Cazenovia, NY – November 4, 2010 – The hunter divisions at the 127th National Horse Show concluded on Thursday afternoon with the presentation of championship awards followed by a special $50,000 National Horse Show Hunter Classic, held to honor Charlie Weaver. Hannah Goodson-Cutt rode Caretano to victory in the $50,000 Hunter Classic and was also named Best Child Rider on a Horse for her excellent success over the two days of hunter competition. Lisa Williams rode Sanmorino to the prestigious National Horse Show Grand Hunter Championship and Jennifer Alfano received the Leading Hunter Rider prize. 

The $50,000 NHS Hunter Classic was held in a two-round format with the top 12 horses and riders competing over a second-round handy course to determine top standings. With a two round total of 177 points, junior rider Hannah Goodson-Cutt and Caretano came out in first place, just half a point ahead of second place finishers Molly Ashe-Cawley and Back in the Game with a score of 176.5. Maggie Boylan and Poetic finished in third place, Hasbrouck Donovan and Quality Time earned the fourth place prize, and Jennifer Alfano rode Jersey Boy to fifth place.

After also earning a junior hunter championship and Best Child Rider award this afternoon, Goodson-Cutt was very excited to get her first big open classic win. “This is the first overall classic that I have won and it feels pretty amazing because I am not just competing against juniors,” she stated. “You are competing against a whole slew of riders that have been around for a really long time so you really have to show yourself and ride very well. It is definitely the most exciting award that I have gotten this entire indoor season.”

Caretano has now earned the small junior hunter, 16-17, division championship at all four of this year’s indoor finals. “He is the best jumper I have ever ridden in my entire life. I don’t think there is a horse out there that rides as good as Caretano,” Goodson-Cutt said. “This was just a great way to end all four weeks of indoors and it was really nice to be in a class that was held for Charlie Weaver. He was such a great horseman, so I feel very honored.”

The open, junior and amateur-owner hunter divisions all presented their championship awards today after the horses and riders showed over their final stake course. The green working Hunters were the first to compete and awarded their championship tricolor to Last Call, owned by Lisa Cudahy, and ridden by Cookie Beck. Beck and Last Call won the day’s stake class with a high score of 92. 

Following her victory in the green working hunters, Beck then earned a second tricolor riding Lisa Cudahy’s Goosebumps to the championship in the green conformation Hunters and was awarded the “Call You Raise You” Challenge Trophy donated by Mrs. Stephen Clark and Cismont Manor Farm. 

Cookie Beck was thrilled with her success in both days of hunter competition and praised her two talented horses. “Goosebumps is only 7, so he has come a long way and everything just finally came together here,” she acknowledged. “Last Call is very special and a really amazing horse to work with. He is a little bit older and he is really fun because he is so smart.”

Beck explained that her goal all year was to be champion at the National Horse Show, and she was able to achieve that goal two-fold. “It is very exciting,” she smiled. “I have a great owner and she has let me bring these horses along slowly. Tom Wright has helped me a lot; he is my grounds person with both of them. We skipped Washington, so this was the end of the year right here and to have both of them be champion was a dream come true.” 

Continuing the day, Kelley Farmer rode Betty Oare’s Rosalynn to the championship tricolor in the regular working hunters, sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Wheeler. Farmer and Rosalynn earned the high score of 92.00 in the division’s stake class to receive The “S. Craig Lindner Family” Challenge Trophy donated by Craig and Frances Lindner. For the championship, the pair was awarded The “Ashford Castle” Challenge Trophy, also donated by the Lindners. Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy finished in reserve, and Alfano was presented with the Leading Hunter Rider award. Alfano earned The Leading Hunter Rider Challenge Trophy donated by Scott Stewart in memory of Mrs. Kenneth Wheeler, originally donated by Mr. and the late Mrs. Kenneth Wheeler.

Molly Ashe-Cawley and Back in the Game, owned by Paris Sellon, earned the grand open hunter championship following their tricolor win in the regular conformation hunters. For their grand championship win, the pair received the “Isglide” Challenge Trophy donated by Mr. and the late Mrs. Kenneth Wheeler. For their conformation win they were presented with The German Challenge Trophy donated by The Consol General of the Federal Republic of Germany. 

Molly Ashe-Cawley had great things to say about Back in the Game following his rounds today, stating, “He is so much fun to ride and he is a real class act. I have not shown him that much but every time I do, he makes me feel like I know what I’m doing. It is always fun to have a good one and he is just a great horse!”

