For a horse who wasn’t even supposed to be stepping out onto the Internationale Field for the $42,800 AHJF Hunter Classic Spectacular, Safari certainly made an impression at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Fla.

The 5-year-old warmblood–in only his third week of competition at 3’6″–posted the best scores in the two rounds of the classic on Saturday night, Feb. 24, to take the $12,000 top check with professional Tim Gougen.

“We weren’t sure if we were going to show him in the first years this year,” said Gougen. “I showed him one week at Littlewood [Fla.], and he showed here last week and was reserve champion. This week he went well.

“I wasn’t sure what he was going to do out on the field, to tell you the truth,” he added. “And he was amazing. He let me place him where I needed to. He was a really good horse. I couldn’t be happier. Even under the lights, he just was on his mark.”

Gougen first noticed Safari at the Capital Challenge (Md.) last fall when he was with trainer Bob Braswell, who had imported him. Braswell sent Safari to Gougen in late January, and the warmblood settled in at Boggs Hill, Wellington, Fla., permanently when Janet Read purchased him.

“We went back and forth and then decided to do [the 3’6″ division] three times and see what happens,” said Gougen smiling. “So, here we are! He’s solid and is great at it.”


New Names
The championship and reserve championship winners in the 3’6″ divisions and higher at The Bainbridge Florida Classic/ WCHR Spectacular, Feb. 21-25, qualified to compete. In addition, the 2006 WCHR National Champions in each of the divisions automatically qualified as did last year’s classic winner, Sandy Ferrell.

This year 25 contenders accepted the challenge, and, with the stars twinkling overhead on a balmy Florida evening, a near-capacity crowd cheered them on.

The courses, designed by Michael Rheinheimer, received rave reviews. The first-round course of 11 fences and 13 efforts encompassed the entire field. With mainly single fences, the course allowed the veteran horses to show their boldness with a more galloping stride, while also keeping the green horses confident. New this year was a fence designed and built for the American Hunter Jumper Foundation, a solid planter decorated with two impressive trees, which was the final fence in both rounds.

“The courses really worked to my advantage,” said Gougen. “I think it was a fair course, a lot of single jumps where the horses could find their shapes and jump well. And it ended up being off your eye, and it worked out well.”

After the 19 scheduled 3’6″ horses took the field, Safari and Gougen led the way with an 89.50 average from the eight judges staged around the field. Safari aired the fences with ample room to spare, drawing oohs and aahs from the spectators.

Close on Gougen’s heels was Ferrell aboard a new mount, Corofino Gold. The bay gelding, owned by Megan Fellows of Great Falls, Va., is a 10-year-old who earned his way into the classic with a reserve championship in a section of the first year green division. They scored 88.62.

Likewise, Brunello and Liza Towell Boyd, Camden, S.C., took the other first year green reserve ribbon and remained in close contention with an 86.50 in the first round.

Brunello, 9, a chestnut gelding, arrived in the United States three weeks earlier after trainer Jack Towell and son Hardin Towell found him in Belgium for owner Caroline Clark Morrison.

“He settled in amazingly quickly,” said Boyd. “From the first time I got on him, he was perfect. We knew right away he’d do the first year division–the 3’6″ is so easy for him.”

After riding Brunello around the show grounds the first week he was in the States, Boyd and Morrison both showed him the following week. “The first time he showed [in the first year green division] he won a class, and then this week he was even better,” said Boyd. “He gets easier every class and understands his job. In the first round of the classic, he was good but maybe a little nervous.”

The 3’9″ division included top star Indian Summer–the week’s second year green champion and WCHR high-score winner with a 91–and he didn’t disappoint. Piloted by Ferrell, the gleaming chestnut hunted around the course for an 85.43, adding his name to the top eight to return for the second round.

In addition, Louise Serio, Kennett Square, Pa., the classic winner in 2005 aboard Costello, qualified for the second round with a consistently ridden 84.00 aboard Meralex Farm’s Marshall, also a second year green horse.

Of the three four-foot horses, just Scott Stewart and Good Life qualified to return for Round 2 with an 85.93 for a stylish performance. Stewart, Flemington, N.J., the most successful rider of the week, qualified five mounts for the classic, however, he chose just his regular conformation partner for the night.

Sister and brother combination Boyd and Hardin Towell each qualified a mount at the four-foot height, however, they both had the unfortunate luck to have the same rail down at Fence 7B. Boyd qualified Sarah Ward’s Onassis with the reserve championship in the regular working division, while Hardin, 19, in his first foray in the four-foot division, earned top ribbons with Ward’s Blink.

