Devon, PA - June 5, 2011 -The Brandywine Valley Summer Series presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services featured an exciting evening of competition in the Dixon Oval on Saturday. The top horse and rider combinations gathered to showcase their skills during the $3,000 Johnson Horse Transportation USHJA National Hunter Derby. Meredith Lipke and The Specialist led the class from start to finish and eventually garnered the winning honors after earning a total score of 357. Lexi Graham and Landmark jumped up from the 11th place position to finish second, while Devon Yacka piloted Furst Laugh to the third place award. The
Meredith Lipke of Buffalo, NY, took an early lead with The Specialist, scoring an 86 and an 87 during the first round with four bonus options for a 181 total. They were the last to return during the handy round, but the duo did not hold back. After executing a beautiful inside turn to the first fence they held a big gallop throughout the course, receiving scores of 85 and 83 with four bonus points. Their two-round total of 357 points would net the winning title.
“This is my first derby, so I am very excited,” beamed Lipke after her victory gallop. “The Specialist has done quite a few of them, so he knew exactly what he was doing, which really helped me out. He had a great turn to the first fence in the handy and was really on it for every jump. He was just happy to be out there after having a month off!”
Lexi Graham of Kintnersville, PA, was aboard Julie Graham’s Landmark for Saturday night’s highlight event and they had the biggest comeback of the evening. After earning scores of 70 during the first round the duo sat in the 11th place position. They returned and executed a flawless handy round for scores of 87 and 84 with four bonus options, bringing their two round total to 337 points and garnering the second place prize.
The third place award went to Devon Yacka of West Chester, PA, and Furst Laugh. During the first round, they earned scores of 82 and 80, plus four bonus points to enter the handy in the fifth place position. The duo had a hard rub at the first fence during their return trip, but their scores of 78 and 77.5 were good enough for a total of 334.5 points.
For more information about the Brandywine Valley Summer Series, please visit http://brandywinevalleysummerseries.com.
Hunter Highlights, Wednesday – Sunday
The first annual Brandywine Valley Summer Series presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services kicked off its first day of competition on Wednesday in the Dixon Oval at the prestigious Devon Show Grounds. The top horse and rider combinations gathered to compete at the historic venue and support this exciting new event. The sun shone brightly as riders competed during the first day of the professional hunter divisions and the Adult Amateur divisions, as well as during the Ariat Adult Medal and the $500 NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic.
The adult riders began the day by showcasing their equitation skills during the Ariat Adult Medal. Elizabeth Lubrano received the top call following the test for her ride aboard Tornado, owned by Horizon Hill Farm of Glenmoore, PA.
Miranda Scarpone of Kinnelon, NJ, took an early lead with a score of 82. Lubrano followed in second with a 78, while Devin Cox of Kennett Square, PA, was third with a 76, and Catherine Marcks of Lancaster, PA, was in fourth with a 75.
For the test, riders had to walk from the line-up and then canter a single vertical. They then made a left turn to a second single vertical and finally made their way to the last fence before halting and sitting the trot back to the line. Cox made a slight error at the second fence and moved to fourth, while Marcks’ smooth trip moved her into the third position. Scarpone also had a good test, but Lubrano quickly made her way to the top of the leaderboard after opting for an inside turn to the second fence. Lubrano eventually took home the winning prize, a gift certificate to Ariat International, while Scarpone placed second.
Later in the day, the $500 NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic was held in the Dixon Oval, where Laura Yoworsky led the way from start to finish aboard Marvelous, owned by Jennifer Shinners of Harleysville, PA. The duo scored an 84 during the first round and then followed with a score of 85 during the second round for a 169 total. The second place honors went to Miranda Scarpone and Rosso Rossini, who earned a 75 during the first round and an 86 during the second round for a 161 total. Rounding out the top three was Amy Zettler of Alexandria, VA, with Glad Rags for their scores of 82 and 76.
The weather was perfect on Thursday as riders gathered at the Devon Show Grounds for the second day of the first annual Brandywine Valley Summer Series, presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services. They competed for top honors in the professional hunter divisions in the Dixon Oval. Sandy Ferrell and her Second Year Green Working Hunter mount Showman were the day’s big winners, claiming the Grand Champion Green Hunter title after earning the Second Year/High Performance Hunter Championship.
