May 21, 2013–Stadium Jumping, Inc. and Old Salem Farm announced today that the 43rd annual American Gold Cup Grand Prix, a CSI4*-World Cup Qualifying competition, will air on NBC Sports Network in a one hour presentation on Sunday, Sept. 22, at 4:30 pm ET. The televised event will provide national high-profile exposure for the event, the sport of show jumping and highlight Westchester County and Old Salem Farm as premier equestrian sports destinations.

“Last year it was an all-star cast,” said Michael Morrissey, president of Stadium Jumping and American Gold Cup organizer. “We wanted everyone to have a good experience and go away thinking this was the climax of the season. We feel we really accomplished that. This year, we are particularly excited to share The American Gold Cup in this incredible venue to a national television audience.”

“NBC Sports Network’s coverage offers a rare opportunity for sponsors and advertisers to reach an incredibly large, mainstream audience,” continued Morrissey. “We encourage interested sponsors and advertisers to contact us about this unique marketing opportunity.”

“The American Gold Cup is a prestigious equestrian event and we are happy to provide coverage to our viewers on NBC Sports Network,” said Mike Perman, Vice President, Programming, NBC Sports Group.

Following last year’s enormous success, Old Salem Farm in New York’s Westchester County, will again serve as the picturesque setting for the American Gold Cup.  Old Salem Farm offers state-of-the-art facilities surrounded by 120 gorgeous acres. In 2012, the North American Riders Group (NARG) named The American Gold Cup one of the Top 25 Best Horse Shows in North America. The owners at Old Salem have made many renovations over the past few years to create one of the most extraordinary show facilities in the world.

The American Gold Cup scheduled for September 11-15, 2013 will feature a full array of jumper classes, including sections for Children and Adult Jumpers, Low and High Junior/Amateur Jumpers, plus the Open Jumpers.  New this year, the ASPCA Maclay Regional Championships will be held on Saturday evening in the Old Salem Farm indoor arena. The featured event, the coveted $200,000 American Gold Cup, will be held on Sunday September 15, 2013 and broadcast on NBC Sports Network the following Sunday, September 22, 2013

For further information, visit: www.stadiumjumping.com, or http://www.theamericangoldcup.com,

Captain Canada showed the way over the short course with his top mount Star Power, owned by Team Works of Perth, Ontario. The duo left all the rails intact, but had a conservative gallop going early in the field to finish sixth with a time of 44.786 seconds. The next to go was Pablo Barrios and Zara Leanrda, owned by ZL Group of Wellington, FL. The speedy duo was clear over the course and broke the beam at 41.834 second, which was good enough for third.

Katie Prudent raced to catch Barrios’ time with her winner from Friday, V, owned by Michael Smith of Winchester, VA. They came just 1/10th of a second with their fault-free effort for fourth.

The next to tackle the short course was Margie Engle aboard Royce, owned by Elm Rock Partners LLC of Bronxville, NY. They had their eye on the prize and picked up a quick gallop to the first fence. The duo sliced through the double combinations and made a short turn to the skinny before leaving a stride out to the final oxer. The final time of 40.757 seconds would be good enough for the win.

Charlie Jayne attempted to catch Engle’s time with Chill R Z, owned by Alex Jayne of Elgin, IL. He and his World Cup mount were just a touch too slow, galloping through the timers in 40.905 seconds to take over second, sealing the victory for Engle.

This evening’s victory on Royce marks an improvement from second place in the event for Engle. “I was really pleased with him both rounds,” she smiled. “Royce is riding better and better. He’s always had all the ability in the world. He’s got unbelievable talent, and it’s just taken me a little bit of time to get the rideability in between the jumps. I was just starting to get it before I got hurt last year, so then he had some time off. He’s a horse that you really need to develop a rapport with. I lost half the year, so I was almost starting from scratch again. He jumped a lot of clear rounds in Florida, but I was just going medium because I still didn’t have the rideability where I wanted it. I am starting to get him back to where I had him last year.”

Jumper Highlights: Wednesday – Sunday

The heat was on as the Kentucky Spring Classic got underway Wednesday at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY.  Five riders produced double clear rounds during the 1.45m Open Jumpers, but it was the last do so that proved to be the fastest. Abigail McArdle and Cosma 20 broke the beam at 30.378 seconds for the win by 3/10ths of a second over Reed Kessler and Soraya De L’Obstination. Earlier in the day, Pablo Barrios took home his second blue ribbon in a row during the 1.40m Open Jumpers speed class with Colgate.

The first to show without fault over the short course was Abigail McArdle’s trainer, Katie Prudent. She and V, owned by Michael Smith of Winchester, VA, were able to break the beam in 32.945 seconds, which was good enough for fourth place. The next to complete the jump-off with all the rails intact was Ramiro Quintana and Ollywood Des Horts, owned by Remarkable Farms LP of New York, NY. They increased the speed by almost two seconds, stopping the clock at 31.263 seconds and claiming the eventual third place honors. Margie Engle chose to be more conservative with Cabras, owned by Elm Rock LLC of Bronxville, NY, leaving all the fences in place, but crossing the finish line in 34.614 seconds for fifth place.

Olympian Reed Kessler of Lexington, KY, was one of the last riders to show, and she had her eye on the prize with Soraya De L’Onstination. She was able to top her trainer Katie Prudent as well as Quintana, speeding through the timers in 30.655 seconds. Unfortunately, her time would only hold up for second place, as Abigail McArdle was next to advance to the tiebreaker with Cosma 20. The reigning North American Junior Jumper individual gold medalists are well known for their speed, and Wednesday was no exception. McArdle laid on the gas, leaving out a stride through the first bending line and speeding to the final obstacles without even a rub. The duo clocked in at 30.378 seconds to take home the winning prize.

Earlier in the day, Venezuela’s Pablo Barrios matched his effort in the 1.40m Open Jumper speed class with Colgate for the second week in a row. Nine riders were able to complete the course without fault, but it was Barrios and Colgate that set the time to beat, finishing in 62.397 seconds. Emanuel Andrade stopped the clock at 66.933 with Crossfire 10, owned by Hollow Creek Farm of Aiken, SC. They were almost five seconds slower for second place. Alison Robitaille was one of the first to show with Candle Light, owned by Mr. & Mrs. Bertram Firestone of Upperville, VA, and finished the course in 67.418 seconds to round out the top three.

Although thunderstorms disrupted competition throughout the day at the Kentucky Horse Park, the clouds parted as the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic got underway during the Kentucky Spring Classic. Sixteen horse and rider combinations advanced to the tiebreaker, creating a speed duel for the winning prize. Kent Farrington proved to have all the answers with Venus, blazing an uncatchable clear track that was almost two seconds faster than second place finisher Andrew Bourns of Ireland. Reed Kessler and Mika were the pathfinders to take home the third place honors.

Reed Kessler of Lexington, KY, was the second rider on the start list and first to complete the course without fault. She and her top mount, Mika, also proved to be pathfinders during the jump-off, completing a clear effort in a speed of 36.217 seconds that would eventually place third.

Seven rounds later, Kessler’s clear round was caught by Andrew Bourns aboard Gatsby. They were able to shave time through the rollback and took a long distance to the oxer before the double combination. Their risks paid off, and they broke the beam at 35.877 seconds with all the rails in tact for the second place honors.

It was the next rider on course that would prove to have the winning round. Kent Farrington and Venus, owned by Raylyn Farms of Frederick, MD, were up to the speedy challenge. They quickly zipped from one to two and took a big risk to the combination. The mare easily cleared the obstacles and cut inside Bourn’s track to the final oxer with a clear round in 33.878 seconds for the win.

