Highlights

  Kudos to the Keris (and a Karazissis) this past week!

  Keri Potter garners the win in the $50,000 Orange County Register CSI-W World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix and secures a spot for the World Cup if she chooses to head to Sweden. And in the hunter arena Keri Kampsen topped the field in the $10,000 USHJA Hunter Challenge riding On Top, owned by Monarch International.

  Second to go, Potter entered the jump-off thinking 'just go for it' which clearly paid off - she was fastest by just over ½ a second. Guy Thomas put in a great ride with a time of 31.28 but couldn't beat Potter's 30.71 seconds.

  "The Blenheim EquiSports team has been great and I always enjoy coming to these shows. Riding in the indoor ring here is great practice for future indoor competitions," Potter commented.

  Kampsen was glad to be riding the Hunter Challenge in the covered arena as well. "It was a totally different feel indoors - it worked out well for me."

  "The entire event was well done from start to finish. It was great that it was for Artie Hawkins. Artie judged me when I rode small ponies."

  A final congratulations highlight for Week I of the Oaks Blenheim Spring Series goes to Jenny Karazissis. Recipient of the First Annual Arthur Hawkins Award of Excellence, Karazissis was honored for her contribution to the show hunter discipline.

  This week Oaks-Blenheim will host what might be the most interesting event of the entire year. The "You Thought You'd Never Ride Again" Professional Challenge will take place on the main Grand Prix field on Saturday afternoon immediately following the Spring Classic II Grand Prix. With $5,000 in prizes awarded to the winners, this might be your one and only chance to root on some legendary trainers as they hark back to their youth in a two round jumper/equitation competition.

The Blenheim EquiSports Team: We're here for you...

Name: Nancee Tepley
Position: Show Secretary
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Home City: Newhall, CA

  Show secretaries start and finish the show. Nancee helps process all horse show entries & results, updates announcers' class sheets, keeps the rings up to date, handles the close-out of entries and most importantly gives BES exhibitors customer service with a smile.

Winter Work? I'm a Lab Technician at Newhall Memorial Hospital.

How long you have been with the BES team? Eight years.

BY TAMMY CHIPKO

  The Young Jumper Championships are designed to identify the horses that are the most promising young show jumping prospects competing in the United States. One of the goals is to offer opportunities for up and coming Grand Prix jumpers to compete against their peers over suitable courses.

  Horses must be nominated for the Young Jumper Championships annually in order to qualify for the League Finals held in August.

  Qualifying classes are hosted throughout the year at recognized USEF competitions. These classes for 5, 6, and 7/8 year olds are designed to provide exposure and invaluable experience.

  A great way to bring young horses up the ranks throughout the year, each division begins with inviting courses and then advances throughout the year offering bigger and more difficult courses. Since all the horses competing are the same age, the classes help riders gauge their own horse’s talent and progress. Ideally the system is designed to help young horses along at a good pace.

I asked some of our top professionals about the YJC.

Joie Gatlin: This organization is important because we need to develop our own horses here in the United States. With the Euro being so much stronger than the dollar now, it is not cost-effective for most people to go to Europe and show horses there like we used to. It also encourages people here to develop their own breeding programs. This is vital to the growth of our sport and in doing this we can encourage owners to purchase horses here in the States.
Joie Gatlin and her husband Morley Abey run a successful program that includes trips to Europe and Canada. www.joiegatlin.com

Mandy Porter: I hope that everyone continues to support the Young Jumpers so we can continue to grow and improve the organization. I would love to see this develop like it has in Europe. This is possible if we keep our standards high and provide good challenges for our horses throughout the year.
Mandy Porter spent many years developing jumpers and showing in Nations Cups in Europe.www.mandy-porter.com

Duncan McFarlane: The Young Jumper classes are a great idea! They inspire owners to become more involved because they can show their horses all year in hopes of qualifying for the finals. I think the final could be run in a different format that would make it more exciting for the owners and spectators but hopefully, as the organization progresses, this will happen.
Duncan McFarlane and his wife Gry own Windfall Farms. Through the years, they have trained multiple young horses to the Grand Prix level. www.windfallfarminc.com

Tasha Visokay: The class allows me to show my horse in a division of horses of the same age and ability and I like that. I think the intent of the Young Jumpers is good and we need to continue to come together to help it grow as it has on the East Coast.
Tasha Visokay assists Mark Bone at Huntover Farm in Thousand Oaks, California.

Patricia Griffith: We have several horses that we enter in the different age groups - it really is a great outlet for the young horses. It provides us a chance to compete in classes with horses of the same age instead of competing in open classes that have sometimes over 100 horses, many of which are older and have much more experience than our young horses. The format promotes clean rounds which is so important for young horses. These classes also provide a very nice way to showcase young horses that are for sale. We are lucky here that we have the sponsors to support this. The eastern finals are located at the Hampton Classic and it is a beautiful venue and very exciting for all. Patricia Griffith works for Heritage Farm located in Katonah, NY. (914) 232-2122			Young Jumpers The YJC Western League Final: Showpark All Seasons Summer Classic, August 27th - 31st The YJC Eastern League Final: Hampton Classic, August 24th - 31st The YJC Mid Western League Final: Kentucky National, September 26th Find further information at: www.youngjumpers.com

BY LAURA WARE

  The USHJA International Hunter Derby made its debut at the third week of HITS Thermal, and has proven to be a success every time it was held. This unique class attempts to create spectator interest in Hunters, with difficult courses consisting of bending lines, natural jumps, and four-foot fence options, all set in the main Hunter or Grand Prix arena. Other special features of this class are that it rewards bonus points for brilliant riding, and has a minimum amount of $10,000 prize money.

