Ultimate Trail Challenge at Loch Moy Farm
Ultimate Equestrian Competitive Trail Competition (ACTHA Ride)
article and photos by Christy Hughes
Christy Hughes and Razzmatazz at the water obstacle
Saturday, June 19 started hot and humid with clear sunny skies and a breeze throughout the day. Thirty-four horse and rider pairs joined Loch Moy Farm at its first ACTHA ride: 20 in the Pleasure Division, 12 in the Open Division, 1 Junior Rider and 1 Buddy Rider. When signing in, each rider received a competitor number along with a goodie bag that included a sweat scraper, hoof pick, treats and sponge (donated by Good Friday Tack). The rider briefing started at 9 a.m. and was followed by the four groups tackling a 6-mile loop that included six obstacles.
Portions of the loop surrounded the Loch Moy (home of The Maryland Horse Trials) cross-country schooling course, cross-country competition course and competition rings . A large portion of the loop was a tree-shaded trail that ran along the Monocacy River. There was even an area of the trail where you could go and play in the river for a few minutes!
Dawn Wright walks Dawn’s Lunar Eclipse over the bridge during the morning competition. She placed seventh in the ACTHA Challenge and then won the Pleasure division in the afternoon.
The six obstacles were as follows:
OBSTACLE #1 (30 seconds) The Bridge
Description – Wooden Bridge on the ground
Open: Walk onto bridge, pause for 3 seconds then proceed off bridge
Pleasure/Jr.: Walk across length of bridge
OBSTACLE #2 (1 minute) The Back
Description – Backing through or around cones
Open: Back a Figure 8 around the cones
Pleasure/Jr.: Back distance between poles
OBSTACLE # 3 (30 seconds) The Ditch
Description – Cross ground level ditch without horse stepping into bottom of ditch
Open: Trot or canter across ditch
Pleasure/Jr.: Walk or trot across smaller ditch
OBSTACLE #4 (30 seconds) The Grape Vines
Description – Nylon webbing hanging between trees
Open: Trot or canter through the hanging vines
Pleasure/Jr.: Walk through the hanging vines
OBSTACLE #5 (30 Seconds) The Bank
Description – Raised bank with drop down or jump up from ground level
Open: Drop down from raised bank, staying between cones
Pleasure/Jr.: Step up onto raised bank, staying between cones
Paul Plume hangs on as Diesel launches out of the water. The pair won the Open division in the morning and placed fifth in the afternoon.
OBSTACLE #6 (1 minute) The Infinity Pond
Description – Man-made water obstacle
Open: Drop in from bank marked by cones and proceed out other side, may use gait of choice
Pleasure/Jr.: Enter water through area marked by cones, circle cone in center of water and exit out opposite side from entry using gait of choice.
During the lunch break, winners of all divisions were announced with ribbons and prizes given to each winner. Ribbons and ACTHA bucks were awarded through sixth place. Our Junior Rider received a gift bag donated by Stablemates. First Place Winners received a body brush with a brass plate engraved with “Ultimate Equestrian 2010” along with Gift Certificates for Farmers Cooperative Association. There were also various grooming tools awarded through third place, donated by Good Friday Tack.
Junior Division
1st Alyssa Mele riding Johnny Cash`s Gambler
Open Division
1st Paul Plume riding Diesel
2nd Barbara Dixon riding Arapadoodle
3rd Kristi McKinley riding Shay
4th Emley Buikstra-Ditamore riding Pasha Nariya
5th Kimberly Hicks riding Infinities Approvin It
6th Patty Mele riding Flash’s Champagne Dream (Scout)
7th Dawn Wright riding Dawns Lunar Eclipse
8th Angelique Harvey riding Holly
9th Mark Wurster riding Quigley
10th Kari Briggs riding Apache`s Uprising
11th Karen Koback riding Catoctin High Fidelity “Chester”
12th Michael Dixon riding Badger
Arlene Atkins aboard Sara on her way to winning the morning’s Pleasure division.
