Articles: Press Release
$15,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby Victory
Goes to Croquet and Caroline Weeden at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show
Photo Credit: Caroline Weeden and Croquet won the $15,000 ASG Software
Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Kentucky Spring Horse
Show. Photo © Lauren Fisher
Contact:
Rebecca Walton for
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
at (561) 753-3389 or at pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
Lexington, KY - May 9, 2009 - Kentucky Horse Shows LLC, hosted its fourth
day of competition for the 2009 Kentucky Spring Horse Show series
today. Held at the beautiful Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, the show
featured the exciting $15,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International
Hunter Derby this evening, which was won by Croquet, ridden by Caroline
Weeden and owned by Karen Lackinger. ASG Software Solutions, the United
States Hunter Jumper Association and Dietrich Equine Insurance, featuring
Walsh Harness and Saddlery, Charles Owen, and Dover Saddlery, presented the
event.
The evening got underway around 6 p.m. in the Walnut Ring where course
designer Bobby Murphy set a difficult track. The class was held in a
two-round format, with the original 26 entries competing over the first
course, and then the top twelve from the first round returning to compete
over the second round handy course. The track featured an assortment of
natural obstacles, brush jumps, plank jumps, tall verticals and wide oxers.
Riders also had larger jump options set up to 4' in height.
Only eight horse and rider combinations were able to make it through the
first round without bringing a rail down on course and the majority of those
rails came at the two vertical plank jumps. The second round course
featured a difficult bank jump, which proved a challenge for many of the
horses and riders. They had to gallop up a very steep bank, jump a vertical
at the top of the hill, and then canter back down the incline.
Overall class winners Caroline Weeden and Croquet mastered both rounds over
the challenging course. The pair was in second place coming into the final
round and secured their place at the top after scoring in the 90s from both
sets of judges for their handy round. Their first round score of 169,
combined with a second round score of 194 gave the pair 363 points for the
exciting victory.
Second place honors went to Louise Serio riding Concerto, owned by Linda
Sogard. Serio and Concerto did well in both rounds of competition, scoring a
154 and a 181 for a two round total of 335.
This was the first hunter derby win for Caroline Weeden, of Lake Forest, IL,
and 12-year-old Croquet. "My horse has been off, he hasn't been showing
since September and this was his first time back, so I was very pleased with
him," Weeden smiled. "He is just a great horse. I just got him last year and
I have a great, supportive owner named Karen Lackinger who bought him
specifically to do these classes, so I am really fortunate."
Weeden commented on the course that gave so many other horses and riders
trouble, stating, "I thought the course was very challenging. There were a
lot of rails tonight. There were a lot of straight up and down verticals, so
your horse had to be very careful. He hasn't really been doing anything and
I thought he would be a little bit impressed, so I was hoping that was going
to help him jump clean. He is a very brave, aggressive horse, so this is a
nice class for him."
Being from Illinois, Weeden shows in Kentucky a lot throughout the season,
and loves the facilities. "We love it here," she smiled. "We think they do a
great job with these horse shows. They have great course designers and now
the footing is phenomenal, I am so excited. It is so nice to have the new
footing in the Stonelea Ring and the double schooling rings up top. I think
it is going to make a huge difference to these horses. On Wednesday it
rained nonstop and we kept showing; it was great. It is really, really
nice. I have the finals here in August and I am really looking forward to
that with this horse, so it will be great."
Kentucky Horse Shows LLC will host the Kentucky Hunter Jumper Association
Horse Show August 19-23, which will be featuring the ASG Software
Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals, presented by Dietrich
Insurance and featuring Walsh Harness and Saddlery. The finals will be
taking place Friday, August 21, and Saturday, August 22. The top 75 horses
in the standings as of June 1, 2009 will qualify to compete for $100,000 in
prize money.
The Kentucky Spring Horse Show will conclude with its final day of
competition tomorrow. Kentucky Horse Shows LLC will then host the Kentucky
Spring Classic, the second week of competition for their spring series,
which will run May 13-17.
For more information on Kentucky Horse Shows LLC, please go to
www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.
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