Capt. Mark Phillips new FEI course designer for Virginia Horse Trials

By Phelps Media Group, Inc.

Capt. Mark Phillips is the new FEI course designer for the Virginia Horse Trials on May 25-28, 2017, and October 26-29, 2017.

The Virginia Horse Center features two separate cross country courses, each with rolling terrain and a stunning view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Capt. Phillips will design the CCI*, CIC2*, CCI2* and Intermediate tracks, with VHT Organizer Andy Bowles assisting at the two-star level and John Michael Durr, designer of the Beginner Novice through Preliminary courses, assisting at the one-star level.

“We’re glad to be bringing Mark to VHT,” Bowles said. “Our hope is that his experience will increase the quality of our FEI courses and present to the competitors a challenge that is true to the level and appropriate for a destination event.”

The FEI and Intermediate competitors will experience a totally new cross country challenge than in past years. The course has been reversed and a second water complex will be built.

“There had been some concern that the Oak Hill course sent horses downhill too long near the end of the course, so to lessen the impact on the horses we reversed the track,” Bowles said. “Now all the significant climbing is done within the first third of the course. This will also place the finish line and vet box closer to the road crossing back to the barns.”

The team also received feedback on the cross-country footing and so have committed considerable efforts towards preparing the best possible galloping conditions. Construction and jump placement are scheduled to be completed early to preserve the footing on cross country, and all tracks will be aerated in advance of both competitions. Mowing has already begun and will continue on a regular basis throughout the year.

This year we’re really focused on good grass maintenance. Between mowing, aerating and keeping heavy machinery off the course as much as possible, we expect the footing to be better than ever,” Bowles said.

“We’re sincerely listening to competitor feedback and making every effort to set a high standard and provide a world-class experience for horses and riders.”

The second cross country area is home to the Beginner Novice through Preliminary courses designed by John Michael Durr. As a USEF “r” Course Designer, he joined the VHT team as part of the Course Design Mentor Program in 2015 under the tutelage of John Nicholson. As part of the natural progression for the program, Durr will be assisting Capt. Phillips in designing the one-star courses this year.

“It feels great to be involved in the design of an FEI course for the first time in my career,” Durr said. “My goal as a course designer is to educate horses and riders and prepare them for the next level. Being a part of the Mentor Program has given me invaluable experience, and I’m excited for the next step in my own education as a designer.”

The Horse Center course will also feature a newly constructed water complex that will be unveiled in May. Durr feels that this addition, as well as the multitude of other new fences constructed at VHT in the last two years, will “maximize the experience” for competitors.

Virginia Horse Center improves footing in Hilltop rings

By Phelps Media Group, Inc.

The Hilltop rings project, an effort to memorialize former president of the Virginia Horse Shows Association and former head coach of the Hollins riding team Sandy Gerald, has been completed to debut during the Lexington Spring Series. The Virginia Horse Center has refitted Arena B and the adjacent schooling Arena A with new Kruse Cushion Ride (KCR) footing to improve the showing experience for both horse and rider.

Respected horseman and course designer Allen Rheinheimer of Zionsville, Indiana, was brought in to complete the upgrades which included resurfacing the 160′ x 230′ arena and 96′ x 250′ schooling arena with U.S. manufactured KCR footing, re-grading, and reshaping the base for drainage. Located next to the Hill Top Campground and Community Park Pavilion, both rings were previously composed of a bluestone base and natural sand.

Rheinheimer is regarded as a U.S. based FEI footing expert. “We even have KCR in my wife, Cathy’s, outdoor and indoor arenas and, believe me, if it wasn’t a great product, I would definitely hear the negatives,” he said. “Kruse Cushion Ride doesn’t need to be mixed with finer sands that make footing pack, and it is really the perfect blend for the more seasoned, older horses.”

Interscholastic Equestrian Association Hunt Seat National Finals this weekend at Virginia Horse Center

15th Anniversary Final Logo6-color The Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) kicks off the 2017 Hunt Seat National Finals at the Virginia Horse Center on Friday, April 21. The competition will run through Sunday, April 23. Nearly 400 of the nation’s leading IEA Middle School and High School equestrians will converge in Lexington at the horse center’s Anderson Coliseum to compete for top honors. The student riders, in grades 6-12, will travel from across the United States to participate in this competition. Riders will compete in Hunt Seat Equitation classes over fences and on the flat throughout the weekend. Although its only a short drive from Roanoke, the show also will be available via livestream on EqSportsNet if you don’t feel like going out this soggy weekend.