Pleasure Division
1st Arlene Atkins riding Sara – A Splash of Lace
2nd Mary McCullough riding Four Socks Riley
3rd Judy England riding Murango
4th Susan Brown riding Fabulous Frankie
5th Vicki Bazan riding Reno
6th Barbara Conner riding Juliet Snowflake
7th Christy Hughes riding Razzmatazz
8th Donna Taylor riding Hobbys Superior Son
9th Richard Card riding Nino
10th Pamela Howard riding Rock`s Doing Time
11th Bill Williams riding Tri N Charge Me
12th Susan Fogarty riding Skittles Doc
13th Seamus Fogarty riding Pa`s Little Joe
14th Brandy Clark riding Dude
15th Michele Williams riding Sky
16th Leslie Foster riding Duke
17th Johnny Conner riding Teddys Tuff Lass
18th Pamela Slezak riding Willie
19th Wendy Bohner riding Triggers Gunsmoke
20th Linda Card riding MeganBuddy Rider – Robert Lilly riding Specks
Outriders David Beard and Todd Moone made sure everyone was safe out on the courses.
Ultimate Equestrian Obstacle Challenge
That same afternoon, Loch Moy offered an Obstacle Challenge consisting of a loop of nine obstacles that were judged and timed. Winners were decided based on overall score per obstacle. Time was used as a tie-breaker when needed. The Pleasure Division went first with four riders followed by the Open Division with eight riders.
The following obstacles were run, with a higher score given for those showing more acceptance/versatility of the horse (i.e.: trotting, cantering with or waving the flag; side passing to move the tennis ball; cantering the log).
1. Sidepass Over an 8’ Timber
2. Cowboy Curtain – Ride thru a torn tarp hanging between trees
3. Natural Log Jump
4. Log Drag – Pull short piece of log about 20’
5. Tennis Ball – Pick up Tennis Ball from 1st cone and carry to and place on top of 2nd cone
6. Water – Pleasure runs into water & jumps over a small log that is in the water & Open runs into the water and jumps up a bank to exit the water
7. Flag – Pick up Flag from 1st cone & carry to and place in 2nd cone
8. Back through Cones – Pleasure backs straight downhill & Open backs an “L” Shape uphill
9. Trash Chute – Ride thru gate panels lined with paper & plastic bags, balloons, foam noodles, & a horse blanket
Pleasure Division
1st – Dawn Wright riding Dawn’s Lunar Eclipse
2nd – Mary McCullough riding Four Socks Riley
3rd – Karen Koback riding Catoctin High Fidelity
4th – Brandy Clark riding Dude
Barbara Dixon saves time by not dismounting to pick up the blanket. She won the afternoon’s Open division.
Open Division
1st – Barbara Dixon ridin Arapadoodle
2nd – Kim Hicks riding Infinities Approvin It
3rd – Todd Moone riding Marshal Dillion
4th – Mark Wurster riding Quigley
5th – Paul Plume riding Diesel
6th – Kristi McKinley riding Shay
For more photos from the July 19th competitions, click on the following links:
Ultimate Equestrian Facebook page
Photo Gallery of the Obstacles in the ACTHA morning ride
Photo Gallery of the Obstacles in the Obstacle Challenge afternoon ride
Photo Gallery of the Riders in the Obstacle Challenge afternoon ride
Sugar Lane Judged Pleasure Ride
May 23 – Sugar Lane Farm Judged Pleasure Ride (Federalsburg)
photo by Linda Davis
Barbara Dixon and Arapadoodle – Open Grand Champion
Karen Mack and Cooper – Open Reserve Champion
Open
Grand Champion – Barbara Dixon & Arapadoodle
Reserve Champion – Karen Mack & Cooper
1st – Alan Terry & Shadow
2nd – Jeremy Lellers & Truman
3rd – Ronda Ramsey & Apache
4th – Katie Terry & Sandi
5th – Mindy Nashold & Dusty
6th – KC Shore & Bubba
Melanie Baker and Smokey – Novice Grand Champion
Novice
Grand Champion – Melanie Baker & Smokey
Reserve Champion – Shelly Whitaker & Cochise
1st – Robin Bartley & Rio
2nd – Karen Speake & Iams
3rd – Edward Mihm & Mo
4th – Lisa Boyce & Stoney
5th – Brittnay Nicholson & Scout
6th – Cara Whitaker & Bear
Jeanene Glover
More Barrel Racing Results
Barrel Racing at the J Bar W Ranch
May 19
Amy Albright finished first and second with Paige Reynolds in third and fourth. Amy also won the Jackpot and Paige won the 3-D.