There were few problems in the first round, although junior star Addison Phillips, 17, fell from her mount, Morocco, at Fence 9, a large gray wall near the in-gate, when he refused. She appeared unhurt and walked out of the ring.


Better And Better
Stewart and Good Life returned first for the shortened second round and posted an 85.00 for a solid performance and set the mark to beat with 170.93. Serio and Marshall had a beautiful round. Although their inside turn to Fence 2 was bold, Marshall had a hard rub there, which may have cost them a few points. Their 88.50 average took over the top spot with a 172.50.

That lead was short-lived, however, as Ferrell and Indian Summer jumped ahead with a smooth round. Announcer Geoff Teall noted that the Swedish Warmblood’s fort� is making each jump the same, whether a vertical or oxer.

After the course was lowered to 3’6″, the pressure started increasing. Alexandra Thornton, 13, Bedminster, N.J., the only junior qualified for the second round, guided Tobasco to a flowing round, reminiscent of the memorable rides youngsters Clara Linder and Boyd provided spectators years earlier when they were juniors.

Thornton overcame a double ear infection during the week to rally on Saturday for the small junior, 15 and under, championship and her first start in the classic.

“I was so nervous going into the first round that I probably went over the course with [trainer] Susie [Humes] at least 50 times!” she said laughing. “Tobasco felt great, and he loves the big field. He gave me a lot of confidence as we did the first course, and when I finally got to the last jump I forgot about my nerves.

“I went back first of the 3’6″ horses, this time with�the added confidence that ‘Toby’ had given me,” continued Thornton. “He always seems to know when it is an important class. Once again, he could not have been better.”

Their average of 89.00 launched them up the standings, where they eventually finished fifth.

Rowlanda Blue Stephanos, 26, Sagaponack, N.Y., the only amateur in the second round, took the field next. She and Double Cinco had a miscommunication at the second fence, however, and the ensuing refusal caught Stephanos off guard and she fell off into the fence. She appeared unhurt as she left the ring on foot.

The tension mounted further after Boyd and Brunello performed an exquisite round to vault into the lead with an 89.75 average and 176.25.

“In the second round, he was perfect and so easy to ride,” said Boyd. “He understood his job. Before the class I knew he was a good horse, but he proved to me now that he’s a great horse.”

Ferrell, 39, Bernville, Pa., was aiming for her second consecutive victory in the class (she won in 2006 with Late Entry) when she galloped Corofino Gold around. The adorable bay jumps round and square, and Ferrell’s precise ride allowed him to show off his abilities. As the first competitors to crack the 90-point barrier, they took over the class lead with 178.87 to raucous cheering, especially from the VIP tent.

As Gougen entered the ring, he admitted nervousness. “Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect from this horse,” he said. “He jumped great the first time, and you know he could do it again or get a little green.”

Their average of 90.37 was the best of the night, allowing them to lead the victory gallop with the AHJF cooler and flowing ribbons flapping in the evening breeze.

“As I said, he rose to the occasion, and I’m excited about this horse,” said Gougen. “He was just amazing.”

During the awards ceremony, owner Janet Read stood next to Safari, her hand stroking his neck as the winning photos were taken. “Janet has been a great owner for a lot of years,” said Gougen. “She’s a great lady and great for the industry. There’s never pressure on the horses, so if you’re doing green horses you can do them like they’re your own animals, and that’s a nice thing.”

During the Bainbridge Classic/WCHR Spectacular, Safari earned top ribbons in section A of the first year green division behind division tricolor winners Stewart’s Ovation and Ferrell’s Corofino Gold. When Stewart declined to start Ovation in the classic, Gougen was offered the slot and accepted.

Gougen also credited his wife Kelly Gougen and his support staff for getting Safari to where he could step in the ring with confidence. “This was a huge team effort,” he said. “Everyone contributed.”


To The Top
Nicole Bellissimo, 13, made her first appearance in the classic after securing her first junior hunter championship on the Winter Equestrian Fest-ival circuit when she took the large junior, 15 and under, title. She and Say The Word scored a 76.75 to mark their debut under the lights.

Say The Word, 12, a dark brown warmblood, had been her mother’s adult hunter before Bellissimo began showing him a year ago in the children’s hunters. After they earned the WEF reserve circuit championship, Bellissimo took over the ride permanently and moved up to the 3’6″ over the summer under the direction of Ashland Farm trainers Ken and Emily Smith and David Nation.

