Despite a trio of inexperienced mounts, Daniel Geitner swept the top three spots in the $10,000 North Carolina Hunter Jumper Association Jumper Classic at the NCHJA Annual Horse Show, June 28-July 3, in Raleigh, N.C.

Geitner scored the win with Snook, an 8-year-old gelding owned by Sara Stumberg. Although Snook has only been in Geitner’s barn for about six months, he was confident in the youngster’s ability to be fast and clean in the seven-horse jump-off.

“I knew I could go for it in the jump-off. He’s quick, and he’s pretty catty,” Geitner said.

While in the ring Snook has all the trappings of a great speed horse, in the schooling area he could be confused for a quiet hunter. “He’s a dream to ride,” Geitner said. “He goes in a rubber snaffle, and he’s light and easy like a hunter.”

Geitner plans to continue showing Snook in the open jumpers and in some larger grand prix classes through the end of the year before passing the reins onto Stumberg, who will compete in the amateur-owner jumpers.

Trading Places carried Geitner to the blue in the welcome stake before being edged out by Snook in the classic. Geitner has just started to compete the 7-year-old, Argentinean Warmblood in the grand prix ranks, but the pair has already placed several times. In addition to the two strong finishes in Raleigh, Kyle Register’s entry scored a fourth-placed finish in the Classic Company Grand Prix (S.C.) this spring.

Geitner attributes much of their success to the gelding’s laid-back demeanor. “He’s so easy you could put a kid on him to go trail riding,” Geitner said. “He takes very little preparation to get to the ring.”

Sympa, a 7-year-old, German mare owned by Mrs. Charles Bostwick, rounded out Geitner’s classic trifecta.

“We’ve had Sympa for a couple of years, bringing her along slowly. This is the biggest class she’s ever done,” Geitner said. “She’s really quite talented.”

With a stable full of emerging grand prix stars, Geitner’s biggest challenge in the classic was not necessarily the course but the atmosphere surrounding the evening class, including a larger audience than his horses had ever seen. “The ring was pretty spooky with lots of color, lots of plants and a big crowd,” Geitner said.

Partnership Pays Off
Like Geitner, Lucy Rutter had to deal with some inexperience of her own on the way to winning the amateur-owner hunter classic. In just their fourth outing in the amateur-owner hunters, Rutter and Gallagher clinched the reserve championship in the 36 and over division.

Rutter showed ponies as a child but quit riding for 12 years after graduating from college. When she decided to return to the saddle she sought the help of Virginia-based trainer Chris Wynne. Rutter took weekly lessons from Wynne before deciding to buy Gallagher as a 4-year-old.

Rutter showed Gallagher in the adult amateur hunters until Pat Dodson, who trains the pair at shows, called this spring with an ultimatum.

“Before Sedgefield [N.C.], Pat called and said, ‘You are doing the 3’6″ this weekend no matter what,'” Rutter said.

While the decision to move up to the larger fences is paying off now, Rutter wasn’t an instant success. “In the first amateur-owner class I did, I jogged last,” Rutter said. “I thought to myself, ‘Well, at least I got that out of the way.’ “

Rutter keeps the Thoroughbred gelding at her home in Virginia Beach, an arrangement that benefits the pair’s relationship in the show ring. “Gallagher lives in my yard. He can come right up to my back door. He’s a pet, he’s a friend and he lets me ride him; it’s great,” Rutter said. “I’m real big into having a relationship with my horse, and that trust carries over to the ring.”

Rutter’s full-time care of Gallagher carries over to the horse shows, where she handles most of his show ring preparations, in part because he can be hard to handle.

“To ride him, he’s great, but on the ground he can be very difficult. I don’t take him for walks; he walks me,” she said.

In addition to carrying Rutter to the biggest win of their partnership, Gallagher earned top ribbons with Keith Hastings in the first year green division.

Now that Rutter has had a taste of success in the amateur-owner hunters, her goals have changed somewhat. “When I was doing the adult amateurs I never even thought about indoors,” Rutter said. “Now that I’m doing the amateur-owners I’m thinking indoors could be fun, and maybe I’d like to qualify for Devon [Pa.]. I haven’t been there since 1980!”

Instant Connection
Logan Reilly won the E.J. Haun Memorial Medal Finals on her first and last try with a horse she had never ridden before. The rising college freshman jumped a handful of jumps in the schooling area on Jill Schaefer’s 34th Street before heading into the ring.

“The first two jumps were like a test drive,” Reilly said. “I didn’t really know whether to ride up or stay quiet since I had never even seen [34th Street] go, but after that it was really easy.”

After a smooth first round and a solid showing in the flat phase, Reilly was leading the class. However, when the riders were called for additional testing, Reilly didn’t hear her name–fortunately her trainer and family did.

“I didn’t think I was in the test,” she said. “I was trying to leave the ring, but everyone at the in gate was telling me to stay in.”

The short test consisted of three jumps, including a trot jump. The riders were then asked to halt and back their horses. When Reilly asked 34th Street to halt, his equitation background became evident.

“After the last jump I just sat down, and he stopped immediately,” Reilly said.

As she waited for the results of the class to be announced, Reilly was encouraged by her competitors, especially her friend Elizabeth Hartnett, who finished third.

“I’m friends with all of the girls who were in the test,” Reilly said. “When I got back to the lineup Elizabeth said, ‘You just won; that was beautiful!'”

Although Reilly usually rides with her mother Jenny Reilly, Gail Kneriem and Meredith Taylor helped her prepare for the finals.