June 2
Amy Albright continued to dominate the competition by winning on June 2 as well. This time Paige Reynolds placed third and fourth. Amy also won both the Jackpot and 3-D.
June 5
On June 5, Amy Albright won again with Paige Reynolds placing second. Mandy Huffer finished in third.
Barrel Racing Begins
Barrel Racing at the J Bar W Ranch kicked off on May 5th with a large number of entries for the Wednesday Night Jackpot. Here are the results.
1 Amy Albright 15.55
2 Amy Albright 16.06
3 Suzette White 16.56
4 Jami Cornel 16.83
5 Ann Colson 17.34
6 Paige Reynolds 17.45
7 Sam Snapp 17.84
8 Tiffany Martin 18.71
9 Adrienne Monninger 19.37
10 Suzette White 19.62
11 Lauren Rhen 21.06
12 Sammi Bazan 21.8
13 Stephani Dietrichson 22.78
14 Trisha Crossley 24.27
15 Trisha Crossley 26.62
16 Ellen Goudy N/T
17 Lauren Rhen N/T
Jackpot
1 Amy Albright 15.55 $127.50
2 Amy Albright 16.06 $76.50
3 Suzette White 16.56 $51
3-D
D1 Paige Reynolds 16.27 $40
D2 Jami Cornell 17.46 $24
D3 Adrienne Monninger 19.08 $16
Vote For Your Favorite 2009 Show
The Equiery wants to know: What was your favorite Western show or Judged Trail Ride in Maryland for 2009?
E-mail editor@equiery.com or post your vote her as a comment.
Happy New Year!
TROT Judged Pleasure Ride
On September 18 over 80 competitors of all ages on a variety of breeds competed in a Judged Pleasure Ride sponsored by the Trail Riders of Today and held at the Maryland Agricultural Park. Awards were given for Open, Novice and Junior classes as well as various breed classes.
Bob Lilly
Amy Grimm
Susan Searles
Naomi Manders
Mary McCullough
Jim Lynch
Michelle Beachley
Jenny Searles
Jacquelyn Cowan
It’s Fair Time!
Maryland State Quarter Horse Show
by Sandy Weinreich
Amanda Powell
On August 14, the Howard County Fairgrounds was the site for a well attended Quarter Horse show. This was one of two shows that the Maryland State Quarter Horse Association put on this year. The other was in Lexington, Virginia earlier this summer. MSQHA has made it a priority to bring all of their shows back to Maryland next year with the 2010 shows to be held at the Howard County Fairgrounds and the Prince George’s Equestrian Center.
Classes offered at the Howard County show included English, Western, Halter and Performance. Novice Youth, Youth, Novice Amateur, Amateur and Open competitors filled the arena. A combination of great weather, the ambiance of the fair and first class horses made August 14th a day to remember.
Stephanie Rice aboard Pour on the Scotch
Barrel Racing at State Fair
The results of the Barrel Racing competition at the Maryland State Fair on August 31 are as follows (rider, time, points):
1. Paige Reynolds, 14.715, 17
2. Mandy Huffer, 15.011, 13
3. Sam Snapp, 15.055, 12
4. Ann Colson, 15.168, 11
5. Camellia Powell, 15.352, 10
6. Sammy Bazan, 15.374, 9
7. Chrissy Villegas, 15.714, 8
8. Kristi Buffington, 15.78, 7
9. Jami Cornell, 16.016, 6
10. Amber Martin, 19.951, 5
11. Suzette White, 20.054, 4
Barrel Season Wrap Up
The J Bar W Ranch barrel racing season came to a close on September 5 with Amy Albright winning yet again and securing her spot on the top of the series list. Paige Reynolds finished second that day and Suzette White rounded out the top three.