Riders will compete in Hunt Seat Equitation Classes, over fences and on the flat, throughout the weekend. The format requires that riders compete in unfamiliar tack on unfamiliar mounts; therefore, they draw their horses the day of competition and enter the arena after a brief, if any, warm up.

Judging each of the team and individual Hunt Seat classes will be Rachel Kennedy from Brookeville, Maryland and Melanie Smith Taylor from Germanton, Tennessee. Kennedy began riding at the age of 3 outside of Philadelphia at Jack Trainor’s Here and There Farm. Following a successful junior career, she rode to seven AHSA Horse of the Year titles along with numerous state titles as a professional. In 1995, Kennedy moved to Maryland and started her own business — ESP Farm. She has trained and shown numerous hunters and jumpers to championships and Grand Prix wins on the on the USEF “AA” Circuit at shows such as the Winter Equestrian Festival, NAJYRC, Capital Challenge, Devon, Ocala, Washington International, Upperville, Vermont Summer Festival, and Fairfield.

Melanie Smith Taylor also brings a wealth of experience to the IEA National Finals. Taylor became one of only two riders to ever win the Triple Crown of Show Jumping — the American Invitational, the International Jumping Derby, and the American Gold Cup — and the only person to win all three on the same horse. After winning the World Cup Final in 1982, she was named the U.S. Olympic Committee Sportswoman of the Year and inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. Two years later, she capped off her show-jumping career with a team gold medal in the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Today, Taylor serves the horse world as a clinician, a television broadcaster for major events, including the Olympics and World Championships, and a recognized judge for hunters, jumpers and hunter seat equitation. She is also the author of Riding With Life, a comprehensive training guide detailing her unique program for setting horse and rider up for success.

The IEA Western National Finals at will be held on June 30 through July 2 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where nearly 200 of the nation’s leading middle school and high school Western equestrians will have their chance to compete in team and individual competitions in western horsemanship and reining.

SCHEDULE:

Friday, April 24

6:00 AM     Schooling of horses
7:30 AM     Varsity Open Draw and Course Walk
8:30 AM–5 PM     (approximate) Competition

Saturday, April 25

6:30 AM     Schooling of horses
8:00 AM     Varsity Open Draw and Course Walk
8:30 AM–2:00 PM     (approximate) Competition
2:00 PM     Varsity Open Championship Class followed by Award of IEA                   Leading Hunt Seat Rider
3:00 PM     Parade of Teams (All IEA teams, coaches and riders scheduled to appear in arena.)
3:20 PM     IEA Lifetime Achievement Award (Adult)
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM     (approximate) Competition

Sunday, April 26

6:00 AM     Schooling of horses
7:30 AM     Holy Innocents Horsemanship Test Finals
8:00 AM     Open and Immediate
9:00 AM–12:00 PM     (approximate)   Hunt Seat Team Semi-Finals
12:00 PM–3:00 PM     (approximate)   Hunt Seat Team Finals Competition
3:00 PM     Awards Ceremony

Derby, hunter classic cap hunter competition at Lexington Spring Encore, Premiere at VHC

By Phelps Media Group, Inc.

The kick-off of the 2017 Lexington Spring Premiere is quickly approaching and athletes are preparing for the $3,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby which will take place on Friday, April 28 at 5 p.m. The Virginia Horse Center will host the Lexington Spring Premiere Horse Show from Wednesday, April 26, to Sunday, April 30, immediately followed by the Lexington Spring Encore from Wednesday, May 3, to Sunday, May 7.

The derby competition will take place in Wiley Arena, an outdoor ring stretching 130 feet by 300 feet with footing composed of Kruse Cushion ride. The country’s top horse and rider combinations will compete over Paul Jewell’s hunter course to demonstrate their style during two rounds to win the Laura Pickett Perpetual Trophy, donated by Rolling Acres Show Stable.

The derby has been a tradition at the Virginia Horse Center for years and most recently it was Virginia native Jason Berry aboard Cobalt Blue R, a Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Oak Ledge Farm, who claimed the title in 2016.

