Freedom Hall stands ready and waiting.
SUNDAY EVENING
It seems like it wasn’t all that long ago that He’s The Man and Smith Lilly exited Freedom Hall with the Five-Gaited World’s Grand Champion blanket of roses but here we were again, in the seats for the 104th World’s Championship Horse Show. The evening was filled with Kentucky County Fair Championships and two ASR Futurity classes that paid out more than $60,000 in prize money.
The first of those futurity classes opened the show with 28 weanlings shown in front of judges Mitch Clark, Jack Noble and Jimmy Robertson. From the 28 they selected four for a second look. Of those four, two were out of former world’s grand champions.
Year in and year out Joan Lurie presents babies who are right at the top and this year was no exception. Sired by the much talked about Undulata’s Nutcracker and out of the 1998 and 1999 Five-Gaited World’s Grand Champion CH Garland’s Dream, Undulata’s Dream Team was the first world’s champion crowned for 2007. The exceptional weanling earned more than $14,000 in prize money and the Susan Olcott Memorial Trophy for owner/breeder Hoppy Bennett with Lurie on the lead. Marching a strong trot off of both ends, Diamonds and Orchids (Nureyev x The Irish Orchid) was named the reserve world’s champion with Smith Lilly presenting for Sue Nifong. The Lilly/Nifong team has been quite successful in the futurity classes at Louisville over the past few years and this year’s effort earned a paycheck of a little over $7,000.
A standout at the Breakfast With The Babies party during Lexington Junior League, Sir Radiant Knight was the third place finisher for owner/handler Dena Lopez. Sired by Sir William Robert and out of Radiant Dianna (dam of World’s Champion of Champions Aurora Borealis), Sir Radiant Knight won $3,500 for his third place finish. Sired by Saddle Horse Report’s number one sire of world’s champions for the past two years, CF First Night Out, and out of the multi-titled world’s grand champion CH A Sweet Treat, Stonecroft Dutch Treat was fourth among the 28 contenders for handler Nelson Green and owner/breeder Stonecroft Farm.
The first Kentucky County Fair Champion of 2007 was the elegant black mare, Harlem’s Santa Fe. Reserve winner in the County Fair Fine Harness Championship last year, Harlem’s Santa Fe was the unanimous champion this year with Susan Bartlett driving under the direction of Cedarwood Farm. Also making a strong showing was the Lindsay Lavery-trained Dances On Air, the reserve champion presented by Sharla Deuschle.
It was also a unanimous decision for Twin Willow’s Wild Thing, winner of the Kentucky County Fair Harness Pony Championship for the second consecutive year. Mary Gaylord McClean made the winning drive for Golden Creek Farms. They had all the competition they wanted as Sally (McCue) Grieme and Senor made a spectacular show to command reserve champion honors. The last time Grieme showed at Louisville was 23 years ago when she showed her pleasure horse Mellow Magic to a world title.
A winner from start to finish, Dunay wore the roses as the Kentucky County Fair Three-Gaited Grand Champion. It was a unanimous title for Rob Byers who was riding for owner Laura Lee Samford. Clark Clouse started out what would be a good evening for him with the reserve ride aboard Last Tango In Paris for Liberty Saddlebreds.
Winning road ponies and Jerry Cummins go hand in hand, and such was the case in the Kentucky County Fair Road Pony Championship. Heartland Flurry made the unanimous victory pass over a good group of challengers including reserve champions Lamborghini and Georgia Blevins.
The Walnut Way gang congratulated Jerry Cummins (in
silks) on his KY County Fair Road Pony Championship
with Heartland Flurry.
The evening moved along with 22 entries parading across the green shavings for the ASR Futurity of Kentucky Yearling class. From the 22, last year’s reserve world’s champion weanling, The Power Of One was a standout. Absolutely huge and talented, this son of Sir William Robert and Clara-Phi was expertly presented by the highly successful Morgan trainer John Hufferd who was assisted by his brother Kurt. Owners Joe and Naomi Lengacher received a winning paycheck of more than $14,000. A little over $7,000 went to Blythewood Farms for reserve world’s champion Odeon (A Superb Manhattan x Bonne Nuit). Brian Reimer and Miss Fancy Town were right in the mix with a third place finish, just ahead of Call Me Regal and Danette Musselman.
It was hard to tell who was more excited, former owner Sandra Hall or current owner/trainer Matt Shiflet of Diamond View Farm who drove Cosmical to the Kentucky County Fair Roadster To Bike Championship. The powerful Standardbred flew down the rail wearing the roses of a Louisville champion. Mike Felty presented Fed Ex for Deborah Butler to claim reserve honors among seven entries.
(l. to r.) Kristen Shiflet, Erin Hall, and Sandra Hall were
thrilled with Cosmical’s KY County Fair Road Horse
Championship with Matt Shiflet on the lines.
General Mills won his fifth consecutive Kentucky County Fair Hackney Pony Championship for his third different owner. Singing Hills Farm trainer Gene van der Walt drove him for the last time, representing new owners James and Helen Rosburg. It was a good class of ponies as Sandra Surber drove the many times champion Heartland Candidate to the reserve championship.
Night One of the 104th World’s Championship Horse Show came to a close with the 11-horse Kentucky County Fair Five-Gaited Championship. Reunited with his former Two-Year-Old Three-Gaited World’s Champion, Clark Clouse rode Radiante to the roses for Elmo Lee Greer. The crowd showed great appreciation for Melissa Moore and reserve champion Zara Spook, a white-legged gelding owned by Dr. Wendy Troyer.
Radiante and Clark Clouse made their victory pass
as KY County Fair Five-Gaited champions.