Laurin
Tops $5000 JR/AO Prix For Third Consecutive Year
AUGUSTA, NJ—May 4, 2003— On the last day of the Garden
State Horse Show held April 30 – May 4 at the Sussex County
Fairgrounds in Augusta, NJ, twenty junior and amateur-owner jumper
riders attempted an impressive course built by Anthony D’Ambrosio
in the $5000 Garden State Junior/A-O Prix, a member event of the
Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series. And for the third
consecutive year the big grey Belgian-bred mare named Laurin topped
the class. Ridden this year by owner Leigh Healy of Mount Holly,
NJ, the pair was the last to go in the four-horse jumpoff and stopped
the clock clean in a blistering 36.805 seconds.
“I
put a lot of faith in Laurin. She never lets you down,” said
Healy who just moved up into the high junior jumper division this
past March. Healy also rides a ten-year-old Dutch gelding named
Liverpool in the low juniors. That pair picked up a blue in the
$2500 Garden State Junior/A-O Prix. The field of 32 was narrowed
as seven horse-and-rider combinations qualified for the second round.
Healy and Liverpool were the first to go and set the pace with a
clear round in 36.077 seconds. No one could beat their clean go
and the win propelled them to the low junior jumper championship.
The
main ring also featured the $2500 Marshall & Sterling Adult
Jumper League class as well as the $1500 Marshall & Sterling
Children’s Jumper league event. Both classes are North American
League (NAL) events.
The
North American League (NAL) runs season-long series in six hunter
and jumper divisions – Children’s Hunter, Children’s
Jumper, Adult Hunter, Adult Jumper, Pony Jumper, and Open Jumper
Speed. Each series culminates with a championship final at the Pennsylvania
National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA, in October. Riders need not
be members of the NAL to compete in any qualifying classes, but
only current members earn points toward year-end finals. For more
information and a list of qualifying competitions for 2003, please
visit the Ryegate Show Services website at www.Ryegate.com.
Topping
the adult class was Sean Finn riding Kylemore Kid, a seven-year-old
Irish sport horse. In his second year at Garden State Finn said
this win is the best so far in his career with this horse. Finn,
of Smithtown, Long Island, trains with Debbie and Marty deLayer.
His goal for the year is to show in “as many Marshall &
Sterling classes as possible” so he can qualify for the finals.
In
the children’s NAL jumper class Francesca Bolfo, 13, of New
York, NY, rode her horse LaBaron to the blue ribbon. Bolfo topped
the field of 32 and beat out the six who qualified for the jump-off
by jumping a double clear round in 31.675 seconds. The young rider
was one of only two who posted a double clear. Bolfo trains with
Jeff Cook at Hunterdon in Pittstown, NJ.
The
best hunters at the show could be found in the ring vying for the
title in the $1500 Garden State Hunter Classic, sponsored by Bevel
Saddlery LTD. The winner of the prestigious 2003 Hunter Classic
was John Courage ridden by Maria Schaub. Schaub picked up the ride
on Johnny since owner Abigail Carpenter needed to take SAT’s
on Saturday and wasn’t feeling well to ride him for the second
day of classes. Last year’s winner of the hunter classic, Tally
Over, was this year’s small junior hunter champion. Tally Over,
a ten-year-old Thoroughbred, is owned by Jill Goldfine and was ridden
by Kelley Cowperthwait.
Earlier
in the show Cowperthwait rode Cheryl Creque’s large pony Scandel
Sheet to the blue ribbon in the $1500 Garden State Pony Hunter Classic
and took home the large pony championship. The pair posted an 83.5
and an 85 to lead the victory gallop in the classic.
The
Garden State Horse Show is rated “AA” by USA Equestrian
and is the largest hunter-jumper show in New Jersey. For more information
on the Garden State Horse Show call (508) 698-6810.
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