Thursday morning in the Second Year/High Performance Hunter, Ferrell was presented with the championship honors for her ride aboard Showman, owned by Krista and Alexa Weisman of Sherborn, MA. The division was sponsored by Meralex Farm, and the duo earned three first place ribbons, a second place ribbon, and a third place ribbon this week. They truly showed the way during their handy class, earning a high score of 90 for their efforts. Ferrell and Showman were then presented with the Grand Champion Green Hunter award after earning the most prize money in the Green Hunter divisions. The division’s reserve championship prize went to Louise Serio and Phillipa, owned by Jennifer Burger of Buffalo, NY.
Earlier in the day, Ferrell scored the Green Conformation Hunter Championship with Moshi, owned by Stephanie Riggio of New York, NY. The duo almost had a clean sweep, winning five of the six classes sponsored by Madison Hills Farm. Taking home the reserve championship prize was Christina Serio and Noble Blue, owned by Kristen Bowman of Lancaster, PA, after they earned four second place ribbons and two third place ribbons.
The day’s opening division was the First Year Green Working Hunters, sponsored by Wyndsor Farm. Louise Serio had top rides over the past two days and claimed both the championship and the reserve championship awards. She piloted Jennifer Burger’s Rock On to three first place ribbons, a third pace ribbon, and a fourth place honor to take home the championship prize. The reserve championship went to Head Over Heels, owned by Lisa Scott of Kennett Square, PA, after Serio scored two first place ribbons, a second place ribbon, and two third place ribbons with the talented mount.
Ferrell’s domination of the professional divisions did not stop at the Dixon Oval. In the Gold Ring, she also scored the 3’ Pre-Green Hunter championship, sponsored by Manhattan Bagel of Chesterbrook, with Chinou, owned by Cindy Bohn of Grantville, PA. The reserve championship went to Louise Serio and Cinemagic, owned by Bryan Baldwin and Meralex Farm.
The day wrapped up with the Adult Hunter divisions and the $500 M&S Adult Hunter Classic. Laura Yoworsky and Marvelous, owned by Jennifer Shinners of Harleysville, PA, to claimed the first place prize in the Classic. The second place award went to Amy Miller of Chester NJ, with Companion. The duo proved very successful over the past two days, and Miller was presented with the Grand Champion Adult Amateur Hunter Award. Robert Beck, who was the trainer for all three of the Adult Amateur Hunter champions, trains Miller at Hunter Crossing.
Kaitlyn Skog and Wilco, owned by Caren Seidle of Wayne, PA, were Friday’s big winners in the Performance 3’6” – 3’9” Hunters. The duo took home a first place ribbon, a second place ribbon, and a third place ribbon to finish the day as both the division champion and win the Grand Champion Performance Hunter title.
The Performance 3’6”-3’9” Hunter division was generously sponsored by VIS Consulting and Gillian Grant. Taking home the reserve championship honors in the division was Samantha Schaefer on Zendor Z, and the duo won the USET Talent Search later in the day.
Sponsored by David and Wendy Twing, the Performance 3’3” Hunter division demonstrated equally competitive action in the Dixon Oval. The championship went to Molly Sewell aboard Olivia, with the pair earning a first place ribbon and a second place ribbon. Sewell also took home a blue ribbon and a red ribbon in the same division on Gisele. Olivia is owned by Christina Vozza of Bloomfield Hills, MI, and Gisele’s owner is Porter Allen of Boerne, TX. Reserve champion was Erin Stewart, who rode the appropriately named Tenacious steadily over the course.
Earlier on Friday, the $500 North American League (NAL)/Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) Children’s Hunter Classic was held in the Gold Ring. The young riders’ enthusiasm was as palpable as the warm temperatures, with many of the participants scoring over 150. Kristen Bowman rode her own horse, Rhinebeck, to a blue ribbon, completing her two rounds with a final score of 72. Bowman also picked up a seventh place ribbon for her turn on Noble Blue in the same event. Noble Blue is also owned by the 14-year-old Bowman, who trains at Derbydown in Kennett Square, PA. Second place went to Parker Wright on Caligo, while Shannon Hogue came in third on Love Struck.