Below is the 2009 Year-End Standings listed by rider name followed by total points earned.
1. Amy Albright 142
2. Mandy Huffer 108
3. Ann Colson 108
4. Sammi Bazan 88
5. Suzette White 87
6. Kristi Buffington 81
7. Paige Reynolds 73
8. Julie Stovall 71
9. Jami Cornell 68
10. Ashley Phillips 58
11. Levi Leach 56
12. Katie Gossert 51
13. Kaylia Albright 45
14. Camellia Powell 42
15. Tiffany McClure 37
16. Chrissy Villegas 31
17. Chandra Whipp 29
18. Lauren Rhen 27
19. Sam Snapp 18
20. Christi Fondnazio 14
21. Kase Horton 13
22. Amber Martin 13
23. Samatha Bowling 12
24. Chelsea Magaha 11
25. Taylor Swank 7
26. Kelly Conaway 7
27. Holly Street 5
28. Tyler Yoak 3
29. Laura Gibson 3
Mounted Wanders at Oak Ridge Park
The Mounted Wanders 4-H club hosted a schooling show at Oak Ridge Park in Hughesville on September 6.
Megan Schroeter and Thunder test their speed skills in the Barrells class
Ashley Noble shows her yearling in the Trails class
Mounted Shooting, Racing and Trails
Doug Griffith of Fruitland pops the last balloon from atop Peppy to become the overall male winner.
Much Ado About Mounted Shooting
Although relatively new to Maryland, Cowboy Mounted Shooting is one of the fastest growing equestrian sports in the country. On July 18, a few tried their hands and tested their skills at the Cowboy Mounted Shooting competition held in Denton.
There are several classes aimed at different skill levels, including a class for juniors. In the juniors’ class, riders aim cap pistols at balloons while mounted but shoot a .45 caliber single action revolver at the balloons from the ground, with a parent overseeing.
Riders are scored both on their time and accuracy. There is a five-second penalty for each missed balloon and a five-second penalty for dropping the gun. Ten seconds are added to the rider’s time if he or she does not complete the course correctly and 60 seconds are added if the rider falls off of the horse.
For more information on this sport, check out the official Cowboy Mounted Shooting site listed in our Western Resources.
Jay Revels of Federalsburg shows good form.
Pat Levers of Greenwood gallops through gun and arena smoke to win the women’s division.
Jeremey Henley takes aim at a balloon while riding Fudge. He was the overall winner of the Wrangler division.
Dean Records and Joker missed one balloon but pops the last.
The Need For Speed
The Tuckahoe Equestrian Center in Queen Anne held the Stan Schmidth Speed Show on July 26. There, competitors of all ages satisfied their need for speed in classes such as barrels, pole-bending and flag races.
Rhonda Ramsey and Apache gallop home during the flag race. The pair won the “Figure 8 Flags” race as well as the Single Stake race and Barrels race for the Double Star division. Ramsey also placed second in the Pole Bending and Speed Ball races.
Arapadoodle, ridden by Barb Dixon, stretches out to win the Figure 8 Flags race. Dixon and Arapadoodle were unbeatable at Tuckahoe, winning all races in the Single Star division.
Lindsay Blum and Docs Silver Moon make a tight turn on their way to winning the Jackpot Barrels class. Blum also won the Speed Ball and Pole Bending races in the Double Star division as well as placing second in the Single Stake, Figure 8 Flags and Barrels races.
Kerrianna Frederick makes her way around a pole while riding Hank in the pole-bending class. She placed third in the Double Star division.
LOMH Trail Challenge
August 1 marked the date of the summer League of Maryland Horsemen Judged Pleasure Trail Ride, held at the LOMH facility in Marriottsville. Over 50 riders showed up to compete for top honors in various divisions divided by skill level, rider ages and horse breeds.
