It was good to be named Schaefer at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show Junior Weekend, to be sure. The dynamic duo of Schaefer Raposa and Samantha Schaefer swept all of the pony hunter honors at the show, Oct. 12-15 in Harrisburg, Pa.

Schaefer rode Rockport to the medium pony hunter tricolor and Winston to the large pony championship and received the best child rider on a pony honors. And Raposa picked up the grand pony and small pony hunter championships aboard Super Trooper, the medium pony reserve on Triple Threat, and was second in the best child rider judging.

For Schaefer, the wins were all the more meaningful because both Rockport and Winston are ponies she’s put a lot of hard work into, in their first indoor season outings. Rockport, a bay 8-year-old, arrived in their barn from Europe in June of 2005.

“He was very green when we got him, but he’s grown up a lot. He’s one of my favorites,” Schaefer, 13, said. “He wasn’t very good on the ground–he was very scared of people. But he was good to ride.”

In fact, this is Rockport’s green year, but Schaefer and her trainer, Kim Stewart, thought he’d be fine competing in the regular divisions. Earlier in the summer, Schaefer won the USEF Pony Medal Finals (Ky.) on him.

“After Pony Finals, we had a show inside, and he just walked in and he didn’t care, so I trusted him. He wasn’t looking and was right on,” she said. “He’s really slow and an easy lead changer. You don’t have to think about a lot of things on him.”

Winston, 7, competed as a green pony last year for former owner Rachel Koggan (then named Bon Shonce). Schaefer, of Westminster, Md., bought him in January. “In the first class, he was a little green and looking around,” she said. “But he figured it all out quickly.

“He’s a really good jumper, and he’s got a very big stride,” she added. “You can get him anywhere and he jumps well. He’s slow as well–I like the slow ones!”

Both Winston and Rockport are for sale, and Schaefer has a large green pony she’s working with. But she’s not looking forward to saying goodbye to Rockport. “It’s going to be hard to give that one up. He’s like my baby,” she said.

Interestingly enough, Schaefer showed the small and grand pony champion Super Trooper last year for owner Robin Greenwood until she outgrew the small ponies. Raposa, Wellington, Fla., took over the reins in May and hasn’t looked back. They earned the small pony championship together at the Wild Horsefeathers/USEF Pony Hunter Finals (Ky.) in August.

“She’s just been on a roll. She’s done an awesome job on him,” Greenwood said.

This Pennsylvania National tricolor was the first for Raposa, 12. “I’m really excited. This was my first championship here, and it feels like he’s come such a long way. He used to be not quite as rideable, but with practice and flatwork, and spending time with him, he’s gotten so much better,” she said of Super Trooper, 8.

Greenwood bought Super Trooper 11�2 years ago from Allyson Coluccio, who had imported him from England. Dorothy Cope bred the Welsh pony (Lechlade Quince–Culross First Love) and enjoys keeping up with his successes, so Greenwood makes sure to call her with reports. And Greenwood has been so impressed with the pony that she recently bought his 2-year-old full sister.

“He’s as good as they get,” said Greenwood. “He’s gorgeous, he moves beautifully, he’s a good jumper and he’s easy to do.”


They Know How To Win
Jennifer Waxman started her Pennsylvania National career winning on ponies, and she’s now made the transition to horses. She guided Saloon to the grand junior and large junior hunter, 15 and under, championships.

The elegant, bay gelding has won at Harrisburg before, with owner Whitney Roper. “I know he loves it here, and he’s done well here before, so I was just hoping to do well,” Waxman said.

“He feels really good. I really get along with him great, and he’s really just an awesome horse to ride. He knows what’s going on, and he knew it was really important today, so he tried so hard. At the smaller shows, he’s still awesome, but he definitely puts in that extra effort when it matters the most.”

Waxman, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, leased Saloon for the year and took the grand junior hunter tricolor at Devon (Pa.) this spring. But Waxman, 15, doesn’t let high expectations ruin her enjoyment of Saloon.

“I do better when I don’t put pressure on myself, so I just try to think about the fact that he’s awesome, and if I don’t do well, that’s OK. He’s just so much fun to ride. He’s got the best canter, and he loves to show. It’s so nice to ride one that you know wants to do well. He always tried to help you–he never lets you down.”

Blink and Hardin Towell are also familiar faces accepting championship ribbons, and this year they repeated their large junior, 16-17, title at Harrisburg. Last year, Blink was a new horse on the scene and something of a surprise winner.

“He’s grown up a lot. He’s a year older–he’s 7 now, and he’s a lot easier to get prepared. Last year, I didn’t really know what to expect out of him, but he’s very dependable here. He was reserve at Devon this year–he was a little worried about all the people there. But I knew he’d be good at indoors,” Towell said.


Pleasantly Surprised
When trainer Ginny Edwards of Hidden Hollow, Upperville, Va., asked Kacy Jenkins to catch-ride Lemieux, Jenkins had little inkling that they’d end up as the small junior, 16-17, champions at Harrisburg. It was a repeat win for Jenkins, who had earned the same title last year, but with her own Signature.