After just missing the reserve championship a week earlier, Bellissimo was thrilled to have finally earned a tricolor. “He was really good out on the field,” she said. “He was more forward this week, so I could really get the distances I wanted.”

In the older junior divisions, Phillips once again dominated. She earned three of the four tricolor ribbons and qualified Mirasol, Mimosa and Morocco for the classic. She chose to start Mimosa and Morocco–for her seventh consecutive start in the classic–and left her newest partner, Mirasol, in the barn.

Phillips has had Mirasol, 8, for just two weeks. Trainer Andre Dignelli and Phillips selected the black warmblood from trainer Heidi Austin-Fish. “We just love him. He’d never shown as a hunter until the last two weeks. We did double divisions this week, and he qualified out of the green conformation and the small juniors,” said Dignelli “He’s done nothing but win since the day we got him. And we couldn’t be happier. We’d been looking for a small junior for Addison for quite some time. And I think we found a really great one.”

Dignelli and Phillips said their only reservation in choosing Mirasol for the classic was that he’d worked hard over the week while showing in both divisions. “He would walk right in and jump around,” said Dignelli. “But we’re trying to look beyond tonight. We’re hoping to have a long career with him.”

Phillips, New York, N.Y., is in her final junior year and is facing the difficult decision of whether to begin college this fall or take a year off. She’s been accepted to Harvard (Mass.).

“I’ll have to see. I might want to go and get those four years done,” she said, adding that she’d keep showing in the hunters and the jumpers while in college.

“I think we’ll always keep some hunter going,” said Dignelli. “I think it’s really been fun for us at Heritage and for Addy that we have hunters. And we’ve been dabbling in the professional divisions for a few years, and that’s kept it really interesting.

“I remember at the onset of Addy’s career, thinking, ‘Oh, I’ll be ready to slow it down or semi-retire when Addy finishes’, ” he added with a laugh. “And here we are, and I’m not organized yet. I don’t know what happened to that plan. We’re nearing the end of the juniors, and I’m still working.”


Triumphant Return
Caroline Moran, 40, Wellington, Fla., had a setback with Just Jack a week earlier but regrouped this week to earn the championship honors in the amateur-owner, 36 and over, division.

“This is only the third week we’ve shown at WEF,” she explained. “The first week he was reserve. Last week I flipped over in the first class and didn’t finish the division, so we decided to have Havens [Schatt] show him in the conformation this week, just to get his confidence back. He went in there great; he wasn’t scared at all. And then this week, it was like it never happened. It was quite a comeback.”

Moran and reserve champion Brad Wolf with Rio Renoir waged an intense battle for the top honors, which came down to the final stakes class on the Internationale Field. With her second-placed performance there, Moran tied Wolf in points, although with more points over fences her Just Jack earned the AHJF cooler.

“I had no idea I was champion,” said Moran smiling. “I thought Brad had it in the bag. I was nervous [on the field] at first, but once I get out there it’s really fun.”

Rachel Geiger also enjoyed her stakes class on the field with Dream Date, and their second-placed ribbon also clinched the championship in the amateur-owner, 18-35, division over Double Cinco and Stephanos.

For Geiger, 21, Malvern, Pa., this week at WEF has bittersweet memories. Two years ago, her mother, Jeannie Geiger, died the weekend of the AHJF Classic, which trainer Louise Serio won with Costello. “This is a special win,” she said of her tricolor. “I’m very excited to be able to do the classic this year.”

Geiger has had a long and satisfying partnership of seven years with the flashy bay gelding. They began in the children’s division, moved up to the juniors and are now in their third year together in the amateurs. “He’s my baby. I’ve had him the longest of all of my horses. He’s got the heart, so he’ll do whatever you ask of him,” she said.

Geiger, a senior at Eliza-bethtown College (Pa.) graduates in May with a degree in psychology. “I plan to take a year off after graduation,” she said. “I’ve been through a lot. Then I want to go to graduate school to become a grief counselor for kids. I want to help children.”


Classic Sunday Stars
Shadbellies were abundant in the Grand Hunter Field on Sunday as the day was set aside for two special hunter classics during the Bainbridge Florida Classic/WCHR Spectacular. Lindsay Portela and Jack jumped two beautiful rounds of 88 to take the WCHR Florida Children’s Hunter Classic, while Arriana Boardman guided Gatsby to the title in the Peggy Cone Memorial Adult Hunter Classic.

Portela, 15, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Jack stood second after the first round, and another stellar performance assured the blue ribbon for the 7-year-old homebred by the Oldenburg The Riddler.

