French Goes 1-2 in $20,000 Added Future Hunter World Championship, Molly Sewell Rides to the Top in $5,000 WCHR Emerging Pro Challenge

John French was the big winner today at the Capital Challenge Horse Show. He and Small Affair won the $15,000 WCHR Professional Challenge, and he rode Small Collection and Small Kiss, all owned by Iwasaki & Reilly, to the top two spots in the $20,000 Added Future Hunter World Championship. Molly Sewell jumped to victory in the $5,000 Emerging Professional Rider Challenge on Maddox, owned by Porter Allen. Kelley Farmer piloted Louise Graves’ Amadeo to the Grand Future Hunter Championship, while she and Listen, owned by Jane Gaston, won the Grand Hunter Championship.

The horse show runs through Sunday, October 10, at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. The remaining highlight class of the week for the professional hunter riders is the $7,500 WCHR Professional Finals, presented by the John R. Ingram Fund, held on Friday, October 8.

John French of Redwood City, CA, made it a banner day when he capped it off with victory in the $15,000 WCHR Professional Challenge. They won the Little Brook Trophy donated by Gary Duffy.

French was leading going into the final round, and said that “it’s always hard when the pressure is on.” He and Small Affair, owned by Iwasaki & Reilly, had a first round score of 91.33 and improved on that in the second round with stellar jumping form to score 91.66 for a total of 182.99. They earned the win over Kelley Farmer with Rosalynn and Katie Gardiner on Parker.

French said of his round, “He jumped the first fence great but it’s getting him going to the first fence [that’s hard]. Once he kicks into gear at the first jump then you know you’re okay.”

 

John French and Small Affair clear the first jump on course

“He’s just a magnificent jumper and has a great canter to find the jumps on. There just aren’t that many horses that jump that high up over the jumps and still jump it in good form,” French said of Small Affair. “He studies the jumps a bit. He’s always a little bit careful. He’s always a little bit suspicious of things.”

This is the first time that French has won the WCHR Professional Challenge, and he is excited about qualifying for the hunter challenge class in Wellington, FL.

In the $20,000 Added Future Hunter North American Championship, sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Wheeler/Cismont Manor Farm and Kocher Tack, John French rode horses to the first two places. With Small Collection, he collected the first place ribbon and won the Beverly Brooks Solter Memorial Trophy, donated by Hilary Scheer Gerhardt and Zan Martin Dillon. He finished second with Small Kiss. Both horses are owned by Iwasaki & Reilly. Scott Stewart and his own State Hill were third.

Molly Sewell got the win in her third time out in the $5,000 WCHR Emerging Pro Challenge. She rode Maddox, owned by Porter Allen, and was awarded the Bittersweet Perpetual Trophy, donated by Rachel B. Kennedy. Sewell placed second in the first year of the class, and she was third last year.

Sewell and Maddox, a 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding, scored 84.5 in the first round and 88.3 in the second round. Miranda Scott and Valentine finished second, while Jordan Siegel on Black Tie Affair was third.

Originally from Winter Park, FL, Sewell has been a professional for nine years and rides for Over the Hill Farm and Bill Schaub, whom she thanked along with Porter Allen and Shawn Casady. She joked, “It took me forever to emerge!”

This was only the third time that Sewell has jumped a course on Maddox. “He’s just amazing. He’s completely different in the show ring than he is out (in the schooling ring),” she remarked. “He absolutely rises to the occasion.”

Molly Sewell and Maddox

Sewell appreciates the opportunity given to young professionals in this Challenge class. “It’s great. To finally win it this year is amazing. It gives you confidence and it is nice to get recognition.”

She hopes to compete next year in the “regular” WCHR Professional Challenge. She noted, “I’ve got a lot of new horses, a lot of young horses that are coming up and I’ve got a lot of clients who are supporting me now so I’m really excited. There’s going to be a lot of good things going on in the future.”

The Grand Future Hunter Championship, sponsored by Lochmoor Stables, Inc./Greg and Mindy Darst, went to Amadeo, ridden by Kelley Farmer and owned by Louise Graves. The seven-year-old Mecklenberg gelding was champion in the Colts and Geldings division after winning two and placing second in the over fences classes. For their Grand win, they were awarded the “A Rare Diamond” Perpetual Trophy donated by “The Friends of Mickey.”