The small junior hunter, 15 and under, division showed next, awarding championship honors to Shawn Casady and Wildrose. For the championship, Casady and Wildrose received The “Blue by You” Memorial Challenge Trophy donated by Elyse Novick.

Grand junior hunter champions Morgan Geller and Fabricio were the next pair to earn a championship tricolor after topping the large junior hunter, 15 and under. Geller and Fabricio won the “Nevertheless and Pappy Clifford” Challenge Trophy donated by Turtle Lane Farm for the division championship and also received the “Theodorus Van Wyck Cushny” Memorial Challenge Trophy donated by Cora C. Cushny and Family for the Grand Championship. 

Morgan Geller, 15, is currently a junior at Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, Calif., and lives in Manhattan Beach. Geller has owned the 9-year-old Fabricio for one year and trains with Peter Lombardo. “This is my first time at the National Horse Show and it is really special to win here,” Geller smiled. “It is much different than California because we don’t have any indoors shows. We did Capital Challenge and Harrisburg, so as my third time showing inside, I think I have gotten the hang out of it.”

Geller described Fabricio as honest, smooth and fluid. “He’s really fun to ride and you can really trust him,” she stated. 

The large junior hunter, 16-17, was the final junior division of the day, sponsored by Suzanne Marquard. The division presented top honors to Maggie Boylan and Poetic in the stake class to win the “Whiskey Before Breakfast” Memorial Challenge Trophy donated by Turtle Lane Farm. They were then awarded with the championship tricolor and the “Cantitoe Farm” Challenge Trophy donated by Mr and Mrs. Bruce Sokoloff. 

The amateur-owner hunters, 18-35, showed next with a stake win and championship victory for Wesley Newlands and Pure Abundance. For the championship, Newlands won the “Scot To Do” Challenge Trophy donated by Ellen Van Dyke. 

Completing the afternoon’s hunter championships, Lisa Williams and Sanmorino rode to victory in the amateur-owner, 36 and over stake class with a score of 88. The stake win secured the pair the division’s championship tricolor as well as the amateur-owner grand championship and finally, the overall National Horse Show grand hunter championship. The Grand Amateur-Owner award included the “Ruxton and Scot To Do Challenge Trophy” donated by Ellen Van Dyke. The National Horse Show Grand Hunter Championship award earned Williams and Sanmorino the “Overdressed” Challenge Trophy donated by David H. Clarke Family in memory of Robert Lee Henry.

Lisa Williams is from British Columbia and rides with Norah Ross in Vancouver and Lindy Townley in Victoria. Ross imported Sanmorino as a 5-year-old and the now 11-year-old Dutch Gelding showed last year with Jack Hammond in the second year green division. “This is the first time for me to ride him indoors and it has been an amazing experience,” Williams smiled. “Sanmorino has a fantastic expression and way of going. He is always careful and the whole way around the ring he is always interested. He is by far the coolest horse I have ever ridden. Over the years I have had a lot of nice young horses but I have ended up selling them before I had the opportunity to move up to the amateur-owners, so it is great to have this opportunity.” 

Results
$50,000 NHS Hunter Classic
Order Entry # Horse Name Rider Name Owner Score
1 504 CARETANO HANNAH GOODSON-CUTT HANNAH GOODSON-CUTT 177.000
2 671 BACK IN THE GAME MOLLY ASHE-CAWLEY PARIS SELLON 176.500
3 554 POETIC MAGGIE BOYLAN MAGGIE BOYLAN 173.500
4 538 QUALITY TIME HASBROUCK DONOVAN DON STEWART, JR 172.000
5 448 JERSEY BOY JENNIFER ALFANO SBS FARMS INC 167.000
6 345 INVINCIBLE ELLEN TOON ELLEN TOON 160.000
7 439 FELLINI CAITLIN ZIEGLER ARTISAN FARMS 158.500
8 675 SANMORINO LISA WILLIAMS LISA WILLIAMS 158.000
9 518 TAKEN KELLEY FARMER NANCY AMLING 155.000
10 552 ZIDANE JEFFREY AYERS SUSAN DARRAGH 146.000
11 445 MISS LUCY JENNIFER ALFANO HELEN LENAHAN 141.500
12 301 WALK THE LINE MEG O’MARA MEG O’MARA 123.000