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Lexington Junior League - Friday Evening



A cloudless sky greeted the big Friday night crowd to the Red Mile, as a hot but not unbearable week marched on into a performance of 18 classes, most for junior horses and amateur riders and drivers. But even the Lexington sun could not outshine the performance of Endolane Sydny and Rob Wilson. Bred and owned by Robert and Nancy Bell, Endolane Sydny is by Titleist Memory and out of a CH Courageous Admiral mare. On Tuesday night, this bright mare showed in the Junior Five-Gaited Mare qualifier that got postponed due to a torrential downpour. The combination of the rain and the delay clearly got to the young mare a bit and she did not make her best show, finishing sixth. On Friday night, she put it all together in a big, big way. This unbelievably talented mare put rocked her head and neck right back into Rob Wilson’s lap and just strutted her way around the ring. This team served notice tonight that when they are on the money, they are going to be tough to beat. Combining speed and beauty, they put on a great show for the enthusiastic Junior League crowd. Reserve in the class was another popular pick, Twilight Maxamillion. Kris Knight was in the saddle for Doug Nelson and Carol Graham. A very powerful, athletic horse, Maxamillion is by I’m A New Yorker. Up for third was It’s Saturday Night Live, with Peter Cowart teaming the flashy flaxen horse for Beth Arndt.

Two of the first three classes were equitation classes with several entries in each. An incredible fourteen entries showed up for the Walk and Trot Equitation championship meaning the judges’ had their hands full, so full indeed that a work out was needed. Ten young riders battled it out and stayed strong in the ninety plus degree weather to work for the tri-color. In the end that blue, red, and yellow ribbon went back to the Cape Cod tack room as Aleia Brown rode with great form, presence, and skill far beyond her young years. The talented rider will no doubt be a force to be reckoned with for years to come in the equitation ranks. The reserve ribbon went to pretty-riding Macey Miles, making father Todd and her whole DeLovely family very proud as she marched down the rail making great passes. Rounding out the top three was Madison Peyton Miller riding under the Reiser Stables banner.

The next and final equitation class of the evening was the Junior Saddle Seat Equitation championship. In a strong class with a variety of riding styles, it was four riders who were called for additional testing in pattern form. Those four very decorated riders included Courtney McGinnis, Belle Owen, Gavin Gagnon, and Taylor Newton. After staying steady and precise on her rail and pattern work, it was Belle Owen from DeLovely to make the victory pass. Reserve went to Taylor Newton under the Sugar Knoll banner.

In between the two Equitation championships, the Hackney Pleasure Driving ponies vied for their Championship honors. It was a well-matched class with several top entries. Early Edition and Jane Mueller, Mastercraft’s Namesake LF and Stephany Monteleone, and Heartland Entitled and Sandra Surber were all in and capable of taking the top spot. In the end, the tried and true team of Early Edition and Jane Mueller took the trip down victory lane. Early Edition never seems to put a foot out of place. Three years in a row this beautiful pony and Mueller have won at least one class at Louisville. Reserve in this 10-pony championship was Mastercraft’s Namesake LF, with Stephany Monteleone at the lines. This pony has a light, airy trot that took him to the blue ribbon in the qualifier on Wednesday. Third in the class was Heartland Entitled. Sandra Surber did the honors under the direction of Majestic Oaks.

Ladies Fine Harness World’s Champion of Champions last year and undefeated on the season until Monday night, Lady Vol was back with a vengeance to take home the Amateur Fine Harness Championship by a unanimous choice of the judges with Chris Kaplan driving. Mike Roberts and Zach Duffy train this fantastic mare who has perfected the park trot. Mary Gaylord McClean is the epitome of class whether driving a pony or a horse. She and Cherished King were the Reserve Champions after taking the qualifier blue. Up for third was Amateur Fine Harness World’s Champion of Champions Castledream, with Misdee Wrigley Miller at the lines. In a beautiful violet dress, Miller put on a great show with the Amateur qualifier winner. It will be interesting to see which of these lady drivers goes which route at Louisville, whether it be Amateur, Amateur Ladies or Ladies.

The Amateur Harness Pony Championship went back to Frickey Farms with Regal’s Pride LF and Karen Frickey, also the winners of the qualifier. It was a great performance for this well put together, athletic pony by Dun-Haven Regal Attraction and out of a Mastercraft mare, a staple cross of Dan and Leah Light’s breeding program. The Reserve Champion was Sweetheart Of Success, a full sister to Par Excellence and Harness Pony World’s Grand Champion in 2006. She was driven to a refined performance by Karen Waldron. The third-place tie went back to Majestic Oaks with Heartland Flirtation and Mia Blevins Morris. This little powerhouse pony really squatted down and went to marching.

