Feb
21
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Wellington, FL- February 21, 2010 – The Bainbridge AHJF/WCHR Hunter Spectacular Week concluded today with Pony and Adult Amateur Hunter classics. The classics took place in the E.R. Mische Hunter Field and the Rost Arena.
The Peggy Cone Memorial Adult Amateur Hunter Classic took action in the E.R. Mische Hunter Field this afternoon. The top 30 scores from the first over fences round in the three different Adult Amateur Hunter age groups advanced to the second round of the classic.
Sandra Epstein rode Taylor Sutton’s Little Blue Box to victory this afternoon in the Peggy Cone Memorial Adult Amateur Hunter Classic. The duo had a combined score of 174 for the win over Jeanne Fogel, who rode Avery Waite’s Game Point to the second place, and Sarah Sturges aboard Melissa Ott’s Nicole, who received the third place honors.
This was only Epstein’s second weekend in the show ring aboard Little Blue Box, and the pair earned scores of 84 and a 90 to secure the win today. “I’ve only gotten a 90 one other time, so it was very exciting to get that 90,” said an elated Epstein.
Epstein is undefeated with Little Blue Box so far, and took the Camping World Adult Amateur Hunter 51 & Over Championship last week, as well as being awarded the co-grand championship today.
“After the first round I felt I did well, but the first fence was a little quiet. My plan (in the second round) was to pick up a nice canter and hunt down to the first jump, keep it even, keep the pace, and let her do her job, which she does so well,” Epstein noted of her performance today.
Sandra Epstein on Little Blue Box
Epstein was thrilled with her mount, and was very thankful for the ride on the nine-year-old mare this weekend. “She is very straightforward. I just keep steering her straight and make sure she’s straight for her lead changes, and then she’s right there. She’s an amazing mare to ride,” Epstein explained.
The World Championship Hunter Rider week at the FTI WEF is one of the most prestigious hunter competitions in the country. “WCHR week is special because everybody tries to bring their best horses, and they all come. There are more horses, more riders, and the competition is fierce. The prizes are very good, and it’s just special that way,” Epstein acknowledged.
The Peggy Cone Memorial Adult Amateur Hunter Classic is in memory of equestrian Carol Cone’s, late sister, Peggy. Epstein said of her classic win, “It’s very special because I’m friends with Carol Cone, and (this class) is dedicated to her sister. It’s a very special class. There are a lot of people that ride in it, and a lot of people who would like to be on top, so I feel very fortunate to be there.”
Little Blue Box is trained by Ken and Emily Smith at Ashland Farm, and when Epstein rides him she is assisted by her trainer, Lyman T. Whitehead. Epstein complimented Little Blue Box, and said “I’d like to thank that horse for being so good today. She’s really an awesome ride, she’s a lot of fun.”
Excerpt from article by Clara Lindner for Equestrian Sport Productions.
Photo Credit: Sandra Epstein Captures the Peggy Cone Memorial Adult Amateur Hunter Classic Aboard Little Blue Box. © 2010 Randi Muster/Mustphoto, Inc., www.mustphoto.com, Official Sport Photographer of the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.
Feb
14
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Lauren Fisher for PhelpsSports.com
Reporting from Winter Equestrian Festival, PBIEC, Wellington, FL
Wellington, FL – February 14, 2010 – The 2010 Winter Equestrian Festival concluded its fifth week of competition this afternoon as the Large Junior Hunters 16-17 awarded championship honors in the Rost Arena and the Amateur-Owner Hunters 36 & Over completed the day in the E.R. Mische Hunter Arena. Following two days of challenging competition with many of the best horses and riders in the country, Paulena Johnson and Eastwood topped the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 division, while Jane Gaston took home both the championship and reserve honors in the Amateur-Owner Hunter 36 & Over with her horses Listen and Lumiere.
The chilly Florida temperatures continued this morning as the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 division got underway in the Rost Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Although cold, it was a beautiful, sunny morning and the 22 competitors each showed two rounds over fences and rode under saddle to complete their division. After winning both classes over fences yesterday and placing fifth over fences and second under saddle today, the classes concluded with the championship presentation for Paulena Johnson and Eastwood, owned by Paulexi LLC. Samantha Schaefer rode Fiyero, owned by Molly Gardner, to the reserve honors with third and fourth place ribbons in today’s classes over fences, and two second place ribbons yesterday. Another top competitor throughout the two days of competition was Kelsey Thatcher, who rode Gianni to the win in today’s first class over fences, and Early Applause to the win in the second class over fences.
Paulena Johnson explained that seven-year-old Eastwood is a young horse that her family has owned for two years. Johnson’s sister shows the gelding in the Children’s Hunters, and this is only his third or fourth show competing in the Juniors. “Eastwood is my sister’s Children’s Hunter, but he is really green, so we decided to move him up,” Johnson stated. “He has a really big jump, so he jumps better over 3’6”, and he is really brave.”
