Donna Struve’s extra effort to import Polo mints from Ireland for her horse Flaglar-who appreciates the treats over anything else-paid off at the Showplace II Horse Show, Wayne, Ill., June 16-20, when the pair took home the adult amateur, 36-50, championship.

“I just showed him which jumps and he did the best that he could. I just got to sit and enjoy the ride,” said Struve, who also grabbed the reserve championship aboard her other mount, Tapestry.

Struve bought both horses about a year and a half ago, but under some upsetting circumstances. She was in need of new horses because her mounts-Earl Grey and Valhalla-succumbed to colic and a broken leg at nearly the same time. “They both died within a couple of weeks of each other, which was just horrendous,” said Struve.

Determined to get back in the ring, Struve began her search for new horses at trainer Scott Gentry’s Oak Hill Farm. There she found Flaglar, a 9-year-old Italian Warmblood who was showing in the junior hunters.

“He’s a very smart horse. He is not always an easy ride,” said Struve. “Scott and he get along really well, so Scott prepares him, and when I go in the ring he is always just about perfect for me.”

Struve, who has been riding with Gentry since she moved to the United States from Ireland 20 years ago, had to look a little further afar for Tapestry, a 7-year-old Hano-verian. Her search took her to Florida where she purchased the liver chestnut mare from Hunt Tosh.

“The minute I got on her back I looked over at Scott, and I nodded my head like, ‘This is it,’ ” said Struve. “We had looked at a lot of horses, and when we found her I knew. She is the sweetest mare I have ever met.”

Struve was pleased to be runner-up with “Dora” since she considers their partnership to still be in the developing stages. “I tend to not ride her as well as ‘Flag.’ I am still getting to know her,” she said.

Struve, 41, of Wilmette, Ill., balances her riding ambitions with being a full-time mom for a teenage son and daughter. But she hopes to fit in a trip to the NAL and Marshall & Sterling adult finals at the Pennsylvania National and the National Indoor Finals (Mass.) this fall, and perhaps even a stop at the Metropolitan National (N.Y).

Steve Martines, Chicago, Ill., had to deal with a busier schedule than usual on his way to the adult amateur, 51 and over, title. Not only did he have the final details of a new home he is building on his mind, he missed showing on the first day because of a family gathering.

“I was very fortunate this week. The ribbons spread around a bit,” he said. But Martines thinks giving his horse Solitaire, who was also reserve open hunter champion earlier in the week with Kara Raposa, the day off didn’t hurt.

“He had that extra day off and he was outstanding,” he said. “He is just the perfect amateur adult horse. He’ll let you kind of flop around on his back, and he’ll ignore you a little bit.”

Martines bought the 8-year-old German-bred three years ago and has been delighted with his success, especially in the under saddle classes.

“He wasn’t supposed to be a mover,” said Martines. But Solitaire proved to be just that when he won every under saddle class in the adult amateur, 51 and over, division at the Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.), over the winter. Solitaire was beaten in the under saddle at Showplace, but only by Martines’ other horse Cabachon, who also earned the open hunter tricolor with Raposa.

Martines, 65, decided to name all of his horses after gemstones in honor of a horse he once rode called Diamond Man. “People think I am in the jewelry business,” he said. When not in the saddle, he owns a business selling, servicing and leasing heavy construction equipment. But he cherishes getting away from work to ride.

“In life everybody is a freelancer, an independent contractor it seems, and I am still able to do my horses and still have my team,” he said. “Both of us have to be on and both of us have to cooperate.”

Team Player

Being part of the team at Woodrun Farm in Mundelein, Ill., is what put Ashley Browning in the irons at Showplace, where she carried off the adult amateur, 18-35, tricolor aboard Lisa Mills’ Vanity.

Browning, 35, usually shows in the amateur-owner division aboard her Swedish Warmblood Matisse, but a slight injury sidelined the gelding during Showplace. “He decided he didn’t want to participate,” said Browning. “I pulled him out to ride [the day before] and he wasn’t quite right.”

