by Leeann Mione

Posted May 7, 2002

DENVER, Co., - What a busy weekend exhibitors faced at the 26th annual Colorado Classic Horse Show April 25-28. “The horse show with a heart” benefited the American Heart Association and hosted 215 classes for Saddlebreds, Morgans, roadsters, Arabs, half Arabs, National Show Horses, academy and equitation exhibitors. Gayle Lampe, of William Woods University, judged the Saddlebreds, Morgans, Equitation and Academy divisions.

Horse show manager and CEO Martin Cockriel was assisted by secretary Anne Burton, treasurer Farra Baker, barn manager Bill Amen, paddock master Jim West, USAE steward June Watkins and ring steward Jerry Mavor to keep things running smoothly. Casey McBride was the official photographer, Doug Shane announced all classes and organist Willard Wylie set everything to music.

Many Colorado barns as well as a large number of amateur owner/trainers and exhibitors went home with winning and reserve ribbons including Rivers Edge, Greyrock Morgans, Stellar Stables, Martin Cockriel Stables, Belterra Morgans, Longview Stables, Gloraloma Ranch, Fantasy Farms, J & J Farm, and Amen Acres. Owner/exhibitors Stacey and Chelsea Ferguson also posted wins under the direction of Craig Hickey. Finesse Farm, owner Carrie Hammond, Stick Horse Farm, owner Lisa Cheney, Chowning Training Stables, Rickford Stables, The Meadows, Inc., owner Patti Rickman, owner Susan Duffey, James Wallen Stables, Bayridge Farms, Mears Morgans, exhibitor Kristen Carlson, Rum River Farm, exhibitor Pam Meskimen, owner Karen Stephens, Lindgren Stables, and exhibitor Christian Turner also posted wins or reserves by show's end.

River's Edge was the show's biggest winner under the direction of owners and trainers Mary Cockriel and Bob Kellert. The team directed the River's Edge Saddlebred, Morgan and equitation entries to wins in numerous divisions including Kellert's drives to the winner's circle with AMHF Mr. Courageous in the Morgan Park Harness Stake and open class for Ray and Allison Bendele. Allison Bendele was in the bike for the win in the Roadster To Bike II class. Mary Cockriel and Ready To Rumble won the junior english pleasure class and ladies english pleasure class for owner Cristy Coleman. MSH Phantom and Cristy Coleman were the Morgan Classic Pleasure Driving Grand Champions and champions, for owner Joan Blake, and also earned the Classic Pleasure Saddle Reserve Grand Championship. Coleman also went to the winner's circle with Stonecroft Sedona in the Amateur Morgan English Pleasure class and amateur pleasure driving class before returning in the English Pleasure Saddle Stake to take the reserve tricolor. Kellert drove AMHF Chatterbox to the win in the junior pleasure driving class for David and Cindy Vogels and also drove Black Swan to the Roadster Pony Reserve Grand Championship for River's Edge. Owner Amanda Nobbe and Sing To Champagne won the Country Pleasure Driving class and were the reserve grand champions under the River's Edge banner. Isothermal won the Adult Show Pleasure Driving class with owner Synnova Hayes. Kate Edmonds and Aspenglow's Baryshnikov won the Ladies Morgan Western Pleasure class for owner Erik Jensen. Richard Jeffery rode MSV Star Struck to the blue ribbon in the Open Western Pleasure class and Alexandra Meyer was up for the win in the 10 and Under Walk and Jog Open Western Pleasure class. River's Edge equitation winners included UPHA 10 and Under Walk and Trot Challenge Cup winner Alexandra Meyer. Riding Kathy Latta's Cedar Creek Ungaro Meyer also won the 10 and Under Walk and Trot Equitation class and the 10 and Under Walk and Trot Open English Pleasure class. Vincent LeMaster rode WSG Mystique Ovation to the 17 and Under UPHA Challenge Cup blue ribbon for owner Cristy Coleman.