“He is really fun to ride; he has a great jump, great rhythm and for how young he is, he is doing so well and I am really happy with him,” Johnson continued. “He is easy; he has a really nice canter and he gives you the best feeling over the jumps.” Eastwood showed his greenness in the first course today, stopping at a vertical coming off the top end of the ring. Johnson explained that he did not see the jump coming off of the turn and got a little scared. “He went around perfectly in the main hunter ring yesterday and I think it was spookier in there, but he came around the short turn today and he wasn’t trying to be bad, he just didn’t really know the jump was there until he got there. The second round today he jumped around fine,” she stated.
Johnson trains with Ken and Emily Smith of Ashland Farms and also competes in the equitation and junior jumpers. This will be her last year competing in the junior divisions however, and she will move up to the amateurs next year when she ages out. Until then, Johnson will continue showing Eastwood in the Junior Hunters. She plans to show him next week for the World Champion Hunter Rider Spectacular and then he will get a few weeks off. Other goals for the year are to compete at Devon and Indoors. Johnson hopes to make it to the North American Junior/Young Rider Championship over the summer and would also like to ride on the Prix de States team in Harrisburg this fall.
“I just want say to thank you to my trainers and my mom for supporting me,” Johnson concluded. After graduating from high school early, Johnson will be attending FAU in the fall so that she can continue to ride and show in Florida as an amateur next winter.
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Feb
10
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Article by Rebecca Walton for PhelpsSports.com
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Ken and Emily Smith discuss their history, their current plans, and the equestrian industry.
You name it, they’ve won it… Ken and Emily Smith are the two top trainers in equestrian business. Their students and horses have won top awards all over the country at the leading horse shows, including Devon and at Indoors. This power couple opened Ashland Farms in 1993 after they got married, with just a few horses, and now they have a over 70 horses competing under their tutelage. Their most recent accomplishment was coaching Jennifer Waxman at the NAYRC where she won Individual Gold aboard Venturo. They have also coached riders to Medal Final wins and USEF Pony Final wins. This week the Smiths took the time to discuss how they met, what they are doing now, and the current state of the equestrian industry.
Where were you born and raised and how did you get started riding?
Emily: I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale. My dad is a vet and everyone in my family rode, so I started on a pony.
What about Ken?
Emily: I’ll answer for him because he’s so quiet (laughs). His parents are professionals in New York in the Rochester area. His dad was a professional and he started riding for his dad when he was about 13 years old.
What were your junior careers like?
Emily: Mine was ponies and a few junior hunters. Then I quit for a while and went to college. Eventually I started riding for Ohio State and I ended up teaching a team; that’s how we met, at a horse show in Ohio.
Ken: I had some Junior Hunters and I did a little bit of equitation. Not too many jumpers.
Did you both always know you wanted to be professionals?
Emily: I was a journalism major for a while and I thought I wanted to do that, but when I started riding again, I knew I wanted to get back into it and be a professional.
Ken: I decided to be a professional when my dad’s professional rider left and went out on his own. I said I’d take over that job and ended up doing it.
You mentioned meeting at a horse show, can you talk more about that and how your relationship progressed?
Emily: We met at a horse show in Cleveland, I was up visiting from Ohio State, and we started dating after that. We worked for Howard Lewis at the Hunt Club in Cleveland together, and moved to Florida right after we got married in 1992.
How did you decide to start Ashland Farms?
Emily: Because I lived in Columbus, Ohio, and he lived in Cleveland, and the middle point was Ashland, Ohio, and that’s how we got our name. After we got married we came down to Florida with some of Ken’s father’s horses, one of my parents’ horses, and one other client’s horse and started our own business.
Did you ever imagine it would be as successful as it is?
Emily: We had hoped and planned and given ourselves a timeline that it would be; that was the dream.
What’s it like, owning a business together, and working together every day?
Emily: Because we have a big business we all help with each other’s people, but in general we each have our own people that we teach and horses that we do. Even though we’re working together all day we’re sort of together, but doing our own thing.
Your operation is very large. Can you tell me how many horses and riders do you have right now? What’s your day-to-day routine like?
Emily: We probably have about 70 horses right now. We have Ken, who shows and teaches. I don’t ride anymore, but I teach. David Nation rides and teachers. Carly Kaber is our manager and keeps everything under control and organized and Melissa Murphy rides and shows. We also have a new addition, Jorge Zamudio, who shows and rides. We have a lot of junior kids as well as adults and pony kids and they are all a great group of people.
How do you keep everything so well scheduled and make sure everyone gets to the ring on time?
Emily: Carly is very good at that. We have big barns here that have their own staff, but she organizes them as well. She puts one girl at the South Grounds, one at the Main Grounds and organizes it that way. Our barn manager for 15 years is Geraldo; he is amazing and organizes all the guys.
You’ve produced so many great riders and so many great horses, what has that been like and what have some of the highlights been?