Farmer has only ridden Amadeo for two weeks, after getting the ride through trainer Travis Lubow. The talented young horse was purchased from Todd Minikus. Farmer showed him at the Middleburg Classic Horse Show last week, where he was also champion. “I don’t know a lot about him except that he’s a really good horse,” Farmer admitted. “He’s really simple, really easy, really straightforward, careful and slow.”

She added, “And, he’s quiet quiet quiet. Most horses like that are plain, but he just jumps higher and more careful as the day goes on.”

 

Kelley Farmer and Amadeo

Farmer enjoys riding the young horses that compete in the Future Hunters. “I love the young horses,” she agreed. “They are so much fun and this is a great showcase for them. But they have to be good horses to win here. The selection of young horses here are lovely. It really makes me proud of my babies that they fit in here.”

Hunt Tosh rode the aptly named Tosh to the win in the $1,000 WCHR Senior Under Saddle Class, sponsored by Arcadia Farm. They won the Hollywood Challenge Trophy, donated by Paula Polk Lillard.

The Capital Challenge Horse Show continues tomorrow with championships for the Amateur-Owner and Adult Amateur Hunters, the WCHR Amateur-Owner Challenge, Round One of the North American Junior/Amateur-Owner Challenge Cup, and the Children’s/Adult Jumper Challenge.

The championships awarded for the professional hunter divisions are as follows:

$9,000 First Year Green Working Hunter Section A, sponsored by Peter Pletcher/PJP Farm Champion: To the Nines, Tracy Fenney, Mr. and Mrs. Ken MacKenzie Reserve Champion: Showman, Sandy Ferrell, Krista and Alexa Weisman

$9,000 First Year Green Working Hunter Section B, sponsored by the Kellogg and Sadrian Families Champion: MTM Bragging Rights, Tracy Fenney, Taylor Sutton Reserve Champion: Good Humor, Hunt Tosh, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Wheeler

$9,000 Green Conformation Hunter, sponsored by Lisa A. H. Cudahy Champion: Listen, Kelley Farmer, Jane Gaston Reserve Champion: Humor Me, Havens Schatt, R. Bruce Duchossois

$3,000 Regular Conformation Hunter, sponsored by Hidden Hollow and Ginny Edwards; Joie Gatlin and Morley Abey Show Jumping Inc. Champion: Garfield, Samantha Schaefer, K&S Show Services Reserve Champion: Quintin, Havens Schatt, Tracy Scheriff Muser

Grand First Year Green Hunter Champion, sponsored by Hap Hansen Stables. Awarded the Magda and George Z. Lefton Memorial Trophy, donated by Stacey Lefton Glick: MTM Bragging Rights, ridden by Tracy Fenney and owned by Taylor Salton

Grand Green Hunter Champion, sponsored by Kennedy Farm: Small Affair, ridden by John French and owned by Iwasaki & Reilly

Grand Conformation Hunter Champion, awarded the Kenneth M. Wheeler Perpetual Trophy, donated by B.J. Meeks and Pablo Perez: Listen, ridden by Kelley Farmer and owned by Jane Gaston

Grand Future Hunter Champion, sponsored by Lochmoor Stables, Inc./Greg and Mindy Darst, awarded the “A Rare Diamond” Perpetual Trophy donated by “The Friends of Mickey”: Amadeo, ridden by Kelley Farmer and owned by Louise Graves

Grand Hunter Champion, sponsored by RSB Farms, Inc., Rob Bielefeld and Chrystal McKnight, awarded the Janet Polk Read and Margaret Hough Sabbatini Memorial Trophy, donated by the Goguen Family: Listen, ridden by Kelley Farmer and owned by Jane Gaston

The special awards given today were:

Tribute Perpetual Trophy, donated by Scott Stewart, awarded to the horse earning the highest cumulative numerical point total in a single professional division: Listen, ridden by Kelley Farmer and owned by Jane Gaston

Derby Down Trophy, donated by Louise Serio, awarded to the highest scoring hunter round by a professional rider in the professional hunter divisions: To the Nines, ridden by Tracy Fenney and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ken MacKenzie

