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Kacey McCann Leads the Way for SBS Farms at Saratoga Classic II

Written by: Jennifer Wood
Client: SBS Farms, Ltd. http://www.thebtrc.org/
Release Date: 2005-06-29

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jennifer Wood for Phelps Media Group, Inc.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jennifer Wood of Phelps Media Group, Inc. at (561) 753-3389 or at pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com

WEB SITE: Phelps Media Group, Inc. Press Releases and Photos are available for download at http://www.phelpsmediagroup.com
Photo Credit: Kacey McCann, voted Best Child Rider at both weeks of the Saratoga Classic Horse Show. Photo by Flashpoint Photography.

Kacey McCann Leads the Way for SBS Farms at Saratoga Classic II

Saratoga Springs, NY- June 29- It was another successful week for 15 year old Kacey McCann of Palmyra, PA, at the Saratoga Classic Horse Show. Her catch riding skills are being tested every week, and McCann has risen to the occasion on every horse she has been asked to ride.

McCann’s big achievement in Saratoga was being named “Best Child Rider” in both weeks of competition. SBS Farms trainer Susie Schoellkopf stated, “It was a great accomplishment for her.” This week, she rode Gandolph for Helen Lenahan to the Large Junior 15 & Under Hunter championship. The pair won four out of five classes to capture the tricolor, despite the fact that McCann had very little experience on the accomplished horse. “It was pretty much the first time I’ve ridden him,” she explained. “I was nervous, but it helps that Jen Alfano had ridden him earlier in the week. She gave me pointers on him.”

SBS Farms trainer/rider Alfano was able to give great pointers on winning, as well. Alfano rode Gandolph to the tricolor in the Second Year Green Hunter division. McCann had a touch of nerves, but was very excited to ride the “very, very fancy” horse. “He’s definitely the hack winner and he’s got lots of potential,” she expressed.

McCann also rode Trebouche for Jonathan and Jeffrey Phillips for the reserve championship in the same division. The horse competed in the high jumper classes at the Winter Equestrian Festival, so the jumps in the hunter ring were not a problem. “They are so easy for him. He’s for sale, so it’s good for him to get the exposure in the hunter ring too,” McCann related. In the Regular Working Hunter division, Trebouche won the championship with Alfano.

In the Small Junior 15 & Under Hunters, McCann rode By the Way for SBS Farms to the reserve championship. “He’s become easier to ride since the first show I did in Atlanta,” McCann stated. “Jen rode him in a few jumper classes earlier in the week to tune him. We want to be able to do him in the equitation classes eventually.”

McCann was quite busy this past week, as she also rode Lilac to blue ribbons for a Californian client of Havens Schatt, and won a Low Junior Jumper class on Mick O Angelo, owned by the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center. “Lilac was great and won classes each week, but was just out of the reserve championship both times,” said McCann. In the equitation classes, McCann posted a score of 85.5 in the hunter phase of the Washington International Horse Show equitation class to finish second. She also finished fifth in the USEF Talent Search equitation class.

SBS Farms will move on to the Merrill Lynch Hunter Jumper Classic in Cleveland in July. Kacey McCann will compete throughout the summer, gaining more and more valuable showing experience to prepare for the national championships this fall.

For more information on SBS Farms and the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, please visit their website at www.ryegate.com/BTRC/bec.htm.

Photo Credit: Kacey McCann, voted Best Child Rider at both weeks of the Saratoga Classic Horse Show. Photo by Flashpoint Photography.