Kelli Crusiotti and Ishana III won both a $500 High Junior/Amateur Owner Jumpers class and the $2,500 Open Jumper Welcome Stake. (iHorse Photo Media)
Kelli Cruciotti demonstrated that she and her jumper mare, Ishana III, were solidly capable of moving from the Low to the High Junior Amateur Owner Jumpers by winning both a $500 High Junior/Amateur Owner Jumpers class and the $2,500 Open Jumper Welcome Stake.
The pair just edged out professional Paul Rohrbach and NTM Enterprise's Cassiopeia in the Welcome Stake.
"That was my second time doing an Open Welcome against the professionals," said Cruciotti. "I wanted to see if my mare could do it and it was a great class. Paul and everyone in the class rode great. I enjoyed the class, the course was great and the new footing is unbelievable.
"Right now we're trying to qualify for the Junior/Young Rider Team for Zone 8," she continued. "That is my main goal with Ishana this year. Then take her indoors and do the High Juniors in the North American League (NAL) class."
Cruciotti was equally successful in the equitation ring with her new partner, Monterrey. Together they swept up victories in the equitation division winning the Pessoa US Hunter Seat Medal class, the Platinum Performance USEF Talent Search and all three phases of the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) classes.
Monterrey, whom Cruciotti purchased in September, is a well-known equitation and USHJA International Hunter Derby horse previously ridden by Lillie Keenan, Schaefer Raposa and Michael Murphy. Keenan won the 2012 Zone 2 Maclay Regional aboard the bay KWPN gelding.
"He is just a dream to ride and I am really lucky to have him," said Cruciotti. "He's a great horse-our personalities really go well together so it makes for great energy."
Cruciotti earned the championship of the Equitation 15-17 division aboard another new partner, Arizona VDL.
"We purchased Arizona the last week in Wellington, about four weeks ago, so he's relatively new," shared Cruciotti. "He had been a 1.30m jumper. He is a great little horse - he's 15.2. He's a great addition to the barn."
Another talented junior rider, 16-year-old Hannah Holik of Jackson Hole, WY, also had a stellar week one at the Spring Warm Up at Colorado Horse Park. Holik went one-two in the $2,500 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior Amateur/Owner Jumper Classic, earning the blue and red ribbons with the Czech Mate LLC-owned Cupido and Santiago, respectively. Cupido is a Belgian Warmblood by Darco. With Santiago, the pair earned the Reserve Championship in the 1.25m Jumpers behind the Champions professional, Natascha Gates and her own Quickie.
Holik had another win in the $500 Modified Junior/Amateur Jumpers with The Contender.
"That was my jumper that I passed on to her to learn on," said Hannah's mother Renee Holik. "She's sort of outgrown him but we bring him out every once in a while just so he feels like he's part of the group. He's sort of semi-retired. We had time and he's fit so it was a lot of fun."
In the Junior/Amateur Owner Hunters, Hannah Holik and Czech Mate LLC's Tache Rouge delivered performances worthy of the win in the handy, the under saddle, one of the over-fences classes and the $1,000 Classic, earning the pair the championship of the division.
"Tache Rouge was the first hunter we bought her when she was getting off ponies into the children's hunters and we've had him for four years," said Renee Holik. "He has been the most wonderful horse. They've come together. She loves him and it's a great relationship that they have. She's qualified to go to Devon with him. We'll be heading out there in a couple of weeks."
With Delilah the younger Holik won the ASPCA Maclay class.
"We got Delilah many years ago even before Hannah was riding," said Renee Holik. "She started off as a jumper then went into the jumper ring and had a lot of success. And we did some hunter derbies with her. She's been in every ring. She's just one of these incredible, versatile horses. She's a pretty big mare. Hannah is finally big enough and strong enough to take on the ride with her. She's been a wonderful horse to have in the barn."
"We have been showing at Colorado Horse Park for several years now," she continued. "The facility and the management and what they've done to the facility - it just gets better and better every year. The footing is phenomenal. The grounds are really inviting. There are trails around so you can get off the show grounds. They make it great for the exhibitors. They have great parties - dinners on Friday and Saturday night. They bring a band in. It really makes it fun. Then if people have off-time they can go to the mountains. There are great places for tourists to go to see a different part of Colorado. In the summer of course, it's just perfect."
Paul Rhorbach and NTM Enterprise's In Like Flynn took the Championship of the $500 Performance Working Hunters 3'3". Balulka du Ry, piloted by Kelli Clevenger and owned by Abigail Graham were Reserve Champions.
Ashley Keeler and Olivia, owned by Nellie and Heidi Schmutz, garnered the tricolors in the Performance Hunters 3'6". Nicole Lyvere's Wink ridden by Cindy Cruciotti, Kelli Cruciotti's mother and trainer, were Reserve Champions of the division.
