Hannah Goodson-Cutt and Caretano Win $50,000 National Horse Show Hunter Classic

  • Save
Hannah Goodson-Cutt rode Caretano to victory in the $50,000 NHS Hunter Classic at the 127th National Horse Show. Photo © 2010 Reflections Photography.

Lisa Williams and Sanmorino Named National Horse Show Grand Hunter Champions

Cazenovia, NY – November 4, 2010 – Hunter divisions at the 127th National Horse Show concluded on Thursday afternoon with the presentation of championship awards followed by a special $50,000 National Horse Show Hunter Classic, held to honor Charlie Weaver. Hannah Goodson-Cutt rode Caretano to victory in the $50,000 Hunter Classic and was also named Best Child Rider on a Horse for her excellent success over the two days of hunter competition. Lisa Williams rode Sanmorino to the prestigious National Horse Show Grand Hunter Championship and Jennifer Alfano received the Leading Hunter Rider prize.

The $50,000 NHS Hunter Classic was held in a two round format with the top twelve horses and riders competing over a second round handy course to determine top standings. With a two round total of 177 points, junior rider Hannah Goodson-Cutt and Caretano came out in first place, just half a point ahead of second place finishers Molly Ashe-Cawley and Back in the Game with a score of 176.5. Maggie Boylan and Poetic finished in third place, Hasbrouck Donovan and Quality Time earned the fourth place prize, and Jennifer Alfano rode Jersey Boy to fifth place.

After also earning a junior hunter championship and Best Child Rider award this afternoon, Goodson-Cutt was very excited to get her first big open classic win. “This is the first overall classic that I have won and it feels pretty amazing because I am not just competing against juniors,” she stated. “You are competing against a whole slew of riders that have been around for a really long time so you really have to show yourself and ride very well. It is definitely the most exciting award that I have gotten this entire indoor season.”

Caretano has now earned the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 division championship at all four of this year’s indoor finals. “He is the best jumper I have ever ridden in my entire life. I don’t think there is a horse out there that rides as good as Caretano,” Goodson-Cutt smiled. “This was just a great way to end all four weeks of indoors and it was really nice to be in a class that was held for Charlie Weaver. He was such a great horseman, so I feel very honored.”

The Open, Junior and Amateur-Owner Hunter divisions all presented their championship awards today after the horses and riders showed over their final stake course. The Green Working Hunters were the first to compete and awarded their championship tricolor to Last Call, owned by Lisa Cudahy, and ridden by Cookie Beck. Beck and Last Call won the day’s stake class with a high score of 92. Kelley Farmer and Taken earned the reserve championship.

Following her victory in the Green Working Hunters, Beck then earned a second tricolor riding Lisa Cudahy’s Goosebumps to the championship in the Green Conformation Hunters and was awarded the “Call You Raise You” Challenge Trophy donated by Mrs. Stephen Clark and Cismont Manor Farm. Bob Crandall and Casallo earned the division’s reserve championship, and Jennifer Alfano and Miss Lucy were the stake winners with the high score of 85.

Cookie Beck was thrilled with her success in both days of hunter competition and praised her two talented horses. “Goosebumps is only seven, so he has come a long way and everything just finally came together here,” she acknowledged. “Last Call is very special and a really amazing horse to work with. He is a little bit older and he is really fun because he is so smart.”

Beck explained that her goal all year was to be champion at the National Horse Show, and she was able to achieve that goal two-fold. “It is very exciting,” she smiled. “I have a great owner and she has let me bring these horses along slowly. Tom Wright has helped me a lot; he is my grounds person with both of them. We skipped Washington, so this was the end of the year right here and to have both of them be champion was a dream come true.”

Continuing the day, Kelley Farmer rode Betty Oare’s Rosalynn to the championship tricolor in the Regular Working Hunters, sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Wheeler. Farmer and Rosalynn earned the high score of 92.00 in the division’s stake class to receive The “S. Craig Lindner Family” Challenge Trophy donated by Craig and Frances Lindner. For the championship, the pair was awarded The “Ashford Castle” Challenge Trophy, also donated by the Lindners. Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy finished in reserve, and Alfano was presented with the Leading Hunter Rider award. Alfano earned The Leading Hunter Rider Challenge Trophy donated by Scott Stewart in Memory of Mrs. Kenneth Wheeler, originally donated by Mr. and the late Mrs. Kenneth Wheeler.

Molly Ashe-Cawley and Back in the Game, owned by Paris Sellon, earned the Grand Open Hunter Championship following their tricolor win in the Regular Conformation Hunters. For their grand championship win, the pair received the “Isglide” Challenge Trophy donated by Mr. and the late Mrs. Kenneth Wheeler. For their conformation win they were presented with The German Challenge Trophy donated by The Consol General of the Federal Republic of Germany. Kelley Farmer and Taken earned the Regular Conformation Reserve Championship.

Molly Ashe-Cawley had great things to say about Back in the Game following his rounds today, stating, “He is so much fun to ride and he is a real class act. I have not shown him that much but every time I do, he makes me feel like I know what I’m doing. It is always fun to have a good one and he is just a great horse!”

The Small Junior Hunter 15 and Under division showed next, awarding championship honors to Shawn Casady and Wildrose. For the championship, Casady and Wildrose received The “Blue by You” Memorial Challenge Trophy donated by Miss Elyse Novick. Caitlin Ziegler and Fellini earned the reserve championship and also won the day’s stake class with a score of 90.