Combinations participating in the Green or High Performance Conformation Hunter Divisions during the Spring Premiere and Encore will be eligible to qualify for the $7,500 Huntland Conformation Hunter Challenge Series. In an effort to promote the growth of the Conformation Hunter divisions in Virginia horse shows, the Challenge Series was created and sponsored by Dr. Betsee Parker and Huntland. Qualifying winners must compete at the Upperville Colt and Horse Show where the champion and reserve will be crowned.

New this year for the Lexington Spring Festival is the Trainer Incentive Program, offering one free stall per barn for a trainer-owned, professionally ridden show horse. This program is geared to help professionals in the process of developing young horses for competition.

Moving into the Lexington Spring Encore, the $15,000 Virginia Horse Center Hunter Classic will take center stage on Friday, May 5th at 5 p.m. Any horse participating in at least one of the hunter divisions at Virginia Horse Center is eligible to enter.

Unique to this class, $12,500 will be awarded in Classic prize money, while the remaining $2,500 in the form of a Jr./Amateur bonus, sponsored by Dorna Taintor, for the top six scoring Juniors or Amateurs.

Returning to the Wiley Arena, hunters will complete a Regular Classic Course over a minimum of 10 fences set at 3′ or 3’5″ for the first round. Only the top 12 scoring horses will qualify to compete in a second Classic round over a shortened course.

The Lexington Spring Premiere and Lexington Spring Encore are two of the biggest events of the spring for the Virginia Horse Center. In addition to the $3,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, the Lexington Spring Premiere is a World Champion Hunter Rider Event and features the $30,000 Rockbridge Grand Prix. The $15,000 Virginia Horse Center Hunter Classic takes center stage during the Lexington Spring Encore, followed by the $30,000 George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Grand Prix.

Show jumping caps Lexington Premiere, Encore horse shows at Virginia Horse Center

The Virginia Horse Center will once again host two grand prix show jumping events in the coming weeks. The $30,000 Rockbridge Grand Prix will take place on Saturday, April 29, and the $30,000 George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Grand Prix on Saturday, May 6.

During the Lexington Spring Premiere on Saturday, April 29, the $30,000 Rockbridge Grand Prix will be held in the Coliseum at 6:30 p.m., where riders will vie for the coveted Dubliner Trophy donated by Margaret Price. Declarations to the show office are due no later than 6 p.m. on Friday, April 28th and the entry fee is $500. Both Grand Prix classes held during the Lexington Spring Festival are eligible for inclusion on the Rolex/USEF Show Jumping Ranking List.

Last year, Mary Lisa Leffler rode Bling Bling to a double clear and top honors. “It’s just one of my favorite events,” she said. “The hospitality of the Virginia Horse Center is second to none. They try so hard during the evening grand prix and they really put on a good horse show. The best part of the whole thing last year was that my sister drove my parents down, so they finally got to see their horse compete. Having them there and winning was great!”

The pinnacle of the Lexington Spring Encore will be the $30,000 George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Grand Prix also in the Coliseum at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 6. Declarations are due no later than 6 p.m. on Friday, May 5.

Last year Colombia’s Manuel Torres piloted Christofolini H, a Rheinlander gelding owned by Andrea Torres Guerreiro, to victory. “For us, it is one of our favorite shows of the year,” Torres said. “We love the crowd, the facilities, and the stabling — the horses are very relaxed here. We come every year and we really like it. They always pick really good course designers to come and do these two weeks of competition, so it is very exciting for us to come to the Virginia Horse Center.”

Photos coming soon from The Great American Ranch and Trail Horse Sale

We’re sorting through the images now from The Great American Ranch and Trail Horse Sale held April 7-8, 2017, at the Virginia Horse Center. We will post them as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, follow Roanoke Equestrian and The Great American Trail Horse Sale on Facebook where we have posted a few of the images from the weekend with more to come.

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Virginia Horse Trials to host cross country schooling days

By Phelps Media Group

The Virginia Horse Trials (VHT) will host three Starter Horse Trials and Cross-Country Schooling Days this year at the Virginia Horse Center. The dates of the 2017 VHT Horse Trials Starter Horse Trials, Combined Test and Dressage Schooling show are April 2, a date to be decided in August, and October 1.

