Louise Serio and Aate won both over fences classes in the First Year Green/High Performance Working Hunters at the Brandywine Valley Summer Series. (Rebecca Walton/PMG)
Louise Serio and Aate, owned by Jennifer Burger of Buffalo, NY, were on top of their game in the First Year Green/High Performance Working Hunters. They received scores of 85 and 86 to win both over fences class. Serio's second mount Eloquence, owned by Taylor Willever of Pen Argyl, PA, followed with a win in the under saddle and a second place finish in the second over fences class.
"Aate was so good today, he just kind of owns the ring right now," expressed Serio. "He seems really happy out there and knows his job. Aate didn't come here from Europe until December. We started in Florida doing a little bit of the Pre-Greens and the First Years. He was great there, but it wasn't until we got away from there that he really put it all together. Now, he knows when walks in the ring what he's supposed to do. He shows you the jumps way back and he's very light and airy, very careful; he's really nice to ride."
The Pre-Green 3' Hunters kicked off the day's competition in the Dixon Oval. The victory in the first over fences class went to Ransom, ridden by Bill Schaub and owned by Visse Wedell of North Salem, NY. Katie Cooper and Sandlot, owned by Cherry Knoll Farm of West Grove, PA, picked up the second place honors in the first class, and then stepped up to take home the win in the second class.
Louise Serio's reign continued in the Pre-Green 3'3" Hunters. She won the first class with a score of 86 aboard Corvine, owned by Timothy Wickes of Unionville, PA. In the second class, Serio claimed the blue ribbon with a score of 86 riding last week's champion, Bonaparte, owned by Annette Lauer of New York, NY.
"I showed Bonaparte in Florida and we had a lot of success there with him there," explained Serio. "He was great today in the Dixon Oval, it was a lot of fun to get him in there. He jumps great and he is a lovely ride.
Serio continued, "I have been showing Corvine since Kentucky Spring and I've had a lot of success with him. He won the National Hunter Derby there. He's just awesome; he's just an exceptional jumper."
The Ariat Adult Medal was next, with Katherine Klinicki of Phoenixville, PA, earning the top call riding Joint Investment. The Adult Hunter divisions wrapped up the day, with the Adult Amateur 18-35 Hunter division taking center stage first. In the first over fences class, the victory went to Rachel Samuels and Espor, owned by Liz Durkin of Essex Fells, NJ. Hope Batchelor and Joy Ride, owned by Joanne Copeland of West Chester, PA, took home the blue ribbon in the second class.
The Adult Amateur 36-45 Hunters were the next division to take their turn in the Dixon Oval. Riding to victory in the first class was Bridget Hallman of Oyster Bay, NY, aboard Constellation. Megan Batty of Chester Springs, PA, picked up the first place honors in the second class with Constantine HTF. Later in the Adult Amateur 46 & Over Hunters, Clementina Brown of Loxahatchee, FL, and Isis could not be beat, earning scores of 85 and 82 for the win in both over fences classes.
The NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic was the last event of the day, and in the end it was Leanne McMenamin of Wayne, PA, and The Senator that rose to the occasion for the top call. Chrissy Ott of Newton, PA, and Tupelo claimed the second place prize, while Sarah Cabot and Carentino, owned by Anne Holman of Rehoboth, MA, earned the third place honors.
Tomorrow riders will return to the Devon Show Grounds to compete for championship and reserve championship awards in the their respective divisions, as well as the Grand Champion Adult Amateur Hunter title. This week's highlight event will be Saturday night's $5,000 Get Real Get RAW USHJA National Hunter Derby.
For more information about the Brandywine Valley Summer Series, please visit http://brandywinevalleysummerseries.com.