Emily: There have been so many horses, kids, and adults that have been with us over the years. I would say a big highlight lately was winning the gold medal at Young Riders with Jennifer Waxman and Venturo. We’ve had some really great wins, Grand Champions at Devon and Indoors, Horse of the Year with Ken. We’re always looking forward to the future and always looking back on all the great ones that we’ve had and trying to duplicate that.
Jennifer Waxman was awarded the Lionel Guerrand-Hermes Trophy this weekend at the USET Road to Kentucky Gala. How did it feel to be a part of that and know that she is joining such an elite group of riders?
Emily: It was such an honor to have George [Morris] there to present it to her, and she was completely grateful. It was such an honor to be a part of her career since she was eight years old. We were just proud, very proud.
I know you are helping organize the Six-Bar Competition for Challenge of the Americas this year, can you tell me a little it about that?
Yes, we’re looking forward to that. Our son Spencer is going to do that with his new horse, and Jennifer is coming down that week to do that event. We are deciding between a couple of the other students, which ones are going to compete, but we’re looking forward to the evening. It will be under the lights and it will be in front of a group of people, so it’s nice pressure for the riders to get used to.
Let’s talk a little bit about the industry, especially the hunter and equitation industries. What do you think is working right now?
Emily: We love the hunter derby classes; we think it’s such a new avenue for a lot of people and horses. There is something to look forward to with the Final in Kentucky, which was so beautifully done last year. I think it’s a goal for juniors, amateurs, and professionals to work towards. The equitation, with the George Morris class down here and all the exciting Finals are great steps. It’s such a good basis for the kids to do that and continue with their jumper careers.
Ken: I agree, I think the equitation divisions seem very strong right now. I’ve noticed a lot of younger kids in it this year, which is good. A lot of the Children’s Hunter divisions are big this year, the Pony Hunter divisions are
strong, so I think that’s good for the economy that the younger set is coming along. We feel very good about the business. This year especially, we feel like it’s come back a little bit from what it was last year.
What do you think are some issues our industry is facing?
Emily: Well the economy, which seems to be getting stronger as Ken just mentioned. Before, maybe a lot of kids could have hunters, jumpers, and equitation horses, but maybe they can’t have as many horses right now, which is difficult.
It’s expensive to campaign your horses and your kids, but compared to last year the economy seems so much better and people are shopping and buying horses. It seems to be a much brighter future right now.
In the summer when we travel, we base out of Kentucky more, so that it’s a little bit less expensive and we’re not traveling constantly. We have a base now and we used to be traveling every two weeks and that helps with costs.
Talk a little bit about 2010, what are you looking forward to most and what are some of your goals?
Emily: We have a few new clients that we’re excited about and getting them going. We are excited for some of the junior riders to go to Young Riders and be on the Prix de States jumper teams. We are excited about our son who has moved up to the Low Juniors with his new horse. We have some very exciting equitation kids and horses that we are looking forward to taking to Finals this year, and some new younger hunters that we have. We’re also excited about our new jumper for Jorge.
Can you talk a little bit about your son and his involvement with Ashland Farms?
Emily: Spencer was a little more involved with polo until last year. But now he’s getting very excited about the jumpers and he won a lot last year, so we’ve been looking for a new, nice horse for him to ride. He rides every day and he seems quite dedicated. I think that is exciting for both of us and both of our parents since both families are in the horse business.
Ken: For the family to all be involved in the same thing is great. Our daughter rides a little bit too, so it’s nice to have the same interest when we all go to the shows.
What is the future for Ashland Farms?
Emily: We want to continue being successful with the adult and junior riders that we have and that are up-and-coming pony riders. We are in partnership with some jumpers, and we’re excited to have those and be in the grand prix ring.
I’m sure you have very little free time, but when you do, what are some non-horse related things you like to do?
Emily: We usually have lunch together on Mondays, and hang out with our kids doing fun things at the farm. We play tennis a little bit, but we haven’t had much time lately. If we get aweekend we like to go away to the beach or do something with the kids.
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Feb
9
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Wellington, FL – February 9, 2010 – On Sunday, Paulena Johnson of Bristol, VA, rode “Anyway” to a victory in the Winter Equestrian Festival’s High Junior Classic.
The demanding course presented a number of difficulties to the field of competitors, with only a pair of riders making it around the course without jumping faults. In particular, an open water obstacle presented the biggest challenge; however, Johnson felt assured that her horse was up to the task. Johnson added, “My horse is always better as the jumps increase in size. After the course walk, I felt pretty good that Anyway could handle the height, and having an open water jump in the course definitely worked to our advantage as the horse has always been brave over the water.”
The 17 year old is coming off a successful 2009 campaign, which saw her travel with Wellington, Florida’s Ashland Farms and her coach, Emily Smith, across the country competing at a number of high profile events, including the National Horse Show in Syracuse, NY.
Johnson will continue to campaign “Anyway” this winter season in Florida, while traveling back and forth from her home in Virginia.
