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Traverse City, MI - July 21, 2008 - - The first week of Horse Shows by the Bay has come to an end, and the highlight event of the week brought hundreds of spectators to the Flintfields Horse Park. The winner of the $25,000 Spy Coast Farm Grand Prix of Traverse City was 19-year-old Addison Phillips of New York City on Cernunnus von Hof.

The course was designed by Evi Friske of Canada, and it offered more than meets the eye. There were two technical lines set on the diagonals, including a triple combination with a lengthy two stride to comfortable one stride that surprised many. Six horses were able to go clear in the first round to advance to the jump-off.

Phillips and the 11-year-old Cernunnus von Hof rode quickly and smoothly in the jump off, and despite a rub at the first fence, they made it with no faults and the fastest time of 38.813 seconds.

This was Phillips' and Cernunnus von Hof's first major grand prix win. Phillips has owned the 11-year-old gelding for a year, and they won the Welcome Stake last month in Chicago. Phillips won the $10,000 Welcome Stake this week on Thursday with Trezebees.

This was Phillips' first time competing at Horse Shows by the Bay and she has enjoyed the first week of competition, especially the enthusiastic crowd that was there to watch the grand prix. "There were a great number of spectators for the grand prix (today)," she said. "That really makes it fun. You don't see that necessarily at all horse shows. It's really fun when you come to horse shows and there are lots of spectators cheering you on."

Jumper Highlights - Wednesday through Saturday

The highlight jumper class for the first day of competition on Wednesday was the $1,000 Level 6 Jumpers. The winner of the class was David Beisel and horse Irish Hunt, owned by Carlie Beisel of Greenwood, MO. David Beisel resides in Cincinnati, OH. Irish Hunt was only one of many that David rode in the class, but it was the one who came out on top.

Thursday's action in the expansive Team Elmer's Grand Prix ring was the $3,000 NAL Open Speed class. Many top names turned out for their chance at the generous prize money and first-place honors. The NAL Open Speed class ran off of Table II Sec 2.1, Level 7. There was no jump-off; the best first round was how the winner was determined. The course, designed by Canadian Eve Friske, was quick but interesting.

Steve Weiss, who resides in New York, was all smiles as he was named the winner and was awarded top honors. With two rides in the class on Laura Connolly's horses, his winning round was aboard Sil, owned by Laura Connolly of Rye, NY. "This grand prix ring is fantastic. I love riding in it. I was not here last year and I know the ring is new, and it reminds me a lot of the grand prix ring in Kentucky," commented Weiss. "The ring has a beautiful, beautiful setting, backdrop and amazing footing."

Friday's $10,000 Welcome Prix was an event that brought many patrons to the Team Elmer's Grand Prix ring thanks to Schreiber Corporation, who was the sponsor of the class. Patrice Schreiber was the driving force behind the sponsorship. The Welcome Prix course utilized much of the space in the heart-shaped ring. The well-designed course put eleven horses through to the jump-off.

With just two horses in the class, the winner was the talented Addison Phillips of New York, NY, aboard her 12-year-old chestnut mare Trezebees. With a first round time of just 78.825 seconds and a blazing jump-off time of 38.679, no one could catch her.

"This is our first time coming to Michigan, and we are extremely happy with it. The ring is great, we are really happy with the courses, the jumps are the perfect size, and it has been a great experience so far," stated Phillips. "My favorite part of the show has been the people behind it. Everyone has been super nice and they try so hard to keep the grounds looking nice, there is a ton of shade, the courses are nice and the jumps are pretty. They try so hard to make everyone feel important."

Saturday's feature class in the Team Elmer's Grand Prix ring was the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame (SJHOF) High Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic. The class was sponsored by the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa of Traverse City. The fastest in the jump-off for the win was 15-year-old Victoria Birdsall of Topsfield, MA, on Jerremy.

Prior to Birdsall's win, Kim Carey of Huntington Ridge Farm generously sponsored the $2,500 Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, which took place in the Team Elmer's Grand Prix ring earlier in the day. Winning the class was young and talented Katie Dinan, who just turned 15-years-old. Residing in New York, NY, she rides with trainer Steve Weiss. Dinan had two horses in the class and won on her bay mare Mobile 4.

Hunter Highlights - Wednesday through Sunday

Hunter action kicked off on Thursday in the Polk Family Main Hunter Ring with Cookie Beck and Winterplace being named Grand Working Hunter Champions and Tim Goguen and Classified, Grand Conformation Hunter Champions. After two successful days of competition and a championship win in the Second Year Green Working Hunters on Wednesday, Cookie Beck and Winter Place were presented with the award for Grand Working Hunter Champions. Winter Place, owned by Caitlyn Ziegler of Mequon, WI is a very special and talented horse and greatly deserves the win according to both owner and rider.

