Zionsville, IN- August 14, 2012- The 2012-Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show and Country Fair at beautiful Wild Air Farms in Zionsville, IN celebrated its 35th anniversary as one of the top hunter/jumper shows in the U.S.  The popular, festive show is located on a spectacular backdrop nestled amid Indiana hills and woods. Perfect weather drew in a large audience from the Indianapolis area for the final exciting day of show jumping on Sunday.

Veteran course designer and judge, Phil DeVita, produced a challenging course for the competitors for the highlight of Traders Point, the $60,000 Grand Prix of Indianapolis. Throughout the week, DeVita’s courses had been twisting and winding with few related distances that stressed that the rider carve the turns and get in straight, while staying within a tight maximum time.

Eight went clean in the first round: Lillie Ross and Allison Ross’s Pako, Wilhelm Genn and Palim Palim, owned by Nancy Gooding, Aaron Vale and Amen Corner Farm’s Palm Sunday, Emily Short and Grande Finale, Lisa Goldman and her own Morocco, Nick Novak and his Springfield Tennessee, Taylor Land and Jay Land’s Nepal and finally 17-year old Claudia Billups and her Quick N Easy.

Wilhelm Genn and Palim Palim, a tall, attractive Westphalian with a distinctive blaze, was the first to deliver a clean round in the short track. He made it look easy and clearly shaped his turns, which left all the rails in their cups, coming in at a time of 51.229.

Then, young Taylor Land and Nepal produced what would be the only other clean jump-off round, expertly ridden and stopping the timer at 45.969, edging Genn out of first place.

“I was a little bit more conservative in some places,” Land said of turning on the grass, something that DeVita had mentioned would be the approach of the more seasoned riders.

“Nepal is 10 and we’ve had him since he was 5,” she said. “He’s been an amazing horse for our whole family. He’s super careful. He’s a little quirky, but he’s a lot of fun. He’s from Argentina, a warmblood”

Jumper Highlights Tuesday-Sunday

Andrew Welles and XM were the first to go double clear in the 1.30m on Tuesday. The pair perfectly negotiated the course for a faultless first round. In the jump-off round, he stepped on the gas and his XM delivered the speed and accuracy to take them to the lead with a time of 30.976 seconds.

The team of Richard Rinehart and Julio were the next to earn a clean first round. In the short track, Rinehart and Julio negotiated the turns and gallops effortlessly−fast enough to edge Welles out of first place and stopping the timer at 30.149 seconds.

Several other horse and rider pairs had double clear rounds, but none managed to best Rinehart’s or Welles’ fast times.

In the 1.35m Jumpers, also on Tuesday, Phil DeVita added a big oxer to the outside line and maintained the emphasis on turns and gallops. It was Aaron Vale and Honeylands Douglason that prevailed as the only double-clear horse and rider team.

David Jennings and Nandy Fontaine came in second laying down the only other faultless first round, with four jumping faults in the jump-off round.

Phil DeVita’s courses stepped up the challenge on Wednesday, the second day of Jumper classes in the Russell Fortune Grand Prix Arena at Traders Point for Phase 1 of the Zone 5 Open Jumper Championship. Again, the courses included long gallops to tight turns and rollbacks, but DeVita added terrain−hills and a ramp to further test horse and rider.

The first to go clear over the winding and difficult course was Erin Haas aboard Casino Van De Helle owned by North Face Farm in Chelsea, MI, with a time of 75.133 seconds.

Then, Lillie Ross and Alison Ross’s Pako momentarily took over the lead, stopping the clock at 73.946.

Next on course, Nick Novak and Rendezvous 22, owned by Nancy Whitehead, layed down a fast, clear round timing out at 72.371 seconds to steal the lead.

Three trips later, Nepal and Taylor Land delivered a clean, faster round of 69.341 seconds to earn the pair the second place prize.

But it was Aaron Vale and his 8-year-old, Honeyland Douglason who came out as Tuesday’s winners of the 1.35m Jumpers, tripping the timer at 68.216 seconds to win the class.

Earlier in the day it was Vale’s wife, Mallory Vale who won the High Junior/Amateur-Owner class with Mi Phone in one of only three double-clear rounds of the class. In the jump-off round, Mallory Vale and Mi Phone were almost two seconds faster than second place winner Hannah Olson and Cleopatra.

On Thursday, in Phase 2 of the Zone 5 Open Jumper Classic, five horse and rider teams managed clear rounds. Three were piloted by Aaron Vale- Wodka L, owned by Thinkslikeahorse, Honeylands Douglason, owned by Doug’s Crew, who just won the 1.35 Open Jumpers on Tuesday and Phase 1 of the Zone Five Open Jumper Finals, and Palm Sunday, owned by Amen Corner Farm.

