Print Foxy's Magic Gift, handled by Oliver Brown. |
Judges Thom Brede and Tucker Ericson traveled to Warrenton, Va., from California just days earlier after judging the West Coast phase on Aug. 27 at the Show Park All Seasons Summer Tournament in Del Mar.
Now in its seventh year, the championships are held at shows on both sides of the country, with judges flying coast-to-coast to determine the nation’s overall best young horse.
“As an exhibitor in the hunter breeding ring, I know how much time, money, patience and emotion goes into preparing for these championships,” said Ericson. “Thom and I wanted to make sure we gave every horse a chance to impress us.”
Brown is no stranger to winning on the line, but Foxy’s Magic Gift, known affectionately as “Jeter” by breeder John W. Kelly Jr., a Yankees fan, is proving to be particularly special. Co-owned by Kelly and Evelyn and Kimberly Maloomian, Jeter is a full Thoroughbred sired by Absolut out of Autumn’s Magic Fox by Castle Magic.
“There’s just something special when you see a really good one,” said Brown after an emotional win. “Everything’s special about this horse. He’s got a lot of sense—this is the real deal.”
“Foxy’s Magic Gift exemplified the best hunter type in the competition,” said Ericson. “His topline, structure and movement are first class. The colt stood perfectly throughout the competition and walked and jogged sensationally.”
Brown has previously handled two of Jeter’s brothers, Absolut Magic and Foxy’s Remember When, who won across the country as yearlings and 2-year-olds. While they earned their many titles competing regularly, Brown decided to take a different approach with Jeter.
“[His brothers] were obviously nice, but this colt’s really nice,” said Brown, who has worked with Jeter since he was a foal. “We’ve decided not to push him and just do the big shows. It’s been good for his mind. He’s only done five shows and hadn’t been to one since Upperville [Va.] in June until this weekend.”
Brown started working for breeder Kelly, who picked up the J. Arthur Reynolds Memorial Trophy with his win, in 1999 and is a huge supporter of his Thoroughbred breeding program.
“The majority of his horses he’s bred for three generations,” said Brown. “What he shows is what he’s bred, and so far we’ve had one hell of a run.”
Brown also applauded their joint decision to focus solely on the major competitions rather than showing Jeter every weekend. He plans to continue taking it slow after breaking the horse later in the fall.
