Margie Engle And Hidden Creek's Charlie Brown Win $25,000 Chesapeake Petroleum National Speed Classic At The 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival

Margie Engle and Hidden Creek's Charlie Brown
Photo by Randi Muster

WELLINGTON, FL - December 2, 2004 - 'The Hometown Girl' Margie Engle notched her first win at the 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival in Wellington, Florida, today, which also marked her first win in the Internationale Arena since her injury during the winter circuit last February. Riding Hidden Creek's Charlie Brown, Engle topped a field of 29 horses in the $25,000 Chesapeake Petroleum National Speed Classic, where the winner is the fastest clear in the first round. Engle was also awarded The 'Las Marismas' Challenge Trophy donated by Mr. and Mrs. David E.P. Lindh. Engle is now one win closer to claiming permanent possession of the trophy as it will be awarded to the rider who wins this class three times; Engle and Hidden Creek's Perin claimed victory in 2001. In today's class, Engle also placed fourth with Hidden Creek's Wapino. Engle took home $9,500 for owner Hidden Creek Farm.

"It was a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be for a speed course," Engle said. "It was quite big." But Engle appeared to attack the course from beginning to end, putting in a blistering fast performance. "You go in a speed class you may as well give it a shot," Engle said. "I knew he's a fast horse. I knew he had a shot - he kind of flies. The faster he goes, the harder he tries. He's much better attacking the jumps a little bit." She noted that her plan with her second mount, HC Wapino was to go at a medium pace and use HC Charlie Brown's personality, to go for the win. "He's a funny horse," Engle said, "He's so careful, he's better carrying the pace."

Riders were allotted 92 seconds as the Time Allowed over course designer Conrad Homfeld's 12-jump course. Only six horses went clean. Kate Levy aboard her Funny De Liere and Aimee Aron riding Ria 56 for Kinloch Enterprises went third and fourth in the order and set the early pace - Levy leading with 80.435 and Aron right behind her at 80.440. It wasn't until Engle and HC Charlie Brown took to the field as the 11th pair that fans were treated to an awe-inspiring race over the jumps with the duo stopping the timers in 71.219 seconds. The next 18 horses chased Engle's time, but it was not possible to catch her on this occasion and she easily claimed victory.

Coming closest to Engle was the 18th rider, Jeffery Welles with Yager Kimmel's Armani, who clocked in clean at 72.763 seconds and took the second place ribbon. Engle went again as the 26th rider, and loped the course clean with HC Wapino in 78.513 to finish fourth. Going 29th on the roster, Michael Walton riding Elu De La Hardiere for Penlyn Farms posted the only other clear at 74.439 to finish third. The early pacesetters were set back - Levy ended up fifth and 15-year-old Aron finished in sixth place.

Engle has been riding the nine-year-old, 16.1-hand Holsteiner gelding for about two years and said he's won a few smaller Grand Prix, several indoor speed classes, and derbies. "He's not one to do the big Grand Prix but he can do some of the regular Grand Prix - he's got a lot of heart. He'll try and do whatever."

The majority of the horses, including HC Wapito, were seven seconds or more slower than HC Charlie Brown - and some were 12 to 20 seconds off his pace - but Engle said when she finished her lightning fast round, she did not have the feeling that the other riders couldn't possibly catch her. "No, I actually didn't. I knew I was very quick in the beginning but I actually thought I slowed down a little bit," she laughed.

Regarding her recuperation from last year's injury to her leg, Engle said, "I'm on two feet and I feel fine on the horses. It set the way it set and I can't do anything about it. Eventually it will get better and better. [My doctor] said it's going to take at least a year to get back to close to where I was," she explained. "Walking, I might have a little bit of a limp, but I didn't walk great before," she said with a laugh. "Riding, it really doesn't bother me. I'm not riding with different stirrup lengths - I feel square on the horses which to me is the most important part."

Caitlyn Shiels And Memphis Win $5,000 Vive Magazine A-O Jumper Welcome Stake

Following the $25,000 Chesapeake Petroleum National Speed Classic, the Amateur-Owners took to the grass Internationale Arena for the $5,000 Vive Magazine A-O Jumper Welcome Stake. Caitlyn Shiels, 21, a junior at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, riding her own Memphis claimed the win, topping a class of 19 horses. Shiels was all smiles after her victory lap. "I kept telling everybody I wanted him to go really well the first class. I was really excited just to come and show in the National. I hoped that he would win and he did!"

Course designer Conrad Homfeld built a first round track of 12 jumps that included a triple at Fence 8 and a double as the final obstacle with Time Allowed set at 76 seconds. Seven riders went clean and returned for the Jump-Off.

The first four contenders in the tiebreaker were unable to clear the shortened course of seven fences with Time Allowed set at 49 seconds. Danielle Torano riding LaBelle was the first to put in a double-clear performance, clocking in clean at 45.387. Her lead was short-lived as the next rider on course was Shiels, who kept all the jumps up in 42.041 to claim the win, edging Torano into a second place finish. The last rider to go, Danielle Grice aboard Good Karma, had the fastest time in the jump-off, clocking in at 41.891, but had a rail down to finish third.

Shiels's home is in Sheffield, Massachusetts, where she trains with Andre Dignelli at Heritage Farm, but while in Florida, her trainers are George D'Ambrosio and Nona Garson.

Today's class was the first outdoor competition for Memphis, who last competed at Harrisburg, an indoor showl. "I wanted to do the National because I wanted to get him out here before circuit," explained Shiels. "He was great. He loves this field. He just feels amazing jumping on the grass. The course was a good starter. It was just the right height for the first day. The jump-off was really good. Everything about the course was nice."

Shiels was a bit surprised by her victory however. "I am never the one known to go fast," she said. Going later in the jump-off order helped her plan her strategy "I realized that I needed to make up time in the first line where everybody was doing eight strides - I was doing seven." She kept up the pace over the eight efforts, admitting that her approach to the in-and-out at the sixth obstacle (8ab) was "a little dicey" but went for the win at the end. "I had to fly to the last jump. I just had to take a chance," she said.

Memphis is a nine-year-old, 16.2-hand chestnut gelding that Shiels has been partnered with for three years. "He's very scopey so he would jump around any big class. That's his claim to fame. He'll be jumping in the Grand Prix this circuit. He's great," Shiels said. "I've had him since he was just six and he knew nothing. I trained him to do everything that he knows."

Shiels has been riding since she was 10 years old. She is majoring in Business at Lynn University in Boca Raton and hopes to graduate next year. She plans to open her own training business. "I really like doing the young horses and bringing them along and showing them in the jumpers."

The 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival runs through Sunday, December 5. The 3rd Annual Zada Enterprises Dressage At The National begins on Friday, December 3. More than 500 of the nation's top horses are competing for more than half a million dollars in total prize money. Upcoming attractions on Saturday, December 4, include the Children's Fair from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM sponsored by Wellington Show Stables, Lenehan Builders, Barbara Conners, and Alexandra Pozzo; the Taste of Wellington from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM; and The I.V. Technologies, Inc. Ladies' Side Saddle Over Fences and Hack classes.

For more information about the 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival, write to National Horse Show, PO Box 386, Greenvale, NY 11548. E-mail: NationalHS@aol.com; Phone: (516) 484-1865; Fax: (516) 484-1982. Web: www.nhs.org.