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Charlie Jayne Entertains All at The EQUUS Foundation Fete Cheval Carnivale
Written by: Lindsay McCall Client:Equus Foundation, Inc. Release Date:2010-03-01
Wellington, Florida - March 1, 2010 - The Fete Cheval Carnivale featured fantastic riders, great food, and many carnival games. The carnival was last held in 2006, and because of popular demand, The EQUUS Foundation decided to begin holding the event once again. The dinner and event was hosted by Spy Coast Farm and was held at the International Polo Club of Palm Beach. The Fete Cheval Carnivale was held to benefit The EQUUS Foundation which helps equestrian and horse related charities across the United States.
On the menu were pretzels, popcorn, cotton candy, snow cones, multicolored cupcakes, and many dinner items that fit the carnival atmosphere. In addition to the “fun” food and drinks, guests were treated to carnival games, provided by Metropolis Entertainment, (www.metropolispro.com) starting at 6:00 PM on Friday, February 26.
The event was supported by Lisa and Robert Lourie of Spy Coast Farm, Title Sponsor of the event, “Super Fan” sponsors Bobbie and Derek Braun of Split Rock Farm, Gray and Jerry Fadden, Clea Newman, and Visse Wedell, along with “Fan” sponsors, Susan and Jim Baumann, Susan Carr of East Wind LLC and SCNC Investments, Carol and William Dollard of Steeple Chase Farm, the Harrison Family and Double H Farm, Bob and Ellen Healey, Elizabeth Johnson of Louisburg Farm, Jennifer and Bert Mutch, Angela and Chris Paradysz, Suzanne Porter of Sleepy P Ranch, and Jenny and Kermit Sutton of Wrenwood Farm.
Mason Phelps, Jr., the evening’s emcee, introduced Ki Juan Minors, the 2008 EQUUS Equestrian Idol, to open the evening’s festivities with the singing of the national anthem.
The equestrian revelry began with many top equestrians competing in gymkhana games on the polo field, including Kent Farrington, Sandy Ferrell, Brianne Goutal, Patricia Griffith, Charlie Jayne, Rodrigo Pessoa, Havens Schatt, Louise Serio, Shane Sweetnam, and Jimmy Torano. During the evening’s events, judged by Susie Schoellkopf, Ralph Caristo, and guest judge, Angela Paradysz the riders rode horses from the University of Miami Intercollegiate Equestrian Team led by Karin Flynn and from Helen Varble’s Sunlight Saddle in Hobe Sound, Florida.
The riders and horses were great sports as the first event, musical stalls, began the night’s games. After a few rounds of circling horses, the last stall came down to Louise Serio and Patricia Griffith, and it was Griffith who took home the blue ribbon for the first event.
The second event was a team competition that tested the rider’s strengths to compete on a relay team of four, against the clock. The winning four-member team was Kent Farrington, Sandy Ferrell, Brianne Goutal and Rodrigo Pessoa. The audience then selected a sixth rider, Charlie Jayne, to compete in the final ride-off.
Caristo, Paradysz and Schoellkopf explained the test for the ride-off to both the riders and the audience. The riders were instructed to enter the ring one at a time at a sitting trot, perform “Around-The-World”, jump a fence with no hands, pull the saddle off of the horse, and hop back on to canter out of the ring. The test was very demanding and delighted the crowd.
The first to test their skills was Ferrell, who utilized the jump in place to help her mount on to her bareback horse. Goutal was next in the ring, and she had a perfect no-hands jump. Jayne introduced a back flip as a way to get off of his horse. Next was Griffith who took a running start onto her horse, and then Farrington who followed with a quick hop from the ground onto his bareback horse. The last rider, Pessoa decided to entertain the crowd by positioning himself backwards on the horse to jump the fence and exit the ring. “Around The World” requiring the rider to rotate around the saddle proved the most demanding and entertaining for the audience. Lisa and Robert Lourie of Spy Coast Farm presented the Champion ribbon and sash to Charlie Jayne, with Sandy Ferrell coming in second, and Kent Farrington coming in third.
Co-Chairs Gray Fadden and Visse Wedell said, “We are bringing this event back next year because of the overwhelming enthusiasm of both the riders and the audience. We could not be more pleased and already have riders requesting to participate in this "fun for all" event in 2011! Thank you to everyone who came out to support us and for making this event “a night to remember”!
About The EQUUS Foundation, Inc.
The EQUUS Foundation, Inc., established in August 2002, as a 501(c)(3) national charitable foundation, seeks to raise public awareness of the value of the horse in society through education and the awarding of grants to charities that use the horse to benefit the public, promote the health and welfare of horses, and elevate the equestrian sport as a whole.
The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors, which is responsible for the selection of the grant recipients. The Board includes: Jenny Belknap Kees, Chairman, Catherine Herman, Vice Chairman, David T. Goodwin, Secretary/Treasurer, Lynn Coakley, President, David Distler, Gray Fadden, Richard Mitchell DVM, Clea Newman Soderlund, and Visse Wedell.
Thanks to the generosity of its donors, The EQUUS Foundation helps thousands of people and horses each year. Over $1.3 million in grants have been awarded since the first awards in 2003. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Contact The EQUUS Foundation, Inc., at 168 Long Lots Road, Westport, CT 06880, Tele: (203) 259-1550, E-Mail: equus@equusfoundation.org, website: www.equusfoundation.org.
