2009 Dallas Harvest Horse Show Raises Over $12,000 to Benefit Habitat for Horses

Tyler, TX – November 1, 2009 – Tracy Fenney earned top honors in the $25,000 Grand Prix of Dallas this afternoon riding MTM Centano, owned by MTM Farm. Today’s victory marks Fenney’s third consecutive Dallas Harvest Grand Prix win, as well as her eighth time winning the class overall. The 2009 Dallas Harvest Horse Show concluded today following a successful week of competition at the Texas Rose Horse Park in beautiful Tyler, TX.

The Dallas Harvest Horse Show is a very active supporter of Habitat for Horses, one of the largest equine protection organizations in the country. Today’s Grand Prix class was held to benefit the organization, along with last night’s silent auction and Team Calcutta. So far the horse show has raised over $12,000 to benefit Habitat for Horses’ excellent cause, and several more large ticket items are pending.

Habitat for Horses catered a special lunch this afternoon as exhibitors and spectators watched the $25,000 Grand Prix of Dallas under clear, blue skies. This week’s jumper courses were designed by Conrad Homfeld, and a class of 18 entries came out to compete. Just seven of the original entries cleared the first round course earning the chance to jump off, and Tracy Fenney and MTM Centano laid down the fastest clear round in a time of 37.794 seconds to win the class. Martien Van Der Hoven was a very close second, clearing the shortened course in 38.576 seconds with Southbound. Samuel Parot earned the third place honors with a clear round in 38.621 seconds aboard 3M Laredo and Tony Font rode Carmen to the fourth place honors with the only other clear jump-off round in a time of 42.017 seconds. Chris Nelson and Inside out earned fifth place with the fastest four-fault jump-off round in 38.334 seconds.

Not only did today’s win mark Tracy Fenney’s eighth Dallas Harvest Grand Prix victory, it also marked her eighth grand prix win with MTM Centano this year. Fenney has had MTM Centano for almost four years, and has been very successful with the nine-year-old Holsteiner gelding. “We got him when he was five and he has been a very good horse,” she stated. “He is really big and he takes really big strides. I treat him like he’s a little horse and do tight turns. He is so big and strong that he can handle a lot of things that a lot of other horses cannot.”

“For a big horse he has a lot of blood in him,” Fenney noted. “He carries a lot of motor and he is actually kind of a nervous horse. He seems easy going; when you watch him go he looks like a big hunter, but when you ride him it feels like he has a bomb inside. He is like a big ball of energy.”

Fenney acknowledged that she thought the course was going to be hard when she first walked it. “The course today was great; I always just think that it is going to be hard,” she laughed. “I overrode my first horse and then kind of calmed down and then rode that one. Conrad said that he wanted like six clean and he got seven, so it was good.”

“For the jump-off the other ones went pretty fast and I knew that they were all slowing down in the first line in eight, but I knew that I could do seven and he turns well enough everywhere else,” Fenney continued. “I was a little nervous to the in-and-out just because it is coming home and they have already been rolling along. It is kind of a big vertical and you had to be careful there. I know I left one stride out, but that is where I said he has enough of that blood in him that he can do it and he just balled up together and power housed over it.”

Fenney was thrilled to get another exciting win in front of her hometown crowd. “It is nice because it is kind of our home town and they do such a nice event here and put on a great horse show,” she smiled. “They really make it an event instead of just another class, so it is fun. It is such a beautiful day and this was definitely a good way to end the show.”

Following the Grand Prix, the jumper ring hosted a $2,500 Children’s/Adult Amateur Jumper Classic. Only two pairs were able to clear the first round course to jump off, and Lene Bruheim finished on top aboard NLF Valhall, owned by older sister Eirin Bruheim. Beth Von Brecht rode Ulona to the second place finish.

Competition got underway this morning with the EMO “Z” Cup Equitation Final and Kathryn Thompson was the winner riding Thelwell, owned by Brita Wallace of Austin, TX.

A special awards presentation and parade of champions was also held this morning prior to the Grand Prix. Southbound Show Management and The Dallas Harvest Horse Show were selected as the presenting horse show for the 2009 South Central Region Year-End World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) Awards, and had the honor of presenting those awards today. Top rider awards were presented to Courtney Calcagnini in the professionals, Gayle Cox in the amateur-owners, Jessica Zienkievicz in the adult amateurs, Caroline Gibson in the juniors, Taylor Reid in the children’s, and Peyton Escher in the ponies.

Today’s competition concluded another great year at the Dallas Harvest Horse Show. For more information, please visit www.southboundsshows.com .

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

Tracy Fenney and MTM Centano

Photo Credit: Tracy Fenney and MTM Centano won the $25,000 Grand Prix of Dallas this afternoon at the 2009 Dallas Harvest Horse Show. Photo C 2009 Lauren Fisher/PMG. Photograph may be used only in relation to this PMG press release.

RESULTS $25,000 Grand Prix of Dallas

1. Tracy Fenney and MTM Centano – 0/0/37.974

2. Martien Van Der Hoeven and Southbound – 0/0/38.576

3. Samuel Parot and 3M Loredo – 0/0/38.621

4. Tony Font and Carmen – 0/0/42.017

5. Chris Nelson and Inside Out – 0/4/38.334

6. Kari Martin and Solinus – 0/8/40.892

7. Tony Font and Gardenio – 0/No Score

8. Christian Heineking and River of Dreams – 4/74.000

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