Articles: Press Release
Jennifer Gurney and The Other Brother Win $10,000 North American League
Adult Hunter Finals
Contact:
Violet Forbes, vfequis@aol.com, 859-537-5441
Harrisburg, PA - October 16, 2009 - The third time was the charm for
Jennifer Gurney as she guided The Other Brother to the win in the $10,000
North American League Adult Hunter Final held during the Pennsylvania
National Horse Show.
Gurney, from Cazenovia, NY, had shown in the final on two other occasions,
but the third time around was perfection. "Two years ago Wahoo was 10th in
the NAL class", said Gurney. "Last year The Other Brother was 7th and Wahoo
didn't get a ribbon."
"I kind of got hooked on the NAL a couple of years ago when I did Wahoo",
Gurney went on to say. "It seemed like a reasonable goal to set. The show
is a blast, so the first time I came here I thought wow, this is where I
want to be. I don't get to show every weekend, so we had to pick and choose
as to where we could rack up enough points to get in. I think I showed nine
or ten times, he's fifth in Zone 2 and has been champion every time out and
won almost every class. He's been a star, if I get him right and prep him
right and get him in the right frame of mind, he is just an absolute
pleasure. You just sit there and enjoy the ride."
"He was slightly looky in the first round. Many people were having trouble
with the oxer. I kind of let him hunt down the last line. I might have been
a little deep to the last one but I didn't want to take back. I got an 82
in the first round and I was in the hunt with that. Then I took him up
there (to the schooling area) and galloped him, and like I said, when he is
right he will literally go with the reins looped, I just have to sit up
there and I can sit back to slow him down and sit a little to go forward.
He foresees what I want him to do. You can feel him see the distances. He
knows his job. He is a cool, cool horse. My score in the second round was
an 88, and he was so wonderful, I couldn't ask for anything better. I was
thrilled It! It was so much fun."
I grew up riding show horses, got out of it for fifteen years, did the race
horses and galloped race horses on the track and the whole nine yards. My
parents own race horses, I managed a farm in Westchester for about ten years
and didn't have time for anything else, 100 acres and 100 horses and so
after I had my second child we bought our own farm and I started getting
back into it. I never expected to get into it the way I have. It's been a
blast, an absolute blast. He does Zones on Sunday and then on Monday he
gets his shoes pulled off and gets turned out for the winter."
The NAL runs season-long series in seven hunter-jumper divisions - Adult
Hunter, presented by Cavalor, Children's Hunter, Open Jumper Speed, Adult
Jumper, Children's Jumper, Pony Jumper and the new Low Junior/ Amateur-Owner
Jumper.
The NAL qualifying period started September 1, 2008 and ended August 31,
2009. While riders did not need to be members of the NAL to compete in any
qualifying classes, only current members earned points toward year-end
finals.
The 2009 Pennsylvania National Horse Show runs October 8-17, at the
Pennsylvania Farm and Show Complex in Harrisburg, and features 10 full days
of hunter and jumper competition with both amateurs and professionals vying
for the coveted championships. The Pennsylvania National hosts 10 national
championships. The competition highlight is the $75,000 Grand Prix de Penn
National on Saturday, October 17th at 7:00 pm.
Special event highlights include: Kinsley Construction Company Hunt Night
Competition, Jack Russell Terrier Races, The North American Fox Hunting Horn
Blowing Championship, Family Days with Free Pony Rides. There will be
demonstrations, as well as special educational events and barrel and
carriage racing.
The show is entertaining and educational. Approximately 70 vendors are
accepted offering a wide variety of items: clothing, gifts and antiques,
custom signs and furniture, fine and costume jewelry, toys, pet items,
t-shirts and tack shops. All offer a unique variety of items sure to please
horse lovers and non-horse people alike.
The Pennsylvania National Horse Show is proud of its tradition of supporting
both equine and youth programs. The show benefits the Harrisburg Kiwanis
Youth Foundation and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show Foundation, a
501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation.
Further information is available at the horse show's website at
www.panational.org or by calling the horse show office at 717-770-0222.
Live streaming webcast of the event is available at
http://www.productionseat.com
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