Andrew Welles had a beautifully executed clear first round on his own Zinnia and Michael Morrissey also answered DaVita’s jumping questions in round one aboard Crelido.

In the jump off round, Morrissey opted not to return. Welles delivered another lovely, fast and stylishly clean round in a time of 38.358 seconds, not quite quick enough to best Vale’s trips on each of his three mounts, with which he went 1-2-3 with Wodka L, Palm Sunday, and Honeylands Douglason.

In the Jumper Annex, the Adult Amateur Jumpers offered exciting, fast rounds and a crowd gathered under the shade of the canopy, cheering on the entrants and their horses.

The course took the horse and rider teams to all corners of the arena and included winding turns and tricky combinations. Ten horse and rider teams produced faultless first rounds. In the jump-off rounds, the crowd audibly reacted to incredibly tight inside turns and strides left out.

In the end, a rare thing happened- two riders had the same time, creating a tie. A blue ribbon went to both Rachel Boggus and her Wiedam and Erin Felton and Almost Perfect.

On Friday,exhibitors and guests enjoyed the annual Paws to Applause dog show mid-day and exciting show jumping action in the jumper arena and the Russell Fortune Arena all day long. The coveted $30,0000 Mr. and Mrs. Russell Fortune Jr. Memorial Grand Prix, held at 5 p.m. was the highlight of the day and filled the tents around the grass arena with cheering crowds.

Andrew Welles was the first to go clean on Tornado, owned by Alexandra Duval. Three rounds later, Nick Novak riding Nancy Whitehead’s Rendezvous 22. Then, there were three more faultless rounds in a row from Taylor Land and Nepal owned by Jay Land, Quick and Easy owned and ridden by Claudia Billups, and Theo Genn and Bridlebourne Stables’ Winchester.

Then, three trips later Andrew Welles aboard XM and Emily Short and her Grande Finale 3E were clear. Finally, fifteen rounds later, the last to go, Aaron Vale, who rode three others in the first round, produced a faultless trip on Palm Sunday, owned by Amen Corner Farm, determining the field for the jump-off.

Welles and Tornado easily ate up the short track, leaving all the rails in place, with a time of 37.94. Three more clean trips from Nick Novak, Taylor Land and Theo Genn did not produce a faster time. Then, Aaron Vale aboard Palm Sunday went clean to win the class with a time of 35.402.

In the Jumper Annex on Friday, the action was fast and furious. The spectator tent was standing room only, filled with friends, trainers and families for the Adult Amateur Speed Class. Again it was Erin Felton and her Almost Perfect who were the victors, delivering the fastest of 16 clean rounds.

Mid-morning on Saturday, the spectators were treated to an exciting show jumping competition. Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show presented the annual $15,000 PNC Bank Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers Classic in the Russell Fortune Grand Prix Arena.

Once again, the winding course designed by Phil DeVita presented a challenge to the juniors and amateurs and tested their ability to keep their horses in control, carve their turns, stay on track and find the right distances.

The first round produced only three clean rounds out of 20 from Melissa Orlick-Zbierski and Viekie, Katie Hope and Total Touch. and Mallory Vale and Mi Phone.

Vale had an unfortunate four faults in the jump-off round, landing her in third place. Katie Hope skillfully piloted Total Touch, stopping the timer at 34.221 with all the rails in place. Orlick-Zbierski’s round was also fast and clean-but just a bit faster than Hope’s coming in at 33.585, which earned her the victory gallop.

On Sunday,in the $5000 Low NAL Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, eight went clear in the first round, but it was Mallory Vale aboard Ashwey Calisto who won the blue ribbon with a very speedy time of 39.12, KC Van Aarem riding High Five was second with a time of 40.690.

Hunters and Equitation Tuesday-Saturday

Kelley Farmer showed a strong start aboard On Q opening day of the Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show and Country Fair. She placed in the blue ribbons riding the 6-year-old stallion owned by CH Farm in Delano, MN, in the First Year Green Working Hunter and First Year Green Handy Hunter and won a red in the Green Working Hunter Under Saddle Class.

Caroline Weeden snagged second place in the Green Working Hunter class with a smooth performance on Lucky Times, owned by Emma Heise of Northfield, IL.  The competitors benefitted from the well-maintained and excellent footing of the show and had great rounds.  Freddie Vazquez rode Quintero’s Silhouette, owned by Kira Telford of Chicago, to an impressive third.