These events feature a unique educational format and award excellent prizes from sponsors. On Saturday, the cross-country course will be open for schooling, and the Starter Horse Trials will take place the next day. This year will offer the opportunity to work with clinician Mark Combs during the cross-country schooling on Saturday.

Horse trials levels range from Green (2’3″) to Preliminary (3’7″). Competitors may choose to compete in all three phases or do a combined test with dressage and their choice of show jumping or cross country. There is also an option for beginner riders to do an Intro dressage test and jump an 18″ stadium course. Riders may also enter to ride standalone USEA, USDF or FEI Eventing dressage tests.

Presenting sponsor Blue Ridge Equine Clinic is giving embroidered quilted saddle pads to the winners of each horse trials division and providing a hospitality tent with beverages and snacks. McCauley’s Equine Formula, Easy Pellett Products, Merial and Buchanan Livestock, LLC have also donated prizes for the April 2, 2017 Starter Trials. Ribbons will be awarded through sixth place.

“Blue Ridge Equine Clinic is proud of its long history of collaboration with the Virginia Horse Center and the Virginia Horse Trials. We are always excited to participate in the horse trials each year,” said Dr. Donovan Dagner, BREC President. “This year we are looking forward to an increasing role in the expansion of the Virginia Starter Trials and their new ties to the War Horse Event Series at the Carolina Horse Park. The War Horse Event Series is a great community event in support of noble and worthy causes.”

All three 2017 VHT Starter Trials will be considered qualifiers for the $20,000 War Horse Event Series Championship taking place at the Carolina Horse Park November 11-12, 2017. To be eligible for the Championship, a horse and rider must either A) place 1st or 2nd once or complete all three schooling shows at the Virginia Horse Trials or B) place 1st through 6th once or complete all five schooling shows at the Carolina Horse Park.

Brooke Cole rides Emoji to top of hunter division at Hollins Spring Welcome

By Phelps Media Group, Inc.

The Hollins Spring Welcome Horse Show, which was held at the Virginia Horse Center, concluded on Sunday, March 5, with talented riders claiming championship victories in numerous national rated hunter divisions and USEF 1* jumper classes.

The championship title in the 3’3″ Amateur Owner Hunter division was awarded to Brooke Cole and her 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding Emoji, who is called ‘Gibson’ at home. The duo also won the $1,000 Hollins Spring Welcome Amateur Owner Hunter Classic.

“The best part about Gibson is the reassuring feeling of knowing that he has so much power and scope that I know he can get me out of any difficult situation I put him in” Cole said. “He didn’t have a lot of show experience before I got him about a year and a half ago, but he has really come along quickly. Gibson is so quiet and kind and always tries to do what I ask of him.”

As an amateur rider, Cole, of Rockville, Virginia, seamlessly manages balancing both work and riding, winning blue ribbons with little time to herself. She is a graduate of Bridgewater College where she rode on the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) team, showing in intermediate on the flat and intermediate over fences.

“I am a braider, and I usually don’t show and braid in the same week because I don’t like to show when I have had to stay awake all night. I got about 3-4 hours of sleep between Thursday and Sunday, so I was really counting on Gibson to step up this weekend,” Cole said. “Winning this weekend was extra special for me. I was just hoping I could remember my courses correctly, so to win on top of it was really the icing on the cake. I couldn’t have done it without the support from my barn though. They were there every step of the way, offering help whenever I needed it.”

Chris Wynne and Up. Photo courtesy Teresa Ramsay

Chris Wynne and Up, a 9-year old Zangersheide gelding owned by Reann Jones, took home the tricolor in the Performance Working Hunter division after winning the blue ribbon in all but one of the divisions classes.

“I sold Up to Reann Jones at our barn last year,” said Wynne. “I’m just keeping him tuned up in the 3’3″ division while Reann is catching on to everything. Hopefully they can be competing in the 3′ Amateur Hunters by the end of this year.”

Topping the Child/Adult Jumper division, Michael Mahoney and his 15-year-old gelding Remonta Haron took home the championship. Mahoney was given the talented gelding in November of 2010, asked only to provide the horse a loving forever home in return. In 2012, at the Atlanta Summer Classic II horse show, the duo claimed the individual and team children’s gold medal in the inaugural U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Children’s and Adult Amateur South Regional Jumper Championships.

