Articles: Press Release
SBS Farms' Meredith Lipke Bartolone and The Specialist Win $10,000
Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic at HITS Ocala Winter Circuit
Photo © Randi Muster.
The Specialist and Jennifer Alfano were Second
Year Green champions, and he won the $10,000 Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic with
Meredith Lipke Bartolone at the third week of the 2009 HITS Ocala Winter
Circuit.
Contact:
Jennifer Wood of
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
at (561) 753-3389 or at pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
Ocala, FL - February 23, 2009 - SBS Farms had yet another stellar week of
competition at the 2009 HITS Ocala Winter Circuit. They won four tricolor
ribbons, and Meredith Lipke Bartolone on The Specialist had a great win in
the $10,000 Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic. SBS Farms is based at the Buffalo
Therapeutic Riding Center and is led by trainer Susie Schoellkopf and
rider/trainer Jennifer Alfano.
Meredith Lipke Bartolone of Buffalo, NY, rode her horse The Specialist to
top ribbons in the Amateur-Owner Over 35 Hunters. She also piloted Once and
Again in the division and finished in the top five in three classes. Where
she shone was in the classic, which she won with The Specialist and finished
fourth with Once and Again. The Specialist received consistent scores of 85
in the first round and 83 in the second round for the win.
"It was really exciting and great for Meredith," Alfano said. "Both of her
horses went really well. It's really nice for her because she doesn't get to
show as much as she would like. I think the amateurs that show week after
week have a little bit of an advantage, so it's really nice for her to win
something like that."
Alfano noted that Bartolone and The Specialist "really suit each other." The
pair has been together for a year. Alfano added, "He rides a little bit like
her other horse, so it's nice to have two of them that are a little bit the
same."
Alfano had another great week in the professional hunter divisions. She and
The Specialist were champions in the Second Year Green hunters. They won two
over fences classes and were second in the other two jumping classes. A
third in the under saddle gave them the top tricolor.
Rock Star, owned by Bright Star 158 LLC, returned to winning form this week
as well. He placed first and received three seconds over fences, plus was
third under saddle for a reserve championship in the Regular Working Hunters
with Alfano.
Alfano said of Rock Star, "He felt great, and I was so excited to be able to
show him again. It was really thrilling to be back in the ring on him."
She noted that Rock Star will compete again next week, and they plan to show
in the USHJA International Hunter Derby classes in both Ocala and
Wellington, FL.
Alfano piloted South Beach, another Bright Star-owned horse, to the reserve
champion ribbon in the Cismont Manor Farm Conformation Hunters. They were
third in the model and received two seconds, two thirds, and fourth under
saddle.
Alfano also rode Helen Lenahan's Extraordinary and Bright Star's Kid Rock to
top ribbons in the First Year Green Hunter division.
Blue Ridge Sunset, owned by Harper Hills LLC and Sara Rimmler, was the Large
Pony Hunter champion. Ridden by Taylor Ann Adams, the talented pony finished
first in the conformation over fences and first and second in the remaining
jumping classes.
Kaley Kawi rode the BTRC's Wasabi to two fifth place ribbons in the
Equitation 12-13 division, and they were second, third, fourth, and sixth in
the Novice Equitation classes.
Madison Brayman and Trueman, another BTRC-owned horse, finished with two
thirds in the Equitation 12-13 classes and received ribbons in the High
Children's Jumpers.
SBS Farms will compete next at the fourth week of the HITS Ocala Winter
Circuit on February 24-March 1, 2009.
For more information on SBS Farms, please visit www.thebtrc.org.
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