Traverse City, MI - The fourth and final week of the month-long Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival, Series IV, held July 27 - 31, 2011, was another winning week for exhibitors and spectators alike in Traverse City. Both hunters and jumpers excelled under the summer sun, and equitation riders showedoff the hard work put into refining their horsemanship. The OVATION Leading Rider Awards were also granted, going to those who had accumulated the most points in their division throughout Series IV. Local recognition was achieved with the Hunter/Jumper Association of Michigan's (HJAM) Medal Finals, as well as a fundraiser for CANTER Michigan. A variety of competitive classes kept the horses on their feet, while also keeping fans coming back for more.

The jumper events in the Flintfields Horse Park Grand Prix ring never fail to excite, and this week was no different. In the $10,000 SJHOF Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Prix, Lisa Goldman won on her horse Fontaine, who together achieved a jump-off time of 38.093 seconds. In second was Tracey Weinberg and her own Larone, and finishing third was Laura Linback and Woodrun's Casino. The $10,000 Children's/Adult Jumper Classic saw Patricia Hennessy win on Little Tom in an astoundingly fast and smooth jump-off. Coming in second was Ericka Caslin on Cara Cheska's Rioletto, and third was Elle Turley and Cowgirl, owned by DC Sales and Entertainment.

Brian Shook and Courage 68 of Equestrian Endeavors, who won the Grand Prix during Series I, triumphed in the $10,000 Welcome Prix on Thursday. Second place in this fast-paced event went to Charles Jacobs on Deeridge Farm's Leap of Joy, and coming in third was Denise Wilson on Delpine Van Het Orshof, owned by Blue Gate Farm LLC. In the $5,000 NAL Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, sponsored by Phelps Media Group of Wellington, FL, Maria Costa won on her own horse Reno. In second place was Tracey Weinberg and her own Linda Z, and third was Lisa Goldman on Don Salut. Taking top honors in the $2,500 Modified Child/Adult Jumper Classic was Erin Haas and Hans of North Face Farm. Coming in second was Cecily Waud on Janet Sassmannshausen's Ozaliat, and third place went to Megan Rossi on her own Soda Pop Kid.

Over in the hunter rings, the many accolades earned this week were no less impressive. Weatherly Stroh came out on top in the $2,000 Horse Shows by the Bay Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic, riding Susanne Stroh's Sigfried. The talented pair also won Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter honors. The $2,000 Horse Shows by the Bay Junior Hunter Classic saw Eliza Frankel finish first on her own Lugano. In the $1,000 NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic, Sue Hehl and her own Something's Cookin' continued to excel, earning the blue ribbon. Mackenzie Graves triumphed in the $1,000 Horse Shows by the Bay Pony Hunter Classic, riding Peter Pletcher's Ringo Star. Grand Conformation Hunter went to Kelley Farmer and CH Farm LLC's Straight Talk, Grand Junior Hunter went to Lacey Gilbertson on her own Condanas, and Grand Pony Hunter was Meehan Shirey on Shingo, her own horse.

Additional stars of this week's show included the winners of the OVATION Leading Jumper Rider Awards, given to the riders who have accumulated the most points throughout the series in their respective divisions. Erin Haas won the award in the High Jr/AO division, Kimberly Seay won in the Low Jr/AO division, Kady Abrahamson won in the Children's division, and Lauren Keck won in the Adult division. Wilhelm Genn also received the award, while son Ryan Genn had an amazing win in the $30,000 D-BRAIDER Cherry Capital Classic Grand Prix on Saturday night. Finishing second in the Grand Prix was Lisa Goldman on her own Morocco, and completing the top three was Wilhelm Genn on his horse Copyright 3.

While both Genns and Goldman were winning it up in the Grand Prix ring Saturday night, a fundraiser was held for the Michigan chapter of CANTER. A non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of former racehorses, CANTER stands for the Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses. Generously sponsored by Meijer, the fundraiser featured raffle drawings in the VIP tent as well as various items for sale, letting spectators shop and watch at the same time. For more information on CANTER, please visit www.canterusa.org.

Series IV at Horse Shows by the Bay was proud to host the HJAM Medal Finals, an equitation series that reflects the pride of Michigan's equestrian community. The Open Junior Medal was won by Katie Nowak, while the Limit Junior Medal was earned by Leanna Schulte, who also won the Fancy Footwork Memorial Trophy on her own Gabriel in the hunter ring. The Adult Medal went to Elizabeth Perry, and the Low Children's/Adult Medal went to Sigrid Crowel. Finally, the HJAM Pony Medal went to Michelle Raue. In other equitation events, the ASPCA Maclay was won by Virginia Ingram, who was excelled in equitation throughout the past few weeks. The USEF/Pessoa Hunter Seat Medal went to Meehan Shirey, who also won the WIHS Hunter Phase. The USEF Platinum Performance Talent Search was won by Samantha Ramsay. Winning the WIHS Jumper phase was Greer Hindle. Gabrielle Thornton won the Ariat Adult Medal, and the T.H.I.S. National Children's Medal went to Samantha Gajoch.

As the last week of Horse Shows by the Bay has now concluded, over half a million dollars in prize money has been awarded. For more information on Horse Shows by the Bay, please visit www.horseshowsbythebay.com or call 231-267-3700.