Hi Hopes Farm, of Charlotte, NC, took home multiple tricolor ribbons and trophies after a successful two weeks of competition at the 86th Annual Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show. Lucille Oken received the Jennifer Cox Memorial Trophy for high-point rider showing horses and ponies. Alise Oken took home the Large Junior 16-17 Hunter championship award after her excellent performance with her top mount, Take Away. Alise and Lucille Oken both train under the tutelage of top instructors Steve Heinecke and Jeff Wirthman.
Lucille Oken competed in the hunters, jumpers, and equitation during her two weeks at the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show. She garnered the Large Pony Hunter reserve championship award during the show's second week after earning two first-place ribbons, and a second-place ribbon. Lucille also earned top placings in the Junior Hunter divisions riding Davis Cup, owned by Paulexi, LLC, and Southern Style, owned by Alise Oken. She earned the second-place ribbon during the ASPCA Maclay class aboard Johanna Hyypa's Metro. Lucille then transitioned to the jumper ring where she captured the Children's Jumper victory riding Ibiza De Malle.
"Lucille started just showing in the Junior Hunters during WEF [Winter Equestrian Festival], so she just started the transition from ponies to horses," noted trained Steve Heinecke. "A year ago she earned the Grand Champion Pony Hunter title with Hi Lite, who competed in the Small Pony Hunter division. In less than a year, she's managed to have a lot of success in the Junior Hunters. It's a very hard transition to make, but she's a beautiful rider and she has a great future ahead of her."
Lucille's sister, Alise Oken, also had a number of wins during the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show. Alise and Take Away took home another Large Junior 16-17 Hunter championship tricolor during the second week after winning three of the division's over fences classes. She then went on to dominate the $3,500 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, capturing the first-place ribbon with Pedro and earning second-place honors aboard Canecko Z. During the first week of competition, Alise won the USET Show Jumping Talent Search with Metro.
During the first week of the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show, trainer Steve Heinecke showed Take Away in the Regular Working Hunter division where they garnered the reserve championship honors. The pair earned two second-place ribbons and two third-place ribbons. Heinecke and Take Away then went on to compete in the Kathryn G. Clark Memorial Challenge of Champions Hunter Classic, where the pair took home the second-place award.
Top rider Madison Maners also competes with Hi Hopes Farm. She earned the championship award during both weeks of the horse show in the Small Pony Hunter division with Hi Lite to take home the Grand Champion Pony Hunter title. During the first week, Maners also earned the Medium Pony Hunter championship prize aboard Cortina after the pair earned two first-place ribbons and a third-place ribbon.
Hi Hopes Farm is now in Lexington, KY, for the 2009 USEF National Pony Finals where Lucille Oken, and Madison Maners will compete for top honors.