Beate Kuska-Shart’s jump-off gamble paid big time on March 13 in the $77,700 Lucky Sevens Grand Prix, which capped the five-week Gulf Coast  Winter Series in Gulfport, Miss. It was her first grand prix win and came during her first outing after a six-month showing hiatus taken while she and her husband Hans built a new farm near Franklin, Tenn.

Third of the four to go in the deciding round, Kuska-Shart decided on a very conservative trip with her 13-year-old, 16.2-hand, Holsteiner stallion, Luciano, posting a clear jumping effort only 0.21 seconds under the 50-second time allowed.

Kyle King and Riptide had already posted an 8-fault round in a blazing 39.61 seconds, a full 10 seconds faster than Kuska-Shart’s later trip, and Bjorn Ikast and I.Z.’s Lifetime had dropped three rails and earned 3 time faults before Luciano entered the ring.

“From the beginning, I just wanted to do a clear round. With Kyle King in the jump-off, he goes so fast, if he’s clean, he’s almost unbeatable. When he and [Ikast] had rails, I knew I didn’t want to take any risks,” explained Kuska-Shart, of Malibu Equestrian Estate, the original of which is in Acton, Calif., in addition to the new property in Tennessee. “I knew my time was beatable–that was easy.”

The rest depended on Belynda Bond and Kim Seyman’s Sea Cove, who were coming off a win in the previous week’s $25,000 Horsecity.com Grand Prix. It wasn’t looking too promising for Kuska-Shart as Bond approached the final fence well ahead of her time, but the Belgian Warmblood gelding clipped a rail stretching for the win and dropped into second place with a time more than 3 seconds faster than Luciano’s.

Kuska-Shart has had the stallion for six years and competed him for a year in the amateur-owners before starting him in the grand prix. “So many times we’ve been second and third, even though the horse has always jumped great–I can’t believe it yet!” she said, beaming a huge smile. “The future looks great!”

With farm-building duties beckoning, the German-born rider hadn’t been able to show much over the past year, but she was familiar with course designer Michel Vaillancourt’s style from previous classes in California.

“He builds very difficult distances. You’re always having to make decisions as you’re going around, and it’s very important that your horse is rideable and can adjust his stride. Going in, I was pretty confident. I knew my horse could do it and I could handle the difficult distances,” she said. “More than any horse I know, he goes in the ring and wants to be clean so badly. He’s super careful and not at all spooky. Sometimes he is a little strong, but he is getting more and more rideable over the years.”

Showcase Posse In Effect

Terry Brown, of Showcase Ltd., in Canton, Ga., once again reigned supreme over Gulf Coast’s professional divisions, earning the regular working and second year green circuit championships with her Sequel, the green conformation title with Kim Domenicone’s Cuz-I-Can and first year green honors with Posse.

Sequel’s dual titles were a fine “Part 2” to his first year green circuit title from Gulf Coast last year. Brown imported the 11-year-old, brown Hanoverian gelding by Sandro in November of 2003 and plans to keep him for herself.

“He is my idea of the ideal show hunter. He’s a very pretty horse, his canter across the ground is poetry in motion, he has a great step, and he’s a beautiful jumper,” she said. “I have no doubt on any given day that he could score a 100.

“For the right amount of money and to the right person, I might sell him, but otherwise I plan to enjoy him. You look a long time for a really top-notch four-foot horse. I look forward to riding him, and there’s no pressure because he’s mine,” she continued. “He is my personal pet and is spoiled rotten. He begs shamelessly outside the ring.”

Sequel secured the second year circuit title on the last day of the show from his top competition, Tobasco. The chestnut gelding won the small junior, 15 and under, circuit championship with owner Ann Marie Walker, of Mobile, Ala.

Cuz-I-Can, a 9-year-old, Dutch Warmblood gelding, got off to a roaring start at Gulf Coast, winning his first 12 classes. He finished in the final week with five blues and a second place under saddle.

“He is quite a good model, which is key to the conformation. He’s very clean, very
correct legged, and he’s never worn a bandage–no boots, no bandages, no preparation,” said Brown.

“The only concession we make to the division is we do turn him out alone to avoid bumps and scratches.”

Although Domenicone, a long-time friend and client of Brown’s, purchased the gelding to compete, she’s taking a break from showing until later this year.

“Kim keeps him at home and brings him to us a week or two before each trip,” said Brown. “He’s her pet, her child, and she hacks him and keeps him fit. He shows up for a little tune-up and then goes off to the horse show.”

Posse, an 8-year-old, Westphalian gelding imported in late November, has been learning the hunter ropes after a background involving some dressage and small jumper classes.

“He’s been a model of consistency,” Brown said. “He’s an absolutely stunning horse–dark bay with four perfect white socks, a beautiful face and a great expression–and he’s so nice to ride. He has a lot of quality, class and appeal.”

She plans to compete him in the $100,000 hunter classic at the Queen City Classic (N.C.) in early April.

Brown commended the Gulf Coast organizers for continuing to improve the circuit each year. “People are discovering what a nice facility it is. All the tents are on pads and there are never flooding problems; the wash racks all have concrete and crossties. Behind the scenes, that’s where we do all our work, and where those facilities make our job easier,” she said.

Back For More

Brown wasn’t the only repeat offender at Gulf Coast. Sandra Brown (no relation to Terry) and Pamela Hershey both defended their titles with remarkable consistency, winning championships each of the five weeks.

