Author: RoanokeEquestrian

WEEKEND UPDATE: Equestrian news roundup

Courtesy of Road to the Horse

ROAD TO THE HORSE

Chris Cox blew away the competition to win his fourth Road to the Horse title in Lexington, Kentucky. Cox scored 2,600, Jim Anderson 1,689 and Trevor Carter 1,656. Road to the Horse had a $100,000 purse this year, it’s richest so far.

The colt-starting competition takes three horse trainers and clinicians and puts them up against each other for the esteemed title of Road to the Horse World Champion.

Competitors choose a horse out of a group of 3-year-old untouched quarter horses. Competitors were judged not only on a final test of skill, but how they get that result, using natural horsemanship methods.

SHOWJUMPING

Photo by Mollie Bailey
|  Chronicle of the Horse

McLain Ward won the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix, the finale to the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, on HH Carlos, a 13-year-old Zangersheide. Only three horses made the jump-off round: Ward, Georgina Bloomberg on Lilli and Daniel Bluman on Conconcreto Sancha LS. No one was able to leave all the fences up in the jumpoff, but Ward had the fastest time.

HUNTERS

Tori Colvin atop Vaillero, a 7-year-old Zangersheide, won the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. Darcy Hayes riding Say When came in second. Mindful and Kelly Farmer, who won the opening round of the derby fell to 16th place overall.

AQHA

High point winners were announced from the Silver Dollar Circuit. High point overall senior horse was  Blazinmytroublesaway, ridden by Rusty Green and owned by Katie Green. Highpoint junior horse went to  Aint Gota Lot, ridden by Bradley Ost and owned by Belik Family Trust. The high point amateur was Huntin For Fun and Brittany Lofton Morgan.

EVENTING

Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials cross-country will be a “very different” experience for riders, with the course being run in the opposite direction to normal. The change will see all the major combinations tackled in the opposite direction. Course designer Mark Phillips told Horse and Hound magazine that it was “time for the change” after three years of a similar course.


California Chrome in Dubai. Photo by Steven Cargill/racingfotos/Rex

HORSE RACING

Reigning horse of the year California Chrome was upset by Prince Bishop in the $10 million Dubai World Cup. California Chrome is now going to ship to Royal Ascot where plans are to race the 4-year-old colt in June.
Meanwhile, the road to the Kentucky Derby is in full swing.

  • Materiality remained undefeated in winning th Florida Derby. Materiality,  by Afleet Alex, is trained by Todd Pletcher. Upstart ran second.
  • International Star scored a come-from-behind victory in the Louisiana Derby. Stanford was second by a neck. War Story finished third.
    Mubtaahij easily won the $2 million UAE Derby in Dubai by 8 lengths.

Sweet Briar equestrian director moving to Lynchburg College

Merrilee “Mimi” Wroten gives instruction.  Photo by Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar College may be closing in August, but it’s riding tradition will stay in central Virginia. Sweet Briar equestrian director Merrilee “Mimi” Wroten will join Lynchburg College as director of riding as the college works to expand its equestrian program. Wroten has been head of the acclaimed program at Sweet Briar since 2011 and before that served as associate director since 1999. She will remain at Sweet Briar until the school closes in August.

“It became apparent that a unique opportunity existed to enhance collegiate riding at a local college, provide continuity of instruction for Sweet Briar students and preserve many of the principles of excellence that the Sweet Briar riding tradition was founded upon,” Wroten said in a Lynchburg College news release on the changes.

Mimi is a USEF “R” judge and holds the ANRC top rider rating. She has judged shows from Georgia to New York. Wroten has coached several award-winning teams, including an individual national champion and national reserve champion in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association; multiple Old Dominion Athletic Conference champion and reserve champion teams; and several American National Riding Committee champion and reserve champion teams.

Lynchburg College is finalizing an agreement with Thistledown Farm to host its equestrian program.

See the news release here. 

Wroten posted this message on Sweet Briar’s facebook page March 26.

