Articles: Press Release

Contact:
Lauren Fisher for Phelps Media Group, Inc.
at (561) 753-3389 or at pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com

Lexington, KY - May 7, 2009 - Kentucky Horse Shows LLC, hosted the second day of competition for the 2009 Kentucky Spring Horse Show series today and the professional hunter divisions were awarded championship honors after two days of competition. This week is a World Champion Hunter Rider recognized competition and The Kentucky Horse Park's scenic facility will host two weeks of competition, the Kentucky Spring Horse Show, May 6-10, and the Kentucky Spring Classic, May 13-17.

Peter Pletcher won three hunter championships in a row during today's competition. Pletcher rode Sunshine to the First Year Green Hunter championship, Skara Glen's Corsani to the Conformation Hunter championship, and finished up the afternoon by riding Argentum to the Second Year Green Hunter championship. After Pletcher's winning streak, Hunt Tosh dominated the Regular Working Hunters, winning the championship tricolor with Andiamo, and the reserve championship honors with Lonestar.

The first to compete in the Stonelea Ring at the Kentucky Horse Park this morning were the First Year Green Hunters. Twenty-three horses and riders showed in the division, and it was Peter Pletcher and Sunshine, owned by Becky Gochman, who took top honors after the two days of competition. Havens Schatt rode Bijou, owned by Pinecroft LLC and Annie Frazier, to the reserve championship honors.

"She is great, she is just coming into her own amazingly," Pletcher said of Sunshine after their win. "She has been dead on from the start of the year, from Palm Beach to now. She is the same, rain or shine. Sunshine is the perfect name for her."

"She liked the footing," Pletcher added. "The new footing here is amazing. I think they have done a great job; it is unbelievable."

Next to compete in the Stonelea Ring was the Conformation Hunter division, which Pletcher won for his second championship victory of the day. Pletcher rode Skara Glen's Corsani, owned by Skara Glen Stables, to the championship honors. The reserve championship tricolor was awarded to Perfektionist, owned by Tracey Topping, and ridden by Avery Immig.

Skara Glen's Corsani was originally purchased to be a grand prix jumper, but has turned out to be an excellent Conformation Hunter. "He is such a trying horse," Platcher stated. "I took him home and took him right to the horse shows and he won every class in the conformation. He is a super fun, quality horse."

The Second Year Green Hunter division was up next in the hunter ring and would give Pletcher his third championship win of the day. Pletcher rode three horses in the division's classes over the two days of competition, and it was eight-year-old Argentum, owned by Alta Basaldua, who took home the championship honors. Tammy Provost rode Pletch, owned by Taylor Horace, to the reserve championship win.

Argentum moved up to the doing the Second Years this season, and Pletcher is very happy with his progress. "He is hanging right in there," he said. "I really wasn't going to try and campaign him that much in the Second Years, I was going to try and make the change over and let his owner start riding him and do a little bit less, but he is doing so well. He has been champion a lot, so we are going to go ahead and go on with it for the rest of the year."

Peter Pletcher has had his share of wins throughout his career, but he noted that it is very unusual to win three divisions in a row like he did today. "It is so nice. It doesn't happen very often and when it does it is just such a nice thing to have happen for the owners that support these horses," he smiled.

The final division of the day was the Regular Working Hunters and Hunt Tosh rode both top horses in the division. Tosh showed Andiamo, owned by Brad Wolf, to the championship honors, and Lonestar, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Wheeler, to the reserve championship honors.

"They were both great," Tosh smiled after his wins. "I just started riding Andiamo a week ago. He is a fun, new horse to ride and this is the second show we have done with him, so we are really happy. Lonestar just started doing the Workings this year, so they are the newest horse for us and they have both been really good."

Tosh also commented on the new footing in the Stonelea ring that so many riders are excited about. "The footing is perfect; it is fabulous," he said. "As much rain as we had yesterday and there is not a mud puddle anywhere. They have done a great job with it. It is nice to ride on and the horses enjoy it, so it is really good."

The hunter competition will continue tomorrow at the Kentucky Horse Park as the Junior Hunters begin their first day of competition. The World Champion Hunter Rider week will continue on Saturday as well and that evening will feature the exciting ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby.

For more information on Kentucky Horse Shows LLC, please go to www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.