The young talent was shinning brightly Friday during the Kentucky Spring Classic as Emanuel Andrade led the team from Hollow Creek Farm to multiple victories in the jumper ring. His highlight of the day was during the High Junior/Amateur-Owner jumpers, where he piloted Wilkina Lithya to the win, followed by Tiny Tim in third, while Kate Morrison and Four Roses DL Vie Z placed second. Andrade also scored all three of the top ribbons in the Low Junior Jumpers. Earlier in the day, Katie Prudent and V took home honors in the 1.45m Open Jumpers with their quick and clean jump-off round.

Andrade was the pathfinder with his first mount, Tiny Tim, owned by Hollow Creek Farm of Aiken, SC. They set the target in the jump-off by leaving all the fences intact and breaking the beam at 36.481 seconds, which would be good enough for third. He eventually bested his own time with his winning mount Wilkina Lithya, also owned by Hollow Creek Farm, later in the class. They shaved the turn in the first rollback and flew down to the final oxer to dash through the finish in 35.823 seconds. The clear effort would prove uncatchable and they would claim their winning stake.

The win came shortly after Andrade’s top three placings in the Low Junior Jumpers. The Kentucky Spring Shows have been very successful for the young rider, who jumped double clear rounds with all three mounts. Carboni, Casanova Junior, and Lucky Des Rocquelines finished first, second, and third respectively.

In the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers, the only rider to best Andrade’s time with his first mount Tiny Tim was Kate Morrison with Four Roses DL Vie Z, owned by Craig Morrison of Dublin, OH. Their speedy jump-off effort claimed the second place award, and she also picked up fifth with her first mount, Windoctro. Leah DeMartini of Bronxville, NY slipped into the fourth place position with Elm Rock LLC’s True Love, while Daniela Stransky and Twister, owned by Stransky’s Mission Farms of Miami, FL, rounded out the top six and the double clear rounds.

Earlier in the day riders had the opportunity to showcase their mounts during the 1.45m Open Jumpers. Four riders advanced to the tiebreaker and all four posted double clear rounds. The first came clear came from the first duo on course: Richie Moloney with Freestyle De Muze for Equinimity LLC of Wellington, FL. They set the standard at 40.367 seconds, which placed fourth.

Katie Prudent was the next to tackle the jump-off aboard V, owned by Michael Smith of Winchester, VA. They had the most successful round, clocking in at 36.091 seconds with all the fences in place to eventually claim the win.

Fernando Cardenas and Quincy Car gave catching Prudent their best shot, but finished just 8/10ths a second behind the leading time for third. The last to show over the short course was Kent Farrington with Panama Tame, owned by Salamander Farms of The Plains, VA. They came even closer to Prudent’s time, but were still 7/10ths of a second shy to earn the second place award.

The Kentucky Spring Horse Shows came to a close Sunday with amateur rider Meagan Nusz claiming her second major victory.  During the 16-horse jump-off in the $20,000 Bluegrass Classic, Nusz piloted Vesuvius to the winning clear time to lead the victory gallop during the Kentucky Spring Classic. Ramiro Quintana of Argentina was hot on her heels, qualifying three mounts for the tiebreaker and scoring second and third with Ollywood Des Horts and Ziedento, respectively.

Ramiro Quintana was the pathfinder over the first course aboard Zidento, owned by St. Bride’s Farm of Upperville, VA, and he managed to match the effort as the first in the jump-off. The duo easily maneuvered over all of the fences, setting the time to beat at 42.258 seconds, which would be good enough for third.

Fernando Cardenas had the next clear round with Quincy Car, but they ended up with the most conservative faultless time in 43.729 seconds for fifth place. Canada’s Ian Millar came very close to taking Quintana’s early lead with Baranns, but fell just 2/10ths of a second short. The clear effort would pick up the fourth place award.

Meagan Nusz and Vesuvius, owned by Amalaya Investments of Houston, TX, would produce the next double clear effort, and they had their eye on the winning pace. Easily making the rollback to the skinny vertical, they were able to handily gallop across the middle of the ring before leaving a stride out to the last obstacle. The pair dashed through the timers in 41.462 seconds to claim the victory.

The only other rider to come close to catching them was Quintana with his other mount, Ollywood Des Horts, owned by Remarkable Farms of New York, NY. The duo added to the final fence to leave it intact, but the careful approach proved costly with a time of 41.718, which was just 3/10ths of a second shy of the leader for second place.

The High Junior and Amateur-Owner Jumper Show Jumping Hall of Fame Classics were held later in the day. The Amateur-Owner Jumpers saw four double clear efforts, with Wilton Porter piloting Neolistio Van Het Mierenhof to the win for Sleepy P Ranch of Bartonville, TX. Canada’s Jordan MacPherson and Aanwinst claimed second, Kenzie Donovan of River Hills, WI, placed third with Boomerang, and Leah DeMartini rounded out the faultless efforts in the jump-off with True Love for Elm Rock LLC of Bronxville, NY.  In the High Junior Jumper Classic, there were no double clear rounds, but Sophie Simpson had the fastest four fault round in the jump-off aboard Chico’s Girl, owned by Katherine Gallagher of Medfield, MA. Kady Abrahamson of Loveland, OH, followed in second with Irish Hunt.

Hunter Highlights: Wednesday – Sunday

Clear, sunny skies and lush Kentucky bluegrass welcomed riders back to the Kentucky Horse Park for week two of the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows. Among those leading riders are Kelley Farmer and Shawn Casady, both of whom topped the leaderboard.

After a successful first week in Kentucky, Farmer returned to the Stonelea Ring to kick things off by sweeping all four of the day’s Conformation Hunter classes with Skorekeeper, owned by Larry Glefke and Quail Run Partnership of Keswick, VA.

Skorekeeper started the morning with a blue ribbon in the Conformation Hunter model class and then delivered two back-to-back polished rounds over the Bobby Murphy designed Conformation Hunter courses to take first place in both classes.

Farmer and Skorekeeper finished the day with another blue ribbon, this time in the Conformation Hunter under saddle class, leaving the pair well ahead of the pack going into the awarding of the division championships.

Farmer also saw success in the same division aboard her second mount Dancing Solo, owned by Larry Glefke and Dr. Kenneth Garber of Keswick, VA. The duo finished second over the first course as well as second in the under saddle.

In the combined Second Year and High Performance Hunters, it was Shawn Casady who led the jog following the second course. Casady finished high in the ribbons in both of the over fences classes and the hack aboard Ascot, owned by the HJ Group LLC of Sewickley, PA.

Winning the first class of the Second Year and High Performance Hunter division were Caroline Weeden and Lucky Times, owned by Old Willow Farms LLC of Northfield, IL.

Day two of the popular spring series concluded Thursday with the awarding of the professional hunter division championships, and it was Cookie Beck who rode away with the tricolor in the combined Second Year Green and High Performance Hunter division.

Beck finished first over both of the day’s Bobby Murphy designed hunter courses in the Stonelea Ring at the Kentucky Horse Park to secure title of division champion aboard Last Call, owned by Lisa Cudahy of Mequon, WI.

Beck and Last Call came into the afternoon with a second place over fences and a first place under saddle earned Wednesday, and they only improved upon their performances from there.

Finishing in reserve in the Second Year Green/High Performance Hunter division were Jennifer Alfano and Miss Lucy, owned by Helen Lenahan of Buffalo, NY.

In the First Year Green Hunters it was another talented horse, Balin, who earned the division’s highest honors with Havens Schatt in the saddle.

The seven-year-old, owned by Ainsley Sadlo of Atlanta, GA finished second in the first class of the morning behind one of Schatt’s other mounts, Sans Souci, owned by CH Farm LLC of Delano, MN. That second place finish coupled with two blue ribbons Wednesday cemented Balin’s position as the division leader.