In the Green Working Hunter Handy class, Kelley Farmer and On Q once again won blue with smooth, rhythmic rounds and perfect distances. Freddie Vazquez came in second with a lovely ride on Quintero’s Silhouette and Sophie Wilson, of Winnetka, IL, won third with flowing, rhythmical trips on her own Del Mar.

Kelley Farmer and Dancing Solo, owned by Kenneth Garber and Larry Glefke of Kewsick, VA, cantered away with the blue in the Green Working Hunter Under Saddle class.  Then, she won second in the same class aboard On Q.  Elizabeth La Piere and Spoken For, also owned by Larry Glefke, came home with the third place ribbon.

Freddie Vasquez had a lovely go to win second on Presently, owned by Jill Vanatta of Evanston, IL, and Kelley Farmer came home with a third after her magical ride on Mythical, owned by Kenneth Garber and Larry Glefke.

Then, in the High Performance Handy Hunter class, the top three swapped places and Mythical, Spoken For and Presently earned a blue, red and yellow ribbon, respectively.

In the High Performance Hunter Under Saddle class, Kelly Farmer was victorious again riding Mythical, Holly Orlando cinched second on Spoken For and Freddie Vasquez trotted out with a third on Presently.

In the Performance Hunter 3’6″ class, Erica Quinn rode Chit Chat, owned by Centennial Farm of Palmetto, FL, to a first with smooth, rhythmic paces over the jumps.

Kelley Farmer and Cavalier Forever, owned by Joanna Delman of Greensboro, NC, nabbed second place in the class while Megan Murray piloted Paramount, owned by Rebecca Price of Glencoe, IL, to a sweet third.

In the Performance Hunter 3’6″ Handy class, Caroline Weeden and The Spy, owned by Ila Lemonis of Lake Forest, IL, came in first with flawless rollbacks and smooth sailing jumps.

Also pinning in the class were Kelley Farmer, who was once again in the ribbons with Cavalier Forever, owned by Joanna Delman of Greensboro, NC, with a second place, while Megan Murray handily headed home with a third place ribbon on Paramount.

Day Two of the Traders Point Charity Horse Show saw a winning horse of Mythical proportions win On Q while another horse was Spoken For and yet another was Dancing Solo in the main hunter ring.

When competition started heating up in the main hunter arena, Mythical, owned by Kenneth Garber and Larry Glefke of Keswick, VA, and ridden by Kelley Farmer, took a blue ribbon in round two of the First Year Green Working Hunter Division with a round of mythical proportions

Farmer and Mythical had a solid ride with a gracefully rhythmic round.

In the same Green Working Hunter class, Dancing Solo, also ridden by Kelly Farmer and owned by

Kenneth Garber and Larry Glefke, waltzed away with the second place ribbon and Spoken For, owned by Larry Glefke of Keswick, VA, and ridden by Elizabeth La Piere, claimed a third in the second Green Working Hunter class.,

In the first Green Working Hunter class, Kelly Farmer aboard On Q, owned by CH Farm, LLC, of Delano, MN, nabbed the blue with a beautifully serene round over the fences.

Spoken For, ridden by Elizabeth La Piere, spoke up for the second place win while Dancing Solo and Kelley Farmer sashayed off with the third in the first Green Working Hunter Class.  Later in the afternoon, Mythical and Farmer spirited away another blue in the High Performance Working Hunter class by sailing over the fences with ease. Farmer’s performance at the show has been outstanding so far and she said her history at this show has been equally outstanding.

Others winning ribbons in the High Performance Working Hunter class include Spoken For, this time ridden by Holly Orlando, reserving the red and Quintero’s Silhouette, ridden by Freddie Vazquez and owned by Kira Telford of Chicago, claiming the yellow.

In the second High Performance Working Hunter class of the afternoon, the same three horses mirrored their earlier scores and the fabled Mythical energetically jumped to first place. Spoken For earmarked the second place ribbon and Quintero’s Silhouette cut out a spot for the third.

The High Performance Working Hunter Under Saddle class pinned Tammy Provost riding Ace of Spades owned by Emily Ash Morin of McLean, VA, with the first place ribbon, Caroline Weeden aboard Topsider, owned by Margaret Shank Benjamin of Lake Forest, IL, with the second place rosette, and Kelley Farmer up top on Cavalier Forever, owned by Joanna Delman of Greensboro, NC.

In Performance Hunter 3’6″, Cavalier Forever, ridden by Kelley Farmer had a smooth round for the win, followed by the Ace of Spades, ridden by Tammy Provost. Topsider, ridden by Caroline Weeden sailed away with the third and Weeden scored a fourth on The Spy, owned by Ila Lemonis of Lake Forest, IL.