Greyrock Morgans came away from the show with a bounty of winning ribbons under the direction of trainer John McDonald. Their winning total included Springmill Independence and owner Heather Burnham capturing the English Pleasure Stake after having won the junior exhibitor qualifier. McDonald drove Springmill Independence to the winner's circle in the Open Morgan Pleasure Driving class for Burnham. Nicholetta Burroughs took four victory passes under the direction of McDonald with two different mounts. She rode JJF Fear For Your Life to the Morgan Classic Pleasure Stake tricolor and also won the open qualifier as well as the 17 and Under Morgan Saddle Seat Equitation class. Burroughs was up on Nemours Hallmark for the winning ride in the AMHA Saddle Seat Medal class. Owner Susan Stoltz, riding her mount Faith Hill, took the winning ribbon in the Amateur Morgan Hunter Pleasure class and returned to capture the Open Hunter Pleasure Reserve Grand Championship. Love's Masterpiece won the Amateur Morgan Western Pleasure class with Jessica Keith riding for Brenda Keith under the direction of John McDonald. Erin Hittesdorf was the Stock Seat Equitation Grand Champion, with Genuine Jade, after winning the AMHA Western Seat Medal, 17 and Under Stock Seat Equitation qualifier as well as the Junior Exhibitor Morgan Western Pleasure class. Erica Merrill completed the Greyrock ribbon count by capturing the Hunt Seat Equitation Reserve Grand Championship.

Trainer Jamie Bridgewater directed the Stellar Stables group to a very successful weekend with one of the show's highlights being 11-year-old Anisa Tracy's win of the Three-Gaited Grand Championship with her world's champion entry CH Renowned SC for Get A Grip & Stuff, Inc. She had previously won the junior exhibitor class. Riding Worthy's Sir Worth-A-Lot, Anisa Tracy also won the Junior Exhibitor Five-Gaited class. Anisa's sister, Kendyl, had a very successful show as well under Bridgewater's direction. She was named the Saddle Seat Equitation Grand Champion with Right Wing. She also turned in the winning ride in the Junior Exhibitor Country Pleasure class with her world's champion Midtown Man. After winning their qualifier the team returned to earn the Country Pleasure Reserve Grand Championship. Kendyl switched gears and drove her roadster pony Just Cause to the Roadster Pony Championship tricolor, AHHS Roadster Pony Youth Medallion blue ribbon and open qualifier blue ribbon. Merle Tracy made winning a family affair for Get A Grip & Stuff by driving Undulata's Heir to the win in the Show Pleasure Driving Championship and drove Master Charles to the blue ribbon in the Roadster To Bike I class. Bridgewater directed several other entries to wins under the Stellar Stables banner. Alexa Gonzales and After Class won the Junior Exhibitor Three-Gaited Pleasure class. Christopher Hostetter, riding McFarm's Lady Legere, won the Junior Exhibitor Open English Pleasure class and Janica Wynn teamed Supreme Sugar to the blue ribbon in the Limit Rider Country Pleasure class.

Belterra Morgans, directed by Jennifer Frisbee, had a successful show with numerous wins by show's end. Kati Wood and RBC Callie went to the winner's circle four times of the five classes they competed in. Wood won the Hunt Seat Equitation Championship, 17 and under qualifier, and AMHA Hunt Seat On The Flat Medal and also won the Morgan Hunter Pleasure Championship. Wood won again when she was named the winner of the 14-17 Hunt Seat Equitation class with The County Agent. She then turned the reins over to Samantha Winsett who won the walk and trot stock seat equitation class. Katie Anderson and Let The Good Times Roll won the 14-17 Open Hunter Pleasure class and Abigail Rogers rode Let The Good Times Roll to the blue ribbon in the 10 and Under Walk and Trot Hunt Seat Open English Pleasure class and also won the 10 and Under Walk and Trot Hunt Seat Equitation class. Katie Anderson and Truly Divine captured the Morgan Western Pleasure Reserve Grand Championship. Lexie Clark rounded out the Belterra win count by riding RBF Gypsy Rose to the win in the 13 and Under Open Hunter Pleasure class for owner Susan Stoltz.

Martin Cockriel rode to the winner's circle many times including his win of the Five-Gaited Grand Championship and open class with his own entry Firestorm Of Genius. Cockriel was in the irons for the winning ride with In Living Color for Dan and Wretha Strode in the Open Three-Gaited class. Battle Flag, owned by Wretha Strode, won the Saddlebred Park Harness class with Cockriel driving and Cockriel also rode to the winner's circle in the Limit Five-Gaited class with his Rowell's Sugartime Shamrock. Kelsey Baker and Champagne's Cabaret won the Limit Horse Three-Gaited Pleasure class for owner Marilyn Brown. The Casino Queen and owner Farra Baker swept the country pleasure division by winning the championship and adult qualifier.