“Dear Friends,
As we all process our way through the shock of the announcement about our beloved Sweet Briar and move toward addressing the uncertainty of the future, each of us has tried to find a path forward for the ideals and culture that have made Sweet Briar riding so special. It was this pursuit of a way forward that led me to take a call from Lynchburg College Athletics Director Jon Waters. During the call and throughout numerous follow up conversations as Jon shared the Lynchburg vision and hope for expansion of their existing riding program, it became apparent that a unique opportunity existed to enhance collegiate riding at a local college, provide continuity of instruction for Sweet Briar students and to preserve many of the principles of excellence that the Sweet Briar riding tradition has been founded upon. It is for these reasons that I have accepted the position as the Director of Riding at Lynchburg College. I will finish out the semester and my obligations with Sweet Briar College before stepping into my new role as the Director of Riding at Lynchburg College.

As you can imagine, this decision did not come without a tremendous amount of soul searching and research about the Lynchburg leadership and it’s commitment to excellence. As someone who has spent more than half my life in service to the students, horses and community of Sweet Briar, I fully understand how the program has impacted lives for generations. However, with the path that has been laid out for the college, the only prudent course at this time is to move forward with this new endeavor and attempt to maintain as much continuity with staff, horses and instruction as possible.

While many of the details of the Lynchburg College riding program future are still evolving, the program is very excited about the opportunity to work out of Thistledown Farm in Lynchburg, Virginia. We will work rapidly to develop this facility into a collegiate riding facility with 22 stalls, 4 large fields, 2 large paddocks, 1 small ring, and we will enlarge & cover a ring that will be approximately 120’ x 220’. Lynchburg College is working to acquire approximately 12-15 of the SBC horses to assure the standards of excellence that we have come to expect. Additional resources will be developed as demand dictates.

I am very confident that Jon Waters, Athletic Director and the institutional leadership at Lynchburg understand and respect how special the Harriet Howell Rogers Riding Center is to the equine world. In light of this, they have assured me that in the event that Sweet Briar College is open to students and operating a riding program in the Fall of 2015, I would be free to return to lead the Sweet Briar College program with the probability of Lynchburg riders becoming a part of the Rogers Riding Center community.

To my fellow alums and to all of those who have been touched by the greatness of the Sweet Briar riding program, I hope that you will see this as a unique opportunity to continue to serve the central Virginia area and the horse world with the same spirit and ideals that made our program so unique.

I appreciate all that you have done for the Sweet Briar College Riding Program and myself.

Sincerely,
Mimi Wroten”

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Equestrian events this weekend in the Roanoke region (March 28-29)

The Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Virginia, which is the farm where Secretariat was born,
will host the Virginia Horse Festival this weekend.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

The Franklin County Equestrian Club will host a competitive trail ride at 10 a.m. Saturday at Waid Park in Rocky Mount. Registration at 9 a.m. Participants are instructed to meet in the top parking lot at the baseball field. The ride is about 2.5 miles long and will include 5 or more obstacles.

BLACKSBURG

The Advantage Ranch Community Horse Show will be held at Advantage Ranch, 4190 Dori Del Hills Blacksburg. It is Blue Ridge Horse Force sanctioned. Contact Deb Dyer at 540-230-5698 or email debdyer@advantageranch.com for more information.

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

The horse center will be hosting the Virginia Starter Horse Trials  on Sunday with schooling on Saturday

ROAD TRIP

The Virginia Horse Festival is this weekend at The Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Va.  — the birthplace of Secretariat. The festival features clinics, demonstrations, shopping, a Mustang Makeover competition (including an auction of event participants Saturday evening) and more. Tickets are available in advance online or at the gate. Find the schedule of events here.

A LOOK AHEAD

Photos from the AQHA Spring Breakout at the Virginia Horse Center

Classic Chrome

The first few days of Spring meant the horse showing at the horse center, with the first of three AQHA shows of the season in Lexington.

Classes were modest in size. Trail and Western Riding had as few as three entries. Youth Equitation had in the double digits. And the ever-growing Ranch Horse Pleasure class continued its rise with 28 entered in the Open class.

 Many of the horses were a bit rusty and there was plenty of schooling going on. The turnouts lacked the spit and shine you see later into the season. The silver and sequin is sure to be sparkling brightly when AQHA rolls in again this fall for the Novice Championship.

It was our first experience watching Ranch Horse Pleasure. It was certainly the most popular class on Saturday’s showbill and it’s easy to see why. It fit horses and people that don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on silver for their saddle and sparkles for their jackets. Horses could compete even if they were a bit green and wooly with spring coats. You don’t need to be with a full-time trainer to maintain an artificially slow lope in your horse. The gaits were natural, forward and more in line with what the quarter horse was originally bred for. It will be interesting to see how the class evolves over time.