In the second Performance Hunter 3’6″ class, Ace of Spades, ridden by Tammy Provost trumped the rest to earn the top spot with a brilliant ride, Cavalier Forever, ridden by Kelley Farmer, politely cinched the second, and Chit Chat, ridden by Erica Quinn and owned by Centennial Farm, Inc., of Palmetto, FL, claimed the third.

Equitation took center stage Thursday in the Main Hunter Arena at the Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show. After a series of thunderstorms dumped much-needed rain Wednesday night, the hunter classes were postponed until Friday but there was still plenty of action with the Pessoa USEF Hunter Seat Medal, the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class and the Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) National Children’s Medal.

Haley Zimmerman, 13, aboard her own 9-year-old Swedish Warmblood, Zider (barn name “Zac”), snagged the hotly contested Pessoa USEF Hunter Seat Medal.. Zimmerman and Zac have been a dynamic duo for a year and she bought him to get started on jumpers..

Zimmerman and her horse differentiated themselves from the pack to earn a ride in the test with three other riders. The finalists were verbally given the course for the final ride, read to them just twice. It included four fences, a halt and a counter-canter. Abby Maxwell riding Vedette, owned by Jennifer Maxwell of Cedar Rapids, IA, scored the reserve ribbon, Kaitlyn Alsup of Wildwood, MO, piloted her own Corrado to a third, and Piper Benjamin rode Rainmaker, owned by L. Pack of Columbus, NC, to win the fourth place ribbon.

The ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class had riders navigating the course one-by-one while trainers yelled directives and encouragement from the sidelines to the young riders. They were all invited back into the arena for the under saddle portion together. Riders were judged at a walk, sitting trot, posting trot and canter before walking on a long rein to line up for the pinning. The course included some rollbacks and options for going inside or around. Rachel Porter, 17, riding Rio, owned by Aley Russell of Spartanburg, SC, came away with the win.

Also in the ribbons were Piper Benjamin, who rode L. Pack’s Rainmaker to earn the second place score, while Jordyn Katz riding Can Fly, owned by Seth Vallhonrat of Edgemont, PA, scored the third place spot, and Nikki Carr riding Lightning, nabbed the fourth berth.

The ground crew came out to adjust the jumps for the THIS National Children’s Medal as the sun came out to steam up the show grounds. The class featured one round over fences with a test for the top four. The finalists were called into the arena and told their course for the test. The horse and rider teams were expected to jump three fences at the canter and one at the trot and, when finished, they had to post the trot back to the line while demonstrating a lengthening of stride.

Liana Brown, 13, from Zionsville, IN, rode her own Marengo for the win. She has owned her Argentinian Warmblood she calls “Marco” for two years.

Rounding out the top winners in the class were Jordyn Katz riding Can Fly who went home with the red, Olivia Kelly, from Zionsville, IN, riding her own Oh My Lord to a third and Whitney Bullion of Huntertown, IN, riding George Bullion’s Superfly to a fourth.

Taylor Johnson of Carmel, IN, dodged raindrops and caught some rays Friday while scoring big wins during day four of the Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show. Johnson, 14, racked up the ribbons in the Junior Hunter Classic, Junior Hunter Stake, the Child Hunter Classic (NAL and WIHS), and the Junior Hunter 15 and Under Stake.

Johnson won the $1,000 Junior Hunter Classic on her 7-year-old Hanovarian, Cavalli. Johnson has ridden the gelding in two derbies and and she was the 14 and under champion at Traders Point for the past three years.

Also in the ribbons were Alliy Moyer aboard Wendy Hoffmeister’s Contemporary with the second place spot, and Piper Benjamin with a third on Margaret Shank Benjamin’s Fernelli, a fourth on Margaret Shank Benjamin’s Topsider, and a sixth on Most Wanted, owned by Blair Cudmore of Omaha, NE. Emma Sargent won the fifth place ribbon on her own Coup de Coeur in the class.

Johnson also rode her own Legato to win the Child Hunter Classic. Rounding out the class were Courtney Herms of Zionsville, IN, riding her own Lavana for a smooth finish to earn the red ribbon and Liana Brown, also from Zionsville, who scored clean jumps on her own Marengo for the yellow.

But Johnson wasn’t finished winning on Friday. Her beautifully rhythmic rounds in the Junior Hunter 15 and Under Stake, the Junior Hunter 15 and Under, the Junior Handy Hunter, and the Junior Hunter 15 and Under Working Hunter Under Saddle class−all on Cavalli−earned her ribbons and bragging rights

Other winners in the Junior Hunter 15 and Under Stake were Haley Zimmerman placing in second riding Zider, who she affectionately calls “Zac,” and Piper Benjamin with the third, riding Fernelli. Zimmerman and Fernelli also won second and third places, respectively, on the same horses in the Junior Hunter 15 and Under class AND the same ribbons on the same horses in the Junior Handy Hunter 15 and under saddle class AND the same ribbons on the same horses in the 15 and Under Junior Hunter Under Saddle Class.  Talk about consistent!