Jenkins, 18, Potomac Falls, Va., first hopped on Lemieux in September at the Middleburg Classic (Va.). “We were OK there, but had a few kinks here and there to work out. I was just trying to figure him out,” she said.

And they were supposed to show at the Capital Challenge (Md.), but Jenkins fell from another horse, badly contusing her elbow. She wasn’t able to ride that week, so she knew she’d be going into the Pennsylvania National without much experience on Lemieux.

She didn’t let it stop them. “I can’t thank Ginny enough for asking me. It was a pleasure, and he’s so much fun. It was a learning experience because he was new to them too. So, we were all trying to learn about him,” she said.

“He’s a different ride than I’m used to–he’s a mixture of my two horses. But we just clicked, and I got so many compliments on how he went, and that’s so nice to hear,” Jenkins continued. “He’s goes off the flow, so for the stake class today, I just picked up that canter and kept it the whole way around. He jumps so high over everything. It’s a great feeling.”

The small junior, 15 and under, tricolor aboard MVP was the first Harrisburg win for Amelia McArdle. And it was all the more rewarding because MVP suffered a possible career-ending injury in 2004.

McArdle bought MVP, a 9-year-old Belgian Warmblood, in the beginning of 2004. The chestnut gelding had been showing in the green divisions with Morgan Thomas. McArdle of Barrington, Ill., spent the Florida circuit figuring out the ride, but their time together was cut short when MVP was injured.

“He actually fractured his cannon bone–we think in the trailer on the way home from Florida. It took a whole year–he was off six months, and then came back really slowly,” McArdle, 16, said.

“It was very frustrating because in that first Florida, we weren’t totally together for the over fences classes, but he won four under saddle classes. It was like we were really hopeful for the future, and then that happened. But that’s horses! It just took a little bit of getting back into things this Florida, but he’s been great all year. This year, by the summer, we were really getting solid with him, and he was great here.”

McArdle has been riding since she was 8 and also shows jumpers and in the equitation with trainer Katie Kappler. She’s especially thrilled to have perfected her ride on MVP.

“He really can be different. I’ve had to figure him out, but now that I have, he’s pretty straightforward. He’s a very forward horse–he wants to go every time. The only problem I’ve had with him is him being too forward to the jumps,” she said.


Zone 2 Has A New Winning Generation
Three of the four members of the winning Zone 2 team in the Adequan/Prix des States Junior Jumper Team competition were showing in their first Prix des States. But Carolyn Kelly was a veteran, having competed last year, and they pulled off a thrilling victory.

“Can I just say, ‘Finally!’ ” Kelly exclaimed after their win. Kelly, Miasha Fisher and Hillary Dobbs had all been on the same team at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships (Va.) this summer.

“We had a tough break at Young Riders, where one rail was costly and meant the silver instead of the gold, so this was a big goal for us to win,” Dobbs said. “I think we were all pretty fired up after Young Riders. We were hungry for the gold.”

Addison Phillips was their fourth member at Young Riders, but at Harrisburg Clementine Goutal joined forces with them. “I was really nervous because I didn’t know what they were going to face us with, but my horse gives me a lot of confidence and jumped really well, and my team was really supportive. It’s nice being on a team with your friends,” Goutal said.

After Round 1, Zone 2 held the lead, with an eight-fault total. Kelly and Fisher had four-fault goes on Omona A W and Kitty 41, respectively, with Goutal as the drop score with 8 on Rastella. Dobbs had buoyed Zone 2 hopes with one of only five clean first rounds.

“I knew I had to pull my weight and keep us in it for the second round,” Dobbs said.

The three returned the favor in Round 2, jumping consistently and ensuring that Zone 2 would win without Dobbs jumping again. Kelly and Goutal recorded four-fault goes, with Fisher posting an eight-fault score.

“It wasn’t the best I’ve ridden. I was just trying to go in and concentrate and not have any more than 8 faults,” Fisher said. “I knew that we might still have a chance. Everyone on my team pulled their weight and was incredible, and I think we really kind of deserve this. We’ve been working hard.”


Just Fast Enough
Dobbs followed up her team gold with an individual gold the following night. And the individual competition was packed with drama, with jump-offs for both the gold and the bronze.

Dobbs went first in the jump-off for the gold, and when Quincy B pulled a rail at the last vertical, she thought she knew how the evening would end.

“It was a tough break–I just didn’t get it back enough to the double, and it was a heartbreaker to have the last jump in the jump-off down. I was prepared to get silver, and I figured, I got team gold and individual silver, so I was still thrilled,” she said.

Maggie McAlary started her jump-off somewhat conservatively on Pedro, looking like she was going for the slow clear to win. But a rail fell at the third fence, and McAlary picked up the pace. It wasn’t enough, as she stopped the timers just .3 seconds slower than Dobbs.

“I was in total shock when I heard that she was just off the pace,” Dobbs said.

Dobbs, who rides with Missy Clark and John Brennan, has had the ride on Quincy B for eight months. “He’s a small horse, but he has a very big stride, and a big, lofty jump. Sometimes we don’t quite get the time because he takes so much time in the air. But I can always count on him for the scope and bravery,” she said.

