The 4-year-old just keeps getting better.

It’s tough to be a returning champion. Especially when you’re only 4 years old.
   
But Imperial Crown handled the challenge with flair, following up his 3-year-old grand championship in the International Hunter Futurity Finals last year with the 4-year-old grand championship this year, Sept. 26-27 in Lexington, Ky.

“We’re pretty proud of him. He’s done real well,” said owner Kenny Wheeler. “He’s a real willing colt, and he  doesn’t care where he is; he just goes around. He’s got a good brain, so it really helps.”

Imperial Crown (Zarr—Cheval D’Or, Gold Apollo), a Trakehner-Thoroughbred had a slight injury earlier this year and didn’t get back into work until this summer. He only showed in one class during the IHF East Coast Regionals (Va.) in late August and then competed in a low hunter division at another show before traveling to Kentucky for the finals.

“He knows his job. He doesn’t need to show much,” Wheeler said. “He’s got a lot of talent, and he’ll walk right in the ring and jump around the first time. And that’s unusual.”

Jason Barry got the ride on Imperial Crown last year, but this year, Olin Armstrong was back in the irons. They didn’t place in the first class, the conformation over fences. “Some people watching said that when he jumped the second fence, he rolled over his front end a little. But in the second class, he went around great,” Wheeler said.

Imperial Crown then placed second in the working over fences round and won the hack for the tricolor.

Jill and Sam Manno bred Imperial Crown, and Wheeler spotted him at the Devon Horse Show (Pa.) as a yearling and bought him. “I bought him for his looks; it’s just lucky he turned into such a good jumper. I didn’t know what he was going to do jumping, but he’s a very talented horse,” he said.

Wheeler showed him on the line as a 2-year-old, and he was second at some competitive shows. “But he wasn’t really in shape. He didn’t fill out for a while. He’s got a beautiful head on him; he’s a pretty horse,” continued Wheeler.

Lots Of Appeal
Just behind Imperial Crown was the 4-year-old reserve champion, Windward. “The one that got reserve went well; she’s a nice mare,” Wheeler said.

Patty Heuckeroth and Susan Sisco bred Windward (Musical River—Windchimes), a Thoroughbred filly.

“She is special. I’ve had a lot of horses, and I really like her,” said Heuckeroth. “She’s very attractive and has a lot of appeal and presence. She’s a nice mover and a great jumper. She’s really on her job; she jumps every fence as if she’s saying ‘get your camera!’ She’s square and straight and careful.”

Windward is out of Wind-chimes, a mare Heuckeroth rode for many years in the regular working and regular conformation divisions. Heuckeroth got six foals out of the mare, now deceased, and Windward is the last one.

She competed in the 3-year-old division at the IHF Finals last year and earned good ribbons. Sisco broke and trained her and rode her at the East Coast Regionals, where she placed as reserve 4-year-old champion.

But before the finals, Heuckeroth’s long-time owner, Mrs. R. Braga, bought Windward, and Don Sheehan, who rides for Heuckeroth, had the reins in Kentucky.

Moses Leads The Way
In the 3-year-old division, it was another battle between Wheeler’s Cismont Manor Farm team and the dynamic duo of Heuckeroth and Sisco. In the end, Wheeler’s Moses prevailed over Sisco aboard Joan Thiele’s Winter Romance. The two bay geldings traded wins and second places in the two over fences classes, but then Moses won the hack to clinch the tricolor.

Moses, who also earned the reserve best young horse honors at the IHF finals on the line, had a prolific on-the-line show career with owner and handler Matt Collins. He was the reserve champion in the 2006 Sallie B. Wheeler National Hunter Breeding Championship and reserve best young horse at Devon—both behind Wheeler’s Spanish Spear.

Wheeler bought Moses, a Thoroughbred, over the winter, with a bit of a nod to sentiment. Moses (Aaron’s Gold—Golden Lolly, Medaille D’Or) is out of the same mare as Henry, a horse who earned many green and regular conformation hunter tricolors for Cismont Manor. Henry broke his shoulder in a pasture accident in July and had to be euthanized.

“This horse is real quiet. You can work him 15 minutes and show him,” Wheeler said. “He doesn’t spook; he’s automatic with his leads, and he just goes around. We showed him twice before the regionals, and he won that and then this. He’s just a nice colt. He’s got manners, moves good, jumps good, and is good-looking. That’s hard to find.”

Sisco was philosophical about ending up as reserve with Winter Romance (Greystone Ian McVai—Winter Gossip), a Thoroughbred-Connemara cross. “He performed beautifully, and I was just happy with the way he went,” she said.

“He’s been really fun. He’s got a very pleasant personality,” she continued. “I hate when people act like it was all easy to break them, but it was with him. Basically, he was pretty uncomplicated.

“He carries himself easily, so you’re not having to work to create anything. He’s always been brave about the jumps and not spooky at all. Even in this indoor ring, he’s been one of the easiest horses I’ve ridden here in the futurity. He’s got a great mind, and he has a beautiful topline, and that follows through in his jumping.”

Winter Romance only showed over fences twice before heading to Virginia for the regional competition. And there, Sisco got a few pointers from Heuckeroth.

“Patty always helps me with my futurity horses. She gave me a little list of things to work on at home, so I went and did my homework. She faxed me a riding lesson. She and I have worked together on a lot of horses over the years. It makes such a difference to have her helping me,” Sisco said.

Winter Romance is for sale, and “whoever gets him will be very lucky,” said Sisco. “Mrs. Theile has been a good owner for me. Several years ago, I broke my hip and everyone else was taking their horses home, and she sent me more horses. I’ll never forget that she really supported me when I needed it.”

Molly Sorge