One moment Megan McGuire is an integral part of the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit, in charge of Hunter Ring 1, keeping trainers organized, moving riders into the ring, announcingstand-bys and jog orders. Then, suddenly, she disappears.

While her boyfriend William Aguirre, the stable manager for HITS Ocala, or a friend take over the in-gate duties for a few minutes, McGuire hops on her waiting horse, Candlelight, takes a few warm-up jumps, and then goes into the ring.

Within moments of finishing her rides in the amateur-owner, 18-35, division, McGuire’s back to work at the Ocala Winter Finals, March 9-13 in Ocala, Fla.

But she returned to the ring one extra time during this fifth and final week to collect the show championship and the circuit title.

“She’s the best horse I’ve ever had,” said McGuire of Candlelight. “Being circuit champion was a little bit of a surprise because I only showed three times. She’s perfect every time I show her, though. It’s always me who lets her down because she’s always on it.”

McGuire, 28, of Whitehouse Station, N.J., has owned the 9-year-old, Oldenburg mare for five years. She purchased the chestnut through Emil Spadone and began training with Amanda Steege the following year.

“Amanda’s done a great job with her,” said McGuire. “I was pretty much her first customer, and if it wasn’t for her I couldn’t do this. She plans her day around when I can show.

“I always have to go first to be able to show,” added McGuire with a smile. “But I love going first. What’s the fear? If you go first, you set the pattern. If you have a good horse and a good trip, it doesn’t matter where you go.”

Organization is a key to McGuire’s success, said Steege, and most everyone around the gate is willing to help out too.

“Sometimes I’m calling numbers for the jog, or my groom is,” said Steege. “Today, another trainer called numbers into the judge. And Megan’s really quick! We jump five or six jumps in the schooling area, she goes into the ring and jumps her two trips and usually stays in. And she’s often changed and back here before the next one has even gotten ready to go.”

Because of McGuire’s time constraints, Candlelight doesn’t do the under saddle, classics or schooling classes. Their show schedule is also light.

“I don’t like to show her that much because I want to have her a long time,” said McGuire, who chose not to show two weeks at Ocala due to poor weather. “I’m really particular with her. She doesn’t show in the rain, and I didn’t like the footing one week.”

McGuire also puts showing on hold all summer due to her hectic work schedule, which includes shows from Florida to Vermont. “My schedule gets crazy in the summer. I have all of November and December off and work the rest of the year,” she said.

Steege, who brought Candlelight through the ranks in the professional divisions, said it’s a pleasure to watch the two perform. “They’re the perfect match, and the mare tries her hardest every time. There’s something about watching them go around that puts a smile on my face,” she said.

Devoted

Euri Uchiyama also had reason to smile at Ocala as her horses collected circuit championships in the 15 and under junior hunter sections. With riding help from fellow junior Kacey McCann, Jo Malone starred in the smalls, while Pharrell topped the larges.

Uchiyama, 15, of Cincinnati, Ohio, rode Jo Malone, an 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood, during the final week and won four of five classes, under the watchful eye of trainer Don Stewart Jr., for the show championship.

“Watch out, there’s going to be flood warnings all over Ocala,” joked Stewart, referring to the tears of joy flowing at the in-gate.

Uchiyama couldn’t stop grinning, especially because it was the first time her mother, Kuniko Uchiyama, had been able to watch her show in Florida.

“She’s devoted to horses,” said Kuniko of Euri. “She couldn’t care about winning or losing, really, she just loves the horses.”

Euri’s path to horses began after her mother attended a charity function with a silent auction. “I felt badly because no one had bid on these riding lessons,” recalled Kuniko. “My father had race horses in Japan and loved horses. So I bought them.”

Kuniko took one lesson herself, gave one to her son and one to Euri. “My son hated it, and Euri took one, then the other, and never stopped,” said Kuniko.

After leasing Kindred Spirit from the Towells last year and moving up from children’s to juniors, Euri purchased Jo Malone after the Pennsylvania National. Megan Young rode the flashy dark brown gelding to tricolor honors at the National Horse Show (Fla.), and Euri began showing him afterward.
“He’s so much fun,” she said. “You never have to worry about anything. Every day I look forward to riding him.”