The reserve championship tri-color in the First Year Green Hunter division went to Christopher Payne and Say When, owned by Danielle Baran of London, Ontario. Payne, of New Hope Farm LLC in Cincinnati, OH, navigated Say When to a third place finish over the first course before returning to the ring to display Say When’s handiness and finish first in the handy class.

Friday, on her home turf, Vivian Yowan topped the field in both the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal, sponsored by Randolph College, and the WIHS Equitation Hunter Phase. Yowan demonstrated her exceptional equitation over the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal course aboard Sanderson, to earn her a spot as one of four riders called back to test. Along with Yowan, Addison Piper, Spencer Smith and Lizzie Vanderwalde all returned to the ring to line-up as the top four finishers following the first course.

Judges asked that each rider go directly from their place in line to jump what was formerly fence three, a vertical off of the left lead. From there, riders were instructed to ride a bending line to another vertical across the diagonal and then maintain a counter-canter around the end of the ring leading toward another vertical away from the in-gate. Riders then executed a rollback to the left to one final fence toward the gate before coming to a halt in front of the fence lining the Stonelea Ring. Adding to the difficulty of the test, all riders were asked to drop their stirrup irons.

Piper and Superfly, owned by Cavallo Farms, LLC of San Diego, CA, were the first to execute the four fence round. Piper rode Superfly through the shortened course without issue, providing an excellent example of how best to maneuver the test.

Yowan was the next to be asked to showcase her abilities, and she need not have worried about just staying on. Yowan rode the test seamlessly, cementing her spot as one of the top riders in the class. Smith tested next without issue aboard Icarus, owned by Ashland Farms of Wellington, FL, and Vanderwalde rounded out the top four aboard App For That, owned by Dasilva Investments of Ann Arbor, MI.

Following their tests it was Yowan who rode away with the blue ribbon, while Piper took the second place position, and Smith and Vanderwalde finished third and fourth respectively.

While Sanderson is a new partner for Yowan, she’s seen similar success with her long-standing mount, Naf Naf, owned by Saddle Ridge LLC of Darien, CT. It was aboard Naf Naf that Yowan picked up her first win of the day, finishing with a score of 89 in the WIHS Equitation Hunter Phase. The WIHS Equitation Qualifier class will conclude on Sunday, May 17 at 10 a.m. with the Jumper Phase.

Havens Schatt and Just Fred were just about flawless in Saturday night’s $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby. Schatt and Just Fred, owned by R. Bruce Duchossois of Aiken, SC, claimed the victory in what is one of the Kentucky Spring Classic’s most highlighted hunter events. The class, held in the Stonelea Ring at the Kentucky Horse Park, is the second in the seven-part Hallway Feeds Series in which top riders from across the country vie for their share of the $15,000 Leading Rider Awards.

Kelley Farmer returned to the handy round in the third place position with a first round score of 90 aboard Red Sky, owned by Dr. Kenneth and Selma Garber and Larry Glefke of Keswick, VA. Farmer and Red Sky took all of the higher options over the second course to earn a handy round score of 87, for a grand total of 177 over both courses, which would end up cementing their spot in third place for the night.

Farmer’s high score in the first was overtaken by Schatt and Just Fred, who returned as the second to last to go with a first round score of 91. The pair skillfully maneuvered the handy course to earn a base score of 84, plus four additional points for taking each of the higher options for a total second round score of 88. That score combined with their first round score of 91 moved them into the first place position with an overall point tally of 179.

Farmer was back again as the final rider to return, this time with Skorekeeper, owned by Larry Glefke and Quail Run Partnership of Keswick, VA. The seven-year-old horse earned a total first round score of 94 to shoot him to the top of the leader board going back in to the final round, but a slight chip to the third fence of the handy course would leave him with a second round score of 84. That 84 left Farmer and Skorekeeper with a final point total of 178, just one point behind Schatt and Just Fred for the second place award.

Sunday marked the end of the 2013 Kentucky Spring Classic and the finale of a winning weekend for Jenna Selati and Greytful. Selati, a Chicago, IL native, will return home from the Kentucky Horse Park with the championship tricolor in the Large Junior 16-17 Hunter division.

Selati navigated Greyftul, or “Empire” to two blue ribbons Saturday over the Bobby Murphy designed courses in the Murphy Ring. She returned Sunday to turn in equally impressive rounds in the Stonelea Ring with the seven-year-old gelding, finishing second in the both first class and over the handy course.

Finishing in reserve in the Large Junior 16-17 Hunters were Piper Benjamin and Corvine. Benjamin and Corvine bested the field in the handy class to claim the blue ribbon, and they immediately returned to win a second blue ribbon in the under saddle class.

Winning the championship in the Large Junior 15 and Under Hunter division was Vivian Yowan aboard Roc A Bye, owned by Marigot Bay Farm LLC of Dover, MA. Yowan picked up the catch ride aboard Roc A Bye, consistently turning in solid rounds. Sunday, Yowan finished second in both of the division’s over fences classes before being named champion of the division.

The blue ribbon in both of the day’s over fences classes went to Meredith Darst and Vida Blue, owned by Elm Rock LLC of Bronxville, NY, earning them the division’s reserve championship.

Darst also earned a second tricolor Sunday with Val D’Isere, owned by Natalie Allen-Barinsky of Mendota Heights, MN. Like Yowan and Roc A Bye, Val D’Isere is a new catch ride for Darst, but the pair connected quickly, finishing first and second over fences Sunday and earning the division championship.

For more information about the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows please visit http://www.kentuckyhorseshows.com/.

Add 2013 to that short list. St. Lawrence University coach Mary Drueding and her defending national champion Saints will share the IHSA hunter seat high point team Collegiate Cup with last year’s reserve champions, coach Cindy Ford and her ‘built Ford tough’ Skidmore College Thoroughbreds.

“Sharing is better than losing to her,” joked Drueding about her good friend and even better IHSA Zone 2 rival. Ford and Skidmore turned up the heat in the homestretch like true Thoroughbreds on the first Saturday in May and brought the race for high point team at the 40th IHSA Nationals, at the Farm Expo Equine Center in Harrisburg, PA, to a dead heat.

During a good-natured ‘wrestling match’ while accepting the silver trophy, it was clear each coach held the other in high regard. “I admire Cindy’s work ethic. It’s an honor to share this with her,” Drueding said.

“We’re friends and competitors. The respect is reciprocal,” said Ford. Each team finished with 22 points overall.

“At mid-year,” Drueding mused, “we were behind in the standings. As the defending team that made me wonder, were we one-hit wonders? Although we’ve always been a little bit better in the spring than fall.”

Indeed, St. Lawrence riders began blooming with the start of Collegiate team finals on Thursday, May 2, in front of special guest and 1986 creator of the Collegiate saddle, Weatherbeeta executive vice president, Jack Levy.

“We had a strong start,” Drueding said. Saints rider Katherine Figueroa posted a win in Novice Hunter Seat Equitation, with Skidmore’s Jessica Stoukides in reserve; and Alyssa Bokor won Intermediate Hunter Seat Equitation, again with Skidmore (Emory Wonham) second.

Friday team classes belonged to Stanford University and coach Vanessa Bartsch. In back-to-back rides that left Stanford not to be underestimated, Eliza Richartz won Walk/Trot and Victoria Greenen won Walk/Trot/Canter, contributing to the 20 points overall that would earn the West Coast team singular ownership of the 2013 Collegiate Cup reserve title.

