Stars Shine Bright on Thursday Night
Friday, July 8, 2016
Don’t you just love when a bright new young face in the show ring makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck? Thursday night at Lexington Junior League was the perfect outdoor horse show venue to let these bright new stars shine. The finale of the evening performance was the perfect example with six exciting contenders in the UPHA Five-Gaited Classic. Matt Shiflet headlined the final performance of the evening with Texas Pete (Master Class x Miss Outta My Way) for Don and Phyllis Brookshire and the crowd was equally appreciative of First Encore and Jim Lowry much to the delight of owner Faydelle Schott. Faydelle had been equally thrilled with her Awesome At This that Lowry guided to the Two-Year-Old Fine Harness win to start the evening.
Trainers were following Wyatt DeHart out of the ring after he won the UPHA Three-Gaited Classic with a unanimous decision aboard Christine Daae for Horizon Saddlebreds LLC. This was their third UPHA Three-Gaited Classic win of the year after earlier wins at River Ridge and Rock Creek. Always a standout with a young fine harness horse, George Knight topped the eight-entry UPHA Fine Harness Classic with I’m Lookin’ Supreme (I’m Lookin’ For You x Hayland’s Celestial Star) for Kaye Bowles Durnell. Midwest Champion Lady Biscotti and Kathy Capsuto Walker earned the reserve honors. Nelson Green guided Magic City to a unanimous decision in the Junior Three-Gaited Park Class for Jacqueline Manzo.
The pony classics were small but still had lots of talent thanks to Chris Gantley and Darrel Kolkman. Gantley drove all three Classis Champions. Heartland LaBelle won the UPHA Hackney Pony Classic. Heartland American Idol topped the UPHA Road Pony Classic. And Heartland Hayday was the UPHA Harness Pony Classic Champion.
The championships began today with Anna Marie Knipp sweeping the show pleasure driving division and winning the championship unanimously with The Red Hot Kid. The Three-Gaited Pony Championship featured a unanimous decision amid seven entries with Kylie Jankowicz riding CH Manhattan’s Irish Cream to the Lexington winner’s circle for the second time in a row this week. The Five-Gaited Pony Championship highlighted Hannah Herbst and Ultimate Spitfire who also claimed the honors in both of their classes.
Emma Sanchez and CH He’s In Style unanimously won the Junior Exhibitor 14-17 Five-Gaited Championship to sweep the division. King’s Carma and Nissa Sultan moved up one spot from the qualifier to claim the Five-Gaited 13 & Under Championship. Sallie Mason Wheeler and Undulata’s Secret Rendezvous unanimously won the Junior Exhibitor Three-Gaited 13 & Under Championship.
All in all, it was another beautiful night of horse show. Check out www.saddlehorsereport.com for complete searchable results and judges’ cards.
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