THE SHOW SNOOP.
Edition 1, Issue 1; March 28th-29th, 2009
Ocala, Florida
The show season started back up with a bang this past weekend, with riders all over the circuit itching to get back into the swing of things. I hit the showgrounds eager to get back into the game after such a long hiatus and fortunately was rewarded with an action packed day.
WALK TROT CANTER.
[/b] and his gorgeous Arabian/Trakehner cross mare Seven Deadly Sins. No one can ever forget the terrible accident in which his friend Ben Sawyer died while catchriding Diane Winters' Hanoverian gelding Maximo, and this apparently scarred Caleb enough to keep him from riding for a long time. Obviously he did some serious soul searching and got some intensive coaching, because his performance in the ring was impeccable, earning him the blue his first time back. (Hey, maybe bringing home the blue will ease the pain of being cheated on by Kaylee Parker. Oh, don't think Moody Mare and I don't talk, I know all about that little snafu.) In second place was newcomer
Jamie Manlow and Illians Fantasy. Little is known about the petite brunette and her hulking Irish Draught as of now, but this was a nice introduction to the Florida show circuit, labeling her as a new rider to keep an eye on. Resident guy with sexy accent
Robert Chase and his Oldenburg stallion Rude Awakening placed third, followed by
Kaylee Parker and Toy Soldier in fourth. This was a nice placing for the relatively new pair, especially considering that “Jake” came to Kaylee with plenty of issues
and it was their first show. The pink rosette went to another newcomer,
Danny Buchanan and his gargantuan Percheron gelding Mister Television.
Molly Parker finally debuted her OTTB mare Time After Time, also known as Tay, and the pair earned a respectable sixth place. She's obviously been doing a lot of work with the cute little bay, and it has certainly paid off if they were able to place in such a competitive class in their first show.[/ul]
PRE-GREEN HUNTER.[/b] and her gelding Wonderwall, also known as Willy. The two had a neat, poised round that screamed elegance, the chestnut Thoroughbred supple and willing at all times. Perhaps Willy will soon be joining the ranks of Regular Working Hunter horses. I really wouldn't be surprised if he made the jump next season. In second place was
Danny Buchanan on Mister Television, a surprising placing indeed considering not only Buchanan's relative inexperience on the show circuit, but the hulking horse's stature and young age. However, the...striking pair knocked no rails and were awarded with the red rosette. Danny should be proud of himself and his horse for doing so well their first time out.
Robert Chase and his new mount, the Thoroughbred Roulette, found themselves in third place, a solid start for a new pair. In fourth was the very gorgeous, very green JJF Hallmark, ridden by trainer Nicolette Ponzio for owner Jenna Mihal, followed by Aaron Rickford and his lovely new mare Starstruck. In sixth place came the famously florescent chestnut Maximilian, piloted as always by amateur owner Rick Dallas. Their placing was a huge improvement from the disastrous performance at the last show that landed them at the very bottom of the twenty-five horse class.[/ul]
REGULAR WORKING HUNTER.[/b] and the striking dappled Irish Draught Illians Fantasy won the blue ribbon, the stallion moving with a grace you would never expect from a horse his size. A second and a first is a very strong start for Jamie and Joey. The team that won second place was even stranger,
Isaac Rook and his Saddlebred Wicker Man. Yes, you heard me right: Saddlebred. The slinky bay seemed more than content to tone down his normally extravagant action to go soaring gracefully over jump after jump. A Saddlebred in anything but Park or Pleasure is always an attention-getter, and he certainly caught the judge's notice.
Molly Parker and her seasoned show horse
Nine in the Afternoon earned themselves the yellow rosette, followed by sister
Kaylee Parker aboard Princeton in fourth.
Lenore Castel and her Hanoverian mare Quintessential came in at a disappointing fifth place, a very low placing considering the fact that the pair is usually in first or second. It's rather ironic, actually, that three of the top riders on the circuit came in beneath two amateurs, and newcomers at that. Caitlin Scholl rode Peppermint Twist, owned by Windy Ridge Farms, to a solid sixth place finish in her first show with the newly leased gelding.[/ul]
$5,000 NATIONAL HUNTER CLASSIC.[/b] and Princeton went home with the blue, and
Molly and Nine in the Afternoon the red. Whether it was Bay and Andy putting in an extra effort or Kaylee and Molly pushing themselves further than before, the Parker sisters and their mounts were in top form in their second class. Right behind them in third place were
Isaac Rook and Wicker Man, who continued their steady performance from their last class. Unfortunately,
Jamie Manlow and Illians Fantasy weren't able to parlay their success in the Working Hunter class to the Classic, coming in at fourth place. I'm sure Jamie was still quite happy with their overall performance. In fifth place yet again was
Lenore Castel riding Quintessential. The two were just not up to their usual standard in either class they entered, and when I spoke with her Lenore mentioned that she was “incredibly disappointed” in her poor performance in both Hunter classes. Sixth place went to junior rider Jennifer Coleman who put in a great round on her parents Jemma and Eric Coleman's stunning Hanoverian mare Lucinda.[/ul]
OPEN JUMPER.[/b] rode his Oldenburg Rude Awakening to the blue in the fiercely competitive Open Jumper class. Jasper and his rider put in a clear, incredibly fast round that pretty much guaranteed them a placing even with half the class left to go. It was quite a spectacle, I must say, and I've been around the block.
Lenore Castel and her Holsteiner stallion A Clockwork Orange were just a second and a half behind them to earn second place. Lenore was much more pleased with her performance with Alex, especially because he hadn't competed at the last show due to a minor injury. In third place came Nicolette Ponzio and her own Allegretto, followed by her own student Adrienne Rosales riding Just Desserts. This was a big move up for Adrienne and Desi, and the team did very well despite all the pressure they must have been under. Colleen White rode to a fifth place finish on Big Apple, leased from Four Star Farm, and just behind them were veteran team Jessica Paxton and Montague, who manged to place despite having an “off day”, according to Jessica. [/ul]
That's all for now, kids. Until next time![/blockquote]
[/size]
