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Articles: Press Release
62nd Buffalo International Horse Show Wrap-Up, September 16-21, 2008
Contact:
Jenny Underwood of
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
at (561) 753-3389 or at pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
Buffalo, NY - September 25, 2008 - The 62nd
Buffalo International Horse Show is
one of the longest running shows in the country. All proceeds from the event directly benefit
the Buffalo Therapeutic
Riding Center. The horse show is one of the main stops for
many riders to practice before national finals begin. The show gave out more than $26,000 in prize
money.
Saturday night hosted a variety of award presentations. The first award was the Dedication Of The
Horse Show. Recipients for 2008 included
Jennifer Alfano of SBS Farms and Elizabeth McNabb of the Buffalo
Therapeutic Riding
Center.
Jennifer Alfano grew up on her parents' farm in Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania. She qualified for Harrisburg
at the age of ten. She was a major
contender; placing well in the USET Finals and qualified for Maclay
Finals. Starting her professional
career, she was the care taker of Gem Twist, horse of Greg Best. Alfano accompanied Greg and Gem Twist to the
Seoul Olympics in Korea.
Alfano joined the SBS Farms team in 1991. She won the American Hunter and Jumper
Foundation World Hunter Rider Award two years in a row in 1996 and 1997. Alfano has been champion at every major horse
show in the country and is the only rider to have three consecutive First Year
Green USEF Horse of the Year Honors. These horses include Kansas,
Big Bad Wolf, and G.G. Valentine. Alfano
has been an inspiration to many riders over the years. This award is to honor her amazing talent and
her horses.
Elizabeth McNabb joined The Buffalo Therapeutic Riding
Center staff in 1991 as a trainer. McNabb grew up riding in Kane, Pennsylvania
where she gained experience in English and Western riding as well as pony
carts. She competed all over the
country, including the Harrisburg State Finals. McNabb attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she was the
captain of the Equestrian Team. After
graduation, she became a trainer at Brigadoon Farm and was also a whipper-in
for the Fox Branch Hounds.
Since working for BTRC, McNabb has done amazing things with
the therapeutic riding program for kids with special needs and has earned her
certification as a NAHRA instructor. In
addition, she has created an amazing camp, school group and lesson program at
the Buffalo Equestrian
Center. This award is to honor her devotion to the
various programs and organization.
The 2008 Peach Taylor Sportsmanship Award was presented to
Gabrielle Wood of Buffalo, NY. The award was donated by Mason Phelps to the
Buffalo International Horse Show in order to recognize outstanding
sportsmanship. Gabby is a freshman in college. She donates her time and energy to the Buffalo
Therapeutic Riding
Center. People describe Gabby as "someone who is a
sportsman and team player, and makes a lasting impression on every life she
touches."
The award is presented in dedication to Peach Taylor. She was a master of foxhounds of the now
defunct East Aurora Hunt, an avid equestrian and grandmother to Mason
Phelps. In addition to her equestrian
endeavors, she was also a very talented artist and sculptress. Better knows by her friends as Peach, the
award is a sculpture of one of the many horses Peach bred and raised.
Jennifer Alfano of Buffalo, NY,
was on top of her game as she gathered up many championships in the hunter
divisions. Aboard Sting, owned by Helen
Lenahan, Alfano won the Grand Hunter Championship. Alfano rode Sting in two hunter divisions and was champion
in both. The first division was the
Green Working Hunters. Alfano piloted
Sting to first and third-place ribbons, clinching the championship. In the
Green Conformation Hunter division, Alfano and Sting were awarded double blue
ribbons and garnered the championship.
Riding The Specialist, owned by Meredith Lipke Bartolone,
Alfano and The Specialist were reserve champion in the Green Working
Hunters. The pair rode to two
second-place ribbons. Meredith Lipke
Bartolone also rode The Specialist in the Amateur-Owner Hunters. Bartolone came away with third and
fourth-place ribbons.
On Once and Again, also owned by Meredith Lipke Bartolone,
Alfano was awarded a blue ribbon in an Open Working Hunter class. Bartolone rode Once and Again in the
Amateur-Owner Hunters, where she rode to double blue ribbons in the division.
Alfano also competed aboard Jersey Boy, owned by SBS
Farms. Continuing her success in the
hunters, Alfano and Jersey Boy were on top of their game, earning two blue
ribbons that captured the championship award in the Regular Working
Hunters.
Harrison, owned by Sandra Kuczynski,
was ridden by Alfano in the Regular Working Hunters. After two great rounds and two second-place
ribbons, Harrison and Alfano accepted the reserve champion award.
