Saddlebreds Shine In The Alamo City
Thursday, March 8, 2007
by Ann Bullard
BOERNE, Texas – Success despite all odds. That might be one way to describe the annual San Antonio Saddle Horse Association Horse Show. The first challenge: Saddle Horse Judge Rick Wallen was stuck in the ‘frozen north’ due to an ice storm. The second and most upsetting: Show Secretary Jane Pollard of Terrell, Texas had to return home to Dallas on Saturday to enter the hospital.
Challenges never faze Texans, at least not for long. Rather, they work together to succeed, even triumph over adversity. Show management and Wallen worked to reroute his travel, getting him there with less time to sleep but on time for the March 2-4, 2007 event. When Pollard’s illness forced her to turn over secretarial reins, Janie Hamilton, oft-time show manager/secretary and SASHA announcer, moved into the office. Corinne Stith, Jim Nicholson and Doug Sullins took turns in the announcer’s stand.
San Antonio Charity benefits Visitation House, a ministry of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Their transitional housing program assists women in ending the cycle of poverty and homelessness in their lives and in the lives of their children.
The show was held at the San Antonio Rose Palace, home of owner George Strait’s team penning competitions. Fans, unneeded in the early spring cold, and better lighting are among the improvements made under Strait’s ownership.
“I thought we had a good show; everyone seemed to be happy,” said Michael Beasom, president of the San Antonio Saddle Horse Association. “Saddle Horse and Arabian entries were up and everybody seemed to win some.”
Beasom’s Victory Lane Stables clients kept busy throughout the show. On Thursday night, they hosted a traditional barbecue at their Boerne barn. Friday, Beasom’s grandmother, Beulah Cates, and his mother, Judy Jordan, brought barbecue with all the trimmings and lots of desserts for exhibitors’ lunches. Despite the demands related to putting on the show, Victory Lane riders earned a share of the blues. Diana Poole rode Peridise Dance to win a blue ribbon and reserve grand championship streamers in the Amateur Five-Gaited classes. Jessica Burgess and The Mercer Prince topped the Walk and Trot 10 and Under Walk and Trot competition.
Blue and red ribbons decorated each of the tack rooms. Milligan Stables and Lone Star Saddlebreds each earned a dozen blues, with Milligan riders claiming four performance and eight academy classes. Lone Star clients took home a pair of performance titles and 10 from academy.
Chloe Goodwin had a pair of sparkling rides to win the Junior Exhibitor Five-Gaited qualifier and championship aboard her mother’s Magnificent Scene. Directed by Milligan and Liz Cortwright, Goodwin showed she was ready for the Texas and summer shows to come. Carol Winters and CH Like An Admiral earned a convincing victory in the Amateur Park Stake.
Beth Oseroff represented the Plano, Texas barn in the winner’s circle for the Show Pleasure qualifier. She and Nancy Wiseman’s Callaway’s Sam Baker were reserve in the championship. Ginny Beth Norton has grown from a cute little girl to a talented young woman while in the Milligan program. She had Sarah Rowland’s In Heaven’s Name right on the money to win the Five-Gaited Show Pleasure Championship. Norton also topped the Western Country Pleasure competition with the brown and white Commanche Kid.
Corinne Stith drove Roseridge’s Bell to win both Country Pleasure Driving classes. She is trained by Koren Mercer and Milo Jones at Lone Star Saddlebreds.
The Berman/Perwien combination kept Bluebonnet Farm’s winning record on the right track. Elly Berman ended the weekend on a winning note, teaming Reedann’s Talked About to the Five-Gaited Amateur tricolor. She also won the Adult Show Pleasure qualifier aboard CH George Foreman. Dr. Phil Berman made his show pleasure driving debut at the TASHA winter show. He won his second consecutive grand championship driving Xuxa. Edmund Perwien qualified the mare at both shows. The youngest horsy member of the family showed World Champion Albert Kaponey. Kevin Berman had two stellar drives to win the junior exhibitor qualifier and Road Pony Championship.
Trainer Sandra Currier had Bluebonnet’s young horses in winning form. She teamed the sporty four-year-old Uncut Jewel to win the Park Pleasure Championship and rode Diablo Blue to win the Three-Year-Old Park Pleasure title.
Sherry Frankel’s SGF Winning Ways Farm lived up to its name, winning four performance and equitation titles and three in academy. It’s Double O’Deuce continued to show the three-gaited park division is his forte. The bright chestnut stallion lit up the ring to win the Three-Gaited Park Jackpot.
Lauren Greenwald’s rides on the Invitational Five-Gaited Equitation Team at the TASHA Winter Horse Show gave her a taste of that discipline. She won the Pleasure Equitation 17 and Under qualifier and championship aboard Shamrock’s Phi Guy. Chadick added another blue to the tack room driving Heartland Talent Star to win the Roadster Pony Open class.
Chardonnay Farm had a lot to celebrate. The national magazine, Country Living, featured the Round Top, Texas farm in their March issue. Trainer Philip DeBruyn and client William Marple added many blue and tricolor ribbons to the home tack room featured on the six-page spread.
DeBruyn brought home the money in the Five-Gaited Jackpot class, riding Cindy Kolmeier’s Heirobatic. He also earned the Park Pleasure qualifying blue with Endolane Firecracker for owner Susan Molinaro. Marple stayed busy throughout the weekend, earning blues with his Colonel Clarence in Five-Gaited Pleasure, a blue in Amateur Park with Texas Sky and three fine harness blue ribbons driving Lucky Son Of A Gun.
Paul Cates’s riders kept pace in the blue-ribbon search. Craig Cates made his debut with Knit To Fit, the aged stallion his father showed to a Five-Gaited Reserve Grand Championship at Germantown last year. Bo Ashlyn Cates had nice rides aboard Limoges to win a pair of Amateur Three-Gaited classes.
Cates and his crew kept busy with 19 academy riders showing on Saturday and Sunday. Erin DeWitt and Nikki each posted blue ribbons on the farm’s tack room.
Debbie Graves’s Shenandoah Stables and several amateur-owner barns also earned top ribbons.
The SASHA show is more than a horse show. It is a tradition that stretches back to the early days of Saddlebred history. Despite its long performances, it offers time to sit around and remember such Southwest circuit stalwarts as Dale Milligan, Charlotte Barrett, Roy Martin, Beverly Mobley, Claire Oppenheimer O’Malley and the late Elton Cates.
The pictures of Beulah Cates sitting in a special box with her canine shadow, Puddles, helping at the gate and with her grandson, Michael’s, luncheon, cheering her daughter, Judy, grandson, Paul, and his children while they’re in the ring, is one that will last long after this horse show. Miss Beulah, as many call her, epitomizes the Texas spirit so evident in the small group of people that ensure this show’s success.
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