Flashpoint Media Services: The Week in Review
AIKEN, S.C.—April 24, 2007—The Aiken Spring Classic, which kicked off April 18 at the Aiken Horse Park in Ford Conger Field, was a Flashpoint Media Services family affair. On the show grounds and in the ribbons for the inaugural week were Daniel Geitner, of the Aiken-based DFG Stables, the riders of the Monroe-NC-based Hunters Lane Farm, new locals Michael and Luke Tokaruk, of Tokaruk Show Stables, and Finally Farm’s Elizabeth Towell-Boyd and Jack Hardin Towell Jr., who hail from Camden, S.C.
Proving, perhaps, that there is truth in the concept of “home-court advantage,” Aiken-based Geitner was the big winner of both Friday’s Open Jumper Welcome Stake and Sunday’s $15,000 South Carolina Hunter Jumper Association’s ETV Mini Prix, which closed out the first week of the three-week show.
The Welcome Stake was nearly a Flashpoint sweep, with Geitner in 1st place aboard Kyle Register’s Trading Places and 2nd with the Sherry Cooke-owned Selle Francis gelding Miraj. He was also 5th with Snook, owned by Sara Stumberg, and 10th with the relatively new mount Paloma, owned by KCD Ventures. Taking 4th place in the Welcome was Michael Tokaruk with the Burmonds & Wetmore-owned Kinsale while Hardin Towell and his very promising jumper Iago Du Quesnoy landed in 6th.
In the Mini Prix, Geitner again had “Places” in his heart, when the 8-year-old Argentine gelding carried him to another victory, besting 11 jump-off competitors on a course designed by Jean Paul Goddard. Geitner was also second with the Rhinelander mare Sympa, owned by Mrs. Charles Bostwick. Towell, this time with his stately gray gelding Eventual, was 3rd. “It’s nice to be able to get in there and show what they can do,” said Geitner of his horses. “Sympa has turned into such a nice horse.”
Meanwhile, Hunters Lane riders dominated in the Hunter, Junior, and Pony rings. Stephen Heinecke, in the irons on Kiara Barnett’s Southern Style, was Champion in the Green Working Hunter-Second Year, Reserve Champion in the Pre-Green Hunters 3-foot-3 division aboard Lexie Piez’s A Thousand Times Yes, and Reserve Champion in the Green Conformation Hunters with Alise Oken’s Ashton.
Oken herself-who celebrated her Sweet 16 while showing in Aiken this week-captured Small Junior Hunter Champion honors aboard the Oken-Don Stewart-owned Alisette and Reserve Champion in the Large Pony Hunters with Lands End Mad Hatter. Her younger sister, Lucille Oken, was Reserve champ in the Small Pony Hunters with her mount Hi Lite. The pony and rider team also earned a 3rd place ribbon in the WIHS Pony Classic.
Earlier in the week at Aiken: Luke Tokaruk had a clean sweep of blue ribbons in the Level 1 jumpers with Windfall, owned by Thornbrook Farms, earning Champion honors; Elizabeth Towell Boyd was Champion in the Pre-Green 3-foot Hunters aboard Enticer, owned by Helen Scott Milner, and also Reserve champ in the Green Working Hunters-First Year with Caroline Morrison’s Brunello; Hardin Towell earned Champion honors in Pre-Green Hunters 3-foot-3 division piloting Sarah Ward’s Saint Patrick; and DFG client Tara Bostwick was Champion in the Large Junior Hunters 16-17 division with her horse Libertas.
New client Reid Patton, meanwhile, was busy showing her ponies at a local show in Nashville, where she took the Tri Colors in the Small Pony Hunters aboard First Edition and Reserve Champion with Bells ‘N’ Whistles. She also earned Champion honors in the Medium Pony Hunters with her newest mount Bikini Beach. Patton has now qualified three small ponies for competition at Devon, and must now decide which pony she will show.
Hunters Lane, DFG, Tokaruk Show Stables and, Finally Farm will continue showing at the Aiken Spring Classic through next week. Reid Patton will next be showing at Brownland, TN.
Flashpoint Media Services, based in Harrodsburg, KY, is a comprehensive public relations firm specializing in the equestrian sports. For additional information about any Flashpoint clients or for exclusive photographs, contact Robbi Meisel, 859-734 3713, [email protected] or Cynthia Grisolia, 347-423 7322, [email protected].
Photo is ©Shawn McMillen Photography and is to be used only in conjunction with this press release.
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