On Saturday, the Amateur-Owner Hunter divisions competed for the second day in the Dixon Oval. Taking home the Grand Champion Amateur-Owner Hunter title was Bridget Hallman of Oyster Bay, NY, and Do Tell after they earned the Amateur-Owner 36 & Over Hunter Championship, sponsored by Outer Beaches Realty.
The Grand Champion Amateur-Owner 3’3’’ Hunter prize was presented to Cara Garito of Colts Neck, NJ, who garnered the Amateur-Owner 3’3’’ 36 & Over Hunter Championship, sponsored by David and Wendy Twing, aboard Abundance.
Cloudy skies and warm temperatures greeted exhibitors during the final day of competition for the first week of the Brandywine Valley Summer Series, presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services. Junior rider Samantha Schaefer was the day’s big winner, claiming the Best Child Rider on a Horse title, the Style Award for Equitation, and the Grand Champion Junior Hunter prize for her ride aboard Sienna. All of the Junior Hunter events took place in the Dixon Oval at the historic Devon Show Grounds, where Schaefer piloted her mounts to two of the three championship tricolors.
During the Large Junior 16-17 Hunter division, Schaefer was aboard Sienna and Platinum for owner Lexi Maounis of Jupiter, FL. She scored two first place ribbons and three second place ribbons with Sienna to claim the division’s championship prize, and at the end of the day the impressive duo was awarded the Grand Champion Junior Hunter title. The Large Junior 16-17 Hunter Reserve Championship went to Margaret Oberkircher and Tres Bien, owned by Southfield Farm of Fort Washington, PA, after they earned two first place ribbons, two third place ribbons, and a fourth place ribbon.
Earlier in the day, Schaefer also claimed the Small Junior Hunter Championship, this time aboard Photo Shoot, owned by Peake Wood Pharm of Marshall, VA. Throughout the division they earned three first place ribbons, a third place ribbon, and a fourth place ribbon to garner the top honors. Porter Allen of Boerne, TX, piloted Gisele to the reserve championship after earning a first place ribbon, three second place ribbons, and a first place ribbon.
Schaefer’s winning ways did not stop in the hunter ring. She began the morning by winning the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal with Zendor Z, owned by Heritage Farm of Katonah, NY. Her incredible performance over the weekend scored her both the Best Child Rider on a Horse title and the Style Award for Equitation.
The Large Junior 15 & Under Hunter division was also held in the Dixon Oval, where the championship honors were presented to Allison Toffolon of Bronxville, NY, and Carlsson. Over the last two days, the pair earned three first place ribbons, a third place ribbon, and a fourth place ribbon in the division sponsored by Meredith Lipke. Taking home the reserve championship title was David Oberkircher of Fort Washington, PA, and Enzo. Their effort in the ring earned a first place ribbon, three second place ribbons, and a fourth place ribbon.
In the Gold Ring, riders had the opportunity to showcase their mounts during the Regular Pony Hunter divisions, the Green Pony Hunter divisions, and the $1,000 Pony Hunter Classic. After earning the Large Pony Hunter championship, Madeline Placey of Southport, CT, and Happily Ever Laughter were presented with the Grand Champion Pony Hunter Prize.
Later on Sunday, Parker Wright rode Heaven’s Sake, owned by Peake Wood Pharm, to victory in the $1,000 Pony Hunter Classic sponsored by D.D. Matz. Wright and his talented mount earned scores of 86 and 87 to score the impressive victory after winning the Medium Pony Hunter Reserve Championship. After scoring top ribbons with three mounts this week, Wright was presented with the award for the Best Child Rider on a Pony. The talented junior shows with Over the Hill Farm and Bill Schaub.
The final award of the competition went to Andre Dignelli and Patricia Griffith of Heritage Farm in Katonah, NY. After helping their wonderful group of horses and riders win a multitude of championship and reserve championship awards they were presented with the Leading Trainer Award. Top riders Schaefer, Toffolon and Placey all compete under the tutelage of Heritage Farm.
Jumper Highlights: Wednesday – Sunday
Two lively jumper classes made for an eventful first day of the Brandywine Valley Summer Series presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services in Devon, PA Wednesday afternoon. Joe Fargis rode Mariposa to a victory in the the 1.20M Open Jumper class, while Amanda Hood piloted Hip Hop to a win in the Children’s/Adult Jumper class.