Friday turned into Saturday and Skidmore’s Flavia D’Urso won Open Equitation Over Fences, delivering the seven points needed to bring Skidmore neck-and-neck with St. Lawrence. “We just worked hard,” said Ford, now a seven-time Collegiate Cup winner. “You never get tired of winning.”

“To have our riders come all this way and leave as reserve national champions is incredibly gratifying,” said coach Bartsch. “We had a young team of first-year riders and sophomores, except for senior, Alison Smith. Winning back-to-back championships in Walk/Trot and Walk/Trot/Canter speaks to the work ethic of our riders and quality of our coaching staff.

“Eliza was on varsity sailing before learning to ride less than a year ago. Team captain, Claire Margolis, a sophomore, was the only rider to qualify in five classes (Individual Open Flat and Fences, Team Open Flat and Fences, and Cacchione Cup). She kept her focus and led her team, despite drawing first to go in all three over fences classes.” After her rides, Margolis, a Mathematics major, drolly noted to coach Bartsch that such odds had been 1 in 9,000.

The Reich Stuff Wins USEF/Cacchione Cup

Centenary College’s Cori Reich wasn’t intimidated by odds. Not when her goal was nothing short of the USEF/Cacchione Cup. Reich, who qualified last year but did not finish in the ribbons, spent senior year redoubling her efforts under coaches Michael Dowling and Heather Clark, and drawing upon her experience growing up on the family’s Rolling Coach Stables in Ivyland, PA, building her seat on horses whose sale prices reflected their problems.

“We got ‘difficult’ horses because those were the ones we could afford,” said Lori and George Reich, who came to Harrisburg to support their daughter but never dared hope it would be while holding the Cacchione Cup. “Cori started riding at age six. Every horse she’s owned has been challenging. Now she’s off to bigger things.”

In front of hunter seat judges Anne and Bobby Braswell, Reich earned 84.25 points on Kerry Kocher’s over fences course, drawing “experienced equitation horse” Parker, and scoring 90 on the flat with “fantastic draw,” King, for a final 174.25 points. The reserve champion, with 169, was Skidmore Collegiate Cup game-changer, Flavia D’Urso.

“This was the one show where I had no idea how things would go,” said the USEF/Cacchione Cup champion, who began weeping as D’Urso left the awards line-up to accept the reserve tricolor. “I happened to draw a good horse in the last phase. Parker is a Centenary horse I wanted if I was lucky, because I’m tall and he’s big, so we match well. For the flat, I drew Centenary’s King and he was fantastic.

“I was less worried about the draw than hearing there would be ten jumps in the ride-off. That was scary.” Reich, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Equine Studies with a concentration in training and teaching, added, “I came as an individual rider for the Cacchione Cup. After last year, I was determined to be better prepared. Heather and Michael have been great. I was too aggressive last time so we ‘smoothed out’ my riding.”

D’Urso came ready to ride: “I’ve been with coach Ford for a long time, so I felt consistent and prepared. I was lucky to get Centenary’s Sean, who was soft and forward, as first draw. I came ready to put my best foot forward. At the end of the day it’s up to the judges.” The Skidmore senior, from Chester, NJ, plans take her degree in psychology and art to New York City to “see what happens.”

1996 U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Silver medalist Peter Leone, on hand to award finalists with his latest book, Peter Leone’s Show Jumping Clinic, co-authored with Kimberly Jaussi, was impressed with the caliber of competition: “I see future assistants and employees. I’d like any of them working with me.” He’ll get his chance, having offered Reich a free week of one-on-one training at Leone’s Lionshare Farm in Greenwich, CT, after her finals.

“I remember being that age and how winning a championship like this puts you on cloud nine,” said Leone. Quoting George Morris, former US chef d’equipe and author of the forward in Leone’s book: “Through riding, you learn a lot about life. An opportunity like this offers a boost of confidence and energy for equestrian dreams and life in general.”

Reich said, “I want to be a show jumper. I’ve always looked up to (prior Cacchione Cup winner) Beezie Madden. She’s a great role model for riders and girls. I want to ride professionally, as well as teach, train and own my own barn.”

“We’re excited for Cori,” said Centenary coaches Clark and Dowling. “She did tons of no-stirrup work. Her nemesis is that she rides a ‘forward’ horse really well into a jump. Parker was a ‘leg’ horse and not the easiest ride, but her goal was the Cacchione Cup.”

Reich also accepted the EquestrianCoach.com Achievement of Excellence Award for hunter seat riders. “She was a clear winner,” said founder, Bernie Traurig. “She epitomized style, effective riding, and the potential for excellence in equestrian sport. She fit the criteria to a ‘T’.” Her award included an Antares helmet and internship with hunter/equitation trainer, Missy Clark.

The top three USEF/Cacchione finalists received inaugural Anne and Mario Cacchione Memorial Scholarships: Reich, D’Urso, and Blake Roberts (Virginia Intermont College).

SmartPak Hunter Seat Horse of the Show was Centenary College’s King, a bay, 21 year-old Dutch Warmblood that has been with its riding program for seven years and described as a “fantastic draw” and “perfect IHSA pro.”

The Jockey Club Incentive Program, encouraging retraining/rehoming OTTBs, recognized Skidmore College hunter seat draw, Noah, a “simple, not complicated, ride,” as outstanding Thoroughbred of the show. Reserve was St. Lawrence’s “good draw, plenty of hunter miles, and auto-swap” Louie.

Love’s Labor Found: West Texas A&M Champions

“We’re going to Disney World,” joked West Texas A&M University head coach, Amanda Love, amid cheers and tears as the final team scores confirmed what her Lady Buffs had aimed for all season: taking the 2013 AQHA Trophy High Point Western Team Championship back to Canyon.

At first it seemed the Nationals might have another team tie. Sunday’s last day of classes in front of western judges Joe Carter and Deborah Kail opened with WTAMU and St. Andrews University sharing the top slot, having parried points since Friday when Addie Davis scored WTAMU’s first team points while closing her own college riding career with a third in NRHA Open Reining Pattern, followed shortly by Samantha Cram’s reserve in Novice Western Horsemanship for SAU.

The team title came down to the final team class: Open Western Horsemanship. While the championship went to Austin Griffith for Ohio State (who saw no shortage of individual awards at Harrisburg) the reserve to Western Individual Open Horsemanship champion Julia Roberts (WTAMU) clinched an historic second AQHA Trophy for the Lady Buffs, exactly a decade after their last IHSA Western team title.

“Every year I feel like we have a team that could be successful, but this was different,” Love said. “I knew it was going to work out. We had a great showing by winning Western Semi-Finals and kept that momentum.

“This has been a great group of girls and an absolutely successful year of building relationships. That’s what we focus on, making sure we have a team atmosphere that encourages success for everyone. Every week, we are an athletic team that pushes to become the best team out there.”

Also meeting their academic best, WTAMU’s Mary Trimble was named recipient of the 2013 Joan Johnson Memorial Scholarship.

For newly-minted AQHA Trophy Reserve Champion coach Carla Wennbergy, “This is the best I’ve ever done. It’s been an amazing, long road and this team worked so hard. It’s like life. You work hard, you reap the benefits.” The St. Andrews University western coach’s closest prior brush with the trophy had been a tie for third with Middle Tennessee State. During a Saturday evening ceremony in the arena orchestrated by fellow coach, Peggy McElveen, five of the SAU team were presented with their graduation diplomas at Harrisburg.

Meanwhile, Austin Griffith of Ohio State University, has figured out the perfect early Mother’s Day gift: Win a national title. Defend it. Win it again. Which is exactly what the 2013 AQHA High Point Western Rider did while rewriting IHSA history as its second-ever consecutive champion. Only Quincy Cahill (WTAMU) can claim the same, having won AQHA High Point Western Rider in 2000, 2001, and 2002.