Leading Hunter Rider Award, sponsored by Kate Gibson and Shadyside Farm, awarded the B.J.’s Hunt Room Trophy, donated by B.J. Meeks and Pablo Perez: Kelley Farmer

Best EMO Future Hunter Trip of the Show, sponsored by EMO Agency, Inc.: Amadeo, ridden by Kelley Farmer and owned by Louise Graves, with a score of 90.5

Best EMO Professional Trip of the Show, sponsored by EMO Agency, Inc.: To the Nines, ridden by Tracy Fenney and owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ken MacKenzie, with a score of 91

Final Results: $15,000 World Champion Hunter Rider Professional Challenge

1 151 SMALL AFFAIR JOHN FRENCH

92 92 90 91.33

92 92 91 91.66

182.99

2 606 ROSALYNN KELLEY FARMER

82.75 90 91 87.91

90 93 93 92.00

179.91

3 822 PARKER KATIE GARDNER

90 88 86 88.00

89 88 86 87.66

175.66

4 617 RIVIERA AMBER MITCHELL

83 85 89 85.66

87 86 87.5 86.83

172.49

5 1054 MTM BRAGGING RIGHTS TRACY FENNEY

82.5 84 83.5 83.33

88 91 88 89.00

172.33

6 885 BOLERO SANDY FERRELL

84 87 85.5 85.5

85.5 84 87 85.5

171.00

7 1333 KOST TO COAST JENNY KARAZISSIS

87 83 84 84.66

86 87 83 85.33

169.99

8 1262 SIENNA PATRICIA GRIFFITH

86 83.5 85 84.83

85 83 85 84.33

169.16

9 644 COFFEETALK TEDDI JO MELLENCAMP

82 82.5 79.5 81.33

83 80 78 80.33

161.66

10 1234 GOGOL KATE OLIVER

80 82 81 81.00

82 79 80 80.33

161.33

11 118 PLATINUM LAENA ROMOND

85 80 83 82.66

80 77 79 78.66

161.32

12 548 LONE STAR HUNT TOSH

81.5 82.75 84.5 82.91

WD

Final Results: $5,000 Emerging Professional Rider Challenge

1 257 MADDOX MOLLY SEWELL

89 88 88 88.33

83 86 84.5 84.50

172.83

2 1330 VALENTINE MIRANDA SCOTT

83 83 86 84.00

87 89 90 88.66

172.66

3 1336 BLACK TIE AFFAIR JORDAN SIEGEL

87 87 85 86.33

85 82 85 84.00

170.33

4 967 WIND DANCER JENNIFER BLISS

81.75 81.5 87 83.41

84 83 83.5 83.50

166.91

5 105 WESTVILLE LAENA ROMOND

90 85 90 88.33

78 76 79 77.66

165.99

6 145 VALOR MARLA AMORMINO

81.5 82.5 83 82.33

86 79 83 82.66

164.99

7 936 RIO’S SPLASH CHRIS NELSON

82.5 76.5 81 80.00

82 84 84 83.33

163.33

8 659 ELOISE DAVID WILBUR

84 84 84.5 84.16

76 70 81 75.66

159.82

9 1332 JOYRIDE KATE RICE

79 79 84 80.66

75 74 75 74.66

155.32

10 931 FIELDING LINDSEY RENTZ

82 80 82 81.33

73 71 71 71.66

152.99

11 408 EBONY HOLLY HELBIG

85 82.25 79.5 82.25

72 65 70 69.00

151.25

12 1094 AND THEN SOME SARAH MECHLIN

80.5 82 80 80.83

65 68 68 67.00

147.83

Final Results: $20,000 Added Future Hunter World Championship, sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Wheeler/Cismont Manor Farm and Kocher Tack

