New York Morgan
One Year Later
Friday, September 27, 2002
SYRACUSE, NY - A trip to the 2002 New York Morgan Horse Show brought back memories for almost everyone in attendance of where they had been on September 11, 2001. Most exhibitors had been at the New York State Fairgrounds for the show which would begin a day later when terror struck on that fateful Tuesday, September 11. The tragedy, uncertainty and the feeling of patriotism was still fresh in everyone's minds a year later as this years show began on September 11 and concluded on September 14.
The 42nd New York Morgan Horse Show attracted over 300 horses from the eastern United States and Canada. The show has become a final tune-up or qualification for some horses headed to Oklahoma. For many others it marked the end of show season.
One of the continuing highlights of this show is the NYSMHS Breeder's Sweepstakes classes where this year nearly $20,000 was awarded. Offspring of the stallions whose services are auctioned off at the annual NYSMHS Stallion Service Auction were eligible to participate in the three classes. The classes for Weanlings In Hand, Four-Year-Old Pleasure Saddle and Four-Year-Old Park Saddle were all well filled with some outstanding quality and entertaining competition.
The show also featured numerous special awards and presentations in the coliseum on Saturday evening. The annual presentation of the Mike Hens Sportsmanship Award was made to Joan Sackett by last year's recipient Joanne Celecki. High point awards went to Walk-Trot Champion Cori Olin; AOTS Champions Roberta Marshall and Sue Coleman; Sport Horse Champion Marle Hills Majority and Susan Cochrane; Carriage Driving Champion HD Speculator and Laurie Neubauer; Training Level Dressage Champion Rannita and Julie Will; and First Level and Above Dressage Champion Taproot Flagship and Jocelyn Davie.
Show chair Jo Ann Squier and her hard working group of show committee members and volunteers did their best to put on a nice show for exhibitors. The list of show officials was headed by show manager Linda Burke and show secretary Rose Tolbert. Tim O'Gorman and James Havelhurst shared the judging duties in center ring while Elsie Kellerman scored the Dressage and Wendy Soucy pinned the Carriage competition. David Yetter worked hard to keep everything by the rules as USAE Steward. Bob Dunham kept the music flowing as organist while Kenn Marash again served as announcer. John Franzreb and Al Celecki completed the center ring officials as ringmasters. Bob Moseder and wife Jean made the return trip to Syracuse to take the award winning photos.
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