On Sept. 17, the Virginia 4-H State Horse Show crowned its top Western riders in the Classics classics. The evening classes were held in the East Complex at the Virginia Horse Center and featured the top riders from the qualifying classes earlier in the weekend.
The Classics closed with the Western Pleasure Horse Classic. With 14 showing, the two judges agreed on the top horse: Ima Glowin Coco Chip, ridden by Morgan Strickler. Strickler was also named the Sr. High Point winner.
Second went to Mary Ann Johnson riding Zippos Sweet Te. Third went to Madison Martin riding Jets Lopin Lady.
Halter. Showmanship. Leadline. Coached classes for new/young riders. Classes for beginner riders. English Pleasure. Western Pleasure. Ranch horses. Trail. Miniature horse jumping. Miniature horse trail. English equitation. Stock seat equitation. Speed. Racking. There was a class for every kind of horse at the Cross View Rock & Roll Open Horse Show.
Just along for the ride with your horse-crazy companion? (Or like my daughter, dragged along with your mother.) There was stuff for you, too! Corn hole and roping practice was a fun diversion from the horses going round and round.
Gillian Davis won the day’s Go As You Please Jackpot class on her red roan quarter horse gelding, The Roan Rangger (registered AQHA as VS Red Solo). And they were winners in many other classes throughout the day and won the Western high point award under judge Ken Davis.
Turnout was good for the show, with many English youth classes with more than 10. Adult riders typically saw 3 or 4 entries. The Western Pleasure classes were a bit smaller, with between 2 and 5 entries, typically. However, the Ranch horse classes had over 5.
The Cross View Show Series will continue on June 25-26 with the Aloha Shows. Katie Jackson, owner of Sneek A Peek Farm in Spotsylvania, Virginia, will judge the hunters on June 25 and Beth Gouthro of BMG ShowHorses will judge the open show.
The Cross View Horse Show series opened Friday night at Green Hill Park Equestrian Center in Salem with a special jumpers edition, which then rolled into Saturday’s Hunter/Jumper show.
Despite rains that fell overnight, the show had a nice turnout with about four to five riders in the morning hunter divisions. More horses began to mill about the show grounds at lunchtime for the afternoon divisions, and by then the sun was shining and the temperatures were warming.
The arenas seemed to actually benefit from the overnight rains. While there were puddles here and there, the wet weather kept the sometimes-hard Green Hill Park footing softer than on a typical day.
The show continues Sunday with an Open horse show that includes classes for hunters, gaited, western, ranch and more.
Jason Berry and Cobalt Blue R. Photo by Teresa Ramsay Photography
Jason Berry was on top of his game May 6, 2016, claiming three of the top four spots in the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. He picked up the victory aboard Cobalt Blue R with a score of 185.0. Elizabeth Bailey and Acido 7 scored the second place spot with a score of 173.5, while Berry also placed third and fourth on IAmWhatIAm and Attila, respectively.
Berry imported Cobalt Blue R, an 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Oak Ledge Farm, last year. Everything came together for them in the derby class. “For the handy tonight he was just on it.” Berry said “From the time I picked up the canter it was like they put the jumps where I needed them to be. He was super easy to ride for that.”
A Virginia native, Berry was enthusiastic about his win at the Virginia Horse Center. “It’s definitely our home show,” he expressed. “It’s great to win a class here, it’s great to have this facility in your backyard. They have a great indoor Coliseum where they had the class tonight. To have the weather that we’ve had, pouring down rain for the last few days, the option of having a good class no matter what the weather is the best thing about the Virginia Horse Center!”
Manuel Torres and Christofolini H gallop to the final fence of their winning jump-off round.
Manuel Torres put in two clean rounds to win the George L. Ohrstrom Grand Prix on Saturday, May 7, 2016, as part of the Lexington Spring Encore horse show at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Virginia.
Torres, a five-time Olympian for his native country of Colombia, rode Christofolini H, owned by Andrea Torres Guerreiro, to the win. Torres now operates Santa Catalina Farm in Waterford, Virginia.
Final placings in the $30,000 George L. Ohrstrom Grand Prix
Taft Dickerson and Best on the Rocks accept the Dave Higgins Memorial trophy.
