As the second day of the professional hunter divisions began at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show, Winn Alden was sitting pretty with three blue ribbons under her belt from the previous day. Alden returned with Elizabeth Nestor’s Covert, again impressing the judges and claiming both blue ribbons in the Green Conformation Hunters on Thursday.
The duo earned a perfect score of 60, taking home all five blue ribbons, the division championship and earning the overall grand champion.
Although Covert usually lives in St. Louis at Susan Baginski’s Baskin Farm, Virginia-based Alden said she is thrilled whenever she gets the chance to partner up with the gelding.
“I just feel really lucky that I got to meet Susan,” Alden said. “This was Covert’s second time doing 3’6. He’s really easy. He’ll jump anything, almost to a fault because you have to make him pay attention to where he’s going. He’s fun; Elizabeth does really well on him.”
The reserve championship in the Green Conformation Hunters went to Sarah Rice and Emily Schwing’s Before Anything Else, who added another second and third to two seconds and third earned on Wednesday.
“This is our first horse show with him,” Rice said. “He’s a really, really awesome horse; he’s going to be great one to have in the barn. He’s super quiet and sweet. You just put him in gear and point him in the right direction, and he’ll do anything you ask of him.”
Earlier in the day, Tim Goguen’s dark bay duo of Rookie and Capella again traded the top spot on the leaderboard in the First Year Green Hunters. Aboard Belhaven Stables LLC’s Rookie, Goguen topped the handy round, while Garland Alban’s Capella nabbed the blue in the classic round. Goguen and Rookie claimed the division championship, with Capella earning the reserve.
“Capella was very good,” Goguen said. “The first class was nice, then he made a little mistake in the second one, but went really well. Rookie had a mistake in the first class then went fantastic in the handy, so it all worked out. I’m lucky to have the owners that I have; they’re great.”
In the Second Year Green Hunters, Kelley Farmer and Point Being took home a first and second, earning enough points for the division championship. Goguen and Ransom also took home a first and second, but settled for the reserve championship.
Rounding out the day were the High Performance Hunters, with Farmer and Point Being adding a third and fourth to the previous day’s results to claim the division championship. Farmer rode Dalliance to the reserve with two additional second places finishes.
“I love this horse show,” Farmer said. “They do such a good job. The horses do well here; they go well. It’s nice preparation, and obviously it’s great for the horses’ credentials. This is a lovely horse show.”
In addition to offering a full range of competitive hunter divisions, the Kentucky Summer Horse Show features the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby on Sunday, July 26.
To learn more about the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com
KENTUCKY HORSE SHOWS 2015 HORSE SHOW SERIES FAST FACTS
Events:
Kentucky Summer Horse Shows, USEF National Pony Finals, Bluegrass
Festival Horse Show and KHJA Horse Show, and the 2015 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals and the Pre Green Incentive Championship.
What:
The Kentucky Horse Show LLC’s 2015 series includes five weeks of top competition throughout the summer. These premier hunter/jumper competitions host the Hagyard Challenge Series with seven grand prix competitions that culminate with a Leading Rider Award, as well as the Hallway Feeds National Derby Series.
Where:
Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, KY, site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™. Home to the United States Equestrian Federation.
When:
KENTUCKY SUMMER HORSE SHOW – July 22- 26, 2015
$25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
$25,000 Under 25 Grand Prix
$50,000 Rood & Riddle Kentucky Grand Prix
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby
KENTUCKY SUMMER CLASSIC – July 28- August 2, 2015
$25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
$50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix sponsored by GGT Footings
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby
2015 USEF PONY FINALS – August 4-9, 2015
BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL HORSE SHOW – August 11-16, 2015
USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship
USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Championship
$25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic
$40,000 Bluegrass Festival Grand Prix sponsored by Audi of Lexington
$5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby
WCHR Member Event
KHJA HORSE SHOW – August 19-23, 2015
$10,000 Hagyard Welcome Stake
$30,000 KHJA Grand Prix
$5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby
Source: Press release
