Pony Profiiles
Looking Back ~ the ‘95-‘96 Pony Finals By Thalia Gentzel With over 300 ponies competing, the 1995 AHSA/MILLER’S PONY FINALS was the largest to date. There were over 1000 spectators for the event at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington. THE MEDAL FINALS opened the three days of competition with 11 year old Alexandra Otto of Greenville, DE emerging victorious. The student of Louise Serio at Derbydown in Kennett Square, PA, rode her large pony, A Risen Star by Tidewater’s Drum Major. Others placings were: 2. Gigi Baer, 13, on Linus 3. Lauren T. Fay, 10, Kiss Me Not 4. Sari Pace, 14, Sebastian 5. Jenny Botsolas, 15, Private Eye 6. Cody Baird, 8, Mistletoe 7. Claire Kellner, 15, Lord Knows 8. Krista Weisman, 9, Heaven’s Footstool 9. Sarah Warmington, 10, Rosepoint 10. Ashley Verschigan, 12, Applause Scoring 1048, SMALL PONY and Overall Grand Champion was Miss Muffet ridden by 11 year old catch rider, Elizabeth “Rosebud” Saunders of New Canaan, CT, trained by Rob Coluccio for Mrs. Quentin Alexander of Middleburg, VA. Miss Muffet was the customary ride of 7 year old Evan Coluccio but the new owners of Rainbow Connection asked that Evan continue to ride her at the Finals. Relationships among the small ponies were particularly interesting! Beaujolais in 2nd and One More Rainbeau in 10th were daughters of the famed Cymraeg Rain Beau. Third placed Silver Steps (Helicon Garden Party) and Helicon Epic Event in 4th were both sired by a second Farnley Lustre grandson, GlanNant Epic. Three ponies, Helicon Epic Event, (Helicon) Touch of Frost 5th and Alexander’s Frosted Blue 7th, were all out of the same mare, GlanNant Frosty by Farnley Sparkler, he being out of *Cui Glitter, also the dam of Farnley Lustre. 1995 SMALL STATISTICS: 1. *Miss Muffet (BRP by Lechlade Quince) Elizabeth Saunders, 1048 2. Beaujolais (Welsh X by Cymraeg Rain Beau) Ashlee Bond, 1030.5 3. Silver Steps (Welsh X by GlanNant Epic) - Ashley Aldrich, 1002 4. Helicon Epic Event (Welsh by GlanNant Epic) Lauren James, 994 5. Touch of Frost (Welsh by GlanNant Ballad) Lauren Van Eldik, 978.5 6. Glenmore Devonshire Cream (BRP X by *Glenmure Liberty Bell) - Ashley Briggs, 972 7. Alexander’s Frosted Blue (Welsh by Gayfields Vida Blue) - Maggie Jayne, 967 8. Glenmore Valentino (BRP X by *Rosevean Fish Eagle) - Hailey Henderson, 961.25
9. Halcyon Hawthorne (Welsh by Dorian Gray) Alexia Kahanovitz, 954.5 10. One More Rainbeau (Welsh X by Cymraeg Rain Beau) - Alex Shokat, 936.5 MEDIUM CHAMPION with 1008.5 was Be My Guest for 9 year old Ashlee Bond, a student of Jenny Karazissus. Ashlee’s trip from Hidden Hills, CA was really made worthwhile as she was also the rider of the Reserve Champion Small, Beaujolais, with a 1030.5. Reserve Champion Medium was M.L. Stevenson, 10, and Hooten Hollows Hooten Annie scoring 983. Here are the 1995 MEDIUM STATS: 1. Be My Guest - Ashlee Bond, 1008.5 2. Hooten Hollows Hooten Annie - M.L. Stevenson, 993 3. Starburst - D.J. Merkin, 991 4. Kiss Me Not (Welsh X by Farnley Lustre) - Lauren T. Fay, 989.25 5. Under The Rainbeau (Welsh X by Cymraeg Rain Beau) - Erin Stewart, 986 6. Just A Kid - Alexia Kahanovitz, 971 7. Shenandoah Sundowner (TB/Welsh by Cowboy Joe) - Evan Coluccio, 978 8. Crystal Vision - Georgina Bloomberg, 969 9. L.D.V. McBrenin - Jennifer McGarrigle, 965.5 10. *Llandefalle Lady Slipper (Welsh by *Springbourne Buckle) - Ashley Baker, 963 LARGE CHAMPION and Reserve Overall with 1045, just three points short of Miss Muffet, was Remember The Laughter and owner Jill Betuker, 12, of Ridgefield, CT trained by Scott Stewart, Ox Ridge Hunt Club. Reserve Champion Large with 1004.40 was Kid You Not for Georgina Bloomberg, 11, of New York City who describes her Finals experiences philosophically: "In 1995-1996 I was just moving from medium to