“I’ll take the gift. He rode even better than last year,” said mom Debbie Griffith. She and husband Ollie have coached OSU since the inception of its western team more than 25 years ago.

Griffith’s win in team Open Horsemanship helped OSU finish its season tied third nationally with University of Findlay. He also slid into the individual Open Reining title and reserve in team reining, received the 2013 Jack Fritz Memorial Scholarship in honor of the late, great advocate of collegiate riding, and accepted an EquestrianCoach.com Achievement of Excellence Award that included a Pard’s gift certificate and internship with NRHA legend, Tim McQuay.

“It feels awesome,” Griffith said. Drawing Ohio State’s Wilson for the reining phase, and with NRHA president Beth Himes in the audience, his goal with the upper level horse described as a “show horse with a spur stop” was to “Send him up with my leg without risking breaking stride. I was most worried about lead changes, but didn’t have to be. Things turned out pretty good.

“After reining, I was at the end of the first split and had twelve riders to sit through. Ashley (Winters) was in the second split, so that was nerve-wracking.”

Giving Griffith those title race jitters was University of Findlay first-year rider, Ashley Winters: “I love my coaches. They told me to keep my head up and show them what a freshman can do.” The Western Equine Studies and Environmental Safety major earned 78 points in Phase 1 and 91 in Phase Two, after a re-ride, to clinch the AQHA Trophy Reserve Championship with 169 points. Griffith, scoring 120 in Phase 1 and repeating that score in Phase 2, had 240 overall.

Kelsey Delaplaine, of West Virginia University, earned the IHSA Versatility Award, qualifying in both disciplines for AQHA Open Western Rider, Open Equitation on the Flat, and USEF/Cacchione Cup.

WVU and coach Bobby Dean also had SmartPak Western Horse of the Show: 1987 American Quarter Horse gelding, Joker By Story (Storys Early Morn x Tambo’s Star x Indiana Look), bred by Sharon Puccio of Farmington, WV.

“A former student donated Joker to the program where he has been happily training students in the art of horsemanship for ten years,” said coach Dean. “He’s won national championships four times – twice this year. He won team novice (with Emily Kopko of Middle Tennessee State University), and team advanced (with Kayla Wells of WTAMU). He’s a good boy.”

Also Honored

Dartmouth College made its mark in academic and lifetime achievement. The IHSA Senior Athletic Academic Achievement Award Essay Winner was Natalie Colaneri: “Over time, the resilience I learned from competing at horse shows shaped my academic performance. I turned negative feelings experienced after doing poorly in a show or on an exam into motivation to do better next time. This confidence, stemming from my learned ability to convert failure into motivation, was essential to my academic success at college and I know will be incredibly beneficial in any career path I choose.”

The 21st IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award went to Sally Batton. Batton is in her 23^rd season as director of riding and head coach of the Dartmouth College equestrian team, coming to the school in 1990 after two years coaching at Centenary. “I love how IHSA brings all experience levels together. I love seeing the highest level riders gathered around the walk-trotter, to do hair and cheer them on. I love that IHSA allows every rider to compete,” said the IHSA National Steward since 2001, and 2008 American Riding Instructors Association ‘Instructor of the Year.’

With personal congratulations on Saturday by Harrisburg’s Mayor Linda J. Thompson, the Overall IHSA Community Service Award (and 31+ members division award) went to Pennsylvania State University.

“As part of the Penn State Dance Marathon (THON), the Penn State team raised $35,000 in 2012-2013 for pediatric cancer through fundraising,” said equestrian team coach Malinda Grice. “By collecting spare change, ‘canning’ on street corners, selling saddle pads, and mail appeals, the team helped THON raise more than $12 million this year. Since their participation in fundraising for THON began in 2007, Penn State IHSA riders have raised $129,000. Proceeds from THON go to the Four Diamonds Fund supporting pediatric cancer research and family funding/support at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Children’s Hospital in Hershey, PA.”

IHSA Community Service (1-15 members division) Award winner was Gettysburg College, whose team volunteers at The Hoffman Home for Youth, a residential psychiatric treatment center in Littlestown, PA, and played an integral role in launching its new therapeutic riding program.

Recognized for service in the 16-30 members division was the Hofstra University team. After Hurricane Sandy, its team helped devastated families in Long Beach, Island Park and Breezy Point by gutting homes and helping retrieve personal items. Donating their time each weekend, the riders worked through the holidays giving out toys and food for Long Island’s ‘new homeless,’ and in April, raised over $1,000 with a dinner/dance benefit for the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund.

Two of three IHSA Nationals Sportsmanship Awards went to Lafayette College equestrians. The Coach’s Sportsmanship Award went to Lafayette coach Erin Githens, for her additional contributions as a volunteer coordinator, overseeing a team of hundreds without losing, as nominations praised, her “stress-free attitude, positive vibes, and always great sense of humor.”

Githen’s positive example apparently rubbed off: the Rider’s Sportsmanship Award went to Lafayette AQHA High Point Western rider, Rebecca Folk. Folk helped with ‘mock horse show’ draws and was on the Smartpak Award Presentations Team, fitting her own riding in between obligations. “She spent time helping others by giving advice on horses, as well as sharing her notes on the Western horses with other riders who were competing against her in her class,” her nominations cited.

Amy Gregoris received the Volunteer’s Sportsmanship Award for her role as stable coordinator: “She met the needs of each school and more than a hundred horses. She was approachable, helpful, and accommodating!”

Also paying tribute to the 40^th edition of America’s oldest and largest intercollegiate equestrian national championships were Executive Deputy Secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Michael L. Pechart, and Deputy Secretary for Animal Agriculture, Mathew Meals, while IHSA founder and executive director, Robert Cacchione, announced that a renewal contract had been signed to return to Harrisburg in May 2014.

“IHSA is founded on team spirit, sportsmanship and fun, and these have remained the objectives since inception. We look forward to creating yet another very special event next year,” said Cacchione.

“Thank you for choosing Harrisburg. We look forward to working with you,” confirmed George Greig, Office of the Secretary for the Department of Agriculture, for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

For complete individual and team results from the 2013 IHSA National Championships, go to www.IHSAinc.com.

]]> http://www.discoverhorses.com/life-with-horses/horses-in-the-media/horse-world-news/40th-ihsa-national-championships-one-for-the-record-books/feed/ 0 http://www.discoverhorses.com/life-with-horses/horses-in-the-media/horse-world-news/gunner-newest-nrha-five-million-dollar-sire/ http://www.discoverhorses.com/life-with-horses/horses-in-the-media/horse-world-news/gunner-newest-nrha-five-million-dollar-sire/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 15:52:59 +0000 Donnelle Oxley http://www.discoverhorses.com/?p=176492 May 14, 2013 – In less than nine months after earning his Four Million Dollar Sire status, Gunner (AQHA Colonels Smoking Gun; APHA Colonels Smokingun) has become The National Reining Horse Association’s (NRHA) fourth, Five Million Dollar Sire. As of May 13, 2013, the NRHA Hall of Fame inductee has official offspring earnings of $5,096,543.

“We feel very lucky to have another great horse in our life, Hollywood Dun It being the first. No matter how great any horse is, it still takes all the people in his life to make him successful. We have so many people to thank for his success and we just want each of them to know how much we appreciate their investment in Gunner and our program,” said Tim and Colleen McQuay after learning of the achievement.

