One-Two Finish for Matthias Hollberg in $25,000 Quentin Fall Classic Grand Prix

Press release Swan Lake Horseshows – Littlestown, PA – Sept. 3, 2016 – After getting the ride on Czechmate just six short weeks ago, Matthias Hollberg and the chestnut gelding showcased their winning ways in Saturday’s $25,000 Quentin Fall Classic Grand Prix, marking their second grand prix victory together. Hollberg also claimed the second-place spot aboard another mount, his own Aletta.

„I didn’t wake up this morning thinking this would happen, but I was certainly hoping,“ Hollberg said. „It worked out well today. The facility here is so nice, the prize money is good, the course designing is consistent, and the people in the office are excellent. It’s really easy for us to come here.“

In the first round, Hollberg and Courtney Ramsay’s Czechmate were the first to attempt Skip Bailey’s course. The duo went clear in 86.99 seconds – just hundredths of a second under the time allowed of 87 seconds.

„The time allowed seemed tight in the first round, so luckily I was aware of that and galloped in between the jumps,“ Hollberg explained. „We were just under the time allowed, so that was lucky.“

Hollberg and Czechmate returned first for the 7-horse jump-off, setting a blazing time to beat of 39.094 seconds. Their quick, efficient round would hold the lead wire-to-wire to earn the win.

„Since I was first to go in the jump-off, I figured there was nothing to lose, and I’d give it a good go,“ Hollberg said. „I wanted to go as fast as he could without losing track of where I was on course so I could put enough pressure on the others to prevent them from catching me, which is what happened in the end, luckily.“

Hollberg said that 10-year-old Czechmate was a 4* Eventing horse who Ramsay purchased from Olympian Lauren Keiffer. After showing in the 1.30m classes at Upperville, Hollberg and Czechmate headed to HITS Culpeper, where they won their first grand prix together after giving the only double-clear effort.

„Czechmate was just a bit too slow for cross country, but he’ll jump anything,“ Hollberg said. „He’s not a typical event horse; he’s a big horse with a big scopey jump. For us, he’s fast enough in the jump-offs – he’s awesome. Today was really my first grand prix jump-off going against the clock with him, and he did it very well.“

With Aletta, who also advanced to the short course after a clear first round, Hollberg said his strategy was to try to match Czechmate’s time without taking too many risks. The duo’s time of 42.399 seconds would mark the second-fastest time of the afternoon, earning the duo the second-place spot.

„Any other horse I ride compared to Aletta is like going from a school bus into a Ferrari,“ Hollberg expressed. „She’s quick, she’s smart, and everything that she does in the ring, she does with 100 percent effort. She never will let you down; she’s a good girl.“

Hollberg said that he purchased the 11-year-old mare from a former student after she sold her horses to focus on college.

„Aletta has been all over,“ Hollberg said. „She’s done Wellington, she’s done Young Riders, she’s done indoors as a High Amateur horse. I trained her former owner on and off, so I’ve known the horse for about four years. She came to me to be sold, and I liked her so much that I ended up buying her myself.“

Rounding out the top three places was Christina Serio and Derbydown’s Disovery-O with their double-clear effort and jump-off time of 43.736 seconds. In fourth place with four faults and a time of 39.836 seconds was yesterday’s 1.30m speed winners, Jennifer Brennan and Mac.

The Quentin Fall Classic will wrap up on Sunday with the $2,500 1.10m NAL/WIHS/M&S Adult Classic and the $3,500 1.20m NAL Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic.

Featured Sponsor: Hadfield’s Saddlery

Hadfield’s Saddlery strives to have the best, most innovative high-end merchandise possible. Hadfield’s has outfitted leisure riders to Olympians, providing everything from clothing to bridles and saddles. The industry leader has generously donated gift certificates for winners in the Junior Hunter division.

„Hadfield’s is delighted to contribute our sponsorship at Swan Lake Horse Shows,“ said Cindy Hadfield, owner of Hadfield’s Saddlery. „It is a great venue and has grown considerably over the years. Good luck to all participants!“

Samantha Schaefer and Classified Capture the $1,000 Junior/Amateur Hunter Classic at Swan Lake’s Quentin Fall Classic

After a successful collegiate career, Samantha Schaefer dominated in the $1,000 Junior/Amateur Hunter Classic at Swan Lake Quentin Fall Classic. The Westminster, Maryland native swept the Amateur Owner over-fences portion of the division in the wake of earning top honors in the classic.