In the 1.20m Open Jumper class, Fargis finished first after speedily completing a double clear effort. In the first round, he and the talented Mariposa, owned by Sharon Simpson of Newton Square, PA, came in under the 70 seconds allowed with a time of 65.417. He repeated his success in the jump-off, finishing under the 36 seconds allowed with a final time of 32.620 seconds. Smiling as he cruised clearly around the course, Fargis made the challenging set of jumps look easy.
Tracey Weinberg piloted Linda Z easily advanced to the jump-off and cruised through the short course with a time of 34.775 seconds, coming in second behind Fargis. Linda Z is owned by Fargis, of Lovettsville, VA. Christina Serio and Navarre took third place with a time of 66.916 seconds, completing the jump-off with a time of 35.033 seconds. Navarre is owned by Derbydown of Kennett Square, PA.
In the Children’s/Adult Jumper class, Amanda Hood of Washington, DC rode two of her own horses, Hip Hop and Boy-O-Boy, ultimately winning with Hip Hop. With only 66 seconds allowed, Hood and her Hanoverian finished the first round without fault in 63.810 seconds. The duo also dominated the jump-off with a time of 35.333 seconds. Jennifer Brennan came in second aboard Ducky, owned by Shannondell Farm of Norristown, PA. She crossed the finish line right behind Hood with a time of 35.803 seconds. Earlier, she and Ducky cleared the course in a brisk 61.058 seconds. Rounding-out the top three was Andreas Deleyer riding Figaro, owned by Johannis Deleyer of Tomball, TX. Feeling the need for speed on both of his rides, Deleyer finished aboard Figaro with a time of 55.618 seconds, and aboard Skylark in the same class with a time of 45.697 seconds.
Amanda Hood repeated Wednesday’s success on Thursday in the jumper arena, taking the blue ribbon in the $1500 North American League (NAL) / Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) Children’s/Adult Jumper class aboard her longtime ride Boy-O-Boy. Janice Syphers won the 1.40m Open Jumper class, riding Cover Girl to a double-clear finish after a quick jump-off. Syphers came back in the 1.20m Open Jumper class on GK Calluci to clinch a second win.
In the exciting $1500 NAL/WIHS Children’s/Adult Jumper class, Hood proved that second is the best, riding second in the jump-off to ultimately finish first with a time of 28.971 seconds. Jennifer Imhoff took second place on Sand Dollar with an impressive time of 29.109 seconds. Picking-up a third place ribbon was A.J. Deleyer with Figaro, who traversed the course in only 30.212 seconds. Deleyer also rode Skylark in the jump-off, and rode away with only four faults in that effort. A total of ten riders and their horses qualified for the jump-off, with half of them making clear efforts. Hannah Baumann and CR Erin Go Bragh finished in 32.717 seconds, and close behind was Isabelle Caccamise who, aboard Qrocus Landais, completed the jump-off in 33.902 seconds.
The first jumper class of the day, the 1.40m Open Jumpers, saw a majority of the riders making clear efforts. Janice Syphers started off her busy afternoon on a high note, clearing the jump-off with Cover Girl in 36.713 seconds. Christina Serio and Volumia finished close behind with a time of 37.095 seconds. Fittingly, both of the top horses in this class hail from surrounding areas: Cover Girl is owned by Kindle Hill Affiliates in Gwynedd Valley, PA, while Volumia belongs to Derbydown of Kennett Square, PA.
In the 1.20m Open Jumper class, Syphers earned a second blue ribbon, avoiding the downed rails and refusals that stymied other riders’ efforts. Aboard GK Calucci this time, Syphers cleared the jump-off in just 31.787 seconds. Christina Serio’s mount First Lady showed lots of spirit upon starting the course, and used that energy to propel the duo to a second place finish with a time of 33.6 seconds. Serio also came in third on Navarre, who, like First Lady, is owned by Derbydown.
Friday featured a beautiful night at the historic Devon Show Grounds as riders gathered at the Dixon Oval for the $10,000 Chester County Food Bank Mini Prix. A competitive group of horse and rider combinations tackled the challenging course for the highlight event at the first annual Brandywine Valley Summer Series, presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services. The top prize went to Samantha Schaefer and Trezebees after they completed a double clear effort in 25.279 seconds over Tracey Weinberg and Larone, who scored the second place honors.
