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| Blenheim Red, White & Blue Classic Highlights |
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 The Hutch is on Fire!
After an impressive win last week in the $30,000 Copa de Amistad Grand Prix at the Blenheim June Classic III, the exceptionally consistent team of Susie Hutchison and El Dorado 29’s Cantano snatched up the top prize in the $25,000 Red, White and Blue Grand Prix presented by the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa. Top honors also went to Hutchison aboard Veronica Tracy’s Muscadet de la Saveniere in the $30,000 Blenheim Classic Grand Prix held during the first week of the 2009 June series. Of the four grand prix events hosted at Blenheim during June, Susie Hutchison walked away with three for three – she entered three and won each one.
Last season Susie and the little bay wonder Cantano had another awesome winning streak. In April 2008 they conquered a field of 39 in the $35,000 Spring Classic II Grand Prix, their first outing at this level. Next came the glorious summer – when this pair won the $25,000 Red, White & Blue Grand Prix, the $25,000 July Theme Grand Prix and the $25,000 Racing Festival Grand Prix. Repeat performances in 2009 include winning the Spring Classic II and Red, White & Blue Grand Prix events. We’ve not seen the last of this dynamic duo.
The Grand Event
Third to show in round one and once again first to go clean (see write-up for last week’s Copa de Amistad Grand Prix), Keri Potter and her 13-year-old gelding, Rockford I, put down a solid trip. Fifth and sixth entrants, Erin Duffy aboard Lionel, (Elizabeth Oliver, owner), also second clean last week, and Susan Hutchison riding Playboy (Ellen Spalding, owner), both managed fault free rides. As did Leslie Steele in the irons of her own, A.W. Butterfly Hula, Daniel Silverstone and Cindarco (Rebecca Lewis, owner), Michelle Parker atop Socrates (Cross Creek Farms Inc., owners), and sixteenth to go Erin Duffy earning a second spot in the jump off with her partner Kir Royal. The second to last pair to gallop onto the grass in the first round, Cantano and Hutchison effortlessly laid down a clean trip to secure their second spot in the jump off as well, bringing the total to eight.
First back was Rockford I and Potter. The pair jumped well through the first half of the shortened course, but picked up four faults midway through, finishing with a time of 48.38, earning them fifth overall. Duffy and Lionel were up next and gave the crowd what they were looking for – a clean round, but in the end, only good enough for second, a few seconds too slow for the win. Hutchison’s first horse in the jump-off, Playboy was the third to return, but after clipping rails at fences 5 and 9, earned eighth. The next three horses to enter the ring left with four faults a piece. Steele and A.W. Butterfly Hula were clear until fence 12, the second to last obstacle for four faults in a time of 49.15, earning the duo sixth place, Silverstone aboard Cindarco had a rail at fence 9 for seventh, and Socrates with Michelle Parker in the tack, brought down 6b in a time of 46.41 to grab a hold of fourth position. Duffy directed her second mount, Kir Royal, to another clean trip in a time of 52.44, adding a third place finish to her already great second place performance. With only one horse and rider left to negotiate the course, onlookers watched in anticipation as Hutchison and Cantano made their way onto the grass. In it to win it from the buzz of the timers, Hutchison expertly piloted the 9-year-old stallion around the course with ease, shaving seconds off the clock for the win.
Not quite making the jump-off, but rounding out the top twelve was Jenni Martin-McAllister aboard Union Jack (Alain Van Ryckeghem, owner) who went clean but exceeded the 90 second time allowed and picked up three time faults for ninth. Fastest of the four-faulters, Paige Dotson and Friponnier II CH (The Dotson Family, owners), had only 6b down in a time of 84.40 for tenth. Pulling a rail at 8b with a time of 85.12 was eleventh place pair, Holly Scapa and her mount, Country Girl, followed by Ashtin's Obsession (Ashtin Holdings Inc., owners) and Kristin Russell who clipped the top rail of 11a for four faults in a time of 87.11 to take home twelfth.