Several of Gunner’s progeny had a successful show at the National Reining Breeders Classic (NRBC) earning over $150,300 in the Challenge classes and Open and Non Pro finals alone. This final push gave Gunner the amount he needed to reach the five million dollar mark. Some of the top earners included: Americasnextgunmodel owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA. and ridden by NRHA Professional Casey Deary; HF Mobster owned by Heritage Farms/Rhodes River Ranch and ridden by NRHA Million Dollar Rider and Professional Jordan Larson; Chics San Guns owned by S. Coguaike and ridden by NRHA Four Million Dollar Rider, Hall of Fame inductee and Professional Shawn Flarida; Always Gotyer Gunsup owned by McQuay Stables and ridden by NRHA Million Dollar Rider Mandy McCutcheon; Customized Gunner owned by McQuay Stables and ridden by Mandy McCutcheon; and Gunsmokes TNT owned by Mary Jansma and ridden by NRHA Professional Sebastian Petroll.

Bred by Eric Storey of Henagar, Ala., Gunner is the top NRHA earning offspring of Colonelfourfreckle (Colonel Freckles x Miss Solano). Gunner is out of Katie Gun who has produced NRHA earners of more than $544,000. The 1993 stallion currently stands in Tioga, Texas at McQuay Stables, Inc. and is owned by McQuay Stables, Inc. (NRHA Three Million Dollar Rider and Hall of Fame inductee Tim McQuay and wife Colleen). Gunner earned nearly $175,000 in his career. His accolades include:

• 1996 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Reserve Champion ridden by Clint Haverty
• 1997 NRHA Derby Level 4 Non Pro finalist ridden by Kim Sloan
• 1998 NRBC Level 4 Open Reserve Champion ridden by Clint Haverty
• 1998 NRHA Derby Level 4 Open finalist ridden by Clint Haverty
• 2001 USET Festival Of Champions National Reining Champion ridden by Bryant Pace

 In 2002, Gunner was immortalized as a Breyer Horse for the USET Special Edition model.

Gunner’s top-earning progeny include:

• Tinker With Guns (Gunner x Tinker Nic by Reminic): $336,200 NRHA LTE, bred by NRHA Million Dollar Owner Rancho Oso Rio, LLC and owned by the Tinker With Guns Partnership (which is currently being purchased by NRHA Corporate Partner Silver Spurs Equine). Awards include: 2009 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open finalist; 2011 NRHA Derby Level 4 Open Champion and NRBC Level 4 Open finalist; and 2012 NRHA Derby and NRBC Level 4 Open Reserve Champion.

• Americasnextgunmodel (Gunner x Cee Dun It Do It by NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire Hollywood Dun It): $223,900 NRHA LTE, bred by NRHA Million Dollar Owner David Silva, Sr. and owned by NRHA Million Dollar Owner Arcese Quarter Horses USA. Awards include: 2012 High Roller Reining Classic Futurity Level 4 Open Champion; 2012 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Champion; and 2013 NRBC Level 4 Open third place.

• Gunners Special Nite (Gunner x Mifs Doll by Mifilena): $219,700 NRHA LTE, bred by Kim and Debra Sloan and owned by Turnabout Farm, Inc. The first reining horse to be honored with the USEF Horse of the Year award. Other awards include: 2007 NRHA Futurity Level 3 Open Champion and Level 4 Open Reserve Champion; 2008 and 2009 NRHA Derby Level 4 Open finalist; 2009 and 2010 NRBC Level 4 Open finalist; and 2010 Alltech^® FEI World Equestrian Games™ Individual and Team Gold Medalist.

• Gunnatrashya (Gunner x Natrasha by NRHA Hall of Fame inductee Trashadeous): $218,000 NRHA LTE, bred by Katarina Dorminy and owned by NRHA Million Dollar Owner Arcese Quarter Horses U.S.A. Awards include: 2009 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Champion and All American Quarter Horse Congress Reining Futurity Level 4 Open Champion; 2010 NRHA Derby Level 4 Open Champion, and 2012 NRHA Futurity Open finalist.

• Gunners Tinseltown (Gunner x Miss Tinseltown by Great Red Pine): $152,900 NRHA LTE, bred and owned by NRHA Million Dollar Owner David Silva, Sr. Awards include: 2012 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open Reserve Champion and Prime Time Open Champion.

• Always Gotyer Gunsup (Gunner x Always A Dunit by NRHA Six Million Dollar Sire Hollywood Dun It): $152,400 NRHA LTE, bred by Trinity Compress Real Estate Co. and owned by McQuay Stables, Inc. Awards Include: 2010 NRHA Futurity Level 4 Open finalist and Prime Time Open Champion; 2012 NRBC Level 4 Non Pro Champion; 2012 NRHA Derby Level 4 Non Pro Reserve Champion; and 2013 NRBC Level 4 Non Pro Reserve Champion.

Incorporated in 1966, the National Reining Horse Association is the standard-setting body for the sport of Reining. NRHA, with their International Headquarters in Oklahoma City, is responsible for promoting the sport of Reining and working to ensure the highest standards of competition. To learn more about the NRHA, its programs and family of corporate partners, visit nrha.com.

Lexington, KY – May 8, 2013 – The USET Foundation is pleased to announce that this year’s recipient of the Pinnacle Cup Trophy at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI**** is Bruce O. Davidson, Jr. of Riegelsville, PA, and Ocala, FL. Davidson, known as “Buck,” rode Ballynoe Castle RM to a fourth place finish at the prestigious event and was the highest placed American rider, which earned him the trophy.

This marks the third year that Davidson has earned the coveted award, taking home the Pinnacle Cup in 2009 and 2003. Ballynoe Castle RM, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood/Irish Thoroughbred cross-owned by Carl and Cassandra Segal, traveled to England as an alternate for the United States Eventing Olympic squad in 2008 and represented the U.S. at the 2010 World Equestrian Games. This year the pair finished with 45.2 penalties in the Dressage phase, and then moved up from eighth place after completing a clear cross country phase. They had eight faults over the technical stadium jumping track on the final day to finish with 53.2 faults in the fourth place position.

“This is my third year winning the award, which is really wonderful, although I’d really like to win the event,” laughed Davidson. “It was a great weekend and all of my horses were fantastic. I just feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to win the Pinnacle Cup more than one time.”

Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM are a veteran duo and Davidson felt very confident on his seasoned mount. “I had two other really nice horses that went before Ballynoe Castle that are just less experienced, so I was able to go around the cross country course twice before showing him,” he explained. “He’s maybe not the fastest horse, but he has a lot of experience. I started off quickly and jumped all the fences safely and it just worked out perfectly. I couldn’t have had a better ride; he gave me everything he had.”

Davidson added, “Ballynoe Castle is a once in a lifetime horse. I started him from the beginning. He’s 13 now, and he’s been competing at the advanced level since he was eight. I’m just so thankful and so lucky to be partnered with an unbelievable horse. It’s been a dream ride and I don’t really want to wake up from the dream. I want to have him for a long time, so whatever he tells me he is feeling is what we are going to do. This horse does not owe me anything.”

Looking ahead, Davidson is aiming for the CIC at World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany. “CICs are really his thing because he’s a little bit shorter, so that would be an exciting trip to go on. Then we’ll see. Obviously I’d like to go to the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France, whether it’s with Ballynoe Castle or any of my other mounts.”

The United States Equestrian Team Foundation (www.uset.org) is the non-profit organization that supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America’s elite and developing international, high-performance horses and athletes in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation.

For more information on the USET Foundation, please call (908) 234-1251, or visit USET ONLINE at www.uset.org.