The Five-Gaited Pleasure Championship was split into adult and junior exhibitor sections. In the adult ranks, Emily Lee once again rode to the winner’s circle with a smooth, consistent performance aboard Happy Again in their first horse show together. Husband/trainer Tre Lee joined Emily for the presentation. The reserve tri-color was the property of Jewelfire and Barbara Jozwiak, showing for Stanley Jozwiak. This is an up and coming team in the division with just a few shows under their belt. Jewelfire is by Family Jewels and out of a Harlem’s Hot Dice mare.

The junior exhibitor division of the Five-Gaited Pleasure Championship saw another repeat winner, as Sunken Treasure and Drew Taylor Hewitt racked off with the top ribbon. This unbelievably game and gifted horse is really coming into his own in his second year as a gaited pleasure horse. The Cash Lovell crew voiced their appreciation for a job well done. CH Mariachi is no stranger to this division, having won the Five-Gaited Pleasure Championship here in 2006 with Jan Myers. Tonight, Calee Dillon was aboard to take the Reserve Championship. CH Summit Up and Allison Combs rounded out the top three.

The members of the Cash Lovell Fan Club were in serious danger of losing their voices after Heartland Curtain Call brought Lindsey Jones to the winner’s circle for Cash Lovell Stables second straight victory, this one in the Junior Exhibitor Roadster Pony Championship. World’s Champion and UPHA Classic National Champion as a three-year-old last year, Curtain Call is by Heartland High Tech and out of a Dun-Haven Bandolier mare. Just four now, he has a long future ahead of him as a top road pony. Catch Me If You Can, a Reserve World’s Champion in this division last year, was Reserve Champion, with Lauren Mathewson driving. Also by a Heartland stallion and out of a Dun-Haven-sired mare, Catch Me If You Can is by Heartland Equality and out of a Dun-Haven Awesome Creation mare.

Amateur Park saw CH High Heat and Melody Adler take the Championship by a unanimous choice of the judges. Making a strong performance off both ends, this Radiant Sultan son will be tough to beat. Winner of his qualifier at Louisville last year, he looks poised and ready to take on Freedom Hall. Reserve to the champion was last year’s Amateur Park Champion, CH Tax Man. Peggy Whitley Councilman was once again in the irons of this grand horse. These two top entries will see each other again in the Amateur Stallion/Gelding qualifier at Louisville.

After taking a class off to recuperate, the Cash Lovell cheering section had cause to celebrate once again, as Saddlebred perfection hit the ring for the Ladies Three-Gaited Stake. This was none other than the Ladies Three-Gaited World’s Champion, Our Charming Lady. She is the complete picture of a ladies horse. She has it all. Beautiful, refined head and neck? Check. Measured, steady, surreally animated park trot? Check. Manners and demeanor befitting of a lady rider? Absolutely check! She never backs an ear or takes a step out of line for Mary Marcum Orr. And to Mary’s credit, she always seems so happy when her number is called out for the blue, even though they have never been beaten together. The Reserve Champion is a real up and comer. A light chestnut with an even lighter tail, Hillcroft Claret was bred, raised and now shown by Misdee Wrigley Miller. He is by Kalarama Cabernet and out of a Harlem Globetrotter mare. His second dam is the Broodmare Hall of Famer, Co-Ed’s Leading Lady. In his first year under saddle, he is well on his way to being a star. Third in the class was Misdee Miller’s niece, Ali DeGray, aboard Wee Pee’s Storm. The two passed each other on the way out of the ring and shared a nice moment of fun and congratulations.

Seamair Simply Awesome dug in and waved his legs to take home the Amateur Hackney Pony Championship. Simple Awesome is by Dun-Haven Truly Awesome and put on a good show for John Wrather. The Reserve Champion was a golden dream. Heartland Moonglow is a light, light chestnut, with a golden blonde tail. His driver, Kay Marschel, has golden blonde hair and wore a shimmering gold dress, creating a beautiful picture.

Stonecroft Nightlight made a consistent, striking performance with Jim Lowry to take the Junior Three-Gaited Stake for owners Karrie Graham and Dwaine Kinderknecht. Nightlight is by CF First Night Out and out of Sultan’s Radiance, the dam of Mr. Snuffleupagus, With Authority, Corporate Focus and many others. Nightlight is the only one of this Broodmare Hall of Famer’s offspring by First Night Out. Brought out as a two-year-old by Nelson Green, Nightlight was ridden to the ASR Three-Year-Old Three-Gaited Sweepstakes Championship last year by Jim Lowry. The Red Mile crowd witnessed possibly his two best performances this week. Pat McConnell has a nice young mare by Callaway’s Blue Norther in Callaway’s Rosemary and Thyme. Out of a Mean Machine daughter, this pretty mare has the makings to be a top walk-trot horse in just her first year in the show ring. She made her debut just a month ago at Indianapolis Charity with Bille Rae Graham. Carter Cox had a real crowd pleaser in third. Ribbons And Reins, an entry of William Phelps, is by Periaptor and out of a Sultan’s Starmaker mare. She is a pretty, fixy bay mare with a world of talent.