‘Great indoor setting’

The Virginia Horse Center provides an unparalleled experience for both horse and rider and with recent upgrades being completed in time for the competitive summer show season, competitors readily commented on the value in the improvements that the staff at the VHC are making to their facility.

“The horse center has had an upward trend of being exhibitor friendly,” remarked Chris Wynne, a Virginia Beach native. “It was very much a great indoor setting, the rings and jumps were decorated beautifully, and it’s great to see how exhibitors have become an even bigger priority for the Virginia Horse Center.”

“I think the best part about the facility is the friendly and caring staff,” said Brooke Cole. “They are always helpful and accommodating. The stalls are large, which is great when you have a big horse like I do, and the facility has a ton of rings so there is always a place to ride or prepare.”

With the conclusion of the Hollins Spring Welcome, the Virginia Horse Center is now preparing for its many spring events including the Lexington Spring Premiere Horse Show from April 27 – May 1, 2017.

Chilly weekend not a problem at Green Hill Park Winter Series horse show

winter001 — Showmanship featured several row’s worth of competitors. Tabitha Thompson took home the blue.

March was serving up a little late-winter chill with a side of nippy breeze last weekend (March 5) as Green Hill Park Equestrian Center held the second show of their annual Winter Series. But the sun was warm and plenty of exhibitors came to Salem ready to show.

While many early season shows are usually full of green horses acting a bit silly, Sunday’s show was full of nice classes of horses trotting around quietly like they had been doing it all year. Judge Ken Davis had a lovely group of horses and riders to judge in several pleasure classes.

Dedi Spradlin took first in the hunter pleasure on her Percheron/Thoroughbred mare Fairweather, aka “Molly.”

English Pleasure

Showmanship

Kari Estes won the open equitation.

Classes were large enough to be split in several cases into junior and senior divisions and Showmanship had several rows of competitors lined up. The pleasure classes actually seemed to be more popular than the games such as the potato race and flag race. There were no competitors in the usually popular Costume class.

Starting at 11 a.m., the show was done by 3:30 p.m., giving everyone plenty to time to get back to the barn before dark.

Staunton River High School student and her mini horse, Cash, bring joy to hospitals, schools, and even Virginia’s leaders

cash03 — Sarah Shinault and Cash in Richmond

Two years ago, Sarah Shinault, now 14 and a freshman at Staunton River High School, asked for a mini for Christmas. Her parents, Steven and Robin Shinault — who are both respiratory therapists at Carilion in Roanoke and very supportive of her love for horses — got her Cash, an Appaloosa-colored mini yearling, for her that Christmas.

cash07 Sarah has riding horses that she shows in hunter shows but she wanted a mini. She and Cash, who will be 3 in June, completed Pet Partners training and the pair are now a certified therapy team. They were the first certified miniature horse therapy team in the Roanoke area and one of only eight teams certified in the state. Cash has his own van, the Cashmobile, that is used to transport him, along with Sarah, to their appointments, with Robin Shinault acting as chauffeur.

Cash and Sarah go to Berkshire Nursing Home and the pediatric unit at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Medical Hospital unit regularly to visit patients. The two also have visited Patrick Henry High School. When the visits are done, Cash is treated to a drive-through meal from McDonald’s: French fries and apple slices. He eats the Apple slices and kicks the salt from the French fries.

Cash and Sarah visit Carilion Memorial Hospital in Roanoke regularly.

Recently, Cash and Sarah made a different kind of visit. On Tuesday, Feb. 21, the Virginia Horse Council sponsored a Youth Recognition Day at the General Assembly in Richmond. Young equestrians from all over the Commonwealth came to Richmond and were introduced from the gallery of the General Assembly by Rep. Terry Austin (R-19th District) and Emmett Hanger (R-24th) with thanks for their dedication.

About 500 people stopped by to meet the young people and the horses, including Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Sarah and Cash were there to greet the crowd and Cash shared a chat with the governor. Griffin SportHorses of Gretna, Virginia, also brought two of their superstars, a Friesian gelding and a Gypsy Vanner stallion, for the enjoyment of the legislators.