1 149 SMALL COLLECTION JOHN FRENCH

88 89 87 87 86 87.40

86 88 87.5 89 87.5 87.60

175.00

2 150 SMALL KISS JOHN FRENCH

89.5 84.5 82 85.5 89 86.10

89 87 88 91 88 88.60

174.70

3 522 STATE HILL SCOTT STEWART

89 85 87 86 88 87.00

90 86.5 85 83 86 86.10

173.10

4 941 ON THE HOUR KELLEY FARMER

87 86 85 88 85 86.20

87.5 85 87 88 87 86.90

173.10

5 524 REALITY SCOTT STEWART

90 85.5 89 86.5 87.75 87.75

84 78 75 86 84 81.40

169.15

6 948 AMADEO KELLEY FARMER

87.25 88 87 89 87.25 87.70

80 79 84 79 81.5 80.70

168.40

7 760 ROCK STEADY KATE CONOVER

88.5 89.5 85 90 88.5 88.30

82 81 79 77 80 79.80

168.10

8 520 INCLUSIVE SCOTT STEWART

86 84 81 80 82 82.60

88 86 83 85 83 85.00

167.60

9 935 CROWN N SCEPTER KELLEY FARMER

85 80.5 81.5 83 84.5 82.90

87 84 82 84 85 84.40

167.30

10 696 FRANKLIN HAVENS SCHATT

87.5 81 88 84 87.5 85.60

81 80 81.5 82 82 81.30

166.90

11 175 GREY FEATHER KELLEY FARMER

84 85.25 83 79.5 85.25 83.40

60 60 65 70 68 64.60

148.00

12 560 BALOU AMANDA STEEGE

86.5 82 82 85 87 84.50

40 40 40 40 40 40.00

124.50

Final Results: $1,000 World Champion Hunter Under Saddle Senior, sponsored by Arcadia Farm

1 551 TOSH HUNT TOSH

2 100 PARKLAND PATRICIA GRIFFITH

3 1013 TRIPOLI OLIN ARMSTRONG

4 940 HABANA KELLEY FARMER

5 636 CAYMUS CATHY MORRIS-SCHM

6 603 SHOWTIME VERONICA MILLER

7 441 LAST CALL COOKIE BECK

8 183 MAXIMILIAN AMANDA STEEGE

9 133 LADY O KATIE ROBINSON

10 854 BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY PENNY LOMBARDO

Check the Capital http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=19507424&msgid=218244&act=J0Q0&c= 681452&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2FThe-Capital-Chall enge-Horse-Show%2F405101870802%3Fref%3Dts> Challenge page on Facebook tomorrow to watch video interviews with John French and Molly Sewell!

For full results and more information, please visit www.capitalchallenge.org http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=19507424&msgid=218244&act=J0Q0&c= 681452&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.capitalchallenge.org%2F> . If you can’t attend the Capital Challenge Horse Show, remember you can log on to www.equestriansport.tv http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=19507424&msgid=218244&act=J0Q0&c= 681452&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.equestriansport.tv%2F> to see all the action live.

Highlights of the upcoming week at Capital Challenge Horse Show will include the $2,500 WCHR Amateur-Owner 3’3″ Challenge (Oct. 7), the North American Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Challenge Cup (two rounds held on Oct. 8-9), the ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals (Oct. 8), and the WCHR Professional Finals (Oct. 8).

In its 17th year, the Capital Challenge Horse Show sets itself apart with a distinct and unique focus on preeminent hunter competition. Held each autumn at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, this year’s show takes place on October 2-10. Top competitions include the ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals and the THIS National Children’s Medal Finals, along with the Capital Challenge Equitation Weekend, presented by Bigeq.com. In addition to these prestigious equitation events, the Capital Challenge Horse Show will once again host the World Champion Hunter Rider Finals and will assemble the country’s best horses and riders to compete in junior, amateur, and professional hunter classes. For more information, please visit http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=19507424&msgid=218244&act=J0Q0&c= 681452&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.capitalchallenge.org%2F> www.capitalchallenge.org or visit the http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=19507424&msgid=218244&act=J0Q0&c= 681452&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F%3Fref%3Dhome%23%21%2Fpag es%2FThe-Capital-Challenge-Horse-Show%2F405101870802%3Fref%3Dts> Capital Challenge Horse Show page on Facebook!

Photo Credit: John French and Small Affair won the $15,000 WCHR Professional Challenge. Kelley Farmer and Amadeo were the Grand Future Hunter Champions. Molly Sewell rode Maddox to victory in the $5,000 WCHR Emerging Pro Challenge. Photos C Jennifer Wood Media, Inc. These photos may only be used in relation to this press release and with full photo credit.

C 2010 Jennifer Wood Media Inc.

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