April 12, 2016 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - Horses and riders glittered with special hunter awards in ten WCHR divisions at this week's Blenheim Spring Classic III. New this year, SmartPak presented the High Score and Grand Champion awards to ponies and horses alike which generated some intense competition throughout the open, amateur, junior, children's and pony divisions.

Once all the classes were pinned, and awards presented, the special week wrapped up with more honors to overall top scores, grand champions, trainers and owners, sponsored by SmartPak, Equitex and Balmoral Farm. 

Georgy Maskrey-Segesman had a superb showing this week as owner of the Overall Grand Champion Hunter, Cassini V, ridden by Victoria Otto and as owner of Balu U, the winner of $40,000 Spring Classic III Grand Prix with Lane Clarke in the irons. 

Mother daughter pairs fared well, with Shari and Shiloh Roseboom both taking home awards as well as Laura and Stella Wasserman walking away with top honors.

French and Karazissis Score in the Open Divisions

In the open divisions, John French and Laura Wasserman's Boss continued their winning ways by picking up the SmartPak Grand Conformation Hunter Champion title plus the SmartPak High Score Conformation Hunter award with a score of 93 points. Out of the three working hunter sections, Jenny Karazissis rode Felix, owned by Silver Spring Farm, to the SmartPak High Score Working Hunter Award by earning 89 points in the First Year Green Working Handy. SmartPak Grand Working Hunter  Championship honors went to Small Gesture, owned by Reilly & Iwasaki. Also ridden by John French, the title was won by earning the most points from the Second Year Green Working Hunters this week.

From Academy Award to Now How Z, the Amateur Divisions Were Hot
Amateurs also had their time in the limelight. Academy Award owned and ridden by Mary Kathryn Dick claimed the SmartPak Grand 3'6" Amateur Owner Hunter Champion Award out of the Younger 3'6" Amateur Owner Hunter Division.

Now How Z with owner Kaitlyn Van Konynenburg earned the SmartPak 3'3" Amateur Owner High Score Award by scoring 86 points in the Handy plus the SmartPak Grand 3'3" Amateur Owner Hunter Championship honors by earning the most points from the Younger 3'3" section.

Gail Morey and Double Play earned the SmartPak High Score Adult Amateur Hunter Award with a score of 88 points from the 51 & Over division. Voila and owner Shari Roseboom earned the SmartPak Grand Champion Adult Hunter honors by accumulating 32.5 points in the the 36-50 Adult Hunter Division. 

WIth a strong group of quality horses and riders, the younger group of 3'6" Amateur Owner Hunters finished with a tie for top score. Montana Coady and Ranger earned 89 points from the judges in the first class of the hotly contested division to share the SmartPak High Score Award with Kaitlyn Van Konynenburg and Commasario who received the duplicate score on the second day of competition for their efforts.

Bay Brigade Continues in the Juniors

The junior division congratulated quite a few talented bay hunters. Easy Time with Emma Hanson aboard scored an 89.5 in the 3'3" Junior Hunter Handy Round to claim the SmartPak High Score 3'3" Junior Hunter Award. A name well known in hunter circles, Small Affair, now ridden by Augusta Iwasaki earned a score of 89 in the Large Junior Hunters, 15 & Under division to claim the SmartPak
High Score 3'6" Junior Hunter Award. Emma Marlow & Triumph earned the SmartPak Grand 3'6" Junior Hunter Championship honors for owner Emma Farber.

Cassini V, ridden by Victoria Otto and owned by Georgy Maskrey-Segesman won every class in the 3'3" Junior Hunter Division and as a result earned the SmartPak Grand 3'3" Junior Hunter Tri-Color.

Stanwick with Amelia Faircloth, for owner Alexis Sokolov, made a clean sweep of the Older Children's Hunter Division earning the Championship, SmartPak Grand Children's Hunter Championship and the SmartPak High Score Children's Hunter Award with an 87 from their last over fences trip.

Birthdays, Blueberry Hill and Raggedy Ann Rule in the Ponies

Stella Wasserman and Blueberry Hill's score of 89 in the third class of the Small Pony Hunter Division secured them the title of the SmartPak High Score Pony Hunter.

Centerfield, who turned 13 on April 10th, celebrated his birthday by winning the SmartPak Grand Pony Hunter Championship honors with owner Lexie Looker aboard.

Like mother like daughter, Shiloh Roseboom took home similar honors to her mom on her pony Raggedy Ann in the Children's-Pony Division. Shiloh won both the High Score and the Grand Champion.

And the Best of the Best...
Boss won the SmartPak Overall High Score Award for receiving a score of 93 points in the Regular Conformation Hunters on the opening day of Blenheim Spring Classic III, a score that could not be topped all week long. Congratulations to owner Laura Wasserman, trainer Archie Cox and rider John French.

And after winning every class, Cassini V, earned the SmartPak Overall Grand Hunter Championship Award. Congratulations to owner Georgy Maskrey-Segesman, trainer Devon Gibson and rider Victoria Otto.

Devon Gibson explained what a wonder horse Cassini V truly is. "He's a super horse. He has just moved into the hunters after being in the jumper ring for all of his career. He came to us as a children's jumper lease from Georgy. We later needed a junior hunter to lease and we realized he had all the winning qualities so we put him in the hunter ring and he has really taken to it."

Be sure to check out all of the awards and photos on the Blenheim EquiSports Facebook page here.

Blenheim's Spring Classic III WCHR week is just the beginning of this tremendous new awards program for top hunters. SmartPak, Equitex and Balmoral awards will again be presented during Showpark Ranch & Coast and Blenheim June Classic I to the winners of the World Championship Hunter Rider sanctioned divisions. And the hunters will continue to shine this summer when the USHJA Hunter Spectacular returns to San Juan Capistrano. 

Blenheim EquiSports is The Place To Be in 2016!

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