Parker, CO – June 18, 2013 – Top-notch horses and riders gathered at the Colorado Horse Park for Summer in the Rockies II, a week of hunter/jumper competition set against the beautiful backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. Riders enjoyed sunny skies and warm weather throughout the week, and spectators lined the grass bleachers and VIP area of the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena for Saturday’s Summer in the Rockies II $30,000 Grand Prix, presented by Littleton Equine Medical Center and Platinum Performance.

During the late afternoon event, 20 horse and rider pairs tried their hand at Danny Foster’s grand prix course. Seven returned for the jump-off, which included some exciting long gallops that kept the crowd of spectators on the edge of their seats.

Kristen VanderVeen and Bull Run’s Eternal won the $30,000 Summer in the Rockies II Grand Prix on Saturday at the Colorado Horse Park

John Pearce had clear first rounds on all three of his entries: Son of a Gun, Johnny B Good, and last week’s Summer in the Rockies I Grand Prix winner, Chianto, all owned by Forest View Farms. Armando Hassey and Taggert Enterprises LLC’s Eminem also went clear to return. Bjorn Ikast had two fault-free rounds, first with his own Royal Flush and another with Bovee Limited Liability’s Colorado, winner of this week’s Welcome Stake. Bull Run’s Eternal with Kristen VanderVeen also progressed to the short track, skillfully executing the course while leaving all the poles in their cups.

 

First back was Ikast aboard Royal Flush. The pair went clear and set the time to beat, 47.920. Next, Pearce and Johnny B Good accomplished another clean round in the time of 43.728. Then, VanderVeen returned on Bull Run’s Eternal and sped through the course deftly and faultlessly beating Pearce’s first round with a time of 42.084.

 

Then it was Hassey’s turn aboard Eminem. The pair had a rail, and then opted to take it easy finishing the short course in 49.555. Colorado and Ikast followed suit, becoming the second four-faulter with a time of 48.382.

 

It was up to Pearce to best VanderVeen’s time if he was to take the prize. He still had two rounds to go, one with the very fast Son of a Gun and one with his long-time partner Chianto. With Son of a Gun, Pearce was clean and fast with a time of 42.100, but not fast enough to beat VanderVeen.

 

It now came down to his round with Chianto but it was not in the cards. Chianto had a rail at the first fence and had a time of 43.601. VanderVeen and Bull Run’s Eternal maintained the lead and earned the win.

 

Her father, Keith VanderVeen, flew in to watch and be with his daughter for Fathers Day. He called her victory the best Fathers Day present.

Kristen VanderVeen and Bull Run’s Eternal in the awards ceremony. Photo by Flying Horse Photography.

Jumper Highlights: Wednesday – Sunday

Jumper competition got underway on Wednesday, highlighted by the 1.30m and 1.40m Open Jumpers. Kristen VanderVeen went 17th in a field of 19 in the 1.30m Open Jumpers and pulled off the win aboard Bull Run’s LeConte, owned by Empire State Equine Sales LLC. VanderVeen also won the 7/8-Year-Olds with Bull Run’s Revive.

 

Janine Weatherby and Chris Falewitch’s 16-year-old Panache took the 1.40m Open Jumpers. Panache is a Thoroughbred and Weatherby did the 1m Thoroughbred Jumpers when she was in Scottsdale to support the Thoroughbred division. In addition to Panache, she brought some youngsters to the Colorado Horse Park to show during Summer in the Rockies.

 

On Thursday, the $15,000 Welcome Stake was the feature in Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena, and the winner was a horse named Colorado, piloted by Bjorn Ikast.

 

Course designer Danny Foster built a course that tested the horse and rider combinations, but delivered just the optimum number of clear trips for the jump-off round. A tricky part of the course was an oxer with a bending line to a huge triple combination. This line tripped up the majority of the riders who did not progress to the jump off.  It required precision and a really good distance into the first element of the triple.

 

Twenty-three horse and rider teams took a stab at a clear round and only six accomplished the task. First back were Bryn Sadler and Showcase 81’s Bon Giorno. The pair had a clean round and earned the momentary lead.

John Pearce returned for the short track on all three of his horses, Chianto, Son of a Gun and Johnny B Good all owned by Forest View Farms. His only clear round with Son of a Gun eventually landed the duo in second place.

