Tiffany Neidhardt realizes a lifelong dream at the Winter Equestrian Festival by winning the adult amateur hunter, 18-35, championship aboard King’s Ransom.

Back when Tiffany Neidhardt was still in jodhpurs and pony straps, contesting the Welsh pony hunters in Bucks County, Pa., she fantasized about attending the Winter Equestrian Festival.

“Growing up I dreamed about going to the winter circuit,” recalled Neidhardt. “My parents were very supportive—they helped me show as much as they possibly could. But going to Wellington just wasn’t an option then.”

So when she learned that she and her gelding King’s Ransom had captured the adult amateur hunter, 18-35, championship at the Winter Equestrian Festival Week 3 Smart For Life, Jan. 30-Feb. 3 during her first trip to Wellington, Fla., Neidhardt was beside herself.

“I was completely shocked,” recalled the 22-year-old. “The adults go on forever, and I’d competed hours earlier. I was back at the barn wrapping someone, and Jen [Bauersachs] called me and said, ‘You were champion! I’m bringing you your loot.’ I was completely flabbergasted.”

The championship, Neidhardt’s first with her 12-year-old Quarter Horse cross, represented the culmination of six years of hard work. In 2002, Neidhardt got “Toby” as a project from her trainer Harry Duce. She’d been catch riding sale horses for Duce since she outgrew the ponies, and she was eager to have a promising horse of her own.

“I haven’t had pros really sit on him, so it’s been a learning process for both of us,” she said. “It’s been such a great experience because we learned together.”

Neidhardt’s equestrian education picked up at Centenary College (N.J.), where she served as team captain of the school’s Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association team for two years. She led the team to a sixth- placed finish at IHSA Nationals in 2006 and fifth in 2007, and she was also a member of the school’s reserve championship ANRC team. Neidhardt even filled in on the school’s dressage team when they needed an extra rider.

Toby joined Neidhardt at Centenary during her last two years for a little higher education with trainers Tara Johnson, Andrea Wells and Michael Dowling. The easy-going palomino proved his versatility, competing in the ANRC Championships and IHSA Dressage Championships hosted by Centenary and traveling to IHSA Nationals to serve as a mount for riders in the alumni and novice divisions.

“So many people have helped along the way,” said Neidhardt. “It’s made him such a wonderful horse to have so much input from so many different perspectives.”

“This win was such an incredible confidence builder for Tiffany,” said trainer Jennifer Bauersachs. “She is such a hard worker, and she’s great to have around, always upbeat. Her horse is just adorable, and she’s come a very long way with him.”

Double The Success

Over in the professional rings Louise Serio also had a banner Week 3, riding for Meralex Farms, piloting La Fayette to the first year green championship and topping the regular working hunter division aboard Castle Rock.

Back in the spring of 2006 Serio found La Fayette from Emil Spadone, who had recently imported the bay Saxonburg. The 5-year-old had never shown, but Serio could see he had tremendous promise.

“He’s a really brave horse and so honest,” she said. “He has a wonderful attitude, and he’s just awesome to ride.”

La Fayette lived up to Serio’s hopes, winning the pre-green classic at Capital Challenge (Md.) after only a handful of shows. The next year he debuted in the first years in the winter, but Serio decided to take back his green year and let him wait until 2008 to show off his talent.

A year out of the show ring has only improved La Fayette. He won a class each of the first two weeks in Wellington and finished on top of two classes to top the division during Week 3. “It all came together, and we had tremendous results in the ring,” said Serio.

Serio’s other champion, Castle Rock, dominated the regular working hunter division, winning four out of five classes to earn the tricolor. Hardly a newcomer to the winner’s circle, the gray gelding turned plenty of heads in the green hunter divisions over the last two years with Holly Orlando aboard. But despite his litany of wins, before she rode him, Castle Rock wasn’t one that Serio knew well.

“As a busy professional, you really don’t have time to watch the other horses go—especially in Wellington,” she said. “I knew of him, but I really didn’t know him well before we tried him.”

But Castle Rock popped up on Serio’s radar when she watched him go at Capital Challenge. She was on the lookout for a new mount for student Bryan Baldwin, and the gorgeous gelding had all the right moves.
 
Baldwin, watching the horse show via live webcast, agreed, and before long she had a new partner in the adult amateur ring. Serio considers herself “very, very lucky” to get to keep the Dutch Warmblood tuned up in the workings.

“He’s an ideal adult horse,” explained Serio. “He’s such a quality horse: quiet and scopey with a huge stride, and he can jump anything so easily.”

First Time Out

When Sophie Cohen flew down to Wellington for the weekend to compete in the Winter Equestrian Festival Week 4 Spy Coast Farm, Feb. 6-10, she wasn’t expecting an incredible weekend. After all, her new mount— whom she hadn’t even sat on—was a newly-gelded Oldenburg fresh out of quarantine who
had never been anywhere near a hunter ring.

So when Cohen and Que Sera captured the children’s hunter, 14 and under, section A championship no one was more surprised than Cohen.

“I really wasn’t expecting anything at all, so winning was the best feeling,” she said. “I feel like if we can do this well on our first try I know we can go far together.”

When Cohen schooled the day before competition things certainly weren’t pointing toward a tricolor weekend.