just close your leg, and the distance really shows itself.”
Payne and Take Time, or “Brady”, navigated the day’s Bobby Murphy designed courses with ease to take the blue ribbon in the first class and the red second place behind Wish List, owned by Lori Snetsinger and ridden by Cody Lewis-Shultz, in the second class.
Based out of New Hope Farm LLC in nearby Cincinnati, OH, Payne is a Kentucky Summer Horse Shows regular, electing to spend much of the summer here.
“Out of all of the venues in the country that I’ve seen, this is the most horse friendly environment,” Payne commented. “With the fields to ride in you can really let your horse decompress by taking him out on a trail ride. The horses absolutely love it. It just keeps them so fresh-minded.”
Payne and Take Time will return tomorrow to vie for the Performance 3’6″ Hunter division championship, and Take Time’s owner, Sydney Reed will take over the ride in the Junior Hunters later in the week.
In the High Performance Hunters, Sewell and Zin Zin, owned by Travis Lingenfelter of Saginaw, MI, dominated the competitive field finishing first and second over fences and third in the under saddle.
Sewell first got the ride on the 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood, Zin Zin, in May, and the pair meshed quickly.
“He’s my ride to the ‘T.’ He’s not lazy. He carries you, but yet he doesn’t pull. He’s really, really scopey. The 3’6″ feels like the 4. He’s just absolutely lovely,” praised Sewell. “This is probably about the fourth horse show I’ve done with him. He’s a beautiful jumper, and he’s really moving well too, so we’re really excited about him.”
Earlier in the morning Sewell rode to similar top honors aboard Satisfaction, owned by Peakewood Pharm, Inc. of Sanford, FL. The 7-year-old Hanoverian started the day with a blue ribbon in the Green Conformation Model, and he returned later to earn two additional blue ribbons, one under saddle and one over fences.
“The courses were great today. Satisfaction has such a big stride. It’s nice to just kind of lope around the course. He really, really went beautifully today. He’s really grown up,” shared Sewell.
Taking the win in the first Green Conformation Hunter over fences class were Sandy Ferrell and Mariano, owned by Stephanie Riggio of New York, NY, while Sewell and Satisfaction finished in a close second.
Competition resumes tomorrow at 8 a.m. with the First Year Green Hunters kicking things off in the Stonelea Ring. For more information on the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.
Emily Riden for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
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