$25,000 RED, WHITE & BLUE GRAND PRIX
presented by St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa
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Place |
Horse |
Rider |
Owner |
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1 |
Cantano |
Susan Hutchison |
El Dorado 29 |
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2 |
Lionel |
Erin Duffy |
Elizabeth Oliver |
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3 |
Kir Royal |
Erin Duffy |
Erin Duffy |
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4 |
Socrates |
Michelle Parker |
Cross Creek Farms Inc. |
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5 |
Rockford I |
Keri Potter |
Keri Potter |
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6 |
A.W. Butterfly Hula |
Leslie Steele |
Leslie Steele |
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7 |
Cindarco |
Daniel Silverstone |
Rebecca Lewis |
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8 |
Play Boy |
Susan Hutchison |
Ellen Spalding |
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9 |
Union Jack |
Alain Van Ryckeghem |
Jenni Martin-McAllister |
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10 |
Friponnier II CH |
Paige Dotson |
The Dotson Family |
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11 |
Country Girl |
Holly Scapa |
Holly Scapa |
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12 |
Ashtin's Obsession |
Kristin Russell |
Ashtin Holdings Inc. |
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A Sunday of Prix and Ponies
Twenty-three horses came out to play on Sunday, June 21st in the $30,000 Copa de Amistad Grand Prix during the third show of the
Blenheim June series. Seven entries jumped without fault over the course
designed by Canadian Peter Holmes, first of which was Keri Potter’s Rockford I, the sixth horse to enter the ring. Ninth to show, Erin Duffy and Lionel (Elizabeth Oliver, owner) forced a jump off, followed by clean rounds from the next two entrants, Becky Smith aboard Ashtin’s Obsession (Ashtin’s Holdings Inc., owners), and Grafin with Jill
Humphrey in the irons (Leone Equestrians Inc., owners). Three more clean rounds totaled seven, including the fabulous pair of Susan Hutchison and Cantano (El Dorado 29, owners), Molly Talla and Camaron Hills Shanroe (Camaron Hills Farm, owners), and last to go, Jill Humphrey aboard her third mount, Corralino (Cathy Harris, owner).
The first two to show over the shortened jump off track, Potter and Duffy, both had four jumping faults and times of 41.12 and 40.51 respectively which earned them fifth and third positions overall. Next in, Smith and Ashtin’s Obsession rode a carefully clean trip in 44.99 seconds, putting them into first position with four left to go.
Humphrey followed with her first of two rides in the jump-off, Grafin, but the pair
encountered a bit of trouble and finished with 12 faults, taking home seventh place. Fifth team to enter the ring, Hutchison aboard Cantano zipped around the course, leaving all of the rails in their cups in a time of 40.98, beating Smith by four seconds. Two more riders tried to catch Hutchison but couldn’t - Talla and Camaron Hills Shanroe had the time, 40.86, but clipped the rail at the liverpool for fourth and Humphrey riding Coralino ended up with eight jumping faults and a sixth place finish. Hutchison secures her second grand prix win in the Blenheim June series, two weeks ago piloting Muscadet del la Saveniere (Veronica Tracy, owner) and this week with Cantano.
Harley Brown and Cassiato (Oak Park Group LLC owners) just missed the jump off, exceeding the time allowed by .93 seconds and picking up one time fault for eighth place. The fastest of the four faulters, Joie Gatlin with her longtime partner SunCal’s King, garnered ninth. Tenth place honors went to Hutchison and her second mount, Playboy, who brought down a rail at fence three for four faults, eleventh place went once again to Gatlin, this time aboard Twindoline who were flawless except for the rail at fence 11, and picking up the remainder of the prize money, also with just one jump down, was Leslie Steele on her own
A. W. Butterfly Hula.
Zone 10 Pony Finals
While the Grand Prix was a perfect way to bring Sunday afternoon to a close, the
ponies were the best way for the day to begin. The Zone 10 Pony Hunter Finals wrapped up on the West Grass Field
Sunday morning with the over fences phase of the competition, leaving the ponies with one final chance to strut their stuff. The young riders piloted their small, medium, and large mounts around the hunter course and added another score to the mix, having already shown in the model and under saddle during the previous day’s competition.
