Hello!
Hopefully by now you are settled into your school schedule. Due to the extreme heat we will stay on the summer schedule a while longer. I know this makes it inconvenient for some, however, the temperatures continue to remain dangerously high for the riders, horses and staff. Watch for when we go to school hours on time tree. We will also send out an e-mail when we switch hours.
Please continue to sign up on Time Tree for weekday lessons. Please sign up at least 24 hours in advance. We will be keeping track so the lessons don’t get too big. If you are not yet in school and can come to a morning lesson it would be greatly appreciated. Should a lesson become too big we will try to find a way to accommodate everyone. If you are not signed up and the lesson is large you will not be allowed to ride. We know that sometimes things change, if you find you have time to have a lesson but it is less then 24 hours to the time you want, shoot us an e-mail. We will let you know if we can accommodate you. Starting this September if you sign up for a weekday lesson and don’t cancel 24 hours ahead of your scheduled weekday lesson time you will be charged a $10 no show charge. Please cancel by removing yourself from Time Tree or sending an e-mail to office@memorialparkhunters.com. It is not necessary to do both. Remember to sign up if you need your horse or pony tacked or untacked. You can also send us an e-mail if that is easier for you. If your child hands off her horse or pony after a lesson you will be billed for an untack even if you haven’t signed up for that service. In order not to incur that charge please make sure your child understands they must put their horse or pony away correctly.
Please let us know if you will not be here over Labor Day Weekend. Include in your e-mail what day will be your last day to ride and when you will return to riding.
MPH spent the first part of August at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. Again I was so proud of how well our riders did in tough competition. The competitors were good quality and the classes had big numbers. Our first show was the Kentucky Summer Classic. Lauren Harrison, Sam Marshall and Amelie Schaeffer all came away with ribbons along with our “guest rider” Isla Gates and her Masquerade. Both Lauren and Sam got scores in the 80’s in many of the classes.
Kentucky Summer Classic was followed by USEF National Pony Hunter Finals. SAM MARSHALL and MTM So Fly aka Sophie get a huge CONGRATULATIONS on their fifth place finish in the Medium Pony Model out 160 ponies. Amelie and Says Who aka Oliver also snuck into the 80’s in the Model with a scores of 80.72 from judge 2 and 80.17 from judge 3.
After Pony Finals we finished our three weeks of showing in Kentucky at the Bluegrass Festival. Lauren Harrison finished her summer with a Reserve Champion in the Low Adult Hunters on Georgia Carter’s Side Hustle aka Vemy. She also scored an 87 with her own Mosaic M aka Hugo in the Low Adult Hunters which secured her second place in the class! Annabel Grefe and Indigo aka Indie also got a score in the 80’s in the Younger Children’s Hunters. Her 83 was good enough for a third place finish.
Please let us know if you are planning on doing either of the Great Southwest Equestrian Center Horse Shows in September.
Southwest Showdown, September 16-20
Great Southwest Fall Classic, September 24-27
We have added an additional horse show to our fall calendar. Fall Fun Horse Show at Great Southwest Equestrian Center on October 8-11.
Good luck to Capital Challenge competitors.
Annabel Grefe
Delaney Husted
Sam Marshall
Amelie Schaeffer
A big congratulations to Annabel Grefe on the purchase of Casalletto WW aka Castle. Look for them in the hunter ring in September.
Happy Birthdays go out to Tracy McAdoo, Annabel Grefe and Gabriel. They will be celebrating their big day in September.
Save the Date
MPH Annual Halloween Parade and Party
Monday, October 26
Horse Show Corner
What makes the Capital Challenge Horse Show different from other horse shows?
Capital Challenge is the start of the fall “indoor show season”. In years past “indoors” would signify the end of the show year calendar. As we know this has changed and we no longer take much if any break before entering the new show year. The indoor shows, however, still hold some of their prestige and long standing traditions with exhibitors coming from all over the country. Along with the horse show itself there are many National Championships that will be contested over the course of the two week show. The first week is dedicated to Equitation. The 3’3” USHJA Jumping Seat Medal Finals will take place over the course of three days. Day one will be judged on the Flat. Day two will be a gymnastic phase and day three will be over a jumper type course with possible additional testing. This is a class that junior riders have worked all year to qualify. Our own Delaney Husted will be participating in this class. The North American Adult Amateur Equitation Championship will also be taking place during week 1 with adult riders who have qualified over the year participating. Juniors who have qualified for the THIS National Children’s Medal Finals will also ride for their National Championship. The North American Junior Flat Equitation Championship along with the North American Junior Equitation Championship are also part of the first week of competition. Although week 1 is predominantly an equitation week there two hunter championships for qualified horses week 1, the NAL Children’s Hunter Finals and the NAL Adult Hunter Finals. Week 2 is when the real hunter action takes place though. Week 2 is when all the WCHR Championship classes are held. Riders qualify for these classes by being in the top ten nationally. They can also qualify by being in the top six in their region or in the case of Amateur Owner Hunters the top eight in their region. (We are in the South Central Region.) Additionally the show also host the Professional World Champion Hunter under saddle. There is one equitation class thrown into week 2 and that is the ARIAT Adult Medal for qualified adult riders. Week 2 also has a smattering of Jumper Finals. Both the NAL Junior Jumper 1.15m and the NAL Amateur Jumper 1.15 Finals are held at the show for qualified riders.
Happy Labor Day!
