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California Riding Magazine • September, 2010 Winner's Circle |
Local Youth Rock the Championships Local riders did the West Coast proud during the FEI Adequan North American Junior and Young Rider Championships. Run under strict FEI rules, just like a top flight international competition, the Championships were held July 28 through Aug. 1 at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. This is the same site where World Equestrian Games contenders will gather starting at the end of this month. Here is a round up of how our local riders did in the Championship’s four disciplines. Show Jumping: Zone 10 took home Young Riders Team Gold with a 16-fault total after two rounds. The squad included Richard Neal with Cavalier Tommi Tank, Taylor Siebel aboard Thunder-Ball, Saer Coulter riding Chalan and Lucy Davis showing Nemo 119. In the Junior division, California’s Jocelyn Neff and Gaja 20 took home individual bronze. Neff also contributed to Zone 10’s team silver in the Junior ranks, where her teammates were Audrey Coulter with Roden Burghs California, Lindsay Douglas on Pernot and Kendall Skreden and Esperanto. Dressage: Region 7 earned silver in the Junior competition. The team was Megan Adams and N.A.S.H, Stephanie Early and Panash, Jamie Pestana and Winzalot, and Genay Vaughn and Warnja. During the Junior Riders Individual test, Winzalot lived up to his name when earning 71.105% to scoop gold for Jamie Prestana. Eventing: Kelly Pugh and Copycat Chloe earned individual gold in the Young Rider/Two Star division, and were part of the silver winning YR squad comprised of Area VI’s Natalia Gurmankin and Tequesteris and VII’s Tessa Beckett and Sound Prospect. Area VI’s Kelly Loria led the Junior/One Star division from start to finish to earn individual gold. She then joined Area VI’s Madison Reeb and riders from Area VII and VIII for gold in the team event. This squad included Junior individual bronze medalist Lizzie Snow and Pop Star and Noelle Varga with BC Great Scot. Click here for a first-person report from Area VI stars Kelly Pugh, Kelly Loria and Madison Reeb. Reining: The USA-West team of Thea Arnold and PKM Imjusttwosmart, Alexandra Woolery and Little Devil Whiz, and Breanne Bertrand and Stoned Chick slotted into bronze medal position, behind Canada in gold and USA East in silver.
Rich Fellers and Flexible. Photo ©Tony Parkes WEG Show Jumping List Narrowed Richard Spooner and Cristallo and Rich Fellers and Flexible sit just below the cut off line, in 6th and 7th place, on the USEF’s ranked “short list” of 10 show jumping horse/rider pairs set for the four spots in the big event. The final list, which will include a fifth, alternate spot, will be named on Sept. 29, right before the jumping in Kentucky gets underway. McLain Ward, Laura Kraut, Lauren Hough, Mario Deslauriers and California-born Candice King have the top five slots. King would step up if one of the top four pairs became unable to contest the WEG, and Spooner and Fellers would be called on in the unlikely event that more met misfortune before the Games. As part of the selection process, Spooner, Fellers and Nicki Simpson spent much of the summer competing in Europe, under the eye of a selectors committee of Bernie Traurig, Molly Ashe, Mark Leone, the USET vet and advisor George Morris. All three West Coast based riders contributed to a strong second place U.S. finish in the eight-round Meydan FEI Nations Cup Series. The team was second to France and bettered Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain in the final standings. It must be frustrating to get so close to the Games. Simpson and Spooner finished the selection trials in first and second and were placed fourth and fifth on the initial ranked list of 15 horse/rider pairs after the trials’ completion in the spring. Fellers was 12th on that ranking, with his summer European tour performance vaulting him to sixth on the short list. Simpson and her young superstar Tristan are not on the short list because the selectors committee was recently told the horse was no longer available for the WEG.
Dave Costello Inducted Into The National Cutting Horse Association’s Hall of Fame After winning more than one million dollars in the cutting horse arena, Dave Costello of Paso Robles is being publicly recognized for his talents as a horse trainer, judge and a non-pro coach. After opening his training stables in the U.S. in 1982, Costello’s list of wins grow year after year. Just a small taste of the accomplishments the native born Australian has achieved are PCCHA Open Champion three times, PCCHA Open Reserve Champion three times, PCCHA Futurity Co-Champion, NCHA Open Show Finalist, NCHA Open Reserve Champion, as well as training two horses that earned the horse of the year honors. As a representative of NCHA, Dave is a four A judge, meaning he is one of the top judges in the field. News submitted by Sarah Wiebe of Paso Robles.
