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Louisville - Monday Evening



The stormy skies finally cleared up over the afternoon to make way for a clear, but humid, Monday evening.  Gracing the ring for the first class of the night were the junior over two walk-trot horses.   First down the chute was Macadamia and from then on she took command of the ring with Steve Wheeler in the irons.  Since his win in the UPHA Three-Gaited Classic Championship there has been no stopping her.  With his swan like neck and his four white feet drawing to his extreme motion she captured the win unanimously for Glasscock Financial Services.  Nelson Green was back in the saddle aboard Sirtainly Stylish for the reserve title.  Owner Jacqueline Manzo has made the last two trips aboard the Sir William Robert son with wins at Lexington and Harrodsburg.   Winner here a year ago in the ASR Three-Gaited Park Pleasure Futurity, On Higher Ground with James Stachowski rounded out the top three for Shawn Stachowski.

Next in were five vying for the Harness Pony Mare title.  Larry Ella had Gizelle in top form making the victory pass for the fourth year in a row for Bent Tree Farm.  In only her second show, Phenomenal Fox and Mary Gaylord McClean captured the reserve title.  Their debut was at Midwest Charity winning the UPHA Harness Pony Classic.  With the crowd’s applause, Heartland Queen Of The Road and Susan Olcott picked up the yellow ribbon. 

All three judges said yes in the Junior Five-Gaited Mare class as Callaway’s Say Yes! and Peter Cowart bested the field of 11 unanimously.  Little Cahaba Properties owns the CH Caramac/Local Motion four-year-old who maneuvered through the traffic with ease in her show ring debut.  Rob Byers was aboard I’m Blue In The Face for the reserve title for Mount Saddlebreds.  Kalarama’s Bluegrass Max and Wyatt DeHart rounded out the top three for Jack Cumber. 

The horn called in nine amateur ladies for their fine harness class.   The class was full of our season favorites and one new team.  What a place to choose to debut…Freedom Hall.   It might seem crazy but Janet Sterba was the picture of composed as she piloted Caraway’s New York Minute down the rail.  Recently purchased from the Wheeler family, it has been since his 2012 win in Freedom Hall with Kenny Wheeler in the amateur gentlemen class that New York Minute has been in harness.  Mercer Springs put the team together in less than a month.  The hard work paid off as they made their way to the winner’s circle.  Winners for this class for the past two years, Military Secret put in yet another wonderful performance earning the reserve title with Grace Arnold, who was impeccably dressed in red.  Fresh off a championship win at Lexington, the stunning black mare Kalarama’s New York Lady carried out the yellow streamers with Vicki Reed.

It was another win for Peter Cowart after the work was done in the Junior Five-Gaited Stallion/Gelding class.  This one, however, was not a debut.  Deputy’s Heir came into Freedom Hall with four wins in five classes on his resume and he added another tonight for owners Travis and Lisa Blackwelder.  Elisabeth Goth entries grabbed the next two spots.  Here Comes The Boom excited the crowd in 2013 with his Three-Year-Old Five-Gaited winning performance.  Tonight with Neil Visser they claimed the reserve title.  The big going bay Noble Charm was third with Bret Day in the irons, also for Goth.  The Hathaway Man, who got everyone’s attention at Midwest, was fourth with Richmond DeHart presenting for Rocco Litrenta. 

The pace picked up with the Open Road Pony Over 50 to 52 Inches teams bursting through the gate.  Regal’s Lightning Strike LF and Mary Gaylord McClean came to the green shavings with wins at Lexington and Shelbyville to their credit.  Tonight with great form and distinction of gait, they sped away with the blue.  Mitch Clark presented Leslie Schaefer’s Cruz’n Susan to the reserve finish moving up a notch from their 2013 ribbon.  Doug Mesker returned to Freedom Hall after long absence behind 2013’s winner of this class CH Stat.  Mesker showed his skills driving the bold moving pony to the top three.

Kate Foy has enjoyed great success in the Morgan world over the years.  This year she crossed over into the Saddlebred world when trainers Kristen and David Cater selected Soquili’s Curious George for her.  Fresh off a championship win at Blue Ridge, the team marched into Freedom Hall confidently, never putting a foot out of place carrying them all the way to the winner’s circle in the Ladies Amateur Three-Gaited 15.2 & Under class.  The multi-titled CH With Style And Grace picked up the reserve title with Tara Grom.  This mare has been a sensation over the years with Grom accumulating two World’s Champion of Champions titles, three reserve World’s Champion of Champions ribbons and four World’s Champion titles.  She’s My Sugarland and Susan Olcott picked up the yellow ribbon with a first place vote. 

We Must Be Nuts is no stranger to the winner’s circle in Freedom Hall.  He made his first appearance in 2010 winning the ASR Weanling Breeders and the ASR Amateur Kentucky Futurity Weanling classes.  In 2012 he earned his first performance title as two-year-old and then went on to win the three-year-old futurity harness class in 2013.  Tonight he continued his reign with the unanimous win in the Junior Fine Harness Stallion/Gelding class.  Jim Cherry guided the beautiful chestnut to the win for Grace Arnold.  Master Blue has his own set of credentials too with Freedom Hall wins as a two-year-old and three-year old.  Once again Smith Lilly was on the lines for Anita Simpson piloting the Master Class/Blue Eyed Girl son to the reserve title.  Darrell Case drove the Undulata’s Nutcracker/Ursa Major (BHF) son Dark Side Of The Moon to the third place for The Fernandez Family Trust.