The Junior Exhibitor Show Pleasure Championship was pared down from 20 entries to a 10-horse workout, and finally to one unanimous winner. The judges kept half the field for additional rail work, including CH A Magic Spell with Katie Jarve, Over Achiever with Alex Foster, Out Go The Lights with Lauren Greenwald, Molly O’Donnell with Ashley Baird, Big Show with Shelby Graves, CH Harlem’s Moving Man with Taylor Lafargue, What A Girl Wants with Ali Layman, CH A New York Entertainer with Jessica Macleod, Walterway’s Headline Material with Grace Ann Walker, and Lookin’ Yonder with Allison Harpole. It was an amazing lineup of juvenile pleasure horses. On a hot night, these 10 teams kept working hard for the top prize. Lookin’ Yonder and Allison Harpole made some big passes, stating their case for the tri-color loudly, coming up just shy and settling for a hard-earned Reserve Championship. As the class and then the workout went on, there was one horse that just kept going and going and never missed a beat. Every time you looked up, there she was, flaxen mane and tail bouncing along down the rail in perfect tempo, making a perfect pleasure picture. There is the old saying that you can’t win a class at the canter, but you sure can lose one. Well CH A Magic Spell goes a long way to disproving that one. She and Katie Jarve make their canters count under the direction of Jennifer Dixon. They canter along in such a calm, cool, collected, pleasurable manner that they can make breathtaking passes and catch the eye of judges even at this gait. It was the second (and third counting the workout) class of the night for Katie Jarve, who also had a nice go with CH Callaway’s Capitol Reporter earlier in the evening, and she put on a dazzling performance to earn the vote of all three judges.

After winning the Limit Roadster to Bike class last night, you would think that a top flight road horse like Mr’s Bones would be a bit tired the next night. Well, that would be an incorrect statement. Charlie Jones was back in there and having a blast with this fantastic newcomer to the road horse ranks to fly away with the Amateur Roadster to Bike Championship under the direction of Jan Lukens. Tom Fiedler has Valparaiso working in top form and drove off with the Reserve Championship after two wins at Midwest Charity last month.

The Junior Fine Harness Championship was a battle between Hi On Heir, Buck Be A Lady, and Callaway’s Local News. Melinda Moore headed Melissa Moore in the winner’s circle as she drove Hi On Heir down victory lane for Joe and Sally Jackson. Hi On Heir is by Winsdown Celebration and out of a Supreme Heir/Attache bred mare. Best of 10 entries, Hi On Heir has lots of white to go along with his huge way of going. He was the unanimous choice of the judges. Lisa Strickland had Buck Be A Lady working high and strong in second. A dark chestnut with a light tail, Buck Be A Lady is by CF First Night Out and out of a CH Buck Rogers mare. She is owned by Mimi Bahcall and has “Fine Harness” written all over her pedigree. Bret Day had Callaway’s Local News in top form for Keith and Sally Kurz in third. She is a sight in harness, but she is even better under saddle.

Mary Gaylord McClean continued a fantastic week for Golden Creek with a win in the Amateur Roadster Pony Championship with Heartland Production. According to our figures, Heartland Production has shown 45 times. Another top entry by Dun-Haven Awesome Creation, this pony has to be one of the most consistent of all time. In those 45 trips to the show ring, only three times has the journey ended without a trip to the winner’s circle. And all three of those times were in the Amateur Road Pony World’s Championship. Two of the three ended with Production as the Reserve World’s Champion of Champions. An amazing career for an amazing pony, and there is no sign of slowing down. The Wrathers were back with another top pony to take the Reserve Championship. This time it was Charlotte Wrather at the lines, driving Boxford Courageous Spirit to the reserve tri-color. Toni Nastali and the Majestic Oaks team have Heartland Victory Maker working high and fast. They took the third-place tie.

The final class of the night brought a tough class of Ladies Five-Gaited horses to the ring for their stake class. After riding the horse for the first time just a week prior, Deborah Visser piloted Callaway’s Born For This to her second win of the week for Stonecroft Farm. National Futurity winner as a three-year-old for Burt Honaker and Junior World’s Champion last year with Nelson Green, Born For This is one of just a handful of horses that can say they are a Ladies Five-Gaited Champion, sired by a Ladies Five-Gaited World’s Champion of Champions. That doesn’t happen too often. Also, this mare seems to be getting a darker shade of gray as she gets older. Another thing that doesn’t happen too often. The Reserve Championship went to I’m Royalty Too and Heather DiGiannantonio, riding for Louis and Rosemarie Fernandez. Santana’s Charm and My Bugatti Royale were proud parents on this night, as their offspring swept the Ladies Three-Gaited and Five-Gaited Stakes. I’m Royalty Too and Our Charming Lady are full brother and sister.

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