Juliana Starbuck and Zilver Pomme VDL, Grand Prix 2013
Starbuck Equestrian sent riders to the Ox Ridge Horse Show in Darien, Dec. 7th, and 8th. Coaching for the weekend was Janie Weber with Kara Mikhitarian as the working riding student. The team sent three pony and rider combinations to compete in the Children’s Hunter Pony Division. Topping the ribbons was Failenn Aselta on ''Comedy Hour'' winning the CT Hunter and Jumper Association Pony Medal class. Comedy Hour also was reserve champion in the Children’s Pony Hunter Division placing 1st and 2nd over fences. Also earning top ribbons was Olivia Autore riding Starbuck Equestrian’s "Yes I Know". This was the pony’s first time jumping this height and they gained a 1st ,2nd, and 3rd in the division. Not to be outdone by her teammates, 11 year old Morgan Humeston on Blue Rain’s Empress received two fourths and a fifth over fences.
Seasoned show rider Maggie Green and Amelia took a clean sweep of the Low hunter division, winning all the over fence classes as well as the under saddle. This is a new horse combination for Maggie, and they’re looking forward to a successful but challenging 2014 show season.
Sunday brought the high jumping horses out. Hannah Lupica and Lord Stanley won the Junior Hunter under saddle class and were first and second over fences, gaining the championship rosette. Alessandra Delucia and Say Goodnight placed right behind Lupica in all the classes, earning a reserve championship. Hannah Lupica and Lord Stanley will also be competing in the Winter Equestrian Festival, this winter in Wellington, Florida.
Emma Ryan and Imperial Isle attacked the three foot Adult Amateur Hunter Division, winning over fences as well as in the under saddle for another championship ribbon. Competing next was another new horse and rider combination, Hannah Taylor and Black Tie Affair. They competed against a dozen other horses and won the Children’s Hunter Classic after earning top scores in both jumping rounds. Opera’s House and Olivia Tobias stepped up to the three foot Children’s Hunter classes gaining 6th and 8th over fences.
The final divisions of the day were the Training and Schooling Jumper divisions, which are judged on clean, fast jumping rounds. Isabella Eischen and Rios Deja Vu, won a training jumper class and then moved up to the 3 foot division and placed third. This young horses’ father is Stepping Stone Farm’s Rio Bronco who was American Horse Show Associations 2002 Horse of the Year. His grandfather was Rio Grande who represented Canada on the Canadian Nations Cup team.