Nick Haness and Gelato with Blenheim EquiSports Marketing Director Melissa Braunstein and Bobby Drennan. Photo by Horse in Sport Photography Gelato & Chris Pratt Win Big in Del Mar Young hunter/jumper professional Nick Haness rode Conor Perrin’s Gelato to top honors in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby held during the Del Mar Racing Special in late July/early August. In doing so, he beat one of the medium’s best, Jenny Karazissis, who had four entries in the class. She finished second with Forbes, fourth with Lassaro and 10th with CR Franz Marc. Closing out the same show, the Del Mar Racing Special, California based Canadian star Chris Pratt cinched the first and second spots aboard G5 and Cruise, both owned by Indigo Farm, LLC.
Elizabeth Ball (center) won the Trilogy Saddle “Best Seat” award at the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships in Illinois. USEF Young Horse Coach Scott Hassler (left) and Trilogy President Debbie Witty (right) presented Ball with her award. Photo courtesy of Trilogy Saddles. Elizabeth Ball Keeps A Good Thing Going Carlsbad-based dressage trainer Elizabeth Ball and her stunning black American-bred Hanoverian, Selten HW, made history at the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships when they clinched the Six-Year-Old division, after having already won the Four-Year-Old and Five-Year-Old Championships in previous years. It seems Ball couldn’t be stopped at the show, as she also rode away the winner of the Trilogy Saddle “Best Seat” award. The Trilogy “Best Seat” award is presented to the rider that best fits the following three criteria: effective secure seat; well-fitting saddle that enhances performance for horse and rider; and overall appearance on the horse. “To watch Elizabeth ride is inspirational for every rider that knows the hours required to develop a good seat,” said Debbie Witty, President of Trilogy Dressage Saddles. “Elizabeth has a striking position on a horse and watching her ride 18-hand Selten HW, with his enormous gaits, is a thing of beauty. She makes it appear quite effortless.” Ball and Selten qualified for the FEI World Breeding Championships for Young Horses at Verden, Germany, but Ball chose instead to compete Selten at the Young Horse Championships, Lamplight, IL. Woodside Vaulters Win Individual and Team Titles at National Championships Local athletes from beginning to advanced levels representing the Woodside Vaulters equestrian vaulting club earned top honors at the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)/American Vaulting Association (AVA) National Championships. The event was held July 29-Aug. 1 at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara. Katherine Salisbury, age 9, swept the women’s trot division, placing first in both the compulsory and freestyle round to win the trot individual women’s championship. She also was awarded the prestigious AVA Zone Award for her cumulative scores in trot competitions in 2010. Katherine has been vaulting for four years, and took third place in the national championships in 2009. She lives in Atherton and is a student at Philips Brooks School in Menlo Park. Kristen Kuhn, age 8, won the women’s preliminary trot division, and four other Woodside vaulters placed in this division’s top 10. The Woodside Vaulters Trot Team placed second overall in the national championships. Team members are Katherine Salisbury, Samantha Welch, Audrey and Bridget Kiernan, and Kristen and Holly Kuhn. The trot vaulters are coached by Lisa Plungy. Their horse, Isabella, a Welsh/Haflinger cross, is trained by Lisa Plungy and Krista Mack. Woodside Vaulters also won the preliminary two-phase team championship. Team members are Hadley DeBrine, 12, San Carlos; Christine Herrmann, 15, Burlingame; Tessa Divita, 12, Redwood City, and Sarah Dunn. Their coach is Alicen Divita. Jennifer Arntsen trains their horse, Pepper Jack. In the preliminary pas-de-deux (pairs) event, Katrina Nibbi and Hadley DeBrine placed second and Christine Herrmann and Sarah Dunn placed third. In individual canter competition, at the women’s gold (elite) level, Woodside Vaulters’ Katharine Wick, age 17, Hillsborough, placed fourth overall. Alicen Divita, age 21, Redwood City, placed fifth overall. Patrick Stevens, age 18, Martinez, finished sixth overall among the men. Kathryn Jaggers placed fourth overall at the women’s silver level. Hadley DeBrine placed sixth overall at the women’s copper level.
