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Laura King and Heartfelt Win Grand Junior Hunter Championship
Written by: Jennifer Wood Client:Capital Challenge Horse Showwww.capitalchallenge.org Release Date:2009-10-04
Kelly Cruciotti Pilots Q to Grand Children’s Hunter Championship
Upper Marlboro, MD - October 4, 2009 - The 2009 Capital Challenge Horse Show drew to a close today with final classes for the junior and children’s hunters. The Grand Junior Hunter Championship went to Heartfelt and Laura King. Kelly Cruciotti rode Q to the Grand Children’s Hunter Championship.
The Grand Junior Hunter Champion was Laura King aboard Heartfelt, the champions of the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 division, which was awarded yesterday. Heartfelt is owned by Blantyre Farm of Irvington, NY. King was also presented with the best Junior Hunter Rider Award. The EMO Junior Trip of the Show was a tie with a score of 88.5 between Red Rooster and Alex Arute and Sarah Sturges with Sweet Addiction.
King, who has ridden Heartfelt for three years, said of the pretty bay gelding, “His jump is really cool. It is probably the best part about riding him,” she said. “He’s very sweet.”
King has never won a Grand Hunter Championship at an indoor show before and was very happy to collect this first title, as well as her first big Best Child Rider award.
The final two junior hunter championships finished up this morning. The Small Junior 15 & Under Champion was Victoria Colvin and Ovation. Ovation is owned by Scott Stewart and Colvin has been riding the nine-year-old Brandenburg since the beginning of Florida. Colvin and Ovation finished with a first under saddle, second in the handy hunter and fourth over fences.
Colvin felt Ovation was a bit of a change from the ponies she was used to riding. “He’s very easy and has a great canter with a really big stride,” Colvin said. “He jumps really high so he pops you out of the tack, and I had to get used to that.”
The reserve champion was Casey Green and her own Savannah. The pair was first in hunter stake, second over fences, and fifth under saddle.
The Large Junior 15 & Under Champion was Sambalino, another mount for Victoria Colvin. They earned a second, third, and sixth over fences and were first under saddle. Sambalino is a seven-year-old Brandenburg owned by Gina Day that Colvin started riding at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. Sambalino was also the Grand Champion Junior Hunter of the two younger divisions.
This was only the second show that Colvin has ridden Sambalino. She said with a smile, “He has to go really slow because he has a humungous stride and he jumps even higher than Ovation. He jumps like five feet over the jumps.”
Scott Stewart had nothing but praise for Colvin, who rides as an 11-year-old. He said, “The horses love her. She never gets in their way.” He continued, “She’s so natural at riding. She’s only been riding horses for a year.
“She’s good; if they make little mistakes it never flusters her. She’s so relaxed. She seems pretty good in pressure situations,” he added.
Colvin trains with her mother Bridget, Stewart, and Ken Berkley. Although she is always busy riding at Stewart’s and Berkley’s barn, the chance to show so many nice horses is not lost on the young rider. “It is very nice to have the opportunity,” she commented.
The reserve champion was Hasbrouck Donovan aboard Quality Time for Don Stewart. They finished with a second over fences, third in the stake and fourth under saddle.
Kelly Cruciotti and Q were named the Grand Children’s Hunter Champion and collected the EMO Trip of the Show along with the Children’s Hunter 14 & Under Section tricolor. Q was first and second over fences and was first under saddle. The reserve champion was Chloe Johnson aboard Park Place. Park Place is owned by Tina Hubbard of Shaker Heights, OH. Johnson and Park Place finished with two thirds over fences and second under saddle.
This was the second time Q has won the Grand Children’s championship. The first time was in 2007 with Elizabeth Savoy. Cruciotti has been showing the fifteen-year-old gelding for the past two years. “It means so much to me,” said Cruciotti about the win. “He’s been Grand before with Elizabeth Savoy so it’s kind of cool for him to be Grand again with me.
Q continued his winning ways later in the day earning top honors in the final class in the Show Place Arena – the World Champion Hunter Under Saddle Junior. “He loves this horse show,” said Cruciotti. “This is his favorite show. I think he knows when he gets here that he’s won here before.”
When asked what one word describes Q she answered – “perfect.” She added, “He’s pretty much a do-it-yourself horse.”
The champion of the B Section of the Children’s 14 & Under Hunters was Independence, ridden by Alyson Jacoff for Rach Schaeffer. The reserve championship in the section went to Limoges, ridden by Megan MacPherson for Audrey Carlson. Talie Lynch and Sunfest won the Children’s 15-17 Hunter championship over Phoebe Hersh and One Up, who were awarded the reserve championship.
The WCHR Children’s Final victory went to Silas V and Brianne Link, while the WCHR Pony Challenge was won by Madelyn Keck Tuscany. Tuscany is owned by West End Stables of Los Angeles, CA. They had a smooth and consistent round earning the high score of 83.00. Red Rooster and Alexandra Arute won the WCHR Junior Challenge with a score of 88.66. Red Rooster is owned by Old Oak Farm in Los Angeles, CA.
The award for Leading Trainer of Capital Challenge for Ken Berkley of Flemington, NJ. Hayley Barnhill was given the Stewart Warner Cup for junior riders.
WCHR Pony Challenge
1. Tuscany, Madeline Keck 83.00
2. All The Best, Victoria Colvin 82.33
3. Cherrybrook Blue, Caroline Cline 82.00
4. Braveheart, Allison Toffolon 81.50
5. Trillville, Ashton Alexander 81.16
6. Poster Boy, Ashley Foster 79.33
7. Made For Me, Pearl Theodosakis 79.00
8. Ballou, Daisy Farish 78.33
9. Beaumont, Parker Wright 77.00
10. Prince Monticello, Kirklen Petersen 77.00
WCHR Junior Challenge
1. Red Rooster, Alexandra Arute 88.66
2. Way Cool, Samantha Schaeffer 86.00
3. Pharrell, Laura King 85.00
4. Savannah, Casey Green 83.33
5. Quintin, Alise Oken 82.33
6. Momentus, Alliy Moyer 81.33
7. Lifetime Guarantee, Olivia Chowdry 80.66
8. Anthem Of The Sun, Taylor Ann Adams 79.66
9. Illusion, Olivia Esse 79.66
10. Washington, Chelsea Zulia 79.66
World Champion Hunter Under Saddle Junior
1. Q, Kelli Cruciotti
2. CR Franz Marc, Catherine Tracy
3. Park Place, Chloe Johnson
4. Pharrell, Laura King
5. Limoges, Megan Mac Pherson
6. Chase The Train, Taylor Willever
7. Bayside, Orysia Bezpalko
8. Lifetime Guarantee, Olivia Chowdry
9. Poetic, Maggie Boylan
10. Q-2, Morgan Ward
For more information about the show including photos, news, and results, visit the official web site at www.capitalchallenge.org. To watch live footage of this year’s horse show, please visit www.equestriansport.tv. This year’s Capital Challenge Horse Show finished today, Sunday, October 4 at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD.