“Jack is a pre-green horse, and I’ve been riding him since April,” said Portela. “This is the first time we’ve really been consistent. We gave him some time off, and for the past two weeks, we haven’t been doing too great. So this is the first weekend we kind of got back together.”

Portela scored an 85 the previous day in her division and hoped that the difficulties they had were behind them. She was anxious going into the second round, but it didn’t show. “I always get nervous. I would have been nervous going back 12th,” said Portela laughing. “My legs were shaking when I went in. My mom gets nervous too, and when I saw her pacing I got nervous. This is the first time I’ve ever won a big class.”

Portela comes from a family of equestrians. Her mother and trainer, Daryl Pirtle Portela, was a top amateur rider, while her grandfather, James B. Pirtle, is an established owner and breeder. Her father Fernando Portela and younger sister, Isabel, also ride and show.

“My grandfather owns all of our horses. And he comes and watches every weekend, so this is really exciting for him because he gets to see his granddaughter and his horses do well,” she added.

Like Portela, Boardman has had an established relationship with her adult hunter classic winner, Gatsby.”Gatsby is a horse I’ve had since he was 4,” she said. “So, it’s been a long relationship. We were both green at the same time, and we got to know each other. So, this is a very, very exciting victory.” Gatsby, a striking bay warmblood with white accents, scored an 86.5 in the first round and Boardman kept that consistency in the second round to edge Jeanine Zuckerman and Newcastle, who had scored an 88.

“I’m just thrilled with the teamwork,” Boardman added. “And, honestly, I have to say I totally enjoyed the ride. He was exactly where I wanted him to be. He was extremely straight and responsive to my aids. If I needed him to move up, he was right there. If I needed him to settle, he was thinking it before I did. And, I have to say, he was at his very best today, and I’ve always appreciated how careful of a horse he is. He’s without a doubt constantly taking care of me.”

Boardman, 31, New York, N.Y., is an avid adult amateur rider who divides her time between riding and traveling. She’s married to Dixon Boardman, a New York financier, and is the Princess Arriana Hohenlohe of Austria. She’s the daughter of Prince Alfonso and his second wife, actress Jocelyn (Jackie) Lane.

“I have to say that none of it is at all possible without the village that gets me to the ring,” Boardman added. “And that’s the grooms and Bill Cooney and Pamela Polk and Jenny Darst, who schooled him beautifully this morning for me.”

Alexandra Cherubini’s Good Night & Good Luck contested the adult hunter classic on Sunday, however, the highlight of their weekend was stepping out on the Internationale Field Saturday night prior to the $42,800 AHJF Hunter Classic Spectacular to receive the grand adult amateur hunter championship.

Cherubini and “Omar” won two classes and were second and sixth on their way to the championship. They also earned the Mia Palambella Memorial Award for the grand adult amateur hunter title. Omar’s groom, Emilio Lopez, joined Cherubini to accept the award.

“Emilio was so thrilled,” Cherubini said. “That made it all worthwhile to see him get the award with me. It was awesome that they had awards for the grooms. It’s great to acknowledge all of their hard work in getting horses to the ring.”

Omar, 8, a Dutch Warmblood gelding, was imported less than a year ago from Europe, where he was a jumper. Cherubini trains with Jimmy Toon at JT Farm. Toon has been showing Omar in the first year green division for added experience. “He’s getting better and better each week,” said Cherubini of Omar. “He’s really getting into the hunter groove.”

Cherubini, the president of EquiFit, Inc., planned to move up to the amateur-owner, 18-35, division the following week.


Sapphire Speeds To Victory In Idle Dice CSI-W
McLain Ward knows Sapphire can be counted on to jump clear in the world’s biggest Nations Cup and grand prix classes–and she has Olympic and World Equestrian Games medals to prove it–but she’s not always been noted for her speed.

During the $75,000 Bainbridge Idle Dice Classic CSI-W, held Feb. 25 in Wellington, Fla., however, Sapphire displayed a new gear and outran a tough field for the top check and valuable FEI Rolex World Cup points.

A 48-horse field tackled German Olaf Petersen Jr.’s test. While rails fell around the course, the most difficult line was at the course’s end at 11ABC where he’d set a triple combination of vertical-oxer-oxer at the fence adjacent to the VIP tent.

“It was at the end of the course, and you turned away from home,” said Ward. “Vertical-oxer-oxer is probably the most classic test of show jumping. It’s a scope power test at the end of the course. You need a real grand prix horse that’s prepared to jump a grand prix course. I think it’s a real traditional test.”