First in the ring was small pony, Helicon Take Notice (Newmarket Inc., owners) ridden by Pearl Theodosakis. The pair started the morning off right by laying down a solid trip, earning them a score of 84. It wasn’t until the second to last rider, Tara Spencer, trotted onto the field aboard Rainbow Canyon (Wild Sky Farm, owners), that spectators saw another score in the eighties, this time an 88, bringing the team’s total to an impressive 261. Rainbow Canyon’s nearly flawless round secured a blue ribbon in the class and Champion honors in the Zone 10 Small Pony Hunter division. Pearl Theodosakis scored a 78 on her second mount, Made For Me (Marigot Bay Farm LLC, owners), taking home Reserve Champion in the division with an overall total of 251.
The medium ponies were next and proved to be quite competitive when out of the twelve entrants, four earned scores of 80 or better. The class winner, Truly Noble, ridden beautifully by Mitchell Endicott in his scarlet hunt coat, scored an 89. Skylar Nelson and her classy mount Macy Grey (Wild Sky Farm, owners) were second, with a score of 83.5 and when added to their already solid total, clenched the Championship for the division. Destry Spielberg was in the irons on As You Wish (Pegasus Show Stable LLC, owner) and rode the pony to a score of 82 and a third place finish. When points were tallied for the mediums, the duo received Reserve Champion.
Tara Spencer and Romeo (Marissa Platt, owner) were the first to show in the large division and quickly became the pair to beat with a score of 80. Third to go, McKenna Skelton and Balthazar had a rebuttal to Romeo’s round, taking over the top spot and earning a blue ribbon in the class with a score of 81. With their second place over fences added to their Saturday scores, Spencer and Romeo were Champions in the large division. Additionally, Spielberg finished third aboard Love And Laughter (Olivia Jack, owner), to secure another Reserve Championship.
The Zone 10 Pony Final Grand Champion was small pony Rainbow Canyon,
ridden by Tara Spencer, and Grand Reserve Champion was medium pony Macy Grey, with Skylar Nelson in the tack. Hats off to Wild Sky Farm, the Nelson family and trainers Archie Cox and Richard Slocum for taking home the top honors.
Congratulations to all ponies - large,
medium, and small - on a job well done.
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| Featured Sponsor |
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 Overlooking the majestic Pacific Ocean, the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa beckons guests to indulge in luxury accommodations and personalized service.
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Dana Point, CA 92629
Tel: 800.722.1543
www.stregismb.com
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| EquestriSol News |
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 We are happy to announce a new website for equestrians
(and thespians) Skylar and Wylie Nelson: www.nelsonsisters.com
From ad campaigns to branding to web sites, we have a pile of projects keeping us busy. We continue to expand the newsletter and love watching it grow. Thanks for your support.
Have a fabulous fourth of July!
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| Conversations with Industry Innovators |
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BY ERNA L. ADELSON
Renaissance Woman Kathy Kusner brings Hope through Horses
It is said that pound for pound, jockeys are physically the strongest athletes in the world. Former jockey Kathy Kusner is no exception, but her inner strength far exceeds her frame. In addition to being the first licensed female jockey in the United States, Kusner is a three time Olympian, ultra-marathoner, and a humble humanitarian. In 1999 she founded Horses in the Hood Los Angeles (HHLA), through which over 500 at-risk kids from the inner cities of Watts, Compton, and South Central Los Angeles have had the opportunity to attend 46 horseback riding camps. Their experiences with horses have literally changed their lives.
Kusner grew up in segregated Arlington, VA where in her early career she served as a groom during a time when most of her colleagues were black men. “They were great riders and horsemen, but they could not participate in prominent horse shows. In fact, when we went to horse shows, I would go into restaurants with everyone’s order and we would eat outside because they couldn’t eat inside,” she recalled. Kusner, on the other hand, was able to participate in “colored” horse shows, which she describes as amazing events with beautiful horses and fantastic riders— and notable hospitality. “Everyone was so welcoming,” she said.