Samantha Schaefer was fifth in the return order aboard Trezebees, owned by Addison Phillips of New York, NY, and the duo was ready to win it. They picked up a quick gallop to the first fence and never held back. Schaefer was able to nimbly guide Trezebees through each of the difficult turns and they jumped straight to the top of the leaderboard with a blazing double clear effort in 25.279 seconds.
Tracey Weinberg of Lovettsville, VA, took home the second place prize in the class with Larone. The talented pair made a very sharp turn to the last fence and set the time to beat at 27.047 seconds.
The third place award went to Janice Syphers of Gwynedd Valley, PA, and Cover Girl. They had a very quick pace to the first jump and completed a clear round despite a hard rub coming out of the combination, and broke the beam at 27.264 seconds.
The $1,500 M&S Children’s/Adult Jumper Classic was also held on Friday, just prior to the $10,000 Chester County Food Bank Mini Prix. Jennifer Brennan had the winning ride aboard Ducky, owned by Shannondell Farm of Norristown, PA. The duo completed a double clear effort in 28.361 seconds, and their win would secure the Children’s/Adult Jumper Championship. Finishing in second and tying for the reserve championship was Andreas Deleyer of Tomball, TX, and Figaro, after they tripped the timers at 29.050 seconds. Also earning the reserve championship was the third place finisher, Amanda Hood of Washington, DC, and Boy-O-Boy, who completed a fault-free jump-off in 30.597 seconds.
Earlier this afternoon, Julia Fowler of West Hartford, CT, took home the first place prize in the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers for her consistent effort aboard Presco. Then, Alex Matz scored the winning prize in the Low Junior/Amateur Owner Jumpers with Counterfoil, owned by Laurie Jakbauskas of Kennett Square, PA.
Timing was everything Saturday afternoon and taking first place in the Low Junior Amateur-Owner Jumpers was Allison Toffolon on her own gray mare, Furalissa. She cleared the colorful course in just 57.001 seconds, after quickly correcting an imprecise distance to the first jump. She and the enthusiastic Furalissa quickly recouped their time, finishing with the fastest fault-free round of the afternoon.
Also turning in rapid rounds was Alex Matz, who rode Jolly Mome to a second place ribbon with a time of 58.983 seconds. Matz also foiled any riders hoping to secure third place, this time aboard Counterfoil, as the duo cleared all 13 obstacles in just 60.298 seconds. Madeline Turner on Calgary also achieved a clear round, passing the end timer at 62.685 seconds.
Countering the overcast skies, two rousing Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classics lit up the Dixon Oval of the Devon Show Grounds on Sunday. Julia Fowler and Alex Matz both earned championship honors in the Junior Amateur-Owner Jumper Division, while Fowler and Saly Glassman garnered blue ribbons in the highlight events.
The $3,500 Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic was the first jumper event of the day, with Julia Fowler and her own horse, Presco, getting off to a promising start. The duo soared to a clear round, despite the many brightly colored jumps that stopped several horses in their tracks this afternoon. Fowler and Presco sailed smoothly to – and through – the jump-off, finishing in a brisk 33.03 seconds. After picking up her blue ribbon for her win in the Classic, Fowler returned to the ring to receive the championship tricolor for topping the division.
Reserve champion of the High Junior Amateur-Owner Jumper Division was Janice Syphers, who capped-off a great week at Brandywine with a speedy turn in the High Classic. She and GK Calucci had the fastest regular round, and kept up the pace in an extremely close jump-off. Barely behind Fowler’s winning time, Syphers and her mount clocked-in at 33.099 seconds.
The $2,500 Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic was won by Saly Glassman aboard Lorado 28, also owned by Kindle Hill Affiliates. Clearing the jump-off course in 34.867 seconds, the pair leaped to the top of a highly competitive class. Coming in second was Madeline Turner on Calgary, owned by Turner of Montclair, NJ. The duo calmly navigated the course’s very tight turns, earning not only a yellow ribbon but also reserve championship honors in the Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Division. Alex Matz was the champion, and the young rider added two very fast rounds to his roster of successes at Brandywine. Matz piloted both Counterfoil, owned by Laurie Jakubauskas of Kennett Square, PA, and Jolly Mome, owned by Trelawny Farm, LLC of Bedford, NY, in the Classic.