McCann, 14, also enjoyed her rides aboard Euri’s Pharrell. She guided the bay to the tricolor in the large junior, 15 and under, division the final week and clinched the circuit title. As icing on the cake, McCann rode Barbara Kearney’s Shogun to the reserve show and circuit championships in the same section.

McCann, who trains with Susie Schoellkopf and Jennifer Alfano at SBS Farms, Buffalo, N.Y., also began her love affair with horses through her mother. Beth McCann of Nobodaddy Farm in Palmyra, Pa., is a trainer who specializes in equine-assisted learning programs.

“Kacey’s very focused and a very hard worker,” said Alfano. “She has to work hard for everything. She comes to the barn with me every morning and does it all.”

In addition to her hunter championships the final week, McCann also topped the ASPCA Maclay and the WIEC hunter phase, and she was the equitation, 12-14, show and circuit champion.

Once Again

Alfano just about kept up with McCann in putting ribbons on the SBS banner. The circuit’s leading hunter rider guided Meredith Lipke Bartolone’s Once And Again to the circuit regular working hunter title and earned championships each of the four weeks she showed.

“It’s so easy for her,” said Alfano of the four-foot height. “She jumps beautifully, and it’s no effort for her at all. You just point her to the middle of the fence and go, and she does her job.”

Once And Again, 9, a bay warmblood, wasn’t supposed to regularly contest the four-foot division. Bartolone had planned to show her in the amateur division but wasn’t able to make it to Florida as often as she’d hoped.

“Meredith was thrilled with the circuit championship,” said Alfano. “I didn’t show her this week because I thought Meredith was showing, but it all worked out.”

Last year’s regular working titleholder, GG Valentine, also did double duty. In addition to earning two tricolors in the regular working division with Alfano, including the final week, “GG” made her debut with owner Barbara Kearney in the adult amateur division.

“GG was perfect for her, which is so rewarding for me,” said Alfano who’s earned just about every professional accolade with the 10-year-old, bay mare. “Barbie’s like a little kid on Christmas morning whenever she gets to show her. She came down and did a show in January and was champion her first time out.”

Alfano also topped the second year green division circuit race with Helen Lenehan’s Gandolf, a 10-year-old warmblood she’s been showing throughout his green years. Gandolf showed four weeks and was champion twice and reserve twice.

“He just keeps getting better and better,” said Alfano. “Everything improved. He’s more attentive and focused on his job and getting very consistent. I’m lucky I have so many owners who keep horses for me to show. This was a good circuit.”

Samantha Schaefer also considered this a particularly good circuit. The 11-year-old from Westminster, Md., trained by Kim Stewart, collected three pony hunter circuit championships and two reserves. And for good measure, she rode her large pony, Who’s Kidding Who, to victory in the final evening’s pony hunter classic.

But her two small green ponies, Red White And Blue and Blue On Blue, circuit champion and reserve, were among her most challenging and rewarding projects.

Red White And Blue (by Blue Rain out of a Thoroughbred mare) was bred by Lisa Gordon and born on July 4th. From a young age, it was evident that the flashy chestnut was destined to be a top show pony.

“He used to jump from field to field to visit the horses,” said Stacey Schaefer, laughing. Stacey purchased “Flag” as a 3-year-old as a long-term project for her daughter, and this year they broke his green as a 7-year-old.

“He’s as big as they come,” said Sam, smiling. “I can ride him next year too. He’s 12.2 by 12.2!”

Stacey purchased Blue On Blue, 6, (Blue Rain–Glenmore Jasmine) early last summer from Chrissy Kear. Bred by Ashmont, she was green but had a great attitude.

“This was her eighth horse show ever,” said Stacey. “She was the small pony circuit champion too and is already qualified for Devon [Pa.]. She’s been amazing. Kim and I acquired her for a client, but we realized she was way too green and needed more work. Kim loves Blue Rain, so we thought we’d make her a project this year. She gets better every horse show.”