Make It With A Twist Finishes Fiftheenth At USEF Trials The lovely palomino mare Make it with a Twist has done it again and just placed fifteenth in the USEF trials in one of reining’s toughest venues, Battle in the Saddle, held July 5-10 in Oklahoma City. Hailing from Auburn, this bodacious blonde and rider Sandra Bentien showed the boys how it was done. This mare, sired by Dun it With a Twist, has over $90,8550 in lifetime earnings in National Reining Horse Assoc. competition, despite never being nominated or competing in the NRBC or National Reining Breeder’s Classic, one of the sport’s biggest paying events. She is also 2010 NRBC USEF/CRI2 Silver Medalist, as well as the 2008 NRHA Int. Non Pro Derby Champion & Non Pro Res. Champion.
Photo: Deb Dawson Photography Mandy Porter Pilots LaMarque To Win In The $30,000 Grand Meadows Grand Prix Mandy Porter, owner of ACP Enterprises, Inc. now adds the $30,000 Grand Meadows Grand Prix at the Equestrian Classic I (AA), held July 27-Aug. 1 at the new Sonoma Horse Park, to her list of wins for this show season. Her promising mount was the young and impressively bred stallion, LaMarque, owned by Wild Turkey Farm, whose prowess in the ring that day launched the pair into victory. This gorgeous bay stallion, sired by the international grand prix jumper champion Lansing, has already won the $30,000 Copa de Amistad Grand Prix and placed second in the $30,000 Golden Gate Grand Prix just this year at the age of eight. His dam, Goldkueste (by Lord Calando), was also an international grand prix jumper so there’s little surprise about this stallion’s success in the show ring, and his future as a sire. Riders Vie for Medals at Gold Coast 5 The deadline for qualifying for medal finals is looming and Southern California riders had the opportunity to get the points they needed at the Gold Coast 5 show July 23-25. Erinn Lew won her first medal at her first away show. Lew earned several ribbons in those jumper classes, but she really shone in equitation. In addition to placing at or near the top of her flat and over fences classes, she capped the weekend with a win in the CPHA Horsemanship Medal. This was her first medal class other than the IEL. Magic Trax (Olivia Warner, owner) was Lew’s ride for the show. Olivia added some more blue ribbons to her own collection, winning two of her Children’s Jumpers classes and placing in the others with Entourage (Leslie Nelson, owner). She also showed off her equitation skills by placing second in the WCE Medal class. Susan Azad rounded out Heidi’s group by winning the Foxfield Medal class and earning many other equitation ribbons aboard Hemmingway, plus placing near the top of her jumper classes with Mozart Z. The medal wins continued with Michelle Morris (Karen Healey Stables, trainer), who won the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search in addition to her USEF Adult Equitation class. Morris rode Bergerac in the Talent Search. She rode her first equitation horse, Conrad, in the Adult Equitation. Although he is currently leased to another rider, Morris was able to borrow him back to get the qualification she needed in the class. Three of Morris’ barn mates joined her at the show specifically to qualify for their medal finals. Holly Dickinson was second in her Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal and CPHA Foundation Equitation, Grace Shelton won the CPHA Junior Medal and placed in the ASPCA Horsemanship, and Haley Harrison earned ribbons in the CPHA Junior Medal and Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal. Rachel Thurman (Kay Altheuser, trainer) placed second behind Morris in the Talent Search and earned blues of her own in the LAHJA/LA Saddlery Junior, ASPCA Horsemanship and Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal classes, then earned the championship in the 1.10M Jumpers class as well. In all, 13 riders from Altheuser’s Two Goals Farm took home six championships, five reserve championships and many first and second place ribbons in the hunter, jumper and equitation rings. Kira Zelman was Altheuser’s jumper star, clinching championships in 1.00M and 1.05M jumpers with Lancelot and the .90M championship and .85M reserve championship aboard Arco. Kayla Lott and Kif Kif D’Elle were 11 and Under Hunter Champions. Gabriella Barsocchini (Ginny Plancke, trainer) was another star in the equitation ranks, winning her three over fences classes and placing well in several others. Article provided by LEG Up News.
Wintera, by Windfall out of Pantera Z by Freedom Z, won her 2-year-old class as well as being named Champion Best Young Horse at the West Coast Oldenburg horse show held at Pollyrich Farms in Solvang on Aug. 8th. Wintera is owned and bred by Kristina Novak of Santa Ynez Valley View Farm. Novak is so proud of this filly and is excited the filly was awarded such a great honor.
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