Courtney Calcagnini and Curtain Call Reign Supreme in $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at Dallas Harvest Horse Show

Tyler, TX – October 30, 2009 – Today marked the third day of competition at the Dallas Harvest Horse Show, and all of the top hunter riders came to compete during the $10,000 2009/2010 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby. There were 37 riders in tonight’s class, but it was Courtney Calcagnini and Curtain Call that out shone the competition at the Texas Rose Horse Park. The pair earned a first round score of 197 and advanced to the handy round in the lead position. They then took home the blue ribbon after they earned a two round total of 390. The 2009 Dallas Harvest Horse Show runs through November 1, 2009, and benefits Habitat for Horses.

Patrick Rodes designed tonight’s courses in the Main Hunter Ring. The first round included 12 obstacles, which featured larger options and inside options. The top twelve riders from the first round were called back for the handy round, which had two trot fences and required riders to walk over a log at the end of the course. The most difficult fence proved to be the first trot fence, which had a fence after it that many horses spooked at in the dark.

Peter Pletcher and Westview, owned by Eva Bisso of Tomball, TX, made the biggest jump of the day in the standings during the handy round after returning eleventh in the order. The pair had a first round score 173.5, but after a brilliant handy round the judges rewarded the duo with a score of 181 for a two round total 354.5 to take home the third place ribbon.

Pletcher had difficulties with his second mount, Rio’s Echo, owned by Patricia Turen, when they returned in the third place position. The pair had an excellent first round, choosing all the difficult options to earn a score of 188.5. They were on their way to another good score after they took a unique inside route to the sixth fence, but after the trot jump they pulled a rail and moved to the bottom of the standings.

Tonight’s second place finisher was Tracy Fenney, who was aboard Clooney, owned by Top Line Sporthorse International, of Cypress, TX. The pair had a first round score of 189.5 and picked up an excellent pace as they entered the ring for the handy round. They chose all the difficult options and took all the inside turns to earn a second round score of 182. Their total of 371.5 easily held their second place standing for the red ribbon.

Tracy Fenney and Clooney

 

Tracy Fenney and Clooney, 2nd Place Finishers

The final combination to compete over tonight’s handy course was Calcagnini and Curtain Call, owned by Shannon Reid of Pilot Point, TX. The duo entered the ring with confidence and easily soared over the higher options, and made the difficult turns look smooth and efficient. Their first round score of 193 was beat by their second round score. The judges each awarded the pair a raw score of 90, with the first pair of judges adding nine points and the second pair adding eight points, for a total of 197. Calcagnini and Curtain Call finished with a two round score of 390 to take home the top prize and lead the victory gallop.

Courtney and Curtain Call

 

“I’m so excited, that was so much fun,” smiled Calcagnini (left) after her win. “I show him in the Regular Working Hunters, so I knew the four-foot options were the right ones for him. He’s so awesome; he never changed his canter the whole time and he was perfect.”

Curtain Call just finished recovering from a virus that he caught before Capital Challenge, and this is his first show back. “Since Capital Challenge until now I turned him out in the pasture and I did not ride him once,” explained Calcagnini. “I was just waiting for him to get better because he didn’t feel like himself. The first day here I knew he was back, and after what we went through it makes this win ten times better.”

During tonight’s handy round Calcagnini was focused on having a smooth round, and her only concern was the fact that it was beginning to get dark. “I was a little nervous that I would not be able to see the first couple jumps because they were the natural jumps,” she noted. “He didn’t care though, so after one and two he just loped down the rest of the jumps and was perfect. Before I went in I was trying to work him in the schooling area because he used to be a jumper, so I didn’t want him to think it was a jump-off. When I went in for the handy round I wasn’t focused on any of the scores, I just wanted to have a good, solid round and be consistent.”

This year Calcagnini competed at the USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals with Curtain Call where the pair made the top twelve. She plans to continue showing the 10-year-old gelding in the Regular Working Hunter division and USHJA International Hunter Derby classes with the hopes to return to the finals again.

Calcagnini enjoys having the opportunity to compete at the Dallas Harvest Horse Show, which she has been attending for many years. “The management is awesome and Patrick Rodes does a really good job,” she said. “The courses are always good, the hospitality is excellent, and the facility is great.”

This evening the Dallas Harvest Horse Show hosted the Hunter Derby Benefit Reception, sponsored by CSC Farm and the Reid Family. The event was held ringside during the 2009/2010 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby, and exhibitors could purchase tickets to benefit Habitat for Horses. Habitat is an equine protection organization that has been in operation for the past 11 years fulfilling its mission to assist distressed horses, and provide a safe and secure home while rehabilitating them for adoption.

Tomorrow the Junior Hunter divisions will get underway in the Main Hunter Ring at the Texas Rose Horse Park. Junior riders will also have the opportunity to compete for top prizes in the ASPCA Maclay class and the USEF/Pessoa Medal. This week’s highlight event is the $25,000 Harvest Grand Prix held on November 1, 2009.

For more information on the 2009 Dallas Harvest Horse Show and to view the prizelist, please visit www.southboundsshows.com.

For more information on Habitat for Horses please visit www.habitatforhorses.org.

Photo Credit: Courtney Calcagnini and Curtain Call won the $10,000 2009/2010 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Dallas Harvest Horse Show. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/PMG. Photograph may be used only in relation to this PMG press release.

Photo Credit: Tracy Fenney and Clooney finished second in the $10,000 2009/2010 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Dallas Harvest Horse Show. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/PMG. Photograph may be used only in relation to this PMG press release.

605 – $10000 USHJA INTERNATIONAL HUNTER DERBY

Place Prize Horse Owner Rider Trainer 1 $3,000.00 CURTAIN CALL REID, SHANNON CALCAGNINI, COURTNEY CALCAGNINI, COURTNEY 2 $2,200.00 CLOONEY TOP LINE SPORTHORSE INT’L., INC., FENNEY, TRACY MCCORMICK, MICHAEL 3 $1,500.00 WESTVIEW BISSO, EVA PLETCHER, PETER ARENDT, DANIEL 4 $1,000.00 POSSE GUTHRIE, CHRIS ACOSTA, COLLEEN CYPHERT, MATT 5 $600.00 DOMINIC RAMIREZ, ANDREA PLETCHER, PETER ARENDT, DANIEL 6 $500.00 TOPSIDER BENJAMIN, PIPER WEEDEN, CAROLINE WEEDEN, CAROLINE 7 $400.00 CONDANAS GILBERTSON, LACEY WEEDEN, RUSH WEEDEN, CAROLINE 8 $300.00 DUBARI COX, GAYLE COX, GAYLE WATERMAN, JOAN 9 $300.00 DOLCE TAKATA, SUE TAKATA, SUE GOODSON, STACIE

10 $200.00 PRIMETIME SHADYSIDE FARM, GIBSON, CAROLINE THYSSEN, MARIE 11 $0.00 CELANO SHIPP, CASSANDRA VAN DER HOEVEN, MARTIEN VAN DER HOEVEN, MARTIEN 12 $0.00 RIO’S ECHO TUREN, PATRICIA PLETCHER, PETER ARENDT, DANIEL

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