Best Child Rider on a Horse, Hannah Goodson-Cutt won the championship award in the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 with Caretano prior to the pair’s exciting Classic victory. They were presented with the “Follow Me” Challenge Trophy donated by Miss Carrie Lane. Holly Labry and Ruby received the reserve championship tricolor in the division, which was generously sponsored by Greentree South, Inc. Hayley Barnhill and Red Panda won the stake with a score of 90.

Grand Junior Hunter Champions Morgan Geller and Fabricio were the next pair to earn a championship tricolor after topping the Large Junior Hunter 15 and Under. Geller and Fabricio won the “Nevertheless and Pappy Clifford” Challenge Trophy donated by Turtle Lane Farm for the division championship and also received the “Theodorus Van Wyck Cushny” Memorial Challenge Trophy donated by Cora C. Cushny and Family for the Grand Championship. Hasbrouck Donovan rode Don Stewart Jr.’s Quality Time to the reserve tricolor, and Meg O’Mara and Walk the Line topped the stake class.

Fifteen-year-old Morgan Geller is currently a junior at Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, CA, and lives in Manhattan Beach.  Geller has owned nine-year-old Fabricio for one year and trains with Peter Lombardo. “This is my first time at the National Horse Show and it is really special to win here,” Geller smiled. “It is much different than California because we don’t have any indoors shows. We did Capital Challenge and Harrisburg, so as my third time showing inside, I think I have gotten the hang out of it.”

Geller described Fabricio as honest, smooth and fluid. “He’s really fun to ride and you can really trust him,” she stated.

The Large Junior Hunter 16-17 was the final junior division of the day, sponsored by Suzanne Marquard. The division presented top honors to Maggie Boylan and Poetic in the stake class to win the “Whiskey Before Breakfast” Memorial Challenge Trophy donated by Turtle Lane Farm. They were then awarded with the championship tricolor and the “Cantitoe Farm” Challenge Trophy donated by Mr and Mrs. Bruce Sokoloff. Leah DeMartini and Elm Rock LLC’s Vida Blue finished with the reserve championship.

The Amateur-Owner Hunters 18-35 showed next with a stake win and championship victory for Wesley Newlands and Pure Abundance. For the championship, Newlands won the “Scot To Do” Challenge Trophy donated by Ellen Van Dyke. Sponsored by Virginia Fout, the division awarded its reserve championship to Trifecta and Melissa Feller.

  • Save
Lisa Williams and Sanmorino were named National Horse Show Grand Hunter Champions. Photo © 2010 Lauren Fisher/PMG.

Completing the afternoon’s hunter championships, Lisa Williams and Sanmorino rode to victory in the Amateur-Owner Over 35 Stake class with a score of 88. The stake win secured the pair the division’s championship tricolor as well as the Amateur-Owner Grand Championship and finally, the overall National Horse Show Grand Hunter Championship. The Grand Amateur-Owner award included the “Ruxton and Scot To Do Challenge Trophy” donated by Ellen Van Dyke. The National Horse Show Grand Hunter Championship award earned Williams and Sanmorino the “Overdressed” Challenge Trophy donated by David H. Clarke Family in memory of Robert Lee Henry.

Ellen Toon and Invincible received the Amateur-Owner Hunter Over 35 reserve championship after their success in yesterday’s competition. The division was generously sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Earnest M. Oare.

Lisa Williams is from British Columbia and rides with Norah Ross in Vancouver and Lindy Townley in Victoria. Ross imported Sanmorino as a five-year-old and the now 11-year-old Dutch Gelding showed last year with Jack Hammond in the Second Year Green Working Hunters. “This is the first time for me to ride him indoors and it has been an amazing experience,” Williams smiled. “Sanmorino has a fantastic expression and way of going. He is always careful and the whole way around the ring he is always interested. He is by far the coolest horse I have ever ridden.  Over the years I have had a lot of nice young horses but I have ended up selling them before I had the opportunity to move up to the Amateur-Owners, so it is great to have this opportunity.”

The 2010 National Horse Show would like to thank the many generous sponsors that supported this years classes and a special thank you to Gary and Donna Duffy for providing the championship awards.

For more information on the National Horse Show, please visit www.nhs.org. For more information on the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse tournament, please visit www.syracuseinvitational.com.

Results

$50,000 National Horse Show Hunter Classic

Order   Entry #            Horse Name    Rider Name     Owner     Score

1          504      CARETANO  HANNAH GOODSON-CUTT         HANNAH GOODSON-CUTT         177.000

2          671      BACK IN THE GAME         MOLLY ASHE-CAWLEY   PARIS SELLON        176.500

3          554      POETIC          MAGGIE BOYLANMAGGIE BOYLAN173.500

4          538      QUALITY TIME       HASBROUCK DONOVANDON STEWART, JR172.000

5          448      JERSEY BOY            JENNIFER ALFANO           SBS FARMS INC      167.000

6          345      INVINCIBLE            ELLEN TOON           ELLEN TOON           160.000

7          439      FELLINI        CAITLIN ZIEGLERARTISAN FARMS    158.500

8          675      SANMORINO           LISA WILLIAMS     LISA WILLIAMS     158.000

9          518      TAKEN          KELLEY FARMER  NANCY AMLING    155.000

10        552      ZIDANE         JEFFREY AYERS     SUSAN DARRAGH146.000

11        445      MISS LUCY  JENNIFER ALFANO           HELEN LENAHAN  141.500

12        301      WALK THE LINE     MEG O’MARA          MEG O’MARA          123.000

Media Contact: Mason Phelps
Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
phone 561.753.3389  fax 561.753.3386
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com

Leave a Reply