In the hunters, the competition was tough, but Alexis Meirzwa
captured the champion award in the Adult Amateur Hunters. Following her championship award in the Adult
Amateur Hunters, the pair also beat the competition to win the blue ribbon in
the $1,000 Churchill Adult Hunter Classic.
The
Amateur Owner Hunters proved to be no problem for Meredith Lipke Bartolone and
her horse Once and Again. Bartolone and Once and Again did what they do
best-win. The pair picked up the honor
of Amateur Owner Hunter Champion.
Winning the $2,500 IBM Silver Stirrup Classic last night was
Katherine Joyce and horse Wasabi. This classic was just one of many that are
offered at the Buffalo International Horse Show.
Kate Haley was a name that was on top of many score
cards. Haley began her first of many
wins by taking home the blue ribbon in the Syracuse PHA Junior Medal. Haley is from Orchard
Park, NY. She continued her success by coming out on
top in the WIHS Equitation Hunter Phase.
Shannon Kaupp won two medals as well. Kaupp picked up blue
ribbons in both the Taylor Harris National Medal and the Syracuse PHA Medal 14
and Under. Loren Wright was the best in
the Syracuse PHA Medal 15-17, picking up a blue ribbon as well.
Championships were awarded in The Pre Adult Hunter and the
Pre Children's Hunter divisions. In the
Pre Adult Hunters, champion was awarded to Christina Gian and Swiss Air, owned
by BTRC. Gian received the championship
by piloting Swiss Air to two firsts and third-place ribbons.
Pre Children's Hunter Champion went to Alexandra Dimaria and
Break Out The Blue, owned by Danielle Dimaria. Dimaria and Break Out The Blue rode to first, second and third-place
ribbons in the division.
Last night three exciting classics were held. The first of
three classics was the $5,000 Up The Creek Pony Hunter Classic. Amidst tough competition, coming out on top
was Morgan Ward and her pony Good Sport. The $2,500 GG Valentine Handy Hunter Classic directly followed. Winning that classic was rider Kate Haley and
Benelli, owned by Christine Hannon.
The last classic of the night was the $2,500 M & T Bank
Children's/Adult Jumper Classic. Riding
to the win was Kathleen Mitchell and her horse Gator B Careful. Wrapping up the last class today was the
$1,000 Russian Hill Children's Hunter Classic. Madison Brayman and Point Taken, owned by
BTRC, picked up the win.
Ward was not just a star in the $5,000 Up The Creek Pony
Hunter Classic. She was also champion in
the Small Pony Hunters. Ward and Good
Sport rode to four firsts and second-place ribbons.
Medium Pony Hunter Champion was Lauren Rilley and
Cappucino. Rilley garnered two firsts,
two seconds and third-place ribbons. Large Pony Hunter Champion went to
Samantha Batt and Won To Know. The pair
picked up two firsts, two seconds and third-place ribbons.
Children's Pony Hunter Small/Medium Champion went to Claudia
Freeman and Scribbles. The pair rode to first, second, and third-place ribbons.
Children's Large Pony Hunter Champion was Julia Betts and Palm Pilot, owned by
Hayley Betts. Betts piloted Palm Pilot
to two firsts and second-place ribbons.
Champion in the Junior Hunters 15 and Under was Andrew
Kosher riding Violets Are Blue, owned by Helen Lenahan. Kosher and Violets Are Blue picked up three
firsts and two seconds.
Children's Hunter 15-17 Champion was awarded to Brook Zotara
and Leave It To Me. Zotara rode to four
firsts and third-place ribbons. Champion in Children's Hunter 14 and Under went
to Madison Brayman and Point Taken. Brayman rode Point Taken to two firsts, two
seconds and fourth-place ribbons.
Champion awards were sponsored by EMO Insurance. Prizes for
reserve champions were donated by The Hunting Horn of Penfield, NY, who was
also the vendor for the horse show.
BIHS is one of the largest fundraisers for the Buffalo
Therapeutic Riding
Center. BTRC has been the site of a
therapeutic riding program for six years. The BTRC currently offers programs
for mentally and emotionally impaired, learning disabled and developmentally
challenged children ages 6 to 16.
For more information on the Buffalo International Horse Show
and the Buffalo Therapeutic
Riding Center,
please visit www.thebtrc.org.
ABOUT PHELPS MEDIA GROUP Phelps Media Group, Inc. International 12230 Forest Hill Blvd., Suite #100 Wellington, FL 33414 P: (561) 753-3389 / F: (561) 753-3386 pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
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