Brown, of Newtown Square, Pa., and her 14-year-old, black Hanoverian gelding, Lennox, accomplished their sequel in the amateur-owner, 36 and over, division.

“He really gives 100 percent all of the time and is pretty much Steady Eddie as far as being consistently the same,” said Brown, who trains with Holli Adams. “He’s probably the easiest horse I’ve ever dealt with overall. He just needs his playtime on the rope for 10 minutes, and that’s all it is, playtime, not discipline, time to buck.”

Brown gives Lennox (Lantaan–Allegra) at least two days off per week to keep him “fresh and entertained” in the ring. She’s had the gelding for four years and said he’s very pushy, occasionally aloof and quite opinionated, although he’s not above being a bit of a slug. “Sometimes I need to give him a little spank before we go in the ring to get his attention,” she said. “Just a little something to say, ‘Wake up and come to the party.’ “

Hershey earned her third consecutive circuit championship in the adult amateur hunters with her 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, Kipling, having just crossed into the 46 and over division this year.

Hershey, of Folsom, La., trains with Genie and Rick Harper of Oak Haven Farm. An attorney, Hersey carves out time to ride from her schedule and can’t conceive of fitting another horse into her life.

“I’m going to stick with him until one of us gives in, and it’s probably going to be me!” she said with a laugh. “I’ll never have another one like him, warts and all. Probably no one else would have either of us! I don’t have a care in the world when I’m on him.”

Jamie Auletto, 24, of Blackwood, N.J., and her 11-year-old, Hanoverian gelding, Back For More, took advantage of their first opportunity to show for a full circuit together, earning the amateur-owner, 18-35, circuit championship. The bay is Auletto’s first “post junior years” horse, and she got him four years ago when she was a sophomore at James Madison University (Va.). “It worked out well because I didn’t have to rush him,” she said. “I made sure he had nice experiences.”

She brought him right out in the amateur-owners and quickly gained an appreciation for how hard amateurs work to fit showing in with the rest of their lives.

“I didn’t realize how difficult it was,” she admitted. “My dad owns a catering business, and I work there, so I’m really lucky because my dad loves ‘Lenny.’ Imagine saying to a regular boss, ‘I’m going to go away for five weeks to a horse show.’ I’m lucky to have a horse family that understands.”

Auletto, who trains with John Mastriano of Tustin Farm, keeps Lenny at home. “That extra time taking care of him makes a big difference–he really enjoys the attention,” she said. “I’m really overly attached to him!”

Rhodey Ponies

Pals Lindsey Davitt, 12, and Jessica Donatelli, 9, of Wakefield, R.I., did some damage in the pony divisions under the tutelage of trainer Amy Eidson. Davitt earned the medium pony hunter circuit championship with her Lands End Huckleberry and the large pony circuit title with her Woodland’s Silver Creek, while Donatelli took the circuit title in the smalls with I Must Be Dreaming.

Donatelli posted a decisive win with her 12-year-old, Welsh pony mare, nicknamed “Jazzy.” “The first week she dumped me, but she was really good after that. She has a mind of her own,” explained the fourth grader. “She’s so good to ride because some days she’ll throw me and some days she’ll help me. I think it makes me a better rider.”

Also showing her 11-year-old Welsh gelding, Blue Rock, in the division, Donatelli said she likes the challenge of handling the ponies’ differing personalities.

“Jazzy’s a big brat on the ground and ‘Salsa’ is more polite. He takes more energy to ride. He’s a little more spooky than Jazz,” she said. “When Jazzy gets into the ring she’s all serious. I think when we’re learning the course, she’s learning it too. I think she watches the other ponies.”

Davitt said her ponies were so good that they made up for her shortcomings in the first couple of weeks. “My ponies earned [a championship and a reserve] during the first and second week, but I didn’t really deserve it. I wasn’t really riding well and paying attention enough. They were being really good,” she admitted.

Davitt likens Lands End Huckleberry, her 11-year-old gelding, to Salsa in terms of personality. “He doesn’t really do anything wrong usually. He’s a lot of fun,” she said. “He’s not a great mover, but he’s a really cute jumper.”

Woodland’s Silver Creek’s nickname says it all about him: “Happy.” Davitt’s had the 13-year-old gelding less than two months after trying him at the Pennsylvania National.

Tustin Farm student Allison Edmond, of Cherry Hill, N.J., took the reins of the Cline family’s horses during most of the circuit to help earn the large junior, 16-17, circuit championship with Guest Appearance and the children’s, 15-17, title with Sublime.

Rachel Cline’s 9-year-old warmblood, Guest Appearance, a.k.a. “Tommy,” is Edmond’s favorite. “He’s so smooth and really easy to find the distances on,” she said. “He jumps well, he moves really well, and he’s cute–he has it all.”

Sublime, a 10-year-old warmblood owned by Rachel’s mother, Dawn, is another easy ride for Edmond. “[Dawn] is just learning how to ride. She rides ‘Snickers’ at home and hacks him around here and lets me show him here,” she said.

Heather Zuber, 17, of Zionsville, Ind., earned the small junior, 16-17, circuit championship with Wind Haven Farm’s 10-year-old Trakehner, Silver City. Wind Haven is owned by her aunt and trainer Cathy Rheinheimer and uncle Allen Rheinheimer, the Gulf Coast/Classic Company show manager. She rides and/or shows six of their horses.

“[‘Arthur’] has been really great the whole circuit,” she said. “Slow is the way to go with him. He has a huge stride, so when you go slowly, it works out perfectly.”