ARCADIA , Calif. (Sept. 30, 2012)—Slim Shadey, freshened following a disappointing run in the Grade I Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar on July 21, pulled jockey Garrett Gomez to the lead in the Grade II, $150,000 John Henry Turf Championship at 1 ¼ miles and never looked back, wiring a nine-horse field by 2 ¼ lengths while getting the distance in 1:59.17.
Lexington, KY – September 28, 2012 – It was a thrilling $50,000 World Cup Qualifier at the Kentucky National Horse Show as 41 competitors gathered at the Rolex Stadium for their last chance to take the top honors and the highly coveted Leading Rider Award for the 2012 Hagyard Challenge Series. It was Shane Sweetnam who held on to his solid lead at the top of the standings for the 2012 Hagyard Challenge Series.
OMAHA, Neb. – They make them tough in Oklahoma. Six weeks after Hunter Herrin’s truck hydroplaned off an Oklahoma highway, rolled three times and left him with a separated AC joint in his right shoulder, Herrin was out on the arena dirt at the CenturyLink Center taking a victory lap.
Jacksonville, FL – September 26, 2012 – The highly anticipated, first-ever Southeast Medal Finals delivered a home run. Exhibitors, trainers, sponsors, vendors, family and friends all agreed- the show is a winner. All had glowing accolades for managers, Bob Bell and James Lala, and the fabulous venue, the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. Plans are already underway for next year’s show, sure to be an expanded and even grander affair.
A group of 37 skilled riders determined to master Alan Rheinheimer’s course competed for the top prize- the ASPCA Maclay Regional title. The course tested the ability of the rider to lengthen and shorten, to be subtle with the adjustments, to land and turn and to put it all together with confidence and poise.
After the first round, the class was split in two for the under saddle portion of the competition,
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| Meg O’Mara and Vancouver won the ASPCA Maclay Regional |
followed by the announcement of a test for six riders. The riders included Meg O’Mara, Hasbrouck Donovan, Liza Finsness, Hannah Marco, Geoffrey Hesslink and Sylvia De Toledo.
The competitors were asked to perform the following test: canter fence #13, canter fence #4, canter fence #9, hand gallop fence #12 and counter canter fence #6 and finally, canter fence #2. The announcer gave the instructions for the workout course only twice.
OMAHA, Neb. – Self-doubt has never been a big problem for J.R. Vezain. He tends to think big and make lofty goals. He’s 20 with a world of talent, so he doesn’t see any reason to set limits. On Sept. 27, he made believers of the 6,374 fans in the CenturyLink Center.
September 25, 2012 – It was a full weekend for junior riders as the final four regions concluded their ASPCA Maclay Regionals. The anticipation was tangible as the nation’s top riders competed for the chance to attend the prestigious ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Finals during the Alltech National Horse Show this fall at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. Michael Hughes captured the first place honors for Region 1, with Lillie Keenan riding to the top of the ranks for Region 2. Meg O’Mara took the championship in the ASPCA Maclay Regionals for Region 3, while Taylor Schmidt rode to the top of the standings for Region 4.
The ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class has been held since 1933, and it is one of the most prestigious competitions for junior riders in the United States. Its winners are some of the biggest names in the equestrian sport. Previous winners include: William Steinkraus in 1941, Frank Chapot (1948), George Morris (1952), Leslie Burr Howard (1972), and Nicole Shahinian Simpson in 1992. The 2010 ASPCA winner was Hayley Barnhill, and Sarah Milliren took the title during the 2012 Alltech National Horse Show.
Wellington, FL- September 24, 2012-Peter Leone and Monica Carrera’s Lincourt Gino received a huge ovation from the spectators as the only horse and rider team to go double clear around Steve Stephen’s challenging long and short tracks around the rolling terrain of the Old Salem Grand Prix field in the American Gold Cup. It was Leone’s second American Gold Cup win; in 1988 he won the prize aboard the amazing American Quarter Horse, Threes and Sevens.
Leone’s clean jump-off round (44.050 seconds) placed him ahead of Kent Farrington, who came in second riding Voyeur with a time of 41.630 seconds with four faults in the second round. McLain Ward, riding Antares F, claimed third place with a time of 42.00 seconds with four faults in round two, while Beezie Madden, riding Cortes C, earned the fourth place ribbon with a time of 43.140 seconds, also with four faults in the jump-off.
1. Whitney leads band of last-minute qualifiers for Omaha
Usually when a guy gets bumped out of the field for the Justin Boots Championships at the last moment there is anguish and bitter disappointment. Clayton Savage is fine with it. He wasn’t going to go to Omaha for the $637,188 rodeo even if he had qualified. He’s getting married next weekend.
Savage had long ago cleared off his schedule for the last week in September so he could tie the knot with his high school sweetheart, Catherine Mosher, at Grace Bible Baptist Church in Casper, Wyo. Nothing was going to interfere with that.
“I guess I didn’t really think about (when Omaha was scheduled),” Savage said. “What would I have done if I had qualified? I guess I would have doctor released out or just not entered. Bull riding isn’t everything.”
It turned out to be a moot point. Cody Whitney saw to that. Whitney earned his spot at the QwestCenter straight up. He won the Pasadena (Texas) Livestock Show & Rodeo with an 89-point ride at the final performance Sept. 20 and tied for fourth place at the Four States Fair Rodeo in Texarkana, Ark.
Wellington, FL-September 24, 2012–The excitement is building for dressage fans and aficionados worldwide as the countdown begins for the must-see event in 2013-the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach. The internationally acclaimed World Dressage Masters CDI5* Palm Beach will return to the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center January 23-27, 2013 during the Wellington Classic Sunshine Challenge CDI3*.
World Dressage Masters (WDM), presented by Axel Johnson Group, is an elite competition series at the highest international level, featuring the world’s leading dressage shows and riders, and offering an unprecedented €425,000 in prize money (over $550,000 US). The WDM Palm Beach, produced by Wellington Classic Dressage, is one of only four 5-Star shows held worldwide and the only one to be held on U.S. soil. The World Dressage Masters Palm Beach drew nearly 10,000 spectators and competitors throughout the four-day show in 2012 and set records for attendance in North American dressage.
1. At last! Mote adds Pendleton to career resumé
PENDLETON, Ore. – Bobby Mote said it was the most fun he’s ever had on a victory lap and his trip around Pendleton Round-Up Arena was “probably the longest one I’ve ever taken.” Fair enough. This one was long overdue.
Since he first climbed on the back of a bareback horse more than 20 years ago in Oregon ranch country, Mote has dreamed of taking that lap around the grassy field. He’d been close more than once, but he had never won his home-state’s biggest rodeo, not once in his 17 seasons as a professional.
“I’d been close before, losing by a point or having a horse not perform in the final,” Mote said. “It just lets the air out of you. I’ve wanted to win this rodeo since I started.”
A pair of Sankey Rodeo horses saw to it that Mote made it to the victory ceremony this time. He rode Parlor Game for 84 points to win the first round and Thunder Monkey for 85 in the Sept. 15 finals to tie traveling partner Steven Dent for second place and claim the two-head average.