Taft Dickerson and Best on the Rocks won more than a Green Western Pleasure class on Sunday at the Virginia Quarter Horse Association’s Spring Breakout horse show at the Virginia Horse Center. They also won the chance to be part of honoring the late Dave Higgins, a VQHA hall of fame member who died last year after a car crash.
Taft Dickerson and Best on the Rocks lopes down the rail during the Green Western Pleasure class.
The VQHA honored the former show manager by awarding the Dave Higgins Memorial Trophy to the winner of the Green Western Pleasure class.
Dave Higgins, show manager of the association’s annual Virginia Classic horse show, died last year after being involved in a wreck on the way home from the April show. He later died of his injuries.
Best on the Rocks performed with a good cadence and pleasant expression throughout the class to unanimously win the class of eight under all four judges. He later that afternoon would also tie to win the Sr. Western Pleasure class.
Each competitor was asked to drop their horse’s bit for inspection by the judges.The Green Western Pleasure lineup.Horses lope down the rail.A roan lopes on the rail.
Ranch riding has become one of the most popular classes at AQHA shows and it’s no different at the Spring Breakout in Lexington, Virginia in March. The more natural gaits, and emphasis on working tack instead of silver and sparkles seems to be attracting a new group of riders to AQHA shows.
Steve Meadows and KR Justa Spark were Circuit Champions in the All Age Ranch Pleasure class. The Novice Amateur Circuit Championship went to Dun Resolved It All and Dana Laney, while the Amateur Circuit Championship went to Julie Rogers and Gunner Got Out.
Julie Rogers and Gunner Got Out were Circuit Champions in Amateur Ranch Riding.
Saturday also included Hunter classes including Hunt Seat Equitation.
If you’re going to the Bonnie Blue National Horse Show on May 11-14 at the Virginia Horse Center, leave your camera at home. The prize book for the USEF-rated show states that commercial photographers are limited to press photographers only. How do you know if you are a commercial photographer? The prize list states that “cameras with detachable lenses or lenses of more than two inches are prohibited. Any lenses greater than two inches is considered professional equipment and is not permitted in the arena buildings or into the competition arenas to include seating areas.”
Press passes will be issued by the horse show office after press photographers sign an agreement stating that they won’t sell the photographs under any circumstances.
Professional photographers may not record the event with any kind of camera, or video
equipment. (I’m not certain how they decide that you are a professional photographer using your iPhone illegally.) This policy will be strictly enforced. Violation of the policy may result in removal from the show grounds. Commercial photographers found violating this policy will be accessed a $1,000 fee and escorted off the grounds.
The show is celebrating its 30th year. The policy is not unique is just this show but to all AHA national shows.
Here is the policy as it was written and published in the show’s Prize List:
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO Photographs will be taken by Doug Shiflet during the sessions and will be available directly through him. Video will be provided by Richfield Video. Arrangements may be made before the session or by calling 1-800-345-2429. Commercial Photographers at all national shows are limited to PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLY. Press photographers (anyone taking pictures for newspapers or periodic publications ) will be required to sign an agreement stating that they will abide by official Bonnie Blue Nationals Horse Show rules and any photographs they take are to be used for editorial purposes only and are NOT TO BE SOLD under any circumstances. Only one press pass will be issued per publication. Once an agreement has been signed, an official BBN Press Pass will be issued. Press passes can only be obtained from the horse show office. Cameras with detachable lenses or lenses of more than two inches are prohibited. Any lenses greater than two inches is considered professional equipment and is not permitted in the arena buildings or into the competition arenas to include seating areas. The official show photographers are exempt from this policy. Professional photographers may not record the event with any kind of camera, or video equipment. This policy will be strictly enforced. Violation of the policy may result in removal from the show grounds. Commercial photographers found violating this policy will be accessed a $1000 fee and escorted off the grounds.
Looking for Bonnie Blue National photos? Visit Doug Shiflet’s page by clicking here.
A week of perfect March weather led into the House Mountain Horse Show on March 12-13 at the Virginia Horse Center. On Sunday afternoon classes were full, if not overflowing, with entries. Here’s a slideshow of photos from Sunday afternoon in the horse center’s Coliseum where Intermediate and Academy Hunters were competing.
Roanoke Equestrian 