The team for Horse of the Year Jersey Boy, includes Susie Schoellkopf; Jennifer Alfano, Rider of the Year, and Jess Litfin, who takes care of the equine star.(Nancy Jaffer)

Buffalo, NY - The National Show Hunter Hall of Fame awarded numerous honors last night at their annual dinner held at the Merion Cricket Club in Haverford, PA, but it was SBS Farms, Inc. who truly shined. Jennifer Alfano was named Hunter Rider of the Year, and her top mount Jersey Boy was named High Performance Horse of the Year and Hunter Horse of the Year.

The NSHHF continues to foster the appreciation of the sport through the establishment and maintenance of esteemed awards. The winners of the yearly and overall awards are carefully selected by the vote of trainers who have had champions in the divisions at the shows that have been nominated for the Hall of Fame Horse Show of the Year award. The committee was pleased to honor Alfano with the overall Rider of the Year award, as well as the Horse of the Year Award for three-time winner, Jersey Boy.  

"We knew he was getting the High Performance Horse of the Year, but to hear them announce him as the Overall Horse of the Year was amazing. This is something that Jersey Boy definitely deserved for all of his hard work," Alfano explained. "There are so many wonderful horses out there, and so many strong competitors in each of the divisions, for him to have won this award is fantastic."

This is not the first time that Alfano or Jersey Boy has been recognized for their outstanding efforts in the hunter ring. Alfano has been recognized as the Leading Hunter Rider at the 2011 National Horse Show, as well as the Top Grossing Rider, earning over $400,000 in 2010. The pair has earned the top awards as Derbies across the country including the $25,000 Chicago National Hunter Derby, the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the HITS VI Ocala Winter Finals, the $50,000 Palm Beach USHJA International Hunter Derby, and the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby of Devon.

"I definitely wasn't expecting this honor," Alfano exclaimed. "It means a lot to me, especially with so many great riders out there. The way they do the judging and nominations for the Hall of Fame is so special; it is such an honor to have your peers voting for you."

"We were totally shocked and thrilled and it was a great night! It means a lot it Jennifer and I to have won such an incredible award. A lot of people voted to make that happen, " Susie Schoellkopf explained.

Based out of Buffalo, NY, SBS Farms' Susie Schoellkopf and Jennifer Alfano run one of the foremost show hunter training operations in the country, and travel nationwide to compete in the nation's most prestigious horse shows. SBS Farms, Inc. continues the proud tradition of the Saddle and Bridle Club as one of the top show stables in the northeast. Schoellkopf is also the Executive Director of the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, which houses both The Buffalo Equestrian Center as well as SBS Farms. Built in 1922, the 160-stall facility is a historical landmark, with its unique English Tudor and gothic style architecture. For more information on SBS Farms and the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, please visit www.thebtrc.org.