An earlier Finals circa. 1990 in Kentucky shows Georgina Bloomberg on Yes I Will, Trainer Robin Greenwood, Olivia Pirovano on Bugle Boy, Emma Bloomberg on Jetsetter and Ashley Cooke on Pocket Rocket. Photo courtesy of Robin Greenwood
TOP TEN 1995 LARGES were: 1. Remember The Laughter (Welsh/TB by Cymraeg Rain Beau) - Jill Betuker, 1045 2. Kid You Not (Welsh X by Smallwood Paris) Georgina Bloomberg, 1004.4 3. Gold Coast - Lauren T. Fay, 1002.75 4. Brighton Glo A Bit (Welsh X by *Ardmore Afterglo) - Caitlin Venezia, 995 5. Private Eye - Jenny Botsolas, 985.25 6. Indiana Jones - Ryan Wilcoxon, 981.05 7. Unlock The Magic - Tara Buzan, 979.85 8. Keep In Touch (Welsh X out of Touch Me Not) Pauline Holls, 965 9. Lord Knows - Claire Kellner, 957 10. Roads Untraveled - Jordan Vexler, 957 10. Touch of Flair - Lauren Nelke, 957 Leading off at the 1996 AHSA/MILLER’S PONY FINALS with the MEDAL CHAMPIONSHIP of 168 riders was Ashley Baker, 14, of Greenwich, CT who trained with Robin Greenwood. The Finals were held at Ox Ridge Hunt Club in nearby New Canaan. Ashley recalls that, “They held the Finals on a large grass field that was used for the grand prix ring during the June shows. Being out there was a great experience in itself! I was riding a large pony named Glenmore Trix. I had purchased Trix only a few weeks before and really didn’t know him well but he was perfect that day. He was a great equitation pony, really brave and adjustable. What I remember about Pony Finals was it may have been the first time I learned to be a good competitor. Large ponies went first in the first round and then last in the second round so it was endless! I was leading all the way through. I had won big shows before but
not usually when I had the pressure of being on the top to start. I tended to be the kid who chipped the last line when I was having a perfect round! That I had a great second round too and stayed on top was something I was really proud of and gave me confidence as I continued moving forward in the sport.” Robin told AHSA’s HORSE SHOW reporter, “Ashley rode amazingly well and was completely focused. It
Bloomberg Takes 2010 Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Show Grand Prix
Photo: James Leslie Parker
large ponies. It was the first time in a long time I had had my own pony to show and I got Kid You Not who was a very green pony. A lot of people questioned us buying him and said that I wouldn't be successful with him. I loved the challenges he presented to me: he didn't get lead changes, he bit and kicked, and he wasn't the easiest ride. I was always second to a friend of mine but I worked really hard with him. He taught me determination and how to lose gracefully. I envied the kids who had easier ponies who didn't require the work to win that I put in to be second. Looking back on it, I am so thankful that I had him. I learned more from losing with him than I would have from winning. Pony Finals were always nerve wracking to me because I had one chance to prove what I had worked on for the year. I usually choked but I always had so much fun so never really cared at the end of each year's Finals whether I had won or not!" Georgina's trainer Robin Greenwood of Grand Central Stables remembers Kid You Not as “so brave and really a good pony. People thought he was hard but you had to think what lead you wanted. Georgina suited him from the start. She was a natural hunter rider - a soft trusting kid who had just always loved the ponies from the time she was little. From the beginning she was very sympathetic. If she made a mistake she was never upset She is really a good horse person. Georgina rode with me from the time she was 4 until 14 when I ‘retired’ to raise my daughters. Karen is now 15 and Laura 12 so I am training again. I completely love it from having the break!”
