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Cookie Beck Tops Two Professional Hunter Divisions at the Showplace Spring Spectacular II

June 17, 2010

Wayne, IL --- As equestrians arrived at the in-gate of the Main Hunter Ring at the Lamplight Equestrian Center, they were met with new jumps, new courses and an exciting day ahead of them. The professional hunter divisions competed today at the second week of the Showplace Spring Spectacular II in Wayne, IL. Cookie Beck had an outstanding day today earning the $2,000 Green Conformation Hunter championship with Goosebumps, the $2,000 First Year Green Hunter Championship with Last Call, and earning the reserve championship of the First Year’s on Hidden Creek’s Lennon. In the $2,000 Second Year Green Hunter division Kelley Farmer and Nancy Amling’s Bases Loaded took home the tricolor. Wrapping up the day, Cookie Beck grabbed an additional reserve championship in the $1,500 Regular Working Hunters aboard Artisan Farms LLC’s Safari following Pony Lane Farm’s Namesake with Maggie Jayne in the irons who won the championship tricolor. Yesterday, Bases Loaded and Farmer won the $1,000 Open Hunter Classic and today, the $2,500 Open Hunter Classic went to Pony Lane Farm’s Red Sky and Maggie Jayne.

Skip Bailey of Wellington, FL designed today’s courses in the hunter ring. After the Derby Day occurred on Tuesday of this week, the derby fences were brought into the hunter rings. These exciting, eye-opening, and beautiful jumps gave each horse and rider combination a new feature during this week’s hunter rounds. Not only did the new jumps add to the beauty of the ring, but Bailey added new elements to this week’s hunter courses including multiple options, different lines and approaches, and a unique but top hunter course design.

At 8:00 a.m. the $2,000 Green Conformation Hunter division kicked-off the competition in the Main Hunter Ring. Earning the championship rosette was Cookie Beck and Goosebumps, owned by Lisa Cudahy. The pair won blue ribbons in the model, two over fences classes, and the under-saddle class. Adding two third place ribbons in today’s over fences and today’s handy hunter class earned them the division championship. Winning the reserve championship ribbon of the Green Conformation Hunter division was Moshontz Enterprises’ Archangel and Megan Udelson. Archangel and his rider earned the blue ribbons in both the over fences class and the handy hunter class. Yesterday, the duo won second place in the model, two over fences classes, and the under-saddle class, accumulating their points for the reserve championship.

Beck continued her outstanding performances when she won the championship Accolade in the $2,000 First Year Green Hunter division aboard Lisa Cudahy’s Last Call. The pair won three over fences classes, received a second place in the under saddle class, and earned a fourth-place ribbon in the handy hunter class. Not only did Beck earn the championship ribbon, but she also won the reserve championship rosette aboard Hidden Creek’s Lennon, owned by Hidden Creek’s Farm Inc.

Beck was pleased with the performances of all of her horses today as well as the great course design by Skip Bailey. She commented, “The jumps are beautiful and it is nice to come to this horse show and have something to jump, especially when you have scopey horses like Last Call and Hidden Creek’s Lennon. They have a lot of stride and a lot of jump, so it is nice to have something else to balance on and not just post and rail.”

Beck continued, “Skip did a really good job with the jumps. I took the seven strides on the bending line from the option fence on both horses, which ended up a little forward, but they are both long strided enough that they got there perfectly. It was nice to have options in the hunter rounds because if you are on a greener horse you can bend out and do the eight. If you are on one that you think you can slice and go forward then you can do the seven. I thought Skip did a good job because it is a hard ring to set this many courses in and stay creative. He did a great job being creative without making the horses go badly.”

Overall Beck was proud of her horse’s performance today in all of the professional hunter divisions. “It is nice to have good movers. They are both really nice horses and I am lucky to have them,” Beck smiled.

The third division to wrap-up their championships was the $2,000 Second Year Green Hunter division. Kelley Farmer and Nancy Amling’s Bases Loaded won the championship honor after sweeping the division with five blue ribbons. In the reserve championship position was Calgary, owned by Karlie Slowiak, ridden by Jodi Vazquez. Calgary and Vazquez won second place in three over fence classes, earned a third place in the under saddle class, and earned a fourth place in the handy hunter class.

Kelley Farmer and Bases Loaded had wonderful rounds today. During the handy course the pair chose to take multiple tight turns along with the tighter option fence. Farmer noted, “Bases Loaded is really easy to turn and he can be really handy. With him I can take anything that is an option or go to the inside track. You never have to worry about him because he is a light horse. Today he was a little tired but he still went well in both of the classes.”

Nancy Amling, owner of Taken who won the $15,000 Chronicle of the Horse/USHJA International Hunter Derby on Tuesday, has recently purchased Bases Loaded to show in the Amateur-Owner Hunter divisions. Farmer is looking forward to watching Amling compete with her new hunter this weekend.

Farmer added, “Pat and Skip are doing a great job creating beautiful courses like today’s and including jumps that were very inviting.”

The last division of the day was the $1,500 Regular Working Hunter division. The division championship went to Pony Lane Farm’s Namesake, ridden by Maggie Jayne. Namesake and Jayne earned blue ribbons in the over fences class, the handy hunter class, and the under saddle class. Combining their second place points in two of the three over fences classes earned them the top award. Artisan Farms LLC’s Safari, ridden by Cookie Beck, won the reserve championship award with first place ribbons in two of the three over fences classes, two second place ribbons in the other over fences class and the under saddle class, and a third place in the handy hunter class.

The final professional hunter division award presented today went to Red Sky, owned by Pony Lane Farm, and Maggie Jayne who earned the top score in the $2,500 Open Hunter Classic. Yesterday’s $1,000 Open Hunter Classic award and cooler went to Kelley Farmer aboard Bases Loaded.

The Showplace Spring Spectacular Series continues with week two running through June 20, 2010, at the Lamplight Equestrian Center. Friday’s hunter competition coverage includes the ASPCA Maclay and the USEF/Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal. The junior hunter divisions begin their first day of competition with the $1,000 Junior Hunter Classic Sponsored by First Partners Inc. Week three of the Showplace Spring Spectacular continues with The Challenge Cup, beginning June 21, 2010 and concluding June 25, 2010. For more information on Showplace Productions and the 2010 Showplace Spring Spectacular Horse Show Series, please visit www.showplaceproductions.com.

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