As her career progressed, Kusner overcame walls of all kinds. She broke the gender barrier as a jockey in 1968 as well as jumped 7-foot fences aboard the famed Aberali in Aachen, Germany. A decade later Kusner relocated to Los Angeles, where she connected with another passion – running. She became a member of the black running club the Renaissance Runners. “At this point, everything was legally integrated, and a running colleague asked me why there weren’t any African Americans on any of the Olympic equestrian teams,” she said. “It was a rhetorical question, but that really got me going.”
At first, Kusner wanted to start a riding school in Watts. While still a distant goal, the funds for that kind of multi-million dollar facility have not yet materialized. “What we wanted, ideally, was to have a place where kids could come after school, in their neighborhood.” But without a facility that was not attainable. “So we decided on a camp structure because those stables are already set up and equipped.”
In 1999 Kusner finally was able to get the first camp up and running. To spread the word she made personal contact with programs that dealt with kids at risk in Watts and Compton. One such program is Maryvale, a group home for girls who are wards of the state, girls who have suffered all kinds of physical and emotional abuse.
Once a camp is set up at the participating stable — usually Mill Creek Stable in Topanga where, according to Kusner, they run a wonderful school with quiet and nurturing horses — kids are bussed from Watts to Topanga along the coastal Pacific Coast Highway. For many, it’s the first time out of their inner city environments and the first they have seen the ocean. On day one of the five day camp participants go from having never seen a horse, to learning how to groom, tack, mount, and position themselves on horseback. “It is amazing how quickly they learn!” Kusner said. “At the end of the day, many are posting and steering themselves.” Camp progresses over the five days with riding lessons in the morning and presentations from veterinarians, farriers, or trainers at lunchtime, providing an education in horsemanship. Campers then tack up again in the afternoon and demonstrate what they have learned. Within this short time frame, they learn to walk, trot, post, canter, steer and even go over cavalletti.
 In addition to the invaluable lessons learned on horseback, HHLA also provides each camper with a book called Happy Horsemanship and a disposable camera to capture the memories. On the final day of camp everyone celebrates with a pizza party, including parents organizing transport to the stable where they are able to watch their children ride, a concept that was previously unfathomable.
Kusner hopes these inspiring outings stimulate individuals and ultimately create change in the dynamic of the entire community. “We focus on Watts and Compton, the areas that are the most troubled and the most needy,” she said. ”My wish is that in seeing the ocean, learning to ride horses and then knowing what kind of progress they have made in just five days creates a huge jump in potential for these kids. That should put some dreams at work. Maybe they will want to do better in school and accomplish something outside of their communities, which are largely gang run.”
It becomes blatantly clear after speaking to Kusner that for all her athletic abilities and accolades, her heart is even more exceptional.
Want to help? Horses in the Hood is currently looking for transportation, chaperones, and funds for camps. For more information, call 323-564-7669,
email hhla@horsesinthehood.org, or
visit www.horsesinthehood.org.
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| Conversations with Course Designers |
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BY JACKIE MCFARLAND
An Afternoon Chat with Linda Allen
Yet another world-renowned course designer, Linda Allen, sat and spoke about designing and beyond. Her talents were well utilized at Blenheim June Classic I, where she not only built for many jumper divisions, the $30,000 Grand Prix but also the tracks for the final Young Rider trials. We sat with Linda and her canine companion Willow. This endearing Papillion pup is making her  debut in Aachen this summer. Lucky dog!
How did you become a course designer? What is your horse history?
LA: I rode for a number of years mostly on horses I trained myself – thoroughbreds off the track. I competed up to the international level. Due to back injuries and a number of surgeries, I had to quit riding. But I wanted to stay in the sport. Course designing was the way I chose to do so.
As I rider I realized what an important role the course designer played in whether you advanced as a rider. So I learned the mechanics by setting for small shows. I’ve been designing as a career steadily since ’82.