Luckily, Mills, a client of Woodrun trainer Heidi Fish, offered Browning the ride on Vanity, a 7-year-old Oldenburg, mare. The pair clicked right away, earning two firsts and three seconds on the way to the championship.

“She is just absolutely a delightful horse,” said Browning. “I’m very fortunate. I love my horse dearly, but Vanity is a much nicer horse.”

Browning has worked as barn manager and groom at Woodrun for 11 years. She credits that position with keeping her in the show ring. “I’m lucky enough that people always let me ride horses if mine is hurt,” she said.

Vanity also won for Tammy Provost in the professional divisions. The mare was one of several extra rides Provost picked up at Showplace when Fish broke her wrist in a riding accident the first week.

Provost, 33, of Zionsville, Ind., earned the second year reserve championship aboard Vanity and the championship with the 10-year-old Holsteiner Cayman, also trained by Fish.

“I was just the catch rider,” said Provost. “They are both really easy. Vanity is one of the best jumpers I have ever ridden. She is just amazing. And Cayman is one of the best amateur horses I have ever ridden.”

Both horses were purchased in the Netherlands from Joe Norick, as was one of Provost’s winners from her own stable. Provost grabbed the reserve first year green title on student Laurie Stevens’ Serengeti.

The win was especially exciting since the 8-year-old liver chestnut was just imported last month. “He is amazing to ride,” said Provost. “His first week of showing was the first week of Showplace.” Serengeti continued to impress later in the week, taking the reserve amateur-owner, 36 and over title, with Stevens up.

Another of Provost’s winning rides was also a recent import from Norick. Pre-green champion Maui Jim, also owned by Stevens, arrived in April.

“He is one of the most amazing minded 4-year-olds I have ever had,” said Provost. “He’s quiet and easy with all the quality to match it.”

New Winning Partnerships

Stevens’ former horse Gandolf began a new partnership at Showplace with Kailley Lindman, earning the unrestricted children’s/ adult tricolor.

Lindman, 15, of Rockford, Ill., just started riding “Calvin” a month ago. “This was my first real show on him,” said Lindman. “It was all about getting used to him and getting to know him. Things seem to have clicked pretty quickly, so I am thankful for that.”

“I am looking forward to actually being able to work with him outside of the show ring,” she added.

Lindman, who trains with Robin Young, also secured the children’s, 15-17, title aboard her Incantation, a 7-year-old, Oldenburg gelding she has ridden for two years.

“My horse for the most part was very, very good. He still has a little greenness in him. Sometimes he will check out what was going on outside the ring,” said Lindman.

“Gryffin” also accompanied Lindman to Farmington, Conn., where she was a sophomore at Miss Porter’s School. “It was wonderful having my horse out there because I was able to see him every day,” said Lindman, who helped to organize the first-ever Miss Porter’s equestrian team last year.

Caitlin Hope, 12, also made her rides count at Showplace, racking up tricolors in the children’s, 14 and under, novice children’s and modified children’s divisions with her own Gratitude and Canterbury Farm’s Diabella.

Gratitude, an 8-year-old Thoroughbred purchased in September, had previously shown as a dressage horse. “He has gotten better and better,” said Lindman, who also enjoys “Mick’s” personality in the stable.

“He likes to stick out his tongue a lot. And when he is in his stall he looks a little mad, but he really isn’t,” she said.

Hope, Barrington, Ill., began her partnership with the 11-year-old Diabella just before the show when trainer Dianne Carney spotted the mare and thought the two would make a good match. Hope credited Diabella’s similarities to her own horse for the seamless transition.

“They are pretty similar. You have to take a feel off the turns, and they have big strides,” she said.

Hope, who is entering grade 7 at Barrington Hills Middle School this fall, just moved up to horses from the pony ring after indoors last year. She is currently working toward her goal of riding in the equitation finals by age 14 and aspires to ride her jumper Liverpool at Spruce Meadows (Alta.) next year.