The competitors described the course as difficult. “It was starting to get a little rangier, a little scopier today,” said Ward of the course set at 1.60 meters. “I think that’s going to continue on now. It will get a little more difficult each week. This is as tough of jumping as anywhere in the world.”

It was a true race for the ribbons as the nine contenders in the nine-fence jump-off tackled the winding course. With ample room for running, the track gave the competitors the opportunity to make time with several looping gallops.

Promised Land and Christine McCrea went first and established a quick pace. A rail at the final CN oxer, however, left the door open. They
finished in 50.67 seconds.

Orlando and Darragh Kerins of Ireland returned next and screamed around the course, the stallion taking all of the tight turns and Kerins gunning to the jumps. Again, the final rail fell, leaving them momentarily in the lead with 4 faults in 48.56 seconds, which was the fastest time of the day.

Without a clear round yet posted, Ward walked in the ring and set out to change that fact. “I went early in the jump-off, and, obviously, there were some very fast horses behind me. I knew I had to flat out go as fast as Sapphire could go. As I’ve said before, she’s not an overly fast horse, but she’s getting better.”

Their clear round in 48.68 seconds proved to be the best of the day. “That’s about as fast as I’ve ever gone with her,” added Ward. “She just keeps getting better and better. Maybe I was in her way for awhile!”

After posting a stylish first-round clear, Katie Prudent, riding for France, dropped two rails in the jump-off aboard Sassicaia 11 before Canadian Eric Lamaze had trouble at the triple bar midway in the course and settled for 4 faults in 50.62 seconds with Hickstead.

Canadian Mario Deslauriers and Paradigm began their course meaning business. The athletic chestnut jumped out of his skin as he skimmed over the top rails. At the gallop to the final fence, Deslauriers added a few strides and settled for the clear round for World Cup points.

Laura Chapot, nearly unbeatable on the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit this season with two grand prix victories, sought a third title. But the speed caught up to her as she and Little Big Man approached the second-to-last fence, the combination at 11AB, wide open. The little chestnut declined to take off and slid to a stop, incurring a refusal.

When Lauren Hough and Casadora failed to catch the leading score after Casadora pulled a shoe on course, just Ilian and Schuyler Riley remained. Ilian, 17, a veteran speedster whose impressive jump and strong gallop belie his age, dug in. But in the end it wasn’t quite enough as they crossed the timers in 50.28 seconds for second place.

Riley noted that although Ilian is naturally fast, she debated going for the blue ribbon or slowing slightly and settling for second. In the end, the World Cup points were just too tempting. She now stands second to Ward in the U.S. East Coast League with 68 points to Ward’s 81 after 10 of 12 qualifiers.

“It was a little bit of a hard decision because I know McLain, even on a not-so-fast horse, he’s really fast,” said Riley. “My horse is naturally fast across the ground, and I was trying to balance out the desire for a clear with the desire to try and beat McLain. I was hoping that just my foot speed with a faster horse might catch him. I wasn’t really trying to go full throttle because I wanted to leave the jumps up today.”

Ward’s banner week also included victory in the $25,000 WEF Challenge Cup, the fifth round of the series. He guided Larioso to victory under Table A rules. The 11-year-old, Selle Francais gelding is relatively new to the big classes, and Ward’s competed him two seasons.

After Goldika 559 was injured the first week of WEF, Ward moved Larioso up behind Sapphire. “This horse has really been a second horse for me,” said Ward. “He’s been a great campaigner, but not a Sunday horse. He’s really been thrown into the fire, and I’m proud of him handling it. A lot of horses go by the wayside here when they get in that situation.”

In other jumper action, Abby Westmark, 13, Royal Palm Beach Fla., topped the FEI Children’s International Jumping Competition, CSI-CH, aboard Keebler as the only rider to achieve four perfect rounds.

“Obviously, my horse did everything. He was amazing,” she said. “Yesterday, coming into this, I was hoping I could go clean. I haven’t done a lot of big stuff yet. It feels amazing; I’m so happy right now.”

Kal Hyyppa and Cavallino Rampante earned the individual silver medal (4/104.43), while Dani Paradyzs and Stormchaser took home the bronze (4/107.32).

Westmark, who competed at the FEI Children’s Jumping competition in Colombia last summer, said she’s looking forward to attending this year’s final in Mexico. “Everybody was so nice [at the finals]. I can’t wait to go back,” she said.


Tricia Booker