Another small horse with a big jump claimed the individual bronze medal after putting in by far the fastest jump-off time. Kristen Vanderveen had helped her Zone 5 team to a tie for the team bronze the night before, and at the end of the individual rounds she found herself in a tie for third with Julie Welles.

Vanderveen, of St. Charles, Ill., set the pace right off the bat with Bradberry, a fiery chestnut gelding. Their jump-off time was 2 seconds faster than Welles’ time. “I figured I’d go for it–I wanted a medal,” Vanderveen, 17, said. “It’s the biggest thing I’ve done in a while. The last indoors I did was on the pony jumpers, so this was a big deal.”

She and Bradberry gave the crowd quite a show–the small Selle Fran�ais has an unusual style, with bounding leaps in between the fences and an aggressive approach. Vanderveen rides him with poise and aplomb.

“He’s a little bit tough, but he’s always taking me to the jumps, and I like that. Sometimes he’ll knock something down in front, but he’s really fast, so I don’t have to push him too hard in the jump-offs,” she said.

Wilhelmina Horzepa will probably be following in Vanderveen’s footsteps from the pony to the junior jumpers. And she showed she’s ready to win by claiming victory in the NAL Pony Jumper Finals aboard her longtime partner, Exhilaration.

Horzepa, 15, has competed in this class on multiple ponies in former years, but this was her first win. She accomplished it with the only clean jump-off round, but her time was still much faster than anyone else’s.

“I didn’t watch anybody in the jump-off. I asked my Dad if there was anyone clear, and he said no. So I just went around slow and hoped I was clear! He’s a quick pony, but I didn’t push him,” she said. “We know each other so well. Even if we’re totally at the wrong spot, I can let him have his head and he’ll take care of me.”

Horzepa has shown Exhilaration for five years and also competes in the children’s jumper division with the 14.11�2�hand pony. But Exhilaration is now 19, and Horzepa plans to start slowing down his schedule. The game chestnut is currently leading the USEF national pony jumper standings.

Horzepa’s second ride in the class was with Sweet Curiosity, a 12.2-hand pinto pony that was a crowd favorite and finished 12th. Her younger sister, Mary Elizabeth, earned eighth place on Amber.

For more coverage of the Pennsylvania National, go to www.chronofhorse.com, and click on the online coverage archives.


Molly Sorge


Making The Leap
Nicole Bellissimo is having a great year after just stepping up to the children’s jumpers this season. She returned to Harrisburg with her 9-year-old gelding, Coach, to top her first NAL Children’s Jumper Final.

Speed was the name of the game in the 14-horse jump-off. There were lines for leaving strides out and opportunities for inside turns.

“Coach is a very careful horse, but I kind of had to lift him and make sure my leg would push him over,” said Bellissimo, who trains with Ken and Emily Smith. “My trainer always tells me not to try and go in there and kill your horse just going fast. It’s important to have pace and go fast, but you really want to have connection to hold the horse up and really guide him.”

Returning fifth to jump-off, they were first to jump faultlessly while leaving strides out in long lines and cutting corners when possible. They blazed in at 32.88 seconds–a mark none of the other riders could match.

Bellissimo and Coach earned the Winter Equestrian Festival’s (Fla.) children’s jumper, 13 and under, circuit championship. Bellissimo had just started riding Coach in January.

“As soon as I got on him he was just so good. I had just started doing the children’s [divisions], and he really took care of me, and I really felt a connection,” said Bellissimo.

Catherine Tyree, Chicago, Ill., and Peppercorn also found an immediate connection at WEF. Tyree made the leap from ponies to children’s this season and returned to Harrisburg for her third year to win the NAL Children’s Hunter Finals.

“I just got [Peppercorn] in Florida, so he’s still kind of a new ride for me,” said Tyree of her 8-year-old warmblood. “I think [this win] means the most to her mother!” said Tyree’s mother, Mary. “She’s been riding here every year since she started competing. I know it takes a lot to get here, it’s not just a given. I’m very proud of her.”

Catherine has competed for 3 1/2 years and has trained with Katie Kappler in Barrington, Ill., since she began showing.

Tyree and Peppercorn had a smooth first round for a score of 85. They returned for Round 2 and placed third. Tyree’s good friend Salli Slack stood atop the class with an 87 aboard Melanda.

“The first round I just went in and tried to do my best. He’s still a little spooky, but once we got over the first fence I knew we’d be OK,” said 12-year-old Tyree.

Her consistency earned an 87 in the final round and a total score of 172. But this victory became somewhat bittersweet for Tyree.

After Adele Norton and Just One Look managed an 80, their total of 167 couldn’t catch the new leader. Slack and Melanda finally took to the course and seemed cool and collected. But at the final fence, Melanda left from a deep distance and rubbed the jump. Their score of 69 dropped them from first to eighth, and Tyree retained the top score.

“I was so happy to win, but it was also hard because I’m really good friends with Salli,” said Tyree.


Joshua A. Walker