Previous Pinnacle Cup Trophy Winners:

2012: Allison Springer and Arthur
2011: Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville

2010: Phillip Dutton and Woodburn

2009: Buck Davidson and My Boy Bobby

2008: Phillip Dutton and Connaught

2007: Phillip Dutton and Connaught

2006: Heidi White Carty and Northern Spy

2005: Kim Severson and Winsome Adante

2004: Kim Severson and Winsome Adante

2003: Bruce O. Davidson, Jr. and Mystic Mike

2002: Kim Vinoski (Severson) and Winsome Adante

2001: David O’Connor and Giltedge

2000: David O’Connor and Rattle N Hum

1999: Karen O’Connor and Prince Panache

1998: Dorothy Crowell and Molokai

Previous to this date, the top American finisher was awarded the Gladstone Challenge Trophy.

Photo Nancy Jaffer

The following four combinations have been named to the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the Aachen CICO3* (listed in Alphabetical Order):

Tiana Coudray (Ojai, CA) on Jatial LLC’s Ringwood Magister
Ringwood Magister is a 2001 Irish Sport Horse gelding

Buck Davidson (Ocala, FL) on Cassandra Segal’s Ballynoe Castle RM
Ballynoe Castle RM is a 2000 Irish Thoroughbred gelding

Will Faudree (Hoffman, NC) on Jennifer Mosing’s Pawlow
Pawlow is a 1999 Irish Thoroughbred gelding

Clark Montgomery (Wiltshire, UK) on Jessica Montgomery’s Universe
Universe is a 2001 Dutch Warmblood gelding

The following two combinations have been named as reserves to the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the Aachen CICO3*(listed in Alphabetical Order):

Marilyn Little (Frederick, MD) on Raylyn Farms Inc. and Phoebe and Michael Manders’ RF Smoke on the Water
RF Smoke on the Water is a 2005 Wurttemburger gelding

Clark Montgomery (Wiltshire, UK) and Jessica Montgomery, Kathryn Kraft and Bill and Holly Becker’s Loughan Glen
Loughan Glen is a 2003 Irish Sport Horse gelding

The USEF is applying to the Organizing Committee of CHIO Aachen for an individual slot which if granted may be offered to a reserve combination.

Combinations named to the CICO3* Team at Aachen will receive Land Rover Competition Grants.

To learn more about the CHIO Aachen visit; http://www.chioaachen.de/en/programm-sport

Follow the 2013 Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team here.

Nancy with Eli. Photo Victoria Souza

As an infertile woman consigned to the suburbs, I developed a dread of kid-centric holidays that began with Halloween and reached a painful crescendo on Mother’s Day.

I learned to stay indoors on the second Sunday in May rather than risk running into the neighborhood moms. How I envied them their sticky breakfast trays and garishly crayoned cards. I envied them their stretch marks and sleep deprivation, too, having had plenty of time to romanticize motherhood while being shot full of hormones and injected with dyes.

Unlike the perpetually pregnant women on my cul de sac, all I managed to have were miscarriages. After my fourth, having run out of money and time, my husband and I gave up on babies. The Mother’s Day that followed was especially brutal.

Then hope arrived in the form of a scrawny, spooky, accident-prone chestnut Thoroughbred with one white sock and a star on his forehead. I had only just begun riding again after a 20-year hiatus when this unruly 6-year-old bounced into my life. I was 42 and no one’s idea of an athlete. I bought him anyway, to fill the gaping hole in my life where the kids should have been.

In retrospect, we belonged in the Odd Couple Hall of Fame. And yet, from the very beginning, I was sure we were meant to be. I named him Eli, and taught him how to give kisses. He taught me how to give everything, and in so doing, I finally got a glorious glimpse of what motherhood is truly about.

Because a love like ours deserved to be shared, I wrote a memoir about my 1,254-pound bundle of joy called Falling For Eli: How I Lost Heart, Then Gained Hope Through the Love of a Singular Horse (see book review).

That word, singular, sounded awkward but felt right. I used it because I was sure there had never been another horse like him, certainly none capable of inspiring a depressed, infertile, middle-aged non-athlete to reinvent herself as an aspiring dressage queen.

Or so I’d thought.

“Hi there,” a woman named Jennifer wrote, within hours of the book hitting the shelves. “I have an Eli, too. There are so many of us.”

I wondered if that could be true. I didn’t have long to wait. Women whose children were horses began contacting me in droves.

“I, too, believe that I can fulfill the emptiness that I feel almost every day through a horse,” wrote Kelly, who’s 50 and childless.

“Loved your book and identified so closely!” wrote Donna. “I was able back in the Sixties to adopt two wonderful children, but when the empty nest started, I learned to jump and bought my lifesaver.”

I then heard from Terri: “I always love to talk to others that love their four-legged kids so much. And your story about not being able to give birth is something I really understand, having gone through my own medical issues to later adopt our daughter when she was 13.”

Maria, who took up riding two years ago at age 54, sent me this email: “I can relate to you in so many ways. A love of horses, married with no children, riding as an adult, being a Virgo and over-thinking things.”

Melanie weighed in next. “I am compelled to write to you as I also have an off-the-track chestnut Thoroughbred gelding, 16.2 hands, named Eli…. I am also childless and have a deep connection with this amazing horse.”

Meanwhile, over on Amazon.com, Catherine posted this customer review: “I felt as if the author was telling my own story and after reading it…I have given the book to my family to read to help them understand my feelings as a childless person who feels like her horses ARE her children.”

A reviewer wrote in the New York Journal of Books: “Men and women who have shared the infertility experience will find words that speak for them and to them in this book.”

After it appeared, I gave an interview to Pamela Tsigdinos, an infertility blogger and author of Silent Sorority: A Barren Woman Gets Busy, Angry, Lost and Found. She asked: “Knowing what you know now, what would you tell your younger self, the one surrounded by baby carriages in suburban Connecticut?”

I replied that I’d tell myself to stop hiding in my house and seek common ground with the neighborhood moms I was trying so hard to avoid.

I felt proud when a woman in Los Angeles wrote: “I’m glad I read this after becoming a mother; I’m not sure I could have appreciated how similar the emotions are, whether your baby is twelve pounds or 1,200. It certainly made me more sensitive to those who want but do not have kids and how incredibly generous they have been to celebrate the birth of my daughter with me.”

And so it went. I heard it again and again and again, from women who came to my book-signings, shared their horses’ pictures on Eli’s Facebook page, and wrote letters, emails and reviews.

It pleases me to see Eli becoming a vehicle, literally and figuratively, inspiring discussions that have cut a wide swath through the barnyards and nurseries of middle-aged motherhood.

A wise woman in Belgium put it this way: “Sometimes our children don’t look at all like us…sometimes our children have paws or hooves, fur or manes, wagging tails or large pointed ears. Sometimes our babies weigh 1,200 pounds. We love them in spite of–or perhaps because of–these things.”

Jennifer was right. We are a tribe and a sisterhood, and there are so many of us. We have cobbled together our families from hooves and hearts, feathers and fur, and our hearts are as full as any mother’s heart.

I once thought there should be a day set aside for those of us whose babies weigh 1,200 pounds, whose children don’t look at all like us.

But then I realized: There already is.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Falling for Eli by Nancy Shulins is an oversized paperback, 253 pages long, published in 2012 by Lifelong Books. It is available from HorseBooksEtc.com for $15.99 plus shipping and handling. (http://horsebooksetc.com/products/Falling_For_Eli-1267-41.html)

Equitrekking’s Botswana episode is nominated alongside The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild, and other outstanding television programs. Equitrekking has won two Emmy Awards, both for photography, after being nominated for eight Emmys over the past four years.

“As a small, independent production company we are incredibly proud to be nominated once again beside some of the best and biggest brands in the business,” said executive producer Chip Ward.  “Over the past few years Equitrekking has grown from humble beginnings on a handful of PBS affiliates to become one of the most watched and widely distributed travel program on the network.”

