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Tyler, TX- November 12, 2008 - The 2008 Dallas Harvest Horse Show, held at the Texas Rose Horse Park, was a huge success. The sold out event played host to more than 400 horse and rider teams during the five day competition. Unsurpassed hospitality, plenty of prize money, specialty classes, and fundraisers for Habitat for Horses were just a few of the things that made the show so spectacular.

In the grand prix ring, a Sunday Grand Prix Brunch kicked off the $25,000 Harvest Grand Prix. Today's Grand Prix was sponsored by October Hill Farm and the Davis Family.

For the second year in a row, the winner of the $25,000 Harvest Grand Prix was Tracy Fenney and horse MTM Timon. This is Fenney's seventh grand prix win at the Dallas Harvest Horse Show. She was also riding in front of a home crowd.

While everyone was watching Fenney and MTM Timon's every move in the jump-off, many people did not notice what happened at the last fence.

"At the last jump, he just sailed it and he went one way and I went one way. I thought we were going to part company. I was just hoping that if we parted ways that it was going to be after the timers," laughed Fenney.

Fenney trains with Mike McCormick. The horse she won on, MTM Timon, is owned by MTM Farm. This is a horse that Fenney thinks has major potential, and hopes she has a long future ahead of her with this horse.

Fenney has been a frequent visitor to the winner's circle for this particular grand prix. For her, winning in front of a home crowd has special meaning to her. Fenney said that it is special to have a nice horse show to attend in Texas because there are not that many that contain the same level of quality as the Dallas Harvest Horse Show.

Jumper Results: Wednesday through Saturday

In the Level 5 Jumpers, Trapp O'Neal took home the blue ribbon aboard Al Cantaro, owned by Isabelle Potts. O'Neal piloted Al Cantaro to a quick first round time of 70.880. The class was run according to Table II 2b; if a rider went clear, they would immediately begin their jump off round. O'Neal clocked in at 31.358 seconds in the jump off with no faults. This is only his second time showing Al Cantaro.

O'Neal resides near Fort Worth, TX, and just recently started his own training and sales barn with his girlfriend called TKO Sport Horses.

Following the Level 5 Jumpers were the Level 6 Jumpers. Run according to Table II 2b, riders followed the same format as the other jumper classes earlier in the day. Winning the Level 6 Jumper class was Tracy Fenney on Sarah Busbice's horse Tenfold. She beat the rest of the field with a blazing fast jump off time of 31.267 with no jumping faults.

The largest money class on Thursday was the $3,000 Nordic Lights Farm/Bruheim Family Welcome Stake. Nordic Lights Farm is a newer facility, but has already developed a reputation for having the highest quality hunters and jumpers.

Galloping to victory in the class was Mike McCormick and his horse MTM Remington. Only three horses made it to the jump off, and McCormick was the fastest with a jump off time of 34.847 with no faults. Anthony D'Ambroiso's course definitely separated the class of riders as many accrued time faults and jumping faults. McCormick is a big fan of horse show manager Patrick Rodes and the shows he puts on. He had nothing but good things to say about the show grounds and all the upgrades that have been put in to place over the past year.

In the Level 4 Jumper class, the winner was Katherine Le Blanc and mount Tumba. She was the fastest of the three riders who made it to the second round. Louisiana-based Le Blanc purchased her horse last winter while in Gulfport. Even with a wet ring, riders were still complimenting the fantastic footing that is new to the grand prix ring this year. In the jump off, Le Blanc was the only one to go clean with a time of 40.039.

Le Blanc has been to the Dallas Harvest Horse Show when it was still in Dallas, but she has not experienced the show at its new location in Tyler, TX. She really likes the show and is having a great time.

In the grand prix ring, one of the later classes on Friday was the $5,000 Level 5 Jumper Classic. It was run according to Table 2a and designed by this week's course designer Anthony D'Ambrosio. Coming out on top was Tracy Fenney and Tenfold, who is owned by Sarah Busbice. Fenney had to manage her time since she was also competing in the derby at the same time in the main hunter ring. She made it work and ended with a winning time of 29.222 with no rails.

