The Tournament of Champions rolled on today at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center in Tampa, FL. The horse show is the ninth and final week of the 2006 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Multiple hunter championships were awarded today.
In the Pre-Green 3’ Hunters, Morgan Thomas and Enchilada, owned by Norgan, Inc. won all three over fences classes this week to capture the championship. Reserve champion was Be Cool, ridden by Scott Stewart for Krista Weisman.
Thomas and wife Nora Frederickson bought Enchilada last November and joked that the chestnut gelding was, “Our little enchilada!” Thomas added, “His sire is named Chilano Z. I like one word names that you remember, and it really suits him now.”
Morgan went on to say, “He’s been a really nice horse; a better horse than we thought. He’s as good of a jumper as I’ve had in years. I don’t think that’s an overstatement; I think that it’s the real thing. He has a natural balance and a naturally supple, elastic, self-carrying canter. His jump is just an extension of that good canter. He’s raw goods, but it’s innately there.”
It took two first place ribbons for Kiny to secure the top spot in the Pre-Green 3’3” division and capture the WEF circuit championship, but that is exactly what the typey bay gelding did today. With rider Ken Smith, the eight year old Selle Francais was first and second over fences on Tuesday and won the over fences and under saddle classes today for the division championship this week for owner Adeline Negre. Legacy and Jeff Gogul, who rode for Margaret Lahner, were reserve champions.
“He goes like a Thoroughbred,” Smith acknowledged. “He’s a quiet horse and is light across the ground. He’s got a lot of scope and is very fun to ride.” Originally found by Ken and Emily Smith’s horse dealers in France, Kiny just kept “hunterizing” the more shows that he did. “He ended up getting consistent towards the end of circuit. We brought him here, and all of a sudden he’s turned into a real hunter,” Smith noted.
Smith notched a second championship for the day in the First Year Green Hunters on Cosmo, owned by Susan Stanley. The big bay gelding finished with two firsts and a second over fences and was third in the under saddle. Reserve champion was Heartfelt, ridden by Scott Stewart and owned by Molly Ohrstrom.
The Green Conformation Hunter champion this week was Banner, ridden and owned by Scott Stewart. Banner won the model class, was third in the under saddle, and received two firsts and two thirds over fences. Reserve champion was Candide, ridden by Maggie Jayne and owned by Rachel Spencer.
Stewart purchased the seven year old bay gelding from Geoff Teall at the beginning of WEF and showed him originally in the First Year Green Hunters. This was only the second time that Banner has shown in the Conformation Hunters. “He’s always been pretty, but he hasn’t been muscled up and fat enough for the conformation classes,” Stewart explained. “This week, he looked so good that I decided to do it.”
Stewart went on to clarify why he waited to show Banner in the Conformation Hunters, “He was a little undeveloped in the beginning. Structurally, he has always been correct. I’ll probably keep him in the division now, and I think he belongs in it.”
While there are some horses like Compliment, whom he rides for Molly Ohrstrom, that are capable of showing in the Conformation Hunters right away, many other horses must wait to show in the division. “More times than not, it takes them three to four months to get them conditioned enough to do the Conformation Hunters here,” Stewart said. But Stewart appreciates the division. “If you have the model winner that jumps well, it’s nice to think that if you have a medium round that you can move up through the conformation. This has been one of the most competitive years for this division with a lot of good horses,” he pointed out.
Stewart also picked up another championship ribbon in the Second Year Green Hunters on Music Street, owned by Alexa Weisman. Reserve champion was Onassis, ridden by Claire Kellner for Britian McNeel.
Hunter action at the Tournament of Champions continues tomorrow with a championship presentation in the Regular Working Hunters and the first classes for the Amateur-Owner 36 & Over, the Adult Amateur 18-35, and the Adult Amateur 36-50 Hunters.
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