Stacey credited Stewart for her unflagging patience with the green ponies and helping Sam to develop that same trait. “If it wasn’t for Kim, none of this would have happened,” said Stacey. “Kim’s amazing with the ponies and with Sam. The combination just clicks.”

Who Would Bet Against Vale?

He had two shots at the top check in the $100,000 Grand Prix of Ocala on March 13. But so did Canadian veteran Harold Chopping. And throw young talent Erynn Ballard into the mix, along with long-shot Darren Dlin, and you might not be so sure that Vale would prevail.

But those who know him would be hard-pressed to put money down on anyone but the golden boy of the HITS Ocala Winter circuit, who’s now won four consecutive leading grand prix rider awards and dozens of Sunday and Thursday grand prix classes.

Despite a game effort from Chopping–who rode the gray mare Rabaila to the fastest jump-off time (44.69 seconds) but had a rail at the final fence–Vale couldn’t be touched. He took the top two spots with Artur (0/44.71) and Arriscraft Soliel (0/46.25).

This was Vale’s 106th grand prix victory–he’s second only to Margie Engle in career grand prix victories. “I was first and second–too bad you can’t count that as two [wins]. I really won twice!” Vale joked.

Only Ballard, winner of the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix the previous week, could match Vale’s clear jump-off ride. But she fell well short of the mark (47.26 seconds) to collect third-placed money aboard the gray Rio’s Rhapsody.

Going first in the jump-off aboard Arriscraft Soliel, who’d been second to Rio’s Rhapsody the week before, Vale set the mark over Kenny Krome’s galloping tie-breaking course, which featured several tight rollbacks and lots of room to run over the expansive grand prix ring at Post Time Farm.
After Chopping tried twice to catch him, Vale came back and bettered his own time with Artur, a powerful chestnut who also won the $50,000 Jacksonville CSI for Vale in January, their first grand prix together.

“He’s jumped well here each week–maybe a little unlucky to not win here one week,” said Vale.

Even with a solid lead, Vale admitted he wasn’t certain he’d been quite fast enough because Artur stalled in the two rollbacks. “He’s very fast when you gallop across, but he was a little rough turning after those two questions,” he said. “I was a little bit worried that someone’s horse would turn better after those two fences, and if they’d matched my galloping they’d have a chance to catch me. But I was lucky enough that that didn’t happen.”

Vale sees a strong future ahead for the 11-year-old Hanoverian (by Accord II). “I’m still putting in my own transmission,” Vale said. “He’s jumping well, but I’m really only 35 or 40 percent with his flat work where it relates to jumping. Hopefully, we’ll continue to improve, and maybe I’ll have a horse who can do the [2006 World Championship selection] trials. He’ll aim for the higher-quality classes.”

With assistance from Vale, Erin Haas also moved to the higher levels on Sunday. She contested her first $100,000 class aboard Cameron (29 faults) just after she dominated the $25,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, held immediately prior to the featured class.

“I’m really grateful to Aaron for staying in the [adjacent] amateur ring to help me get ready,” said Haas, who placed first and third. “Despite [having four horses] and going second in the order, he stayed. He was quite rushed to get over and walk the course.”

Haas, 26, of Ann Arbor, Mich., rode Quendo to victory with the only clear jump-off performance and finished third with All Of A Sudden. She purchased both horses from Vale after they were imported through Paul Schockem? of Germany.

“They’re both wonderful horses–and tiny horses who don’t realize they’re small,” said Haas, smiling. “I’ve never measured them, but they’d be lucky to be 16 hands.”

Haas is in her second year of veterinary school at Michigan State University and commuted to Ocala on weekends. Sunday’s win was her first classic victory on this year’s circuit and also coincided with her spring break, so she spent a more relaxing week at the show.

“It’s really difficult to fly back and forth. Sometimes I don’t ride as well as I’d like. But I just enjoy riding and being with the horses,” she said. “This was a great way to end the circuit.”