 

Ikast returned with Colorado, owned by Bovee Limited Liability Partnership, to lay down a blazing fast, clean round that would earn the pair the victory gallop. Then, Mark Mead and Balthazar had the fastest round of the group but had an unfortunate rail. The pair finished fifth.

 

The win was especially sweet for Ikast, who was celebrating his birthday. Plus, one of his own mounts that he also rode in the class, Iz’s Viva La Vida, turned 8 on the same day.

 

Also on Thursday, the $1,000 5/6 Year Old Championship was held in the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Arena. Tony Font from Texas and Von Casius, owned by Deanna Blackburn, earned the blue ribbon while Ikast and his Supernatural won the red ribbon.

Hannah Holik and Cupido de Laubry

Hannah Holik and Cupido de Laubry, owned by Morgan Hill Partners, took first place honors in the $500 High Junior Amateur jumpers. Jackie Smith and her own Diego were second.

 

In Friday’s $1,000 7/8 Year Old Young Jumpers, Kristen VanderVeen and Bull Run’s Revive repeated their victory from Week I by nabbing the championship once again. The duo executed Danny Foster’s course in great form, proving the talent of these rising stars.

 

VanderVeen imported Revive as an approved Holsteiner stallion and later gelded him. She said that her other two entries in the class are much greener than Revive. VanderVeen and Bull Run’s TMac were second in the class. She named the horse after a Christian band.

 

Kelsey Van Ackeren from Austin, TX, won the $500 High Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper Class aboard the gray gelding, Vernon G. Van Ackeren has had Vernon G for about a year and a half and it took a full year for her to find him. She finally hit the jackpot in Thousand Oaks, CA, where Kirsten Coe had been riding him.

 

Van Ackeren, who rides with Matt Cyphert at the shows, will return for her sophomore year at University of Texas this fall. She plans to stay for the entire Summer in the Rockies circuit and will celebrate her birthday on July 9 at the Colorado Horse Park.

 

Earlier in the day, Tony Font from Magnolia, TX, piloted Deana Blackburn’s Kissimmee to the 1.30m Open Jumpers in the Kathy and Brad Coors Grand Prix Arena. In the 1.40 Open Jumpers, Bjorn Ikast and his own Iz’s Viva La Vida delivered an electrifying performance earned the pair the win just edging out Font and Calotta, owned by Ashton Galo Paley.

 

Jumper competition at Summer in the Rockies II concluded on Sunday with two prestigious classes for juniors and amateurs: the $5,000 North American League Low Junior/Amateur Classic and the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Junior/Amateur Classic.

 

Twenty-five entries battled it out in the $5,000 NAL Low Junior Amateur Classic. Of the 25 in the first round, 15 progressed to the jump-off round.

 

Liz Schmid was the first to go double clear aboard Air Apparent, laying down a time of 50.68. The next clear round came from Isabel Ikast. In her jump-off round Ikast added another clear round. Next, Chelsea Babcock and Bull Run’s Guardian delivered a flawless and faultless performance that put them in first place with a time of 46.344. Babcock trains with Kristen VanderVeen, of Bull Run in St Charles, IL.

 

As the entries for the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame were schooling, the wind began to pick up at the Colorado Horse Park. The skies became a bit darker and rain threatened. Due to the weather, the riders were asked to complete their jump-off rounds immediately following their first rounds.

 

The first clear round belonged to Hannah Holik riding Cupido de Laubry.  She proceeded to her jump-off round, completing it without faults in 50.720 seconds. The next rider on course, Clare Leach on Pallas Athena, also put in a clear round and went on to the jump-off. The pair had a rail and left with four faults.

 

Two rounds later, Jackie Smith and Diego went clean in the first round. In the jump-off round they became the fastest four-faulter with a time of 50.729. Another two rounds later, Kelsey Van Ackeren and Vernon G also went fault-free on their first round.

 

With a blustery wind picking up and spectators running for cover, Van Ackeren and Vernon G stayed focused and achieved a clear but slower round, breaking the beam at 57.630. Holik maintained her lead and earned the win to close out the final day of Summer in the Rockies II.

