Juliana & Amanda Starbuck with student Grace Gretchell and Timbit
Starbuck Equestrian’s show team spent Saturday, October 12 at the Fairfield Hunt Club indoor horse show in Westport, CT. The show had a United States Equestrian Federation C rating and is recognized by the New England Horseman’s Council, Marshall and Sterling Association, and the Connecticut Hunter and Jumper Association. Many new rider and horse combinations for the 2014 season were tested.
First to go was Morgan Humeston riding Blue Rain’s Empress. This was the pair’s first away show and the team had a stunning day, bringing home the blue ribbon in the Schooling Hunter under saddle class. The jumping classes were challenging for Morgan and “Truffles”, but they got better and better each class, gaining a 6th, 5th and finishing up 4th over fences.
Next to compete, Olivia Tobias and Rios Opera House moved up to the Low Hunter Division. The team was in the top ribbons in all of the classes, winning the Reserve Championship for the division. Rounding out the morning Tobias and “Opera” nailed the “Bit of Straw Classic”, winning the blue ribbon.
Hannah Taylor on Black Tie Affair and Maggie Greene on Amelia moved up to the three foot Children’s Hunter Horse division. Both riders rode ponies last year, making the new horse courses challenging. They gained ribbons in two of the three jumping classes and were 4th and 5th respectively in the under saddle.
The stars of the day were Emily Curley and Cinema. The team won both the Connecticut Hunter Jumper Association Medal class and the Children’s Hunter Horse under saddle class. Curley was almost unstoppable, gaining the Children’s Hunter Reserve Championship. This team has already qualified for the 2014 Junior Hunter Finals held in the Lexington, KY.
All riders are trained by Starbuck Equestrian’s horse show staff including Kathy Fogg, Karen Scoralick, Rachel Knoche, Janie Weber, Amanda Starbuck and Juliana Starbuck in Ridgefield, Connecticut.