The Adult Amateurs had their first class in the grand prix ring as well. Galloping to the win was April Aryan aboard her mount Vesuvius, who is owned by Tuff Competition Farms. As the last to go in the class, Aryan knew she had to be fast and clean in order to have a shot at winning. Once in the jump off, she executed a fault free round with a blazing fast time of 31.146 seconds.

Aryan just recently moved to Texas from Charlotte, NC. This is her first time competing at the Dallas Harvest Horse Show, and she had only good things to say about the show facility and the footing.

The last two classes on Saturday were the Low and High Junior/Amateur Owner Jumpers. Table 2b was used in both classes.  Coming out on top in the Low Junior/Amateur Owner Jumpers class was up-and-coming jumper rider Eirin Bruheim of Nordic Lights Farm. A newer establishment, Houston-based Nordic Lights Farm has already built a reputation for owning and housing top hunters and jumpers. Bruheim is trained by Mike McCormick and Sherre Sims, who have also had their turn in the winners spotlight this week.

Bruheim won the class aboard MTM Trans Atlantic, who is owned by MTM Farm. According to McCormick, the horse has only been in Texas for four days, and he is already winning. Bruheim finished with a clean time of 34.461 in the jump off. She galloped everywhere, so that is where she thinks she made up the most time.

In the High Junior/Amateur Owner Jumpers, winning the class was none other than Bruheim, this time aboard her own horse Je M'Applle Chester. The pair clocked in for the win with a jump off time of 33.924. She was the only one in the class to make it to the second round. Not only was she first in the class, she was second as well.

Hunter Results: Thursday through Sunday

It was a great day for distinguished hunter rider Peter Pletcher. The Texas native was champion in three divisions including the Green Hunter, Green Conformation Hunter and Three Foot Pre Green Hunter divisions. Other champions included Emily Williams and Unikat in the Regular Working Hunters, Nancy Sutherland and Vancouver in the Amateur Owner Hunters Over 36 and Amanda Goldman and Undercover in the Amateur Owner Hunters 18-35. Goldman and Undercover were also the Overall Amateur Owner Hunter Grand Champions.

The day started off with three big wins for Peter Pletcher of Magnolia, TX. Pletcher kicked things off with a championship win in the Green Hunter division riding Alta Basaldua's horse Argentum. Reserve champion in the division was awarded to Will Roberts riding North Shore for owner Woodland Way, Inc. of Indian Wells, CA. Alta Basaldua of Kingwood, TX has been very proud of Pletcher's success with her horse Argentum.

The next division of the day was the Green Conformation Hunters with another championship win going to Peter Pletcher, this time riding Becky Gochman's As Always. Not only was Pletcher champion of the division, he was also reserve champion riding Camira, owned by Melanie Barnes of Austin, TX.

Pletcher is from Magnolia, TX, just about a three-hour drive from the Texas Rose Horse Park, so he is always happy to have a nice show close to home. "It is a beautiful place and they try hard to make it a nice show, so it is a big plus for us here in Texas," Pletcher said.

Following those wins Pletcher had yet another win in the three-foot Pre Green Hunter division. Pletcher rode Priscilla Flawn-Chopp's horse Petra to the championship win in the division with reserve champion honors going to Will Roberts and Chicago, owned by Teri Miller of New Caney, TX.

The Regular Working Hunters also competed this afternoon with the championship win going to Emily Williams and Unikat, owned by Bernadette Mulliken of Plainview, TX. Reserve champion was Laureen McKenzie riding Lord Rasso, owned by Karen King of Tulsa, OK. Williams, of Wellington, FL was happily surprised to win the division since she was riding Bernadette Mulliken's jumper horse in the class.

The Amateur Owner Hunters were the next to compete for division championships. In the Amateur Owner 36 and Over division Nancy Sutherland and Vancouver, owned by Margot Sutherland of Olathe, KS were awarded the grand championship. Dolce and owner/rider Sue Takata of Athens, TX were awarded reserve champion. Sutherland and Vancouver are currently leading the country in points in their division.

The Amateur Owner Hunters 18-35 division was good to Amanda Goldman of Shreveport, LA today. Goldman was champion of the division with her horse Undercover and reserve champion with her horse Maestro. Goldman and Undercover were also presented with the award for Overall Amateur Owner Champion. Goldman has owned Undercover for a year and a half and explained that she has learned a lot from the horse.

