Del Mar, Calif. – After the East Coast and West Coast portions of the Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF Hunter Breeding National Championship presented by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Oare concluded today, Rotiyas, the East Coast Best Young Horse Champion, was named the Overall Grand Champion.
Judges Sue Lightner (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Chris Wynne (Virginia Beach, Va.) evaluated the young hunter prospects on Saturday, August 25, at the Virginia Young Horse Festival in Lexington, Va., and on Wednesday, August 29, at the Showpark All Seasons in Del Mar, Calif., and awarded the East Coast Best Young Horse Champion title to Rotiyas and the West Coast Best Young Horse Champion title to Incandescence before picking Rotiyas as Overall Grand Champion.
Rotiyas (Rosenthal—Touch of Class) is Susan Tice-Grossman’s (Keswick, Va.) two-year-old Oldenburg colt and he was bred by High Point Hanoverians in Chestertown, Md. Richard Taylor (Montpelier Station, Va.) handled the colt, who also won the Two-Year-Old Colts/Geldings class in the East Coast competition.
“We got this colt as a yearling and he wasn’t ready to show last year,” said Tice-Grossman. “But over the winter, [Rotiyas] really started to come into his own and by the spring, he looked great. [At] his first show, he was Best Young Horse and every show, he got better. He’s got the best disposition and he shows like a star. He’s been a real delight.
“He’s a beautiful mover, and he’s got a beautiful eye,” Tice-Grossman continued. “He’s a real ham; he strikes a pose and he’s a natural-born show horse. He seems to realize when he’s in the ring. He puts his ears up and says, ‘They’re looking at me,’ and does the best he can.”
The Overall Reserve Grand Champion was awarded to the East Coast Best Young Horse Reserve Champion, Reflection (Rosenthal—Pardon Me Boys), Harriet Schiele’s three-year-old Oldenburg filly and handled by Matt Davis.
The West Coast Best Young Horse Champion was Incandescence (Cunningham—Happy Michelle), a two-year-old Holsteiner mare owned and bred by Sommer D. Smith and handled by Carleton Brooks. Incandescence also won the Two-Year-Old Fillies class. Cambria (Riverman—Capella), Amy Concha’s yearling Holsteiner filly and handled by Brooks, was named West Coast Best Young Horse Reserve Champion and also won the Yearling Filly class.
Numerous other West Coast champion titles were awarded:
Two-Year-Old Colt/Gelding – LeBron (Ultime Espoir—Rilanta), Lucky Jack Farm and Patricia Brutten’s 2016 Dutch Warmblood gelding handled by Doug Snell
Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding, Three-Year-Old Under Saddle & Three-Year-Old Hunter Hack – Karismo (Consul—Facet’s Violet), Kathy Spano and Breanna Lombardo’s 2015 colt handled and ridden by Megan Walker
Three-Year-Old Filly & American Hanoverian Society Breed Registry Award – Wes Street Beauty PF (Wellesley—Morgan Le Fay WF), Jan Say’s 2015 Hanoverian mare handled by Ryan Pedigo
Four-Year-Old Under Saddle & Four-Year-Old Conformation Over Fences – Gidget WT (Lamarque—Alouska), Michael Edrick’s 2014 Oldenburg mare ridden by Jamie Sailor
Amateur/Junior Handler – Joann Niffenegger handling Glorious (Artrageous—Laced In Krymsun), her 2016 Appendix Quarter Horse mare
Leading Handler, Ted Fieger Memorial Trophy – Carleton Brooks
American Holsteiner Horse Association Breed Registry Award – Cambria, Amy Concha’s 2017 Holsteiner filly.
KWPN - NA Breed Registry Award – M. Awesome Luck (More Than Luck—Uspecial Quantum Leap), Erika Scherer, Eureka Farm and Tish Quirk’s 2017 Dutch Warmblood filly handled by Rose Carver
RPSI/Westfalen Breed Registry Award – Coronet’s Daffodil (Coronet d’Honne—Pretty Woman), Rachel Jones and Crossroads Farm's 2017 Westfalen filly and handled by Rachel Jones
Find out more about the Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF Hunter Breeding National Championship presented by Mr. and Mrs. Earnest Oare, at usef.org/hunterbreeding.
Find out more about the hunter discipline and all of US Equestrian’s 29 recognized breeds and disciplines in this Learning Center video. Join the conversation and follow US Equestrian on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Use #JoinTheJoy.