For the third year in a row Jacqueline Beck guided the beautiful grey mare CH Divine Asset to the win in the Ladies Amateur Five-Gaited Mare class.  They emerged victorious unanimously from the field of 12.  My Rosalita and Barbara Goodman Manilow repeated their title from last year carrying out the red streamers.  Coming to Freedom Hall with a recent championship win at Shelbyville, Callaway’s Bookmark and Jo Ann Griffin claimed the third spot for Silver Brook Stables. 

Next we took a pause in the evening’s schedule to honor the US World Cup Saddle Seat Team with a video detailing their journey last month to double gold at the Saddle Seat World Cup.

Five entries made the gate call for the Amateur Gentlemen Fine Harness class.  Kenny Wheeler got the call for the catch drive from Clark Clouse tonight.  Wheeler expertly showed Shine Forever to the win for Bruce and Pam Milligan.  The I’m A New Yorker mare has only been in the harness division since last month where Drew Taylor Hewitt debuted her to a pair of wins at Ohio State Fair.  Only a five-year-old, Renaissance Mans Medici was driven to the reserve title by owner/breeder William Shatner.  With a Rock Creek win to their credit Tom Hanks and Chad Graham carried out the yellow streamers for Peter Palmer. 

Use Your Illusion has had two show ring appearances in her career.  One was last year when James Stachowski debuted the beautiful black Mountainview’s Heir To Fortune and My Prom Night daughter to the Three-Year-Old Three-Gaited win.  Tonight in her second career appearance she topped the Junior Three-Gaited 15.2 & Under class for owner and breeder Shawn Stachowski.  John Conatser had My Mikimoto in top form for the reserve title.  The Conatsers bred the Callaway’s Cranston daughter and Joellen Fisher Blount bought her this spring right after her debut win at Pro-Am.  Merrill Murray piloted Roselane’s Dancing For Dollars to the top three spot for new owners Emily and Bill Semans. 

You knew the Ladies Amateur Five-Gaited Gelding class was going to be big both in quality and quantity and it did not disappoint.  The 20 making their way down the chute weren’t just 20 horses but 20 great ones.  It was a who’s who of the division.  It was Nancy Leigh Fisher that took command of the ring expertly piloting CH My Wonder through the traffic.  The team debuted just this June with reserve titles at Midwest and went on to sweep the division at Blue Ridge.  Tonight they rode to a unanimous victory under the Hollow Haven banner.  The Honey Badger and Andrea Athanasuleas rode hard to the reserve title.  Athanasuleas debuted aboard the three-time world’s champion this spring and never looked back amassing wins at Pro-Am, Asheville Lions Club, Roanoke and most recently Lexington Junior League. 

The second half of the Junior Fine Harness division came down the chute next with five mares vying for their title.  The talented My Pistol Annie (Samur x Miss Roxie Hart) drove away with the blue.  Emily Lee was on the lines for Prospect Lane Farm.  Reserve title went to 2013 Three-Year-Old Mare World’s Champion Leatherwoods Aha Moment with Lisa Strickland on the lines for TDV, Inc. 

Fifteen lady amateurs made the gate call for their three-gaited over two class.  CH Real Action stood out as Betsy Thomas had him marching down the rail with his high stepping park trot.  The Carriage Lane team earned the victory unanimously.  Fresh off Lexington wins, Soquili’s Georgia Kracker and Caitlin Cline had a great performance for the reserve title.  With wins at Midwest and Shelbyville, The Rhumba and Christy Bennett are making a name for themselves and tonight they captured the top third spot. 

The amateur gentlemen gaited class had an amazing 11 entries.  Rising to the top was Kalarama’s Ultimate Choice with David Rudder up for Joan Hamilton.  Rudder debuted with the grand stallion at Harrodsburg for the win.  Rudder had Ultimate Choice in top form for the unanimous win.  Scott Hagan was aboard Memories Of Heart for the reserve title.  The crowd showed its approval of I’ll Bet You and Danny Cummins performance as they cheered him out of the ring with a yellow ribbon.

The last of five fine harness classes this evening was the Ladies Fine Harness qualifier.  Emerging victorious from the field of 11 was Tempt Me.  This 2013 Junior Fine Harness World’s Champion of Champions was expertly piloted to the victory by Tiffany Wheeler for proud owner and breeder Sally McClure Jackson.  Winner of this class for the last two years with Lynda Freseth, CH Our Brilliant Belle was driven to the reserve title by Mary Gise.  Elisabeth Goth debuted behind Happy Boy earning the yellow ribbon with a first place vote.

Once again it was the master of faster, Raymond Shively, topping the Roadster To Bike Stallion/Gelding class with Emerson.  The great team has won the class for the past four years.  Larry Hodge pushed Live Action to the edge with an outstanding performance earning the reserve title with a first place vote for Hillcroft Farm. 

After Marc Of Charm’s sweep of Louisville’s junior gaited division in 2010, Lionel Ferreira has been preparing him for Saturday night’s big prize.  The last three years have accumulated two reserve world’s titles and one world’s title in the stallion stake.  Tonight he is one more year closer to the glory with another win in the stallion stake with all three judges’ votes.  Mike Tunstall brought My Royale Charm back out just a few weeks ago at Blue Ridge in a single   performance.  Tonight the beautiful stallion was great for Tunstall.  They captured the reserve title for B&T Vonderschmitt.  Red Hawk Red Hawk and Jesse West earned the third place streamers  for Alliance.  And so now the first step in Saturday night’s big dance is on the record books. 

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