Georgina Bloomberg and Metropolitan jump to victory in the the $75,000 Empire State Grand Prix.
The 2010 Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows concluded with an exciting win by Georgina Bloomberg in the $75,000 Empire State Grand Prix. Crowds of spectators lined Old Salem Farm's pristine grass Grand Prix field to watch Bloomberg, who lives just minutes from Old Salem Farm, capture the victory. Bloomberg and her mount Metropolitan were one of three horse-and-rider combinations out of 33 competitors to successfully complete Michel Vaillancourt's course of 16 jumping efforts without fault. The pair then came back with the only clean round in the jump-off to take the victory. "I've had good luck, but I've never won a Grand Prix here. It's the horse show I grew up at, and for me my first memories of ever watching a grand prix are here, all of my heroes used to ride here, and it's really the Grand Prix, out of anything else in America, that I have always wanted to win," said Bloomberg. "So it might not be the biggest one we do all year, but it was always going to be the toughest for me because it was always the one I've tried the hardest for. All my friends and family are here watching and I have more people come to this horse show than I do at any other horse show throughout the year combined. It was really special to be able to do it in front of everybody. I rode at this barn for 13 years, every memory I have as a kid is here, and there couldn't be a grand prix that would mean more to me.” ~ Excerpt by Marty Bauman. For the complete story, visit www.usef.org.
Georgina Bloomberg on Upsy Daisy (Palomino) and Emma Bloomberg on Jetsetter at Pony Finals Kentucky Horse Park circa. 1990.
was a difficult course, and there was no luck involved. She had to wait a long time through the course change to challenge Esme (McCarthy) who had gone last in the medium pony height section, and was under a lot of pressure. I was very proud of her!” Ashley recounts, “I trained with Robin Greenwood from small ponies through the time I got my first horse. It’s an understatement to say she really elevated my game - I was really uneducated when I came to her. I was riding my short stirrup pony who I had started the rated divisions on, but I didn’t even know I was supposed to be counting strides! Robin and her assistant trainer, Barbara Brady, now Barbara Hakim, helped me and that pony, Hillcrest’s Night Light (by Gayfields Vida Blue) win blue ribbons at all the top shows including the Hampton Classic and Washington. I’ve since gone through all parts of the trajectory after doing some junior hunters and equitation, I focused on the jumpers, first in junior jumpers and then up through the ranks in amateur jumpers to the grand prix. I rode through college and law school. Since I’ve begun working, I came to the realization that working five days a week was not conducive to riding at the elite level. I’ve scaled back substantially and show on a limited schedule in the low and amateurowner jumpers.” Going back to 1996, the other MEDAL WINNERS were: 2. Esme McCarthy, NY, Bugle Boy trained by Andre Dignelli 3. Kristy McCormack, NY, Misty Harbor, Susie Schoellkopf 4. Jennifer Berol Bliss, NY, Stuart Little, W. Cole 5. Randy Sherman, CA, Irresistable, Heidi Misrahi 6. Joscelyn Wippern, CT, Peppermint Pizazz, Kip Rosenthal 7. Marisa Jenkins, NJ, Step Aside, Mary Babick 8. Morgan Schneller, NY, Straight Talk, Joseph Lauinger 9. Lindsay Mutschler, PA, Touch Me Not, Maria Burstern 10. Ashley Pattee, NY, Toy Soldier, Andre Dignelli