  The most recent Hunter Derby was at the Oaks Spring Tournament in the small, intimate indoor ring, which has never before been used for a hunter class. Shelby Wakeman, a talented and successful rider in the hunter, jumper, and equitation rings, placed second in this past Hunter Derby, making her the highest placing junior rider. She was gracious enough to answer a few questions for me.

Laura: What were the classic and handy courses like?
Shelby: The classic course was more like a hunter course with a forward ride and couple of bending lines. There were natural options, including a skinny plank, multiple brush jumps, and a log under a jump, which made it different from any other hunter course. The handy course was hard, with a lot of tight inside turns that I could not get on Truly because they were more like jumper turns. It was difficult, but fun.

Laura: What was it like showing hunters in such a small arena?
Shelby: I was a little skeptical about showing a hunter in an indoor ring, but the course designer did a good job, and I really enjoyed riding it.

Laura: Tell me about the horse you rode.
Shelby: I rode Truly, who is owned by Ashley Pryde. He was a bit spooky in the Derby at Thermal, so I didn't know how he'd be, but he ended up being really good and relaxed.

Laura: What makes this class special?
Shelby: The fact that it was in the indoor ring was fun and special, because the hunters never show in there and it is a completely different environment. It was at night and under the lights, so a lot of people came to watch it, adding to the uniqueness of this class.

Laura: Did you get any bonus points for taking risks in the handy round?
Shelby: You can get up to 8 bonus points from each judge team in the handy round, so a maximum of 16 points. This can really add to your score. I watched Jenny Karazissis (who had won the class at Thermal) go before me, and she took all the inside turns and got 7 bonus points. I didn't know what it would take to earn 8 bonus points, so I planned on taking all the inside turns.

Once I got into the ring, however, I realized that the turns were tighter then I had thought. I ended up missing a couple, but I still ended up with 5 bonus points from one judge and 2 from the other.

Laura: How did it feel to be second in a class with famous professionals?
Shelby: It felt really good. I was honored to do well in such a prestigious class.

Laura: What are your riding goals for 2008?
Shelby: I want to do well at Devon. I've never been there and it's my last junior year, so it would be really special if I did well. I'd also like to compete effectively at Indoors, and end my junior career on a good note.

We congratulate you Shelby, and wish you all the best in your last junior year.

Results of the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby:
     1st   On Top    Keri Kampsen
     2nd   Truly    Shelby Wakeman
     3rd   Cinico    Katie Taylor
     4th    Palmar     Jenny Karazissis
     5th    Aragon    Jenny Karazissis
     6th    Rumba    Erin Duffy
     7th    Wesley    Shelby Wakeman
     8th    Fiona    Elizabeth Blaisdell
     9th    Norah Jones    Ali Leopold
    10th    Rascal    Archibald Cox
    11th    Mata Hari    Hilary Neff
    12th    Chaucer    Peter Lombardo

Laura Listens is brought to you by Laura Ware. Winner of the 2007 LAHSA Junior Medal Finals and a recipient of the 2008 WCAR Jumper Rider Grant, Laura rides with First Field Farm and often trains with Archie Cox. She is very successful in the all three disciplines on her own mounts as well as catch riding other horses.

  "I did not have the money," explained Natalie. "I decided to take the dog to my vet in Orange County in hopes that it would be less expensive. They bandaged the dog for me and charged me $650. I again could not believe it and did not have the money." In a difficult position, Natalie wasn't certain what to do. Just like the dog was lucky to have Natalie watching out for her, Natalie was in turn lucky that a wonderfully generous man happened to be in the clinic and overheard the whole story. He offered to pay for the bill!

  Driving to Orange County with her boyfriend and this sweet little dog, Natalie hoped for the best. Yorba Regional Animal Hospital offered to do the surgery immediately for half the price. "Our vet really tried to help out with the cost of everything - everyone involved was great!" The dog spent a few days recovering from the amputation and Natalie then returned to Thermal with the recovering pooch in her arms.

  With a big vet bill and not the funds to pay it, Natalie and Lisa Baldassari went on a fundraising mission. Lisa held a 'Save the Chiweenie' sign and when people inquired she explained the story of the little dog (a Chiweenie, or Chihuaweenie, is a cross between a Chihuahua and a Dachshund). In a matter of days they raised the entire amount, all through the generosity of the horse show community.

  "One day I was holding her when a woman approached me and asked about the dog. She started to pet her and the dog took an immediate liking to her. She asked me if she could hold her and when she did you could see this dog just fell in love with her. She was a little skittish for obvious reasons but not with this woman. The woman explained that she was currently on disability and the two of them could recover together. It was a perfect home for the Chiweenie," Natalie explained with a smile.

  Both Natalie and Lisa were impressed with their Chiweenie experience.

Thanks to some very special and good-hearted people a little dog gets a second chance on life.