More photos and all-around results.

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Equestrian events in the Roanoke region this weekend (March 21-22)

Trainers prepare a horse for competition at the Virginia Horse Center.

We are excited for the AQHA to roll into the Virginia Horse Center this weekend, but that’s not the only show in town (or even the only event at the horse center) if that’s not your cup of tea.And if you don’t feel like going out, we’ve got online options listed too.

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

  • AQHA: The Virginia Quarter Horse Association is holding is annual Spring Breakout show at the horse center this weekend. Larry Little, Judd Paul, Tony Burris, Rhonda Replogle will judge. The show will start at 8 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will open with trail, move to hunter classes, pleasure driving, western riding, ranch horse pleasure and reining later in the day. Sunday will open with halter and showmanship and then move to western pleasure and horsemanship classes. Find a complete class schedule here.
  • CLINIC: Mary Babick will be presenting a two-day clinic, organized by the Southwest Virginia Hunter/Jumper Association (SWVHJA) this weekend. Babick’s two-day hunter and equitation clinic will offer three sections including a 2’6″ hunter section, a 3′ hunter section and a 3′ equitation section.    Riding spots are filled but auditor spots are still available.  Audit tickets are available for $150/day or $250 for both days, and TCP participants may register to receive credits for $300. Babick, of Freehold, NJ, has trained students and horses out of her Knightsbridge Farm, earning victories and  at such shows as Devon, the Penn National, Washington International, U.S. Pony Finals and the North American Junior and Young Rider Championship. Babick’s students have earned many state, zone and national championships, from the small pony to the national equitation finals and the junior and amateur-owner jumper sections.

CAMPBELL COUNTY

The Leslie Morris Breast Cancer Benefit Horse Show will be Saturday at the Patrick Henry Girls Home, 1039 Brookneal Hwy, Rustburg, Va. Show starts at noon, gates open at 10 a.m. (About 1 hour from Roanoke) Show is casual and participants are invited to wear pink or their fanciest show clothes.

A LOOK AHEAD

STREAMING LIVE ONLINE

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Equestrian events in the Roanoke region this weekend (March 21-22)

We are excited for the AQHA to roll into the Virginia Horse Center this weekend, but that’s not the only show in town (or even the only event at the horse center) if that’s not your cup of tea.And if you don’t feel like going out, we’ve got online options listed too.

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

  • AQHA: The Virginia Quarter Horse Association is holding is annual Spring Breakout show at the horse center this weekend. Larry Little, Judd Paul, Tony Burris, Rhonda Replogle will judge. The show will start at 8 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will open with trail, move to hunter classes, pleasure driving, western riding, ranch horse pleasure and reining later in the day. Sunday will open with halter and showmanship and then move to western pleasure and horsemanship classes. Find a complete class schedule here.
  • CLINIC: Mary Babick will be presenting a two-day clinic, organized by the Southwest Virginia Hunter/Jumper Association (SWVHJA) this weekend. Babick’s two-day hunter and equitation clinic will offer three sections including a 2’6″ hunter section, a 3′ hunter section and a 3′ equitation section.    Riding spots are filled but auditor spots are still available.  Audit tickets are available for $150/day or $250 for both days, and TCP participants may register to receive credits for $300. Babick, of Freehold, NJ, has trained students and horses out of her Knightsbridge Farm, earning victories and  at such shows as Devon, the Penn National, Washington International, U.S. Pony Finals and the North American Junior and Young Rider Championship. Babick’s students have earned many state, zone and national championships, from the small pony to the national equitation finals and the junior and amateur-owner jumper sections.

CAMPBELL COUNTY

The Leslie Morris Breast Cancer Benefit Horse Show will be Saturday at the Patrick Henry Girls Home, 1039 Brookneal Hwy, Rustburg, Va. Show starts at noon, gates open at 10 a.m. (About 1 hour from Roanoke) Show is casual and participants are invited to wear pink or their fanciest show clothes.