Patty Wooters directed the Longview Stables entries to several wins including daughter Kayla Wooters' win in the Amateur Five-Gaited Championship with Home Grown Tomato. Kayla also rode Great Pretender to the Junior Exhibitor Three-Gaited Pleasure Championship tricolor. Elizabeth Pankey was up on her Tigger Too for the blue ribbon in the Limit Horse Country Pleasure class. Jessie Terry won the Limit Rider Three-Gaited Pleasure class with her entry She's Sensational. Gabriella Londono and Santana's Kiss won the 17 and under equitation qualifier and the 11 and Under UPHA Challenge Cup before earning the Saddle Seat Equitation Reserve Grand Championship from Longview Stables.

Trainers Cliff and Joyce Swanson put several winners in the ring. Joyce Swanson teamed Swan's Diamond Rio to the blue ribbons in both the Morgan Junior Western Pleasure class and the Junior Horse Open Western Pleasure class for Victor and Susan Mihal. Cliff Swanson rode BMM Indecent Exposure to the blue ribbon in the Open Morgan English Pleasure class for Albert Porter. Tara's Apache scored two wins with Anne Ebbert in two different divisions. They paired up to capture the blue ribbon in the Adult Stock Seat Equitation class and the Open Adult Hunter Pleasure class. Roman and Cayce Marcos, trainers at Dan and Linda Owens' Gloraloma Ranch, directed Linda Owens and Callaway's Carillon to the Country Pleasure Driving Championship victory. Cayce Marcos drove Haelen to the Fine Harness I and II victories for Owens and Roman Marcos was up on Owens' Simply Diamonds for both wins in the park pleasure stake and qualifier. Worthy's Sunflower, owned by Rebecca Murr, carried Anna Gildea to the Junior Exhibitor Three-Gaited Pleasure Reserve Grand Championship under the Gloraloma banner as well.

Teresa Amen and Exquisite Step claimed five winning ribbons with six trips in the ring in front of judge Gayle Lampe. Exquisite Step won the Country Western Pleasure Championship after having won the qualifier and the Amateur Adult Open Western Pleasure class. Scoring another championship victory Amen also rode to the tricolor in the Open Western Pleasure Championship. Exquisite Step also won the Saddle & Bridle Hunter Classic.

The group from Fantasy Farms boarding facility stabled together and by show's end had accumulated several winning ribbons. Ron Beyer rode Imagine The Scandal to the Open Three-Gaited Park Championship after winning the amateur qualifier. Riding Sultan's Magical Preference for Janine Nold, Beyer also won the open park class before Lindsay Nold rode to the open park championship reserve tricolor. Lindsay Nold was up on Magic Two Socks for the blue ribbon ride in the Junior Exhibitor Country Western Pleasure class.

Showing under the direction of trainer Craig Hickey Chelsea Ferguson went to the winner's circle with two different mounts. She rode Absolute Ace to the win in the Adult Three-Gaited Pleasure class and rode Dick Tracy to the win in the Saddle & Bridle Shatner Western Pleasure class before taking the reserve victory pass in the Country Western Pleasure Championship.

Trainer Nancy Goodwin, from Finesse Farm, rode her own Heir Of The comet to the park pleasure reserve grand championship. Jenny Grudis was the Saddle & Bridle Pleasure Equitation Medallion Champion with Fanning The Flame and rode Galahad's Big Business to the USAE Medal win.

Amateur owner and trainer Carri Hammond and CH Hear The Beat were the Adult Three-Gaited Pleasure Grand Champions. Hammond also rode Perfectly Amazing to the Amateur Five-Gaited blue ribbon before taking the reserve tricolor in the Amateur Five-Gaited Championship.

Jessica Nicholson, of Stick Horse Farm, captured two wins in the Morgan division with her mount AMHF Absolut Celebration. Directed by Mickey Bacon, the pair won the Park Saddle Stake and open qualifier for The Travel Group, Inc.