 

Hunter Highlights: Wednesday – Sunday

Audrey Buck and Patricia Murphy’s Edwina claimed the Performance Working Hunter 3’6″ championship after putting in consistent efforts over two days of competition. The pair collected wins in Wednesday’s handy and under saddle classes and second- and third-place finishes over fences on Thursday.

 

Edwina, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, has competed in California, Arizona, and Oklahoma this year with Audrey Buck and student Mary Katherine Dick in the saddle.

Audrey Buck and Edwina, 3’6″ Performance Working Hunter Champions

Ashley Keeler and Simply Said, a gray Holsteiner gelding owned by Emma Willsky, secured the reserve championship in the division after a stellar second day of competition on Thursday. They won both over-fences classes that day and also took the blue in the $1,000 Open Hunter Classic.

 

Keeler has taken her time getting to know Simply Said after inheriting the ride from her friend Keiri Kaneps. Kaneps, a popular and well-loved trainer at the Horse Park, tragically passed away in August 2012. The Horse Park turned to Keeler to see if she was interested in helping Kaneps’ former clients. She ended up moving her business to the Horse Park, and many of Kaneps’ clients chose to stay on with Keeler.

 

Kaneps had previously ridden Simply Said, and Keeler found that it took some work to build a connection and unlock the horse’s potential. But the pair’s recent performances together suggest that they can look forward to continued success.

 

Calido’s Son, ridden by Heidi Hildebrand and young owner Amanda Hauser, showed his quality and adaptability in the Performance Working Hunter 3’3″ division. Hildebrand got Calido’s Son off to a good start in the division on Wednesday, riding him to first place in the handy class. The trot jump was one of the most challenging elements of the Scott Starnes-designed handy course, which began with a long approach to a single oxer and gave competitors several options for inside routes. But Hildebrand and Calido’s Son took it in stride en route to victory.

 

On Thursday, Hauser took over the reins and turned what was supposed to be a warm-up ride into a dominating display. Hauser planned to ride in the division to prepare for the Junior Hunters on Friday and Saturday, but was on her game early in the week and swept all three blue ribbons that day to claim the championship in a competitive division that drew over 30 riders in some classes. Hauser handled the challenges of the courses, including a long approach to a single oxer and a forward five-stride line, with ease.

 

The reserve championship went to Snow Day, owned by Patricia With and ridden by Laura Simpson. Snow Day, a striking gray 10-year-old American Warmblood mare, collected top results on Thursday. She and Simpson finished second to Calido’s Son and Hauser in the under saddle class and one over fences class. A fourth-place finish in their other trip over fences gave them the necessary points to wrap up the reserve.

 

Nicole Lyvere and Promo, 3’6″ Amateur Owner Hunter Champions

After the Performance Working Hunter divisions concluded on Thursday, the focus shifted to the Junior and Amateur Owner Hunters. The Amateur Owner 3’6″ championship went to Nicole Lyvere and Promo. Lyvere got off to a strong start on Saturday, taking first place in the handy and second place over fences to establish themselves as the ones to beat going into the second day of competition in the division.

 

Promo’s newfound relaxation in the show ring, along with his eye-catching efforts over fences, led to smooth, confident rounds. Despite not feeling well herself, Lyvere summoned her energy to encourage her horse through solid performances. On Sunday, Lyvere and Promo notched a win, a second and a fourth in the remaining classes to secure the championship.

 

Susan Winston and Quite Nice also collected top ribbons in the 3’6″ Amateur Owner Hunters, striving to challenge Lyvere for the championship but eventually settling for the reserve. They finished the weekend with two wins and a second place. Winston, who purchased Quite Nice four years ago, competed with him in Junior Hunters for two years and then moved to the Amateur Owner Hunters last year.

 

The 3’3″ Amateur Owner Hunter championship went to Liza Dennehy and The Cottonwoods Ltd.’s Now You Know. Dennehy demonstrated that life-threatening medical conditions and a resulting hiatus from riding could not stop her from shining in the show ring.

 

Dennehy, who suffered cardiac arrest while schooling Sir Topham Hat at the Capital Challenge in September 2012 and also incurred a head injury as she fell from the horse, fought back after doctors gave her a one percent chance of survival. She used the same fighting spirit to get back in the saddle and continue doing what she loves most: riding, competing, and being around horses.