The overall champion of the competition was Linda Galinaitis, who also won the Adult Open division and Gaited Breeds division. John Bul was named reserve champion after winning the Western Male class and Quarter Horse division as well as placing second in the Adult Open division.
Linda Galinaitis shows off her winning ribbons from the Adult Open and Gaited Breeds division. Galinaitis was also the overall champion of the ride.
John Bul opens a gate at the start of the ride. Bul was the overall reserve champion and winner of the Western Male and Quarter Horse divisions. He also placed second in the Adult Open division.
Bette Walsh’s horse investigates an obstacle during the ride. She placed sixth in the Quarter Horse division.
Carey Reed performs the tackless portion of the ride on one of the two horses she rode at the event. She placed fifth in the Adult Open division, fourth and fifth in the Western Female division and third and fifth in the Grade division.
Darcie Kennedy walks her horse across a wooden plank. She placed fifth in the English Female division.
J.R. Quillen reaches for a Hawaiian leis He wound up finishing fourth in the Western Male division.
Kate Leary guides her horse down a chute towards a creek on her way to placing fourth in the Adult Open division. She also finished second in the Quarter Horse division and third in the Western Female division.
Keirsten Lancaster leads her pony during the ride. She finished fourth in the Junior Open division.
Sue Donaldson’s horse walks confidently across a wooden plank to win the Adult Novice division.
Prison Break, Barrels and More
by Katherine O. Rizzo with photos by Linda Davis
Brian Gesuero of Federalsburg rides Casino around the barrels at the Laurel Saddle Friends Show on June 13 in Laurel, Deleware.
A rider starts the Great Escape Equestrian Challenge at Lorton Prison, now called Laurel Hill.
The Great Escape
On June 20, the Great Escape Equestrian Challenge was held at Lorton Prison, now called Laurel Hill in Fairfax County, Virginia. The actual prison closed in the early 1990s and the land was given back to the county in 2002. It now holds a golf course, the Lorton Arts Foundation, a water treatment plant, some schools and a 170 acre equestrian park along with other parks and resource areas. The equestrian park is where the Great Escape trail race was run, which offered Open, Amateur and Novice divisions with a few Marylanders topping the placings.
Ray Parker placed third in the Open division.
Virginian Melissa Grzymkowski won the Open division with Marylanders taking the second- and third-place spots. Jacquie Cowan finished second aboard Jaquie’s Frosty Gatsby and Ray Parker of Cross Trail Stables placed third.
Kimberly Hicks begins the first obstacle, called the Strip Search, which involved un-tacking and re-tacking the horse.
Marylanders earned the top two spots in the Amateur division. Topping the list was Dawn Wright riding Dawns Lunar Eclipse. In second was Kimberly Hicks aboard Infinities Approvin It.
A Virginian—Stephanie Ochoa—also won the Novice division, riding Thirstys Classic. Marylander Jeremey Henley rode Sugar Bear to 10th.
Stephanie Ochoa and Katerina Pecinovsky check their maps during the race. Ochoa won the Novice division and Pecinovsky placed second.
Jeremey Henley coaxes Sugar Bear through obstacle 3, called Meet Your Cell Mates.
Barrel Racing Standings
Below are the current top 10 standings for the J Bar W Ranch Barrel Racing series (Union Bridge) as of July 18.
Amy Albright – 55 points*
Ann Colson – 38
Mandy Huffer – 37
Kristi Buffington – 36
Julie Stovall – 34
Sammi Bazan – 29
Jami Cornell – 28
Paige Reynolds – 26
Ashley Phillips – 24
Katie Gossert – 24
* Amy Albright broke the J Bar W Ranch record for the fastest time on July 18.
Fun With Caroline’s 4-H
The Caroline County 4-H Fun Show was held on June 14 in Denton. Here are just a few photos from that fun day.
Tracy Snyder during the Egg & Spoon race
Brittney Wiley tries to pop a balloon with a water gun while cantering Dusty.
Loren Wilkinson and Bucky during the Doll Parton race
Amber Bennet jumps Buck Eighty in the Beginner Cross-rails class.