The Dallas Harvest Horse Show hired two outstanding and very experienced women to judge their hunter classes this year. Those two women, Mindy Darst and Betty Oare, held a judges clinic last night and explained what they are looking for in a good hunter horse. Their remarks were certainly exemplary of how they pinned their classes in the hunter rings today.

Both Darst and Oare agree that it is always nice to have another person to judge with and compare notes. They both spoke of how they want to be able to enjoy the performance when a horse enters the show ring. "I consider judging horse shows a privilege," Darst said.

The $15,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby class was presented by Dietrich Insurance, featuring Walsh Harness and Saddlery with sponsors Charles Owen and Company, Dover Saddlery, Vista Grande Dairy, and the Dallas Harvest Horse Show's generous sponsors The Texas Rose Horse Park and the Brunson Family.

Horse show manager Patrick Rodes designed the Hunter Derby course. According to the USHJA rules, the types of obstacles used must simulate those reminiscent of the hunt field and the course should offer a variety of jumps with different appearances. The course Rodes designed fit the description perfectly and even offered a challenging in and out combination that had the horses and riders jump out of the ring to finish their second round handy course. The unique exit challenged many of the competitors and really showed who was on top.

Shawna Dietrich was here in Tyler today as one of the presenting sponsors of the class. Dietrich was very happy that the Dallas Harvest Horse Show was hosting its first official Hunter Derby and was impressed with the venue and the course that was designed for today's competition. The International Hunter Derby program is in its inaugural year, so Dietrich has enjoyed being involved and seeing how it has grown.

Two separate panels of judges score each round of competition in the derby today and the scores were then combined to place the overall winner. Round one, which is to be judged on style and brilliance started out with 20 entries, and narrowed the field down to the top 12, who then competed in the second round handy course, which is judged on style, brilliance and handiness. The two panels of judges included Betty Oare and Ginger Black on panel one and Mindy Darst and Mike Lowery on panel two.

After the first round of competition, Peter Pletcher of Magnolia, TX was leading the class on Becky Gochman's As Always, but the handy round proved to be a little too challenging for the green horse, and he ended up dropping down to seventh place. It was Camira, another one of Pletcher's three rides in the class, that really stepped up in the second round to earn the big win. Pletcher rode the young mare through the challenging course beautifully and other than a slight hesitation at the in and out, had a flawless course that topped the class according to both panels of judges.

Pletcher was very proud of how Camira, a first year green horse, rose to the challenge in the higher-level class. Pletcher has won three other Hunter Derby classes in the past year including a win in the test run of the derby class here in Tyler last year. As a very experienced and distinguished hunter rider who has been in business for over 30 years, Pletcher praises the class and everyone who helps make it happen.

As a representative and generous supporter of the International Hunter Derby program, Shawna Dietrich was very happy with the outcome of the class and was impressed with how the horses and riders handled the difficult course.

The ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class was held in the main hunter ring. Thirteen entries competed in the over fences round and after two had refusals, the other 11 were called back to test on the flat. After both rounds of competition judges determined that it would be Olivia Herbert who would take top honors in the day's class. Herbert was victorious aboard her Junior Hunter horse Capistrano, owned by Mimi Herbert of Houston, TX.

Second place honors went to Sarah Milliren riding Everybody, owned by Donald Stewart of Ocala, FL. Milliren and Everybody were awarded second place in the afternoon's Pessoa/USEF Hunt Seat Medal class as well.

Class winner Olivia Herbert is 17 years old and is currently a junior in high school in her hometown of Houston, TX. Herbert competes in both the junior hunter and junior jumper divisions. Herbert has been showing her horse Capistrano for about a year and a half.

Prior to the Maclay class, the Pessoa/USEF Hunt Seat Medal class was held. With 11 entries, the horses and riders competed in one round over fences, and then the top four were called back to test. The four pairs to test included Caroline Gibson and Apollo, owned by Elizabeth Tatum of Atlanta, GA to place first; Sarah Milliren and Everybody, owned by Donald Stewart of Ocala, FL to place second; Jessica Bass of Boerne, TX riding her horse El Matador to place third; and Eirin Bruheim riding Say No More, owned by Lene Bruheim of Houston, TX to place fourth.

