Lexington Junior League - Friday Morning
Saturday, July 11, 2015
With a huge group of 18 entries, the Walk-and-Trot Equitation Championship was split into two groups of nine. Samantha Swiger took the tricolor in the first section for the Meadow Dream team of Jimmy and Georgia Morrison. Teamed with Miss Mheiry Mac, Samantha has been rocking it this year, winning six classes in a row headed into this week. She has really stepped up her game, culminating in this Red Mile championship. Sara Evans and CH Keeper Of The Stars made the High Caliber fans happy as the reserve champions. Sara was the 8-and-Under Walk-and-Trot Reserve Champion here just a year ago. She also swept this division at J.D. Massey Classic back in April. Ava Bertagnolli and Amber Lager were glittering in third, while Case Kobylski and Tom Lewis finished fourth.
Reagan Webb and Quintin Roberts flipped their qualifier placings from yesterday, with Reagan taking the last pass today with Our Fleur De Lis. She certainly heeded instructor Shelley Fisher’s coaching to “ride like the winner!” This is Reagan’s third year in the walk-and-trot ranks, crossing over between Morgans and Saddlebreds with similar success, though she does stick with bay mounts. No matter the breed, she has proven tough to beat. Quintin Roberts is another crossover star. He has been a bad, bad man since his Morgan Grand National debut in 2010. That should give you an idea of how little he was back then. It’s five years later, and he is still in 10-and-under! Qualifier winner yesterday, he rode Cinderella Blues to the reserve championship honors under the direction of Pam Roush and horse owner Sarah Taylor Russell. Courtney Kramlick and Victory’s Lady Fox were a good third, with Genevieve Arzberger and Miraculous Odds in fourth.
The equitating continued here on Friday morning with the USEF Saddle Seat Medal. Rayann Schaffer made this her best Lexington yet, winning for the third time this week aboard New York City Kitty. Trained by Louis and Jennifer Louw, Rayann hasn’t been beaten on this track since last year, and even then she won two out of three! Always a contender here at Lexington, reigning Senior Equitation World’s Champion of Champions Courtney McGinnis picked up the red ribbon in second. She and CH-EQ Imagine My Surprise show under the DeLovely banner.
The Hunter Country Pleasure Championship saw Kaitlin Zimmerly take her first Red Mile victory pass aboard Joshua Sam. The entry of Mary Kay and Kaitlin Zimmerly is based out of Springboro, Ohio. By Con Heir and out of a Truly Stonewall mare, Joshua Sam was the champion of this division at Heartland Classic and Twin Rivers Benefit earlier this year. Who Dat Deuce repeated his qualifier placement, earning the reserve championship with Jennifer McGowan. Owned and bred by Sunrise Stables, he has wins at May Classic, Rock Creek, Lawrenceburg, and Woodford County this season. Vamoose and Amy Haller were third for Lauren Burin, while Perazzi and Sarah Keil finished fourth for Jane Keil.
Gina Pansari used a good pattern to move up a spot to take the 13-and-Under Pleasure Equitation Championship today for Kierson Farm. She and Callaway’s Collateral haven’t finished out of the top two all season long. Gina is in just her second year out of academy. Also moving up in the championship, Zoey McCutcheon was the reserve champion aboard Paradoc’s Korygami. The Fiesta Farm crowd clapped, cheered, hugged and carried on to celebrate one of Zoey’s best performances to date. Gabbie Gardiner and Harley Rally were third, with Claire Perreault and Gypsy Miracle fourth.
Geared up in perfect Lexington style, rockin’ the full seersucker suit with a straw hat, Dylan Kirk mastered the Red Mile to complete his sweep of the Junior Exhibitor Hackney Pleasure Driving ranks. Dylan’s teammate, CH Seamair Dear Sir, was the one trimmed in tricolor today under the direction of Heather Boodey. Talk about longevity, Dear Sir was a winner here in 2002 and 2003 and now for the fourth year in a row in this latest run. Alexis Lewis thrilled owner and trainer Mindy Preston with her drive to the reserve championship. She took Kilbro’s Uncle Louis to that prize. This young pony was top three in the UPHA Hackney Pleasure Driving Classic National Championship last year, also with Alexis driving. Heartland Walk The Line and Taylor Russell also received top three honors for Beth Jones.
The top two from Saddle & Bridle’s Pleasure Equitation Medallion flipped spots in the 14-17 Pleasure Equitation Championship. They did keep their rhyming scheme together, as today it was Bailie then Kaeley instead of Kaeley then Bailie. Bailie Deer was the unanimous pick today aboard Soquili’s Sir Galahad. The Fiesta Farmers have had a ton of reasons to celebrate this week, as Stephanie Lilly has her riders on point for the Red Mile. This group of 12 was a good one, with Bailie stepping up to the challenge to take the tricolor. Kaeley Arterburn scored the reserve tricolor for Zubrod Stables. She and La Zingara are a well-matched team. Kaeley is always in the top of the class, finishing now lower than third in the last two years. Anne Pateman and Renaissance Rose were up for third, followed by Kristina Mauro and Soquli’s Mystique in fourth.
Winner of eight of his last nine on the Red Mile, Blushing Bull was the unanimous tricolor winner in the Western Country Pleasure Championship today. Lindsay Sowell has been the rider for the last two tricolor wins, while Malissa Welke was aboard for the first two wins of this four-year streak. Suzanne Bradshaw and Lowry Stables are the constant in this equation, serving as owner and trainer of this curvy and beautiful bay son of The MVP and Sultan’s Sweet Kiss. Stonecroft Me First and Charlotte Kurtz repeated their qualifier spot as the reserve champions today. Directed by Adam and Desiree Clauson, Me First is by CF First Night Out and out of That Special Face. This team has four wins and four reserves on the season. Arrowhead’s Captain Morgan and Marti Lockwood were third under the direction of Rick Gervasio.
The top two from the USEF Adult Saddle Seat Medal National Finals were reversed in the UPHA Adult Challenge Cup National Finals. Lexington is now the home to the two biggest championship events in the adult equitation world. There were 16 entries today and 15 in the USEF Finals, way more than qualified in the entire Saddle Seat Equitation division here. Reagan Upton gave the Cascade Stables team reason to cheer, as she and Callaway’s Letter To The Editor were the choice as the UPHA Adult Challenge Cup National Champions. USEF Saddle Seat Medal Reserve National Champion the other day, Reagan has been tough to beat all season long, from Pro-Am to ETSA Spring Classic, Dixie Cup, Mid-South Spring Premier, Northeast Georgia Charity, and Mid-Summer Classic. It’s sometimes tough for our database to keep track of rider name changes. Horse name changes? No problem! But our database shows this as Reagan’s first year showing! Now go search “Reagan Huguley” and you will see the rest of the story. The USEF Adult Saddle Seat Medal National Champion was the Reserve National Champion today, as Brett Lee Self followed up her ReporTV fame with another great show for Fiesta Farm and trainer Stephanie Lilly. Once again teamed with Safe Harbor, Brett put together a good combination of precision and showmanship for this prize.
Also making this Top Ten were Ashley Brandies, Dr. Morgan Wolin, Jennifer McGowan, Kate Nichols Totterdale, Dr. John Stutts, Katy Flynn, Danielle Dubay Navarro, and Shelby Graves.
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