Liza Dennehy and Now You Know, 3’3″ Amateur Owner Hunter Champions

Dennehy and Now You Know scored two wins under saddle and over fences in the 3’3″ Amateur Owner Hunters after picking up a second place over the first course of the day. Their standout performance earned them the championship over Madeleine Stover and Concierge, who took the reserve.

 

Stover traveled quite a distance to show at the Horse Park. She is from New Hampshire, attends school at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and plans to compete in Kentucky and Vermont later this summer. Stover just began showing Concierge again after leasing him out for the past year, so her goal was to have a steady, confidence-building outing on him.

 

The Junior Hunter championship went to Hannah Holik, who had an impressive week in hunters, jumpers and equitation. She and Czech Mate LLC’s Tache Rouge swept all but the under saddle class, finishing second in that class to take away four blue ribbons and one red ribbon along with their champion tricolor. The pair also won the $1,000 Junior Hunter Classic.

 

Holik, who is based in Jackson Hole, WY, travels to the Horse Park every summer to compete. She will be at the Horse Park for all but one week of Summer in the Rockies, and she plans to keep competing Tache Rouge in the hunters and perhaps try some hunter derbies as well.

 

Laura Fereday and her own Amoro De Legante took the reserve in the Junior Hunters. Amoro De Legante began his career as a dressage horse: Fereday purchased him in California from owners who had imported him from Holland for that purpose. With trainer Mark Mead’s assistance, the horse has become increasingly comfortable in the hunter ring.

 

Amoro De Legante was a top contender in two divisions at Summer in the Rockies II, also collecting the reserve championship in the Working Hunters with Mead riding. The pair won the first over-fences class on Wednesday, edging out second-placed Up In Smoke and Rohrbach, but the tables turned in the handy as Rohrbach clinched the win over Mead. Rohrbach then rode Up In Smoke, owned by NTM Enterprises, to two wins over fences on Thursday to clinch the championship.

 

Summer in the Rockies III begins on Wednesday, June 19, and runs through Sunday, June 23. Highlights include a $15,000 Welcome Stake, a $30,000 Grand Prix, a $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, and a $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby along with a full array of hunter/jumper competition.

 

Summer in the Rockies II Divisional Championships (Number/Horse/Owner/Rider)

 

High Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper

Champion: 298/Cupido de Laubry/Morgan Hill Partners/Hannah Holik

Reserve: 854/Vernon G/Kelsey Van Ackeren/Kelsey Van Ackeren

 

Low Amateur Owner Jumper

Champion: 265/Cancun Z/Showcase 81, LLC/Bryn Sadler

Reserve: 181/Ralmea Z/Blair Julia Wright/Blair Julia Wright

 

Low Junior Jumper

Champion: 341/Quite Quick/Jennifer Flynn/Delaney Flynn

Reserve: 300/Santiago/Czech Mate, LLC/Hannah Holik

 

Performance Working Hunter 3’6″

Champion: 496/Edwina/Patricia Murphy/Audrey Buck

Reserve: 333/Simply Said/Emma Willsky/Ashley Keeler

 

Performance Working Hunter 3’3″

Champion: 765/Calido’s Son/Amanda Hauser/Heidi Hildebrand and Amanda Hauser

Reserve: 446/Snow Day/Patricia With/Laura Simpson

 

Junior Hunter

Champion: 301/Tache Rouge/Czech Mate, LLC/Hannah Holik

Reserve: 366/Amoro De Legante/Laura Fereday/Laura Fereday

 

Amateur Owner Hunter 3’6″

Champion: 285/Promo/Nicole Lyvere/Nicole Lyvere

Reserve: 787/Quite Nice/Susan Winston/Susan Winston

 

Amateur Owner Hunter 3’3″

Champion: 205/Now You Know/The Cottonwoods Ltd/Liza Dennehy

Reserve: 184/Concierge/Elizabeth Richter/Madeleine Stover

 

Working Hunter

Champion: 427/Up In Smoke/NTM Enterprises/Paul Rohrbach

Reserve: 366/Amoro De Legante/Laura Fereday/Mark Mead