Five-time Daytime Emmy nominated TV host Darley Newman travels with local people in each episode of Equitrekking to highlight great adventure, history, food, nature and culture. Darley horseback rides to get close to the land and reach hidden treasures in each place. By traveling with local people, viewers at home are given a more personal perspective of each area, showcasing the interconnectedness of humanity and what makes global cultures distinct.

“We experience countries and culture through the lens of the locals. The great cities of the world are fascinating even as they become more similar. When we explore the interior of a country, we get a better sense of why things are the way they are. These rural and natural areas hold much of the ‘undiscovered’ wonders. It’s this ‘otherness’ that attracts the worldly traveler and those who we hope to inspire to hop on an airplane,” said Darley Newman.

Equitrekking just completed its 36th episode. In addition to its North American broadcasts, Equitrekking is shown on international networks in over 82 countries including the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Italy, Russia, and Turkey.

The Daytime Entertainment Creative Arts Emmy® Awards gala will be held in Los Angeles in June. It will be telecast on the Turner Broadcast Networks HLN on Sunday evening, June 16, 2013. To see a list of this year’s nominees, visit here. For more information on the Equitrekking series, including photos and behind the scenes videos, visit here.

About Equitrekking 
Equitrekking is the Emmy Award-winning lifestyle television series that takes viewers on global travel and horseback riding adventures to experience culture, cuisine, history and adventure—all with local people. Hosted by travel expert and producer Darley Newman, Equitrekking broadcasts in high definition on PBS in North America and on international networks in over 82 countries. The show’s companion website Equitrekking.com features everything visitors need to research and plan their travels, including video clips, expert tips, travel articles and the Equitrekking.com Vacation Guide, which is a searchable guide to dude ranches, cattle drives and riding holidays. A second website at EquitrekkingTravel.com and Top20Ranches.com focuses on equestrian vacations.

]]> http://www.discoverhorses.com/life-with-horses/horses-in-the-media/horse-world-news/equitrekking-nominated-for-three-daytime-emmy-awards/feed/ 0 http://www.discoverhorses.com/life-with-horses/horses-in-the-media/horse-world-news/andrew-nicholson-wins-rolex-kentucky-buck-davidson-is-cci4-champion/ http://www.discoverhorses.com/life-with-horses/horses-in-the-media/horse-world-news/andrew-nicholson-wins-rolex-kentucky-buck-davidson-is-cci4-champion/#comments Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:20:18 +0000 Donnelle Oxley http://www.discoverhorses.com/?p=176223

Andrew Nicholson takes a victory lap. Hannah Bennett/USEA photo

April 28, 2013–Andrew Nicholson raised his fist in victory when he crossed the finish line with Deborah Sellar’s 11-year-old Caballo de Deporte Español gelding Quimbo, having jumped clear to maintain the overnight lead and win the 2013 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and the second leg of the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. He also placed third with Calico Joe, taking home a grand total of $110,000. Nicholson and William Fox-Pitt, who finished second with Seacookie TSF, will compete head-to-head at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse next week in England to be the second person in history to win the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam.

Rolex was Quimbo’s first four-star competition, and he put himself in a good position after dressage with a second place performance and a score of 38.0. He jumped a double-clear round on cross-country, and by the time the pair trotted down the ramp into the Rolex Stadium on Sunday, Nicholson and Quimbo had just more than eight points in hand. Nicholson thoughtfully took his time around the course, and Quimbo jumped out of his skin, making it look effortless, and crossed the finish line clear with three time penalties to add.

“Quimbo is a very, very smart horse. He’s very clever. He’s an unbelievable show jumper. That’s what he’s bred to do,” Nicholson said. “All the big competitions I’ve done with him, in the warm-up he feels different than in the ring. He’s impressive in the warm-up, but in the ring it’s like a whole different world.”

Quimbo clearly has the movement and jumping ability for four-star eventing, but Nicholson said the thing he learned about the horse this week was that he “has got enough stamina to do the four-star jumping efforts and gallop.” Pointing out that Quimbo’s breeding is not classical for eventing, he recalled his surprise on cross-country when, after starting out easy, he asked for Quimbo to gallop on after the final water and got a valiant response. “To make that time up in the last couple minutes has probably impressed me more than anything else.” Indeed, Nicholson sported a huge grin when he jumped the Walnut Tables after the last water just three fences from home.

Nicholson’s second ride Calico Joe, a Thoroughbred owned by Twenty Twelve in Mind, dropped three rails during his round, but Nicholson was nonetheless thrilled with the horse. “When I finished my round with Calico Joe, I felt probably similar to what I felt when I finished with Quimbo. Calico Joe is no show jumper.” Nicholson went on to explain that he bought the now 11-year-old horse as a baby to train to do national hunt racing, but he could never sell him. “I’ve kind of been stuck with him.”

Joe’s first visit to Rolex Kentucky last year ended at the ninth fence on cross-country. Later in the year he went to Luhmühlen and finished fourth, then produced another good performance at Burghley. “Now he’s finished third here,” Nicholson grinned. “He was never quite quick enough [for racing], yet he’s managed to adapt his own style. He still has a habit of going into a ring and going into himself rather than being like Quimbo who grows. Joe wants to find a corner to hide in. It’s an imposing ring. I was very pleased with him, and to be honest very proud of him.”

Nicholson has had most of his horses since they were youngsters. He attributes his success to them and to his coaching team. “I have a very good show jumping coach in Luis Álvarez Cervera. He’s been a great help to me for the last four years, channeling me in the right direction,” he said. “It’s a team effort, but the major thing is the class of horses I’ve got.”

While Nicholson enjoys his third four-star win in the last year, Buck Davidson can be proud of his second USEF CCI4* Championship in five years, awarded to the highest placed U.S. rider at Rolex. Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM have had many successes, and Davidson consistently expresses how lucky he feels to ride this horse, a 13-year-old Irish gelding owned by Carl and Cassandra Segal.

“He has been amazing this weekend as he has been his whole life,” Davidson said. Entering show jumping in third place, Davidson and “Reggie” fell just one place after dropping two rails in show jumping. “But sitting up here with these two guys who are obviously unbelievable, I feel fortunate. If I’ve got to lose, these are two pretty good guys to lose to.”

Buck feels the odds are pretty good that there will be another Grand Slam winner this year, but exchanging glances with Andrew at the press conference, Fox-Pitt said honestly, “at the end of the day I think it will probably be neither of us [winning Badminton].” Michael Jung will be at Badminton, and he is a difficult man to beat in international competition. Fox-Pitt said that a lot of elements have to go right at the same time and Rolex has been had a good preparatory run.

Fox-Pitt began the Rolex competition in first place with Chilli Morning, but retired him after a refusal early on cross-country. His second horse, Catherine Witt’s 14-year-old Trakehner Seacookie TSF, rose to the occasion and moved all the way from tenth to second. The pair was one of just two in the entire field to finish on their dressage score. “He’s going to have a nice holiday. He’ll get back home next Thursday and have a good break. He’s certainly earned it.”

The other horse and rider to finish on their dressage score was Lynn Symansky and her own Donner. They were also one of four double-clear show jumping rounds, finishing fifth overall at the 10-year-old Thoroughbred’s first four-star competition. Additionally, the pair was awarded the Zeppa International Trophy for being the best turned out at the two horse inspections, and Donner was named Best Conditioned Horse.

The Rolex first-timers impressed throughout the competition, and the highest placed rookies ended up being 24-year-old Meghan O’Donoghue and her 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding Pirate, finishing 12^th overall. They gained quite a following this week with Meghan’s sparkling smile and Pirate’s cat-like jumping skills.

In front of a sold out Sunday crowd, another fantastic Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event came to a close today. See full results at www.rk3de.org and please join us again next year.