PrintThe new millennium has been kind to the Mountain Fox Hunt Ponies of Area I. The ever-morphing band of riders has amassed a hefty collection of The Chronicle of the Horse Eastern Adult Team Championship coolers over the past five years with wins at novice in 2001 and 2002 and training in 2003. After a hiatus from last year's competition, they reclaimed their throne Oct. 15-16 with a novice ATC victory at the New Jersey Horse Trials, held at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Stone Tavern.
The team of Nancy Read, Mary Jordan, Jen Clapp and Stephanie DeBeradinis made the trek to the Garden State despite record rainfall in the preceding week, which had rendered the cross-country course unusable. In addition to the footing being unsafe for the horses, it was impassable for the heavy equipment needed to move the portable fences into position. Due to the weather, the preliminary level ATC was cancelled.
Amid much brainstorming by the organizing committee, Dorothy Maxfield, president of the ground jury, conjured the idea to create a "derby round" on Sunday for ATC competitors to augment what would otherwise be a combined test. The derby round, which provided a third phase of scores to contribute to the team tallies, was composed of a second show jumping round and a six-jump course of portable cross-country fences set in an adjacent ring. Riders galloped down a short path from one ring to the next with timers running, although the two courses were timed separately.
The Makings Of A Dynasty
Read, the only team member present for all three of the Ponies' previous titles, rode a new mount this year, her 8-year-old, Thoroughbred gelding, Handsful Of Gold. The duo didn't have much trouble with the weekend's unorthodox format, finishing on their dressage score of 26.0.
"We had a great test," she said. "We didn't score as well as I wanted to in our last test, so I decided to really ride him up and forward this time."
After her sister found "Biscuit" in North Carolina, Read, of Sandwich, N.H., purchased him from her two years ago and started to event him last year. Moving into novice this season, they earned several top placings, including firsts at GMHA (Vt.) and Kingsbury Hill (N.H.).
Read, 45, trains with Nancy Guyotte and teaches lessons for Pony Club and 4-H.
Jordan, 39, of Wells, Maine, was no stranger to the Ponies' success either, having contributed to their 2003 victory with her Nut Brown Ale. This year, she competed on that mare's daughter, Paxton Abbey, a 7-year-old homebred blend of Hanoverian, Thoroughbred and Morgan-Percheron.
"Her mother was a wonderful horse. I competed her pregnant at Stuart [N.Y.] and Virginia Horse Trials. 'Paxton' was in utero!" she said.
Paxton's prenatal eventing introduction and winning personality helped her secure the ATC title in only her fourth novice outing. She scored a 29.5 in dressage, adding 4 penalties during the show jumping portion of the derby round.
"She's the Mother Teresa of horses. She's a really generous, honest horse-he easiest horse I've ever owned," said Jordan, who has also just backed Paxton's full sister. "It's been really nice to be able to make my own horses."
