Taylor Johnson and Legato
Johnson won the $1,000 Junior Hunter Classic on her 7-year-old Hanovarian, Cavalli. "He's great and he loves his treats," she said. "I've ridden in two derbies on him. " She was the 14 and under champion at Traders Point for the past three years.
Also in the ribbons were Alliy Moyer aboard Wendy Hoffmeister's Contemporary with the second place spot, and Piper Benjamin with a third on Margaret Shank Benjamin's Fernelli, a fourth on Margaret Shan Benjamin's Topsider, and a sixth on Most Wanted, owned by Blair Cudmore of Omaha, NE. Emma Sargent won the fifth place ribbon on her own Coup de Coeur in the class.
Johnson also rode her own Legato to win the Child Hunter Classic. "He was awesome," she smiled. "His jumps were good and he went smoothly." Rounding out the class were Courtney Herms of Zionsville, IN, riding her own Lavana for a smooth finish to earn the red ribbon and Liana Brown, also from Zionsville, who scored clean jumps on her own Marengo for the yellow.
But Johnson wasn't finished winning today. Her beautifully rhythmic goes in the Junior Hunter 15 and Under Stake, the Junior Hunter 15 and Under, the Junior Handy Hunter, and the Junior Hunter 15 and Under Working Hunter Under Saddle class−all on Cavalli−earned her ribbons and bragging rights
Other winners in the Junior Hunter 15 and Under Stake were Haley Zimmerman placing in second riding Zider, who she affectionately calls "Zac," and Piper Benjamin with the third, riding Fernelli. Zimmerman and Fernelli also won second and third places, respectively, on the same horses in the Junior Hunter 15 and Under class AND the same ribbons on the same horses in the Junior Handy Hunter 15 and under saddle class AND the same ribbons on the same horses in the 15 and Under Junior Hunter Under Saddle Class. Talk about consistent!
Area local Alliy Moyer was also seeing blue ribbons while dodging the raindrops when she rode Contemporary to a win in the Junior Hunter Stake for 15-17-year-olds. Moyer said she started riding him in January while in Florida and she's trying to qualify for indoors on the horse, an 8-year-old Hanovarian she calls "Legs."
"He's very good, especially at the handies," she explained. "His rollbacks are really good but you have to keep him turning. It helps him sink in a little more." She said she and Legs clicked right away. "He's game for anything you want to do," she explained. "Simple is a good word for him."
Moyer said she's been coming to Traders Point since she was in ponies. "Traders is home for us and the jumps are always really good. The course was really nice today." She graduated from high school in the spring but plans to take the fall semester to focus on indoors and equitation finals. She'll start at the University of Indianapolis in the spring, but is undecided about her major.
Other top winners in the Junior Hunter Stake were Dana Dettmer, another local, riding her own Farralon for the second place spot and Taylor Schmidt riding RMW Ferrari, owned by Mary Shirley of Wellington, FL, for the third.
Also winning classes in the Main Hunter ring was Katherine Graul, riding Kira Telfor's Orame to a win in the Junior Hunter 16-17-year-old class, the Junior Handy Hunter 16-17-year-old class and the Junior Hunter 16-17-year-old under saddle class.
Alliy Moyer placed second in the Junior Hunter 16-17 class, riding Contemporary and Dana Dettmer was third with the same riders earning the same placings on the same horses in the Junior Hunter 16-17-year-old Under Saddle Class. The judges at Traders Point seem to always be in agreement!
The Hunter action will be hot and heavy in Zionsville on Saturday for the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby on the Grand Prix Field. For more information, check out http://www.traderspoint.org.
The Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show and Country Fair is held on the beautiful 250-acre grounds of Wild Air Farms in Zionsville, IN. The show offers top prize money with two Grand Prix events and a USHJA International Hunter Derby. Exhibitors at Traders Point enjoy fun family activities and events while participating in a competitive, high-quality show. For more information or a prize list, please visit www.traderspoint.org/exhibitors.html