$2,500 Open Welcome Stake
1 333 Ishana III Serenity Farm Kelli Cruciotti
2 349 Cassiopeia NTM Enterprises Paul Rohrbach
3 387 Santiago Czech Mate, LLCH annah Holik
4 386 Cupido Czech Mate, LLCH annah Holik
5 391 Leroy V Jacqueline Toomey Jacqueline Toomey
6 316 Quickie Natascha Gates Natascha Gates
7 359 Representing Aces Jennifer DeNicholas Jennifer DeNicholas
$2,500 High Jr/Amateur Jumper Classic Show Jumping Hall Of Fame Event
1 386 Cupido Czech Mate, LLC Hannah Holik
2 387 Santiago Czech Mate, LLC Hannah Holik
3 391 Leroy V Jacqueline ToomeyJ acqueline Toomey
4 371 Carpe Diem Isabel Johnson Isabel Johnson
$1,000 Junior/AO Hunter Classic
1 337 All In Nicole Lyvere Nicole Lyvere
2 388 Tache Rouge Czech Mate, LLC Hannah Holik
3 336 Wink Nicole Lyvere Nicole Lyvere
4 383 Benchmark Jennifer Singer Jennifer Singer
5 390 Parrot Bay Emily Ryan Emily Ryan
$1,000 Open Hunter Classic
1 320 In Like Fynn NTM Enterprises Paul Rohrbach
2 389 Dalilah Czech Mate, LLC Hannah Holik
3 351 Holy Smoke NTM Enterprises Karin Barreau
4 310 I'm Just Saying Kaia Haynes Kaia Haynes
5 381 For the good times Paige Perla Paige Perla
$1,500 Low Children's/Adult Classic
1 374 Celtic Trinity Jennifer Bolton Jennifer Bolton
2 382 Dorothy Emily Nielsen Emily Nielsen
3 340 Cincinatti Nicole Lyvere Nicole Lyvere
4 326 Rouge Madison Bloom Madison Bloom
5 393 Olympia Doc Baldwin Doc Baldwin
6 405 Bella Donte Haley Matteson Haley Matteson
7 323 Papillon Mary Dunahay Mary Dunahay
$1,000 Junior/Amateur Owner Hunter Classic
1 337 All In Nicole Lyvere Nicole Lyvere
2 388 Tache Rouge Czech Mate, LLC Hannah Holik
3 336 Wink Nicole Lyvere Nicole Lyvere
4 383 BenchmarkJ ennifer Singer Jennifer Singer
5 390 Parrot Bay Emily Ryan Emily Ryan
$1,500 NAL Children's/Adult Jumper Classic
1 380 Altair Marisa Haag Marisa Haag
2 408 Socrates Allison Zimmerman Allison Zimmerman
3 351 Holy Smoke NTM Enterprises Nancy Moore
4 320 In Like Fynn NTM Enterprises Nancy Moore
5 321 Eli Kat Fentiman Kat Fentiman
6 369 A Thousand Words Marlena Carlson Marlena Carlson
7 403 Blue Crush Sydney Matteson Sydney Matteson
8 379 Taylor Made Marisa Haag Marisa Haag
9 355 D'Anconia CopperN atalie Hejda Natalie Hejda
$1,500 Modified Jr./Amy Classic
1 397 Vento Stellare Maddee Morley Maddee Morley
2 359 Representing AcesJ ennifer DeNicholas Jennifer DeNicholas
3 301 High Heels Graziella Martins Graziella Martins
4 307 Kardigan Noir Kali Barnes Paul Rohrbach
5 341 Tiggerr Nicole Lyvere Nicole Lyvere
6 331 Colleona BTP Investments LLC Brooke Pettet
$1,000 Pony Classic
1 376 Woodland's Blue Haze Carson Grisham Carson Grisham
2 377I ncognito Carson Grisham Carson Grisham
3 311 Happy Endings Annabelle Szymanski Annabelle Szymanski
4 406 Dragonheart Meera Paranjape Meera Paranjape
$500 Performance Working Hunters 3'3"
Champion 320In Like Flynn/Paul RohrbachNTM Enterprises
Reserve 342Balalka du Ry/Kelli ClevingerAbigail Graham
$500 Performance Working Hunters 3'6"
Champion 367Olivia/Ashley KeelerNellie& Heidi Schmutz
Reserve 336Wink/Cindy CrusiottiNicole Lyvere
Junior A/O Hunter
Champion 388Tache Rouge/Hannah HolikCzech Mate LLC
Reserve 336Wink/Nicole LyvereNicole Lyvere
Adult/Amateur Hunter
Champion 347Three Rivers/Jennifer WallenWoodhaven Stables Inc
Reserve 338Holy Smoke/Nancy MooreNTM Enterprises
1.25m Jumpers
Champion 316Quickie/Natascha GatesNatascha Gates
Reserve 387Santiago/Hannah HolikCzech Mate LLC
Reserve 344Bonaire/Kelli ClevengerSerenity Farm
1.20m Jumpers
Champion 315Saterland/Natascha GatesNancy Gooding
Reserve 344Bonaire/Kelli ClevengerSerenity Farm