A LOOK AHEAD

STREAMING LIVE ONLINE

Get your horse fix: Equestrain events in the Roanoke region this weekend (March 14-15)

Hat City, owned and ridden by Lauren Moran at the
Thoroughbred Celebration Show in 2014..
Photo Credit David Bell/RideOnSports Photography

Did I really just see daffodils blooming in Roanoke? Dare I hope that my pasture is turning ever-so-slightly green? Can I let myself believe that spring is here? I know at our house we are certainly hoping so as ice gives way to mud. My riding areas are much too water-logged to get any time in the saddle. So here are some events around our region where you can hopefully find drier footing and horses coming out of our winter hibernation.

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

This weekend is the center’s annual Thoroughbred Celebration Spring Show in the Coliseum and Wiley Arena. The two-day Hunter/ Jumper series is for horses who are either off the track or bred to race. Meg Rhodes will judge hunters. Leslie Brown will judge jumpers. Both days start at 8 a.m. Find a prize list and schedule of classes here.

SEMINAR

The Southwest Virginia Dressage Association will host it’s Educational Sunday at 8 a.m. March 15 at Flanagan Stables in Christiansburg. Lynne Gilbert (competitive endurance rider) will discuss long-distance riding. Heather Hilgartner, DVM (of Windover Equine Services) will discuss lameness in dressage horses. Wayne Jones (Owner of Star-Ro Trailers) will  discuss trailer safety. Roddy and Sally Moore (Storey Creek Farm) will be discuss training and driving draft horses. Used tack sale also planned. The event is free, so bring a chair and learn something new.

 A LOOK AHEAD

GET YOUR HORSE FIX: Equestrian events around Roanoke this weekend (March 7-8)

Things are picking up this week as the snow begins to melt away. Let’s hope for warm weather and no snow as we head into March.

VIRGINIA HORSE CENTER

The House Mountain Horse Show is set for March 7-8 at the horse center Coliseum for hunters/jumpers.  The two-day regional schooling show is named after the Lexington area mountain. The show is owned and operated by the VHCF and managed by Keedie Leonard & L.M. “Sandy” Gerald. Glenn Moody of Charlottesville will judge. Find the Prize List here.

GREEN HILL EQUESTRIAN CENTER

The Salem park will hold its third show in its Winter Series on March 8, beginning at 11 a.m. Ken Davis will judge. Find a show flyer here.

COGGINS CLINIC

Get your required Coggins testing done at the Early Bird Coggins Clinic. Load up and meet Dr. Heather Hilgartner of Windover Equine Services on Saturday, March 7 from 9 a.m.-1p.m. at Liberty Lake Park in Bedford, Va.   Digital Coggins $23, Fecal Egg Counts $15.  Vaccines available with notice. Call 540-397-6796 for more information.

TACK SALE

The Botetourt County Horse Association’s annual Tack n’ Trade Sale is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at the VFW Hall, Rt 220 in Daleville.

VIRGINIA/NORTH CAROLINA HORSE FESTIVAL

The Virginia Cooperative Extension hosts. Demonstrations on Dressage and Long Lining, Parade of Breeds, Hunter/Jumper, and Mounted Shooting plus many more exhibitors and vendors. The festival begins at 10 a.m. and will run until 3 p.m. at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex on U.S. 29 in Chatham, Va. Admission is free. More information.

The Farm Show Complex arena.

ROAD TRIP 

The Pennsylvania Horse World Expo, is March 5-8 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pa. (4 1/2 hour-drive from Roanoke).The World Expo includes seminars, clinics, a stallion avenue, carriage racing, shopping with hundreds of vendors and Theatre Equus, a musical variety show. All activities are heated and parking is free, but there is a daily admission charge of $12 for adults and $6 for children 6-12, cash only at the door.

A LOOK AHEAD

Penn State’s twin foals all grown up, one ready for sale

Remember the twin foals that were foaled at Penn State in 2013? One of them is headed for the annual Penn State Quarter Horse Sale that is set for Saturday, May 2, at Penn State’s Snider Ag Arena.

Named PSU She B Rockin Two, the 14.2 hand bay mare is one of ten 2-year-olds that will be auctioned at the sale. Two 3-year-olds will also be offered. You can find a sale catalog for the sale here. 

The other twin is still at Penn State but will not be auctioned off this year, a representative from Penn State said.

Horses up for sale are by stallions Execute, Willie Be Nimble, Time to Score and PSU Dynamic Krymsun.

Check out our 8 tips for buying a horse at auction.

Execute

PSU Dynamic Krymsun

Time to Score

Willie Be Nimble