Goguen and Classified were Grand Conformation Hunter Champions as well as Green Conformation Hunter Champions. During the day's competition, Peter Pletcher and his 6 year-old horse Argentum, owned by Alta Basaldua of Kingwood, TX were named First Year Green Working Hunter Champions. Patricia Griffith rode Drumline for Heritage Farm to the reserve championship.

Champion of the Second Year Green Working Hunters went to Winter Place, owned by Caitlyn Ziegler of Mequon, WI and ridden by Cookie Beck. The reserve champion was Genuine, ridden by Kirsten Coe and owned by Laura King.

Rounding out the afternoon were the Regular Working Hunters and division champions Patricia Griffith and the gray mare Vida Blue. The 10-year-old mare, owned by Laura King of Irvington, NY was purchased in California in March. She shows with both Griffith and King, who rides her in the Junior Hunters. Paramount and Rob Bielefeld, who rode for Lily Zarrella, were reserve champions.

Friday's highlights in the Polk Family Main Hunter Ring were the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship and the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal classes. Coming in first place in the Maclay were Laura Pfeiffer of Temperance, MI and her equitation mount Eli. Fifteen-year-old Pfeiffer is part of a family with five generations of riders. Her family, the Howard family, runs Fox Meadow Farm, a boarding and training facility in Michigan. Fox Meadow Farm and the Howard family are the sponsors of the championship awards for series III here at Horse Shows by the Bay this year.

After a win in the Maclay, Pfeiffer and Eli also went on to place second in the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal. The first place win went to Emily Reynolds and Grimaldi 54, owned by Casey Hodges and family of Aiken, SC. Reynolds, from Glen Ellyn, IL, is fourteen years old and has been leasing the horse from the Hodges family for the past two years.

Laura King and Vida Blue were named Grand Junior Hunter Champions on Saturday after their Large Junior Hunter 15 Years and Under championship win. Boggs Hill and Tim and Kelly Goguen of Wellington, FL sponsored the division. Following King and Vida Blue in the championship was Caitlyn Ziegler of Mequon, WI and her dark bay gelding Africa. The pair was awarded the reserve champion honor.

King was also champion of the Small Junior Hunters 15 Years and Under sponsored by Matchmaker, Ltd. and Connie Stevens of Lake Bluff, IL, on her horse Heartfelt. Following close behind King and Heartfelt were Ande Farish and Cape Town, owned by Lanes End, in Versailles, KY as reserve champions.

Also winning two championships during Saturday's hunter competition was Katherine Newman of Wellington, FL. Newman rode both Lifetime Guarantee, owned by Robert Cole, and Pirate, owned by Shaw Johnson Price, to wins in the Small Junior Hunters 16-17 Year-Old division classes. At the completion of the division, Lifetime Guarantee was named champion and Pirate was reserve champion.

The competition next moved on to the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 Year-Old division sponsored by Foxtail Farm and The Norris Family of Lexington, KY. Coming out victorious again was Katherine Newman with another championship win, this time on her large horse, All The Answers, owned by Sherri Crawford of Atlanta, GA.

Coming in a close second to Newman and All the Answers were Hillary Q. Ross and her horse Klondike. Ross, of Reese, MI, had several great rides in the two days of Junior Hunter competition and rode to victory as reserve champion of the division.

In hunter ring number three, Saturday wrapped up with two classics: $5,000 NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic and $5,000 NAL/WIHS Children's Hunter Classic. When the adult classic was set to start, so did the rain. The top 12 riders had to navigate their second round course in a downpour. Both classics were sponsored by Lisa A.H. Cudahy. Her contributions allowed for both adult and child riders to compete for a purse which totaled $10,000.

Taking home the blue ribbon in the $5,000 NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic was Tracy Scheriff and her grey gelding Absolut.

The $5,000 NAL/WIHS Children's Hunter Classic winner was Lillie Keenan and chestnut mare Violets are Blue. At age eleven, Keenan blew away the competition. She just recently moved up to horses from ponies and she has only been riding the horse for five weeks.

Wrapping up week, Sunday's hunter competition featured the $5,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic as well as the $5,000 Pony Hunter Classic. Vida Blue and Laura King of Irvington, NY won the $5,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic, sponsored by Lanes End and The Farish Family of Lexington, KY. King also took the second place spot with her horse Heartfelt.

Up next was the $5,000 Pony Hunter Classic, sponsored by PJP Farm and Peter Pletcher of Magnolia, TX. Taking home both top honors in this class was young rider Lillie Keenan of New York City. Keenan was not only named Horse Shows by the Bay Grand Pony Hunter Champion with her large gray pony, High Cotton, but was also first place in the classic with Ingenue, and second place in the classic with Neverland.

All championship awards for series I of Horse Shows by the Bay are given courtesy of Custom Fox Tack Shop, in Temperance, MI. The grand champions are honored in their wins thanks to the sponsorship of Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Shook of Fenton, MI.

For more information and full results, please visit www.horseshowsbythebay.com.

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