Mandy Porter and Summer turned on the afterburners and raced to victory in the $35,000 Wild Turkey Farm Grand Prix, the featured class at the Country Classic Horse Show held at Hunter Creek Farm in Wilsonville, Ore., July 12-16.

Perhaps it was fate too. Wild Turkey Farm sponsored the class, and one of their most recognized trainers claimed the prize and took the top check back home to owner Barbara Ellison.

Porter, Encinitas, Calif., joined the Wild Turkey team in 2001 and has ridden Summer with progressively better results for two years.

“I actually felt a little more pressure to do well in this class,” Porter said with a laugh.

Jamie Alder designed Sunday’s grand prix course to provide appropriate challenges for the diverse class of competitors. With a number of riders and horses taking on their first grand prix amid seasoned pros, the fences proved fair but challenging, especially for greener horses.

Alder’s course filled only half of the large grand prix ring, which Porter said resulted in a different ride. “For the young horses, it was probably a little more difficult because instead of allowing a lot of room for galloping, they had to come off of tight turns and into difficult lines,” she explained.

But with experience on their side, Summer and Porter negotiated the first course perfectly to become one of four combinations to advance to the jump-off. While Rich Fellers and McGuiness normally vie for top position, a rail kept them out of the jump-off.

Amateur rider Jacqueline Fleckenstein tackled the jump-off first and finished clean aboard Oscar, setting the pace in 41.89 seconds. Philippa Fournier and her young gelding, Caverhill, followed suit with a clear round but in a slower time (42.02 seconds).

Then Porter and Summer took to the twisty jump-off course and raised the bar significantly. Despite an awkward distance to the final fence, their time of 38.44 seconds propelled them to the top.

But Audra Fleck-Snijders and Rainland’s Mel were the final pair in the ring and kept Porter on edge.

“I knew that Audra had her ride after me, and I knew her and Rainland’s Mel would be fast,” Porter said. “I didn’t want to go crazy fast, but I wanted a nice and smooth round.”

Even after Fleck-Snijders’ clean round in 38.91 seconds, Porter’s time remained unmatched.

“It was a good course to use to kind of bring Summer back into the ring,” Porter said. “She was supposed to go to Calgary [Spruce Meadows North American], but she came down with an infection so we didn’t get to go.”

Porter’s goal for the 10-year-old Belgian-bred–who was originally bought from and trained by Norman Dello Joio–is to qualify for next year’s FEI World Cup Finals in Las Vegas.

“In the end of August we’ll start gearing up for the World Cup qualifier classes. One of our biggest goals right now is to make sure Summer is fit and ready for that kind of competition,” said Porter.

Before the end of the weekend, Wild Turkey Farm’s Marco also took home second-placed honors in the Speed Derby, with Porter in the irons. Porter also rode Granne 17 to the reserve championship in level 4 jumpers.

Clean Sweeps
The second year green hunter division featured a horse who maintains a nearly flawless record–Vida Blue. She demonstrated again why so many judges before have rewarded her so richly.

Owned by Lesley Bulecheck, Vida Blue earned another tricolor and topped the $10,000 NWLegUp Working Hunter Championship with John French piloting.

The 8-year-old mare has contested nine second year green hunter divisions and has walked away with seven championships. French said Vida Blue’s natural and relaxed ability over fences makes her one to watch.

“She has a beautiful jump, but it’s also the way she carries herself between the jumps. Her ears are always pricked forward, and she looks totally relaxed in the ring. She really loves her job,” said French.

Vida Blue inspired scores as high as a 95, and she won the hunter classic by more than 40 points.

“The judges were so complimentary of her. It’s not very often you get scores of 95. One judge told me he almost gave her a 100,” French said.
Ironically, Bulecheck and French met Vida Blue on a whim. They found her in February on their way back to the Indio Desert Circuit (Calif.) after a week of horse shopping in Florida.

“We’d been looking for a horse for Lesley for over a year. We went to Florida during the off-week at Indio but didn’t really find anything that struck us. On our way back to California, we thought, ‘Oh well, why don’t we just stop and try this one horse in Texas I heard about.’ So we did. We knew then and there that she was the one,” French recounted.

So they loaded Vida Blue into the trailer and took her back to California. She hit the ground running, winning the adult amateur, 18-35, championship during her first show with Bulecheck in week 5 of Indio and went on to win another tricolor with French in the second year green hunter division the following week.

At the Country Classic, Bulecheck and Vida Blue swept every class in the amateur-owner, 18-35, division for the championship.

French, Malibu, Calif., forecasts a rewarding future for Vida Blue as a regular working hunter next year while Bulecheck continues showing her in amateur-owner divisions.

French also piloted his own Gilligan to the small hunter championship, and he guided Julie Ridgeway’s Lucky Brown to the open working hunter tricolor. Lucky Brown is a horse that French has brought up the ranks.

“We got him at the end of his 3-year-old year, and he was barely broken,” said French. “I took him to Indio that year as a 4-year-old and thought he would show in the baby greens, but we ended up doing the pre-greens and becoming the circuit champions.”

Ridgeway purchased Lucky Brown, now 8, three years ago and enjoys a steady wining streak in the amateur-owners, including the amateur-owner, 36 and over, championship at the Country Classic.

Natural Talent
Tile Valley Farm, of Beaverton, Ore., also enjoyed a bountiful week as one of its top trainers, Megan Garcia, dominated the first year green hunter division. She piloted Morocco to the championship and Ravello to the reserve championship.

Garcia, of Newberg, Ore., and Morocco’s owner, Megan Goss, discovered the horse in Germany two years ago through Dutch broker Jan Brower, whom they place great trust in for discovering exceptional horses.

Morocco, in particular, was named top 4-year-old jumper in Germany the year of his purchase.

“He could have easily come back here to be a top quality jumper. But he’s such a wonderful mover and such an attractive horse it would be a shame to not ride him as a hunter,” said Garcia.

“He’s very natural,” added Garcia of Morocco’s movement. “You don’t have to create his movement at all. You could even loop the reins, and he would do it all himself. I think that’s what makes him so pleasing to watch.”

It’s this confidence that Garcia sees Morocco, now 6, bringing to the second year green division hunters next year. Garcia hopes to continue honing Morocco’s inherent talent and ultimately preparing him for a successful regular working hunter career.

At 8 years, Ravello–a promising mount owned by Julia Long–looks ready to continue maturing. “He’s been able to hold his own in the professional classes as well,” said Garcia. “I’ve been very surprised by his success this year in the first year division.”

A New Horse, A New Style
Having her own Morocco take home the championship in the first year green hunter division with Megan Garcia in the irons, was only part of Megan Goss’ success at the Country Classic.

Goss, 19, Sherwood, Ore., also earned the reserve championship with Morocco in the amateur-owner, 18-35, division. Later, in the jumper ring, Goss and her 10-year-old, bay gelding Idolin claimed the adult amateur jumper, 18-35, reserve championship.

Goss realized the moment she sat on the 16-hand grand prix horse from Mexico that he was just perfect.

“He felt very similar to Morocco, and I loved his ride,” Goss said. “I’ve never done jumpers before, so this is all kind of new to me. I’m hoping to slowly move up with him into the [junior/amateur-owners]. So far I’m just having fun with jumpers. He has what it takes to go as far as he can go. It’s just a matter of whether I’m ready to catch up with him or not.”

After 21�2 months of experience with Idolin, Goss has developed a strong partnership.

“She’s a very talented rider, and they look good together. I think once she builds more confidence in the jumper ring, everyone will be chasing her,” said Garcia.