Your course design mentors?
LA: When I competed I became friends with Pamela Carruthers and often picked her brain. Also Bert de Nemethy and Dr. Arno Gego.
How do you determine difficulty for these important Young Rider trials?
LA: It’s a two-fold situation – the Zone wants to send the strongest riders it can. But the trials shouldn’t be the end game; instead they lead up to the event. I try to provide the building blocks for riders for future events without discouraging them. The right team for this given year should be clear based on the results.
It’s great for the riders to have the trials over three days. The format follows the championships – the difficulty builds up height wise and can go to 1.50M. If a rider doesn’t do fairly well here they aren’t likely to make the team.
The courses ask a lot of different kinds of technical questions. Using the water a lot – because usually at that event the open water is a big factor.
How the course like the one today evolves for you...
LA: It’s difficult because you have three important classes in one week. I want variety from one class to the next – to not repeat the same questions. So first I develop the key elements – combinations and technical lines and then build from there. Sometimes it happens in ten minutes, other times it takes much longer. Either time you fool with it a lot until you are happy.
Focus on protecting...
LA: Today I designed the Young Rider tracks first and then tracks for the other classes. When designing for grass you have to move jumps a lot, thinking about not only where the jumps are but also where they will be - because of the ground. First you protect the horses, try to keep their work as pleasant as possible. Protecting the horse in turn takes care of the rider. A close second here is protecting the grass – keeping the ground not only good for Sunday but for the upcoming weeks. And last, but not least, you take care of the ring crew – they work hard.
Along with course designing across the world for many years, Linda has a long list of accomplishments including developing an organization, publishing a book, 101 Jumping Exercises for Horses, and giving clinics.
Can you tell us about your involvement in the development of young jumpers?
LA: I helped to start this organization in the US that has evolved into two programs – the International Jumper Futurity for breeders and purchasers of young horses which consists of three different opportunities for four-year old showcases – East, Midwest and West Coast. And the Young Jumper Championships developed from the IJF for nominated 5, 6, 7 and 8 year olds.
We’ve grown this year, which I am impressed with since this is a trying time in the industry. Although things are slow to change, we are building the foundation for developing young horses in a systematic way. It is still challenging, there is no culture or system for young horses here. Some in the sport have more interest than others.
About fifteen years ago Germany developed a completely different approach. You cannot build for Young Horse classes without a special license – it’s a minimum of 10 years to get to the highest ‘S’ level. Young jumper classes are scored, not timed. Each round receives a 1-10 score for quality of jump, carefulness, rideablilty – a horse you want to take home. The horses are beautifully broke with a lofty jump. The concept was very unpopular at first. All the jumper judges had to get a new education. Some fabulous riders came from this division like Marcus Ehning, Marco Kucher, and Christian Ahlmann. It’s taken very seriously. Germany is the only country that does it this way.
Side note: In a country so devoted to the ‘hunter’ and its scoring system, is this German system worth considering in the US?
And your future plans?
LA: Heading to Aachen later this month, I’m going to present a paper there. I’ll stay on to spectate throughout the show, the only way to stay current in our game. Frank Rottenberger is the resident designer. He took over some years ago and does a good job – he was one of my assistants in Atlanta.
Probably over the last five years I’ve accepted more clinic dates. So I’m booked with more riding clinics than designing now. I truly enjoy teaching. I’ve become more particular about where and when I build. I’m designing in Oregon next and for the Fidelity Classic on the East Coast. I’m also on the Ground Jury for the 2010 WEG in Kentucky.
Are you planning another book?
LA: I did complete a DVD on course building, mostly for course designers at smaller shows to help them with technique. So they can get better results with less work and more tips to stay out of trouble.
I’ve been planning another book for awhile, I just don’t seem to have that chunk of time needed to get it written. I have a publisher that wants a more general topic – course designing doesn’t draw a wide audience. I’ve got a few different ideas. Someday...
Wishing we were joining you in Aachen. Someday... Thank you Linda and Willow!
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