Caroline Gibson and Apollo were the pair to execute the test most successfully, and were placed in first by the judges. Gibson, who is 15 years old from Houston, TX, really liked the first round course and the rollback turns that she and Apollo performed flawlessly. She also really liked the test. "I like when they try to challenge you with your leads, so it was really good," Gibson said. Being from Houston, Gibson has competed at the Texas Rose Horse Park since the very first show was held here.

The Adult Amateur Hunter division started things off in the main hunter ring this morning. The Adult Amateur Hunter 50 and Over division went first, with Emily Woodall and her horse Fun One sweeping every single class in the division's two days of competition for the championship win. Ellen Eaken was reserve champion of the division with Danka Shane, owned by Los Arboles of Oak Point, TX. Woodall, of New Caney, TX has owned For Fun, an eight year-old Westphalian gelding, for about 18 months and the pair has been extremely successful together.

Bernadette Mulliken topped the Adult Amateur Hunter 36-49 division this morning, winning both champion and reserve champion honors. Mulliken, of Plainview, TX rode her horse Title Town to the championship win and came in reserve with Weston, owned by Yates Hunter/Jumper LLC of Alto, NM. Mulliken's champion horse Title Town is a ten year-old Hanoverian who did the jumpers up until about a year ago. Mulliken's reserve champion horse Weston is 11 years old and she is currently leasing him.

Mulliken showed here at the Dallas Harvest Horse Show last year and decided to make it a family affair this year, coming with her mother and daughter who both ride as well.

The Adult Amateur Hunter 18-35 division showed next, with the championship win going to Katcha'Reminiscing and owner/rider Caroline Auclair of Dallas, Texas. Reserve champion was All In, owned and ridden by Carly Lazzari of Boerne, TX. 22 year-old Caroline Auclair trains with Katja Kellenberger and has only had her six year-old Hanoverian mare Katcha'Reminiscing for six months.

In the main hunter ring today the Junior Hunters completed their divisions and were awarded championship honors. It was a good day for the Gibson family in the Large Junior Hunters 15 Years and Under with sisters Carson and Caroline Gibson crowning the division after two days of competition. Younger sister Carson Gibson was champion of the division riding Shadyside Farm's Caden out of Magnolia, TX and older sister Caroline Gibson was reserve champion riding Shadyside Farm's Primetime.

The two sisters are 18 months apart and Carson is the younger one at 14 years old. They both train with distinguished Texas trainer Peter Pletcher and always enjoy competing together. The Gibsons have been coming to shows at the Texas Rose Horse Park for a couple of years now and Carson showed Caden here last year and really likes the facilities.

Moving on to the next division, Olivia Herbert of Houston, TX had another great day of competition today, dominating the wins in the Large Junior Hunters 16-17 and garnering both the championship and reserve championship awards. Herbert was champion of the division riding Capistrano and reserve champion riding Malibu. Mimi Herbert of Houston, TX owns both horses.

Earlier in the day the Small Junior Hunters also competed for championship honors with a combined class of the younger and older competitors. Coming away with the championship win after sweeping first place in all three of today's classes was Stacey Weems of Woodlands, TX riding her mare Secrets. Reserve champion went to Blythe Taylor of Tulsa, OK riding Cheryllow Z "Catwiesel."

Stacey Weems is 17 years old and trains with Will Roberts and Joan Waterman. Weems horse Secrets, or Flow as she is known around the barn, was purchased in Ocala, FL two years ago. The pair started out in the Children's Hunters together and then moved up the to Junior Hunter division last year.

Weems started coming to compete at the Texas Rose Horse Park as soon as it opened and she really likes it. "It is really nice, the rings are huge and the jumps are always good," she said. "The courses are more challenging here than at the other local Texas shows, so it is fun."

For more information, please visit www.southboundshows.com

For full results, please visit www.horseshowsonline.com

For more information and to view horses available for adoption, please visit www.habitatforhorses.com

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