After a week of nothing but outstanding classes and relatively good weather, Lexington became “Lexington” on stake night with heavy rain off and on throughout that Saturday evening in 1992. While there were a few scratches and casualties, for the most part trainers and exhibitors stepped up and made this a Lexington Junior League to remember.
It had been week of solid numbers in all divisions, even the open ranks where there were eight open five-gaited stallions, 13 open five-gaited geldings, and nine mares. And for young horses how about 21 in the Three-Year-Old Five-Gaited Stake. The three-year-old harness class had to be split. Yes, people came to Lexington ‘92 to show.
John Champagne, Carter Cox, and Skip Shenker held the judge’s cards in the Saddle Horse division; Shenker called the shots in the Hackney, harness and road pony classes; and Sally Lindabury determined the equitation champions. The late Barry Keiger served as ringmaster that year and Peter Doubleday was the voice of Lexington.
Manager Jim LaHood and his staff had to have been extremely happy with the attitude the trainers showed Saturday night although photographer Jamie Donaldson didn’t have much of a smile on his face as weather prevented him from taking pictures in most classes that evening.
As the water pelted the Red Mile surface eight entries answered the call for the Five-Gaited Championship. There were a few people under umbrellas along the rail but for the most part the audience had retreated to the grandstand. Slicing through the mud and water were two stallions, two mares and four geldings with a host of veteran riders competing for the prestigious Lexington title.
With another gutsy performance Callaway’s New Look carried Dave Becker to the winner’s circle for Judy Shepherd. The celebrated world’s grand champion also won the Five-Gaited Gelding Stake with Becker riding under the direction of Donna Moore. CH Santana Lass and Redd Crabtree were reserve grand champions for Golden Creek Farms, followed by stablemate CH Will’s Bulletin, ridden by Randi Wightman.
This was a deep championship class as the likes of CH Onion, Royal Memories, CH The Right Stuff, CH War Whoop Two, and Lunenburg County made up the remaining contenders.
Earlier in the week Don Harris and Shoobop Shoobop had won the stallion stake, while Santana Lass was crowned the mare winner.
The competition level didn’t drop off in the ladies or amateur divisions. Melinda Moore was aboard CH Unattached to win the Ladies Five-Gaited Championship for Donna Moore. Stablemate CH It’s Time To Go was the reserve grand champion with Marcy Shatner riding. Ladies mare winner It’s Phi Day was third in the championship for Nancy Leigh Fisher who also bought CH Unattached before the week was over.
CH Wall Street Week and Janet Kellett had to defeat 15 other high powered entries to claim the Amateur Five-Gaited Championship. This class was filled with all-stars as Richard Hines and CH Blue Chipper trotted to the reserve grand championship after winning the amateur gentlemen’s qualifier. Barclay Smith and Callaway’s News Flash, reserve to Wall Street Week in the stallion/gelding qualifier, were third in the final round. Also from the amateur division, JoAnn Griffin and Gotta Dance smoke them in the amateur mare class to make this victory pass.
Manhattan Wine was one of the stars of the show from the young horse ranks. Purchased just weeks before the show by Sally Parker, the brilliant gelding took total command of the Red Mile and won the Junior Five-Gaited Stallion/Gelding class and the Junior Five-Gaited Championship with Sam Stafford in the irons. Before finding greatness as a walk-trot horse, Winter Day was crowned Lexington’s Junior Five-Gaited Reserve Grand Champion. Redd Crabtree was aboard for Adler Farms, Inc. It was a year with many nice junior gaited horses as Merrill Murray and The Homecoming Hero had been reserve in the stallion/gelding qualifier and Princess Nora had won the junior mare class with Dave Becker.
It seemed like every trainer in America thought they had a shot at a good prize in the Three-Year-Old Five-Gaited Stake as 21 entries struggled for position on the straightaways. The tried and true team of Rick Wallen and Polly Holm provided the winner in this entertaining class as Walled rode Ahead Of The Class to the title. Debbie Palmer and Hometown Favorite picked up a good reserve ribbon.
Ten years ago the junior exhibitors packed a powerful punch in their championship and of course that was before the days of separate age group championships. Eighteen in all returned from the 14 and under the 15-17 qualifiers and they were 18 good ones. A battle had started at Rock Creek between Town Rose and My Sunday Shoes and it only intensified at Lexington. When it was all said and done Jeff Priebe and the big hearted Town Rose had defeated them all including 14 & under qualifying winner and reserve grand champion My Sunday Shoes. Gabe Deknatel was in the saddle for My Sunday Shoes. In a division usually dominated by young ladies it was great to see these two gentlemen at the top of the division throughout the year.
Susannah Sherman and Great Day’s Token had scored the blue prize in the 15-17 qualifier and they were followed by Lee Ann Tipton and Night To Prowl.
In the gaited pony division Cindy Sherman and Magic Marker STF captured the championship after taking reserve to open class winner and eventual reserve grand champions Kathleen Clark and Shazam.
With the driving rains only five entries returned for the Three-Gaited Grand Championship and after having taken only about 15 steps, World’s Grand Champion One For The Road threw a shoe. Randy Harper elected not to take a chance with the grand gelding and finished the week with the over 15.2 on the tack room for Cismont Manor.