There was a highly unusual circumstance when friends, one from each coast, tied not only for the LARGE PONY CHAMPIONSHIP and but the Grand Pony Championship as well. Jill Betuker, 13, of CT with Remember The Laughter, still training with Scott Stewart, was hoping to take home the overall award as she had missed it by only three points the year before. This was looking good after wins in both the model and the hack plus a ninth over fences. Vanessa Haas, 14, and Indiana Jones, students of Leslie Steele in CA, found the course challenging as, “You had to choose the outside or inside jump at each fence. There were no clear lines. I wasn’t sure how I placed.” But the number one spot was hers and *BINGO* - there was the tie for both Larges and Overall Grand! Jill said, “Vanessa is a good friend and it was nice to share the award with her.” Truly a win-win situation in this large division of 93 entries! ‘Twas a very good season for Jill as Remember The Laughter was also AHSA Horse of the Year. 1996 LARGE WINNERS: 1. Remember The Laughter (Welsh/TB by Cymraeg Rain Beau) - Jill Betuker 1. Indiana Jones - Vanessa Haas 3. Rain Check - Alexis Glanz 4. Picture This - Marla Amormino 5. Among the Stars - Caitlyn Lane 6. Tucker Nuck - Sari Pace 7. Foxlair’s Excel - Ashley Griseck 8. Kid You Not (Welsh X by Smallwood Paris) Georgina Bloomberg 9. Glenmore Trix (BRP by *Coed Coch Grey Cloud) - Ashley Baker 10. Lexington - Alex Shokat MEDIUM CHAMPION out of 87 was Straight Talk with Bradley Schneller of NY who trained with Joseph Lauinger. Reserve went to Tin Man and Laura Sexton of CT, students of Elizabeth Cuniffe. 3. Woodland’s Magic Cloud (TB X by Cloud’s Hill) Hilary Sivitz 4. Blue Mist (Welsh/QH by Cymraeg Rain Beau Jennifer Kearney 5. Starburst - D.J. Merkin 6. Stuart Little - Jennifer Berol Bliss 7. Cleavor Endeavor - Jonathan Phillips 8. Lucky Me (Welsh/TB by Cymraeg Rain Beau) Cody Baird 9. Woodland’s Puzzle - Lauren Nelke 10. Bushwacker - Shawna Lynn SMALL CHAMPION out of 71 was Florida entry, Ashley Aldrich’s Silver Steps training with Christina Schlusemeyer. These young ladies were also AHSA Horse of the Year in both 1995 and 1996. Jennifer Berol Bliss of NY, a trainee of Andre Dignelli, was Reserve Champion Small with Dollhouse One and Only. COMPLETE 1996 SMALL RESULTS: 1. Silver Steps (Welsh X by GlanNant Epic) - Ashley Aldrich 2. Dollhouse One and Only (Welsh by *Salvandi Calidog) - Jennifer Berol Bliss 3. Tippy Hedron (Welsh X by *Carolinas Red Fox) Hillary Sivitz
Note from the author:
TAKE NOTICE!
Ashley Baker celebrated her 1996 Medal Finals win on Glenmore Trix with trainers, Robin Greenwood and Barbara Brady, and her mom, Kathy Baker!
4. End of the Rainbeau (Welsh X by Cymraeg Rain Beau) - Kayley Kloss 5. Shenandoah Dazzler - (Welsh by Farnley Lustre) - Julia Zirinsky 6. Longacre Spun Silver - Jessica Maggio 7. Mistletoe (Welsh X by Sylvia’s Comet) - Logan Marie Fiorentino 8. Himself The Elf (Welsh by Buckeye Watchman) Cody Baird 9. Rainbow Connection (Welsh by *Cusop Sparklet) - Stacy Homola 10. Little Endeavor - Austin Phillips 1996 saw the revival of the Pony Finals Sale, this time presented by Professional Auction Services of Leesburg, Virginia. The popular auction featured 82 ponies from yearlings to proven show ponies.
Due to totally unexpected physical afflictions, I will no longer be able to care for our beloved ponies myself. At the end of the month, ALL Florida ponies will go to our Illinois Farm where we have a cadre of family helpers. Do avail yourself to this final opportunity to purchase an outstanding prospect from our thoughfully bred families of champions ~ yearlings to started ponies. THALIA GENTZEL HELICON OAKS • ALACHUA, FLORIDA 386-462-7373 heliconponies@gmail.com www.heliconsportponies.com
Best wishes & a speedy recovery to
Thalia Gentzel from everyone at The Plaid Horse Thalia and Helicon Take Notice at Devon.
& The Paisley Pony!