„Classified has really been a key to getting me back into showing and competing in the amateurs,“ Schaefer said about her 11-year-old mount. „I took some time off to focus on my academic and collegiate career.“

Schaeffer and the chestnut Hanoverian have been working together for two years, beginning their partnership in the fall of 2014. The duo had the highest scores in the classic, scoring an 88 and 86 in the first two rounds, totaling a score of 174 points. The pair led the division by nearly 10 points, with their closest contender scoring a total of 164.5 points.

„Classified has been my go-to horse and is my security blanket right now,“ she shared. „Every time I show him, he wins. He’s that horse you can always rely on and you always know what you’ll get. He’s a really good boy and dependable. He wants to win. There is no drama with him.“

She continued, „Two things make him stand out; he’s quiet and a beautiful mover. He looks to win. You can have a horse with a lot of talent, but if they don’t understand their job or how to win, they’re no good. He has that extra will to win.“

Heading into the day, Schaeffer had no plan in place, but instead let Classified’s talent do the work.

„We didn’t want to ask him to do too much,“ she explained. „We tried to keep it low key, and I think it worked out well. He was very smooth and went around very nicely. The jumps are nice and the ring is big at Swan Lake. It invites the horse to jump well. They do a nice job.“

Experiencing Swan Lake for the first time was the winner of the $1,000 NAL/WIHS/M&S Child/Adult Hunter Classic, Samantha Ruttura.

Not only did the full-time sales and marketing guru ride away with the blue ribbon aboard Cakewalk, but she also took home third place with Quinn.

„This is my first time showing here,“ Ruttura explained. „It’s great to come out with a win. Swan Lake is beautiful and has a great atmosphere.“

The Long Island, NY native rides with Louise and Christina Serio and boards her horses at Derbydown Inc. in Pennsylvania. The mother-and-daughter duo have Ruttura’s horses in a phenomenal training program that gives Ruttura the confidence to ride and show.

„I live in Long island, and the horses live in Pennsylvania,“ Ruttura explained. „It makes it hard to get out as often as possible, but they’re in a great program. Once I get over my nerves, they’re great!“

Ruttura has been working with Cakewalk for about a year and half and earned the money-class victory with a total two-round score of 151 points. The adult rider slid into the third-place slot with a total two-round score of 147.5 aboard Quinn.

„They both ride differently, but not drastically,“ Ruttura explained. „They’re ride is straight forward and quiet. Quinn has a longer stride, so I have to think about going slower on him. Everything came together well on that last round with both of them.“

Expanding on how she rides Cakewalk, Ruttura said, „She’s a really fun horse. She’s sensitive, so you have to make sure you ride her the way she likes. She’s really brave and jumps beautifully. You just have to get a light canter and stay with her. She’ll do the rest.“

Sharing her final thoughts on her first Swan Lake outing and victory, Ruttura concluded, „The course was beautiful and the lines rode nicely. I really just wanted to go in and be consistent. They did great and stepped up. I couldn’t have asked for more.“

The 2016 Quentin Fall Classic will come to a close on Sunday, September 3. Each hunter division will finish their respective jumping phase, as well as an under saddle class before pinning an overall champion.

Featured Sponsor: Noble Outfitters

Noble Outfitters is an all-encompassing equestrian brand, offering a range of quality English and Western products ranging from breeches, show shirts, and footwear, to accessories, bags, animal care products, and barn tools. Noble Outfitters supplied Swan Lake with $5,000 worth of ring backpacks for winners.

„At Noble Outfitters, we believe in encouraging youth to participate in equestrian events, which teach responsibility and provide meaningful learning experiences,“ Marketing Manager Julia Scrivani said. „We are committed to donating 5% of our profits to equestrian-focused youth programs via our Noble Tomorrow program, and we are happy that we were able to give back to the horse community and support many talented young equestrians at the Swan Lake Horse Shows.“

Find out more about the Quentin Fall Classic online at www.swanlakehorseshows.com.

Source: Press release