Area local Alliy Moyer was also seeing blue ribbons while dodging the raindrops when she rode Contemporary to a win in the Junior Hunter Stake for 15-17-year-olds. Moyer said she started riding him in January while in Florida and she’s trying to qualify for indoors on the horse, an 8-year-old Hanovarian she calls “Legs.”

Other top winners in the Junior Hunter Stake were Dana Dettmer, another local, riding her own Farralon for the second place spot and Taylor Schmidt riding RMW Ferrari, owned by Mary Shirley of Wellington, FL, for the third.

Also winning classes in the Main Hunter ring was Katherine Graul, riding Kira Telfor’s Orame to a win in the Junior Hunter 16-17-year-old class, the Junior Handy Hunter 16-17-year-old class and the Junior Hunter 16-17-year-old under saddle class.

Alliy Moyer placed second in the Junior Hunter 16-17 class, riding Contemporary and Dana Dettmer was third with the same riders earning the same placings on the same horses in the Junior Hunter 16-17-year-old Under Saddle Class.

Kelley Farmer and Taken stole the show on the Grand Prix Field at the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show on Saturday. Not only is Taken a pro when it comes to the Derby, he took his owner, Jessica Stitt of Elburn, IL, to the championship win in the Amateur 3’3″ class in Traverse City, MI, just one week ago.

Farmer piloted the 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood imported from Holland to a win in the first round while taking two higher options to earn points. The course, designed by Phil DeVita, started with a birch bark oxer with a right turn over a wagon wheel vertical. Then up a ramp to a vertical at the top of the course with a high/low option to earn more points. After a left turn and a cross on the diagonal was an oxer to oxer stone wall combination with two strides in between. After a right turn, a solid wood snake fence with a high/low option was followed by a trek up a small bank with a pillar vertical. After a dogleg, a sawn-log oxer offered another high/low option and then a cross on the diagonal to a gray stone pillar oxer was followed by a gallop to an oxer with plank walls and birch standards for another high/low option.

After the first round with 21 entries, Taken and Farmer came out on top with a score of 188 and the dynamic duo and 11 other horse/rider partners earned the right to advance to the Round Two Handy Hunters including Caroline Weeden and The Spy (174), Lisa Goldman and Ariano (173), Kelley Farmer and Bases Loaded (172), Caroline Weeden and Lucky Times (166), Holly Orlando and Vox (162), Ashton Alexander and On Top (159), Holly Orlando and Spoken For (147), Erin McCabe and Castlewellan (145), Lizzie Van Der Walde and App For That (141), Freddie Vazquez and Quintero’s Silhouette (140), and Rachel Porter and Rio (122).

The course for the handy started with a natural straight birch fence to a wagon wheel vertical. After a turn to the right, the rider had a high/low option and then a rollback left to an oxer over to oxer combo with two strides in the middle.  Then was a right turn to a solid wood snake fence with another high/low option. A small bank to a vertical was followed by a high/low option with birch standards and then a left turn to a trot fence followed by log oxers, and finally, left to a stone oxer with stone pillars.

Farmer had a determined look on her face as she and Taken took the high options and made sharp rollbacks to earn bonus points from the judges, Rob Bielefeld and Mike Rosser. “Come on little buddy,” trainer Larry Glefke yelled from the side as the duo rounded the turn to the final jump. “Bring it on home.”

And bring it on home they did. Farmer and Taken earned a 195 in the second round to come out on top with a 383%.  Other top winners were second place for Caroline Weeden riding The Spy owned by Ila Lemonis of Lake Forest, IL, (174/193/367%), third place for Lisa Goldman and Ariano, owned by Brooke Saltzman of Hawthorn, Woods, IL, (173/181.5/354.5%), and fourth place for Caroline Weeden and Lucky Times, owned by Emma Heise of Northfield, IL, (166/182/348%).

Farmer also rode three other horses in the Derby but in the end, she and Taken were the victors, to his owner’s delight.

The Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show and Country Fair is held every year on the beautiful 250-acre grounds of Wild Air Farms in Zionsville, IN. The show offers top prize money with two Grand Prix events and a USHJA International Hunter Derby. Exhibitors at Traders Point enjoy fun family activities and events while participating in a competitive, high-quality show. For more information, please visit