West Virginia State Fair Horse Show
Friday, August 17, 2007
By Kerri McDaniel
LEWISBURG, WV – The WV State Fair Horse Show and the fair itself mark the end of summer for many exhibitors and also it serves as a last hurrah before the World Championships for many polished teams. The horse show marks the beginning of the West Virginia State Fair week and runs from Friday through Sunday evenings every year. Sandy Lilly. Of Princeton, W.Va., adjudicated all classes
Entries were light in many of the open classes but the pleasure horses were out in full force at the fair, and these teams proved to the immense crowd of fairgoers who came out to watch the show everyday just how versatile and pleasurable a Saddlebred can be to ride and show. One of the highlights of the State Fair show every year is getting the chance to show in front of some “new faces” as the show draws huge crowd support every evening from people walking around the fairgrounds. These spectators not only got the chance to escape from the hot summer sun, but they also learned about Saddlebreds, Hackneys and roadsters as the announcer thoroughly explained to the crowd as each class entered the ring what they were supposed to be looking for.
Mountain Trail Stables proved to be the ones to beat in the five-gaited division as they brought many nice entries to show. Shirley Trail and Katie’s Rob Roy captured the Five-Gaited Championship and Open titles, and Totally Courageous and Carol Smith racked up double wins in the Amateur Five-Gaited Championship and qualifier. Carol Smith proved her versatility as an amateur rider by taking home blues in both the Junior Five-Gaited Championship and qualifier with Total Reflection. Showing for Burning Springs Farm, and in their debut rides, Allison Pullin put in two great shows to win the Junior Exhibitor Five-Gaited Championship and qualifier with the flashy The Champagne Pirate.
The three-gaited division was light in numbers but not in quality. Tidepointe and Sherri Surface took home the blue in the Open class for Andi Wensley. In the Amateur Three-Gaited Championship and qualifiers the young Bay My Way took home the blues with John Trail up for Bill and Susan Griffith. Jordan Banner and First Shot proved to be the team to beat in the Junior Exhibitor Three-Gaited Championship and qualifiers as they trotted away with the wins in both classes.
In the park division Ooh Yes I Can put on a solo exhibition with Lewis Meadows for the Open Park Championship after winning the qualifier against Borrowed Love and John Trail who headed up for the reserve ribbon. Marching down victory lane with double titles in the Amateur Park Championship and qualifiers were Heart of Blue and Brittany Kale.
Heart of Blue and Brittany Kale
showed in front of a full house.
Carissa Marshall put in a beautiful ride to win the Five-Gaited Show Pleasure Championship, moving up from a reserve finish in the qualifier with Yes I Have. An elated Victoria Daniel took home the qualifier win with Pop Attitude. Stone Captive moved up a few places from the qualifier to take home the Adult Show Pleasure Championship win with Julie Martin up for Sharon Borich. Stone Captive also took home the Show Pleasure Driving Championship and qualifier wins with John Trail on the lines. Leaving with the reserve title in the Adult Show Pleasure championship and also putting in a good ride for the qualifier win was Debbie Palmer and Dream to Remember. The Oberoi and Dana Ellington pulled off a great win in the biggest class of the show, the Junior Exhibitor Show Pleasure Championship. Ain’t She Something to Talk about trotted off with the qualifier blue. Irish Hill’s Mountain Star was quite a pleasure at the show, carrying Dre Fourie to victory in the Walk and Trot Pleasure Championship and qualifier, and then taking his younger sister Sarah Ann to double wins in the Small Fry English Pleasure Championship and qualifiers. Smokin’ Mountaineer and Shirley Trail earned the blue in the Park Pleasure Championship for Samantha Meador.
Dre Fourie and Irish Hill’s Mountain Star
with Christie Van As
In the country pleasure division Terry Wilson and By Design were strutting their stuff and very mannerly to win the Adult Country Pleasure Championship and qualifier. Katie McDaniel piloted the spry Mountain View’s Mr. York to double wins in the Juvenile Country Pleasure Championship and qualifier. Ledgewind’s Johnny Handsome took home both blues in the qualifier and championship for Western Pleasure.
The Roadster Pony Championship and qualifier were both won by the speedy Impress Me Too with Greg Scott. Cat Power and Jim Smith moved up from a reserve finish in the qualifier to take home the tricolors in the Amateur Road Pony Championship. Rolex and Leigh Kauffelt also moved up a notch to win the Juvenile Road Pony Championship. Winner of the qualifier and reserve in the championship was Melbourne’s Classic Headliner with Chad Terry.
Rolex and Leigh Kauffelt
Speeding away with the win in the Roadster under Saddle class was Hummer and Bailey Rappold for Burning Springs Farm. Sandy Zirkle had Heartland Diplomat strutting his stuff for the wins in the Pleasure Pony Driving Championship and qualifier classes.
Taking home the West Virginia State Equitation Championship this year in picture perfect form was Libby Nicksick. She also turned in a beautiful ride for the qualifier win. Kendra Stone was reserve in both of these classes.
Fairgoers were greeted with a horse of a different breed when the gate was opened for the English Pleasure Horse classes. David Trail and Odese were the crowd favorites as they trotted up for the wins in both the qualifier and the championship. Krysten Malcolm put The King’s Trick through the paces and pulled out the big win in the Juvenile English Pleasure Championship. Reserve in this class and winner of the qualifier was Lady Bayanna and Tabitha Pennington.
Krysten Malcolm
This concludes the highlights from the West Virginia State Fair Horse Show. Complete results can be found by clicking here.
The girls from Honeywood Farm
had a successful State Fair.
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