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From www.bridleandbit.com Jumping
Cassie Townsend won the Beverly Kruglick Equitation Medal at the Twin Acres Father’s Day Classic Horse Show held at Santa Rita on June 26. But that isn’t all she won. She won the hotly contested sit-a-buck contest, the most popular class at the show. Twin’s trainer Janice Kruglick "passed the hat" and spectators ponied up $90, all awarded to the winner of the class. According to judge Jack Adams, it was the longest class of the show. Contestants rode bareback, with a dollar bill tucked under their seats. First, Adams had the riders walk, trot (sitting), and canter. Most of the "bucks" stayed in place. Next, he added the posting trot. Finally, there were four die-hard contestants left. In desperation, Adams set two cross rail fences. It was only when Adams insisted that the contestants trot into the combination and canter out that the last buck fell and Townsend, riding Twin Acres’ High Voltage (Rascal), won the prize. Townsend and Rascal won the two-foot Jumper class, were second in the 2’3" and third in the 2’6". She was the show’s course designer. She started riding Western at age five and switched to English a year later. "I saw people jumping on television," she said. "I wanted to jump too. It’s exciting to ride and jump. I have to work on tighter turns. Mostly, I have to work on myself. Rascal knows what he’s doing. I hope to go to bigger shows and ride as long as I can." She’s been riding with Twin’s trainer Jacqui Kruglick for 3 _ years. It was Karyn Puleo and Casey, a Thoroughbred, who won the 2’ – 2’3" jumpers; Puleo won the Hunter Equitation. She’s been riding him for one year. Puleo is another who switched from Western to English in order to jump. "My grandparents bought me four lessons for Christmas when I was six," she said. "It was Western. Western was boring. I wanted to jump. I wanted to fly. I’ve loved horses all my life. I went to the fair and saw jumpers when I was three." She feels she needs to work on her jump approaches. "I need to focus and look straight at the jump," she said. "I need to take bigger corners and be more confident. Casey is so good hearted. No matter how I take a fence, he’s always there. We have a special connection." She has three years of high school and then she plans to go to Lake Erie College where there is a good equestrian program. The winner of the 2’6" was Debbie Lay on Twin Acre’s Bailey, an Appendix Quarter Horses. She’s been riding him for four or five years. Lay, a sophomore at Cornell, has been riding with Jacqui since fifth grade. "Bailey was behind my leg," she said. "I need to get him more forward. I used way too much rein. We have to get more balanced and able to do roll backs. We have to do more dressage. I have to spend more time in a two point. Bailey loves to jump. He’s really honest. You never have to worry. He can turn on a dime. I feel there’s a lot more you can do with a horse than other sports. There’s the whole aspect of caring for it. It’s more of a challenge and tougher than it looks." Tammy Brewer was another winner on Bailey. She’s been riding him for about one year and won Adult Hunter Equitation and Adult Hunter Pleasure. Like Townsend, she’s started riding when she was five. "My best friend at the time rode," she said. "It was therapeutic for me. I had surgery on my foot and it helped strengthen my foot. I rode Western for four years. I found someone who would teach me jumping. I’ve always loved horses since I was little and wouldn’t give them up – even for a guy." Power Pony had a successful show; the pony out-jumped all the horses. Diana Yares brought Anna Townes’ Dartmoor/Quarter Horse cross to the show. Power Pony responded by winning the 2’9" and 3’ classes, clearing the fences by at least six inches. He was bred to be a pony jumper. Townes’ daughter and students took him to eleven shows in the East; he was champion nine times and reserve twice. "The Townes moved to Arizona and circumstances changed," said Yares. "They were doing nothing with him. I’ve been riding him for one month and got him fit. He’s speedy. He’s not named Power Pony for nothing." Yares’ student, Heidi Hammon, won on Power Pony in the Hunter classes. She’s only been riding him for a couple of weeks. "I’ve been riding for 2 _ years," she said. "My mom was a horse lady. She wanted me to ride too. I wanted to try it to see the difference from Western. Western supports you more. I don’t like to be supported. I keep practicing the basics. I jumped him once on a cross country course. I’m more into jumping." The Jack Benny/Mae West Classic is another traditional class at the annual show. The Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Walk/Trot was all Mae West this year. At first, Adams threatened to pin the rider with the best legs but in the end he couldn’t decided and handed out blue ribbons to everyone. Brigitte Mikush came all the way from Waukisha, Wisconsin to visit her grandfather Rudolph Feyertag. While she was here, she took lessons with Jacqui and went to the Twin Acres’ summer camp. After only two weeks of lessons, she won the Walk Trot class. "I ride Western some with my friends," she said. "I’m working on keeping my hands together. When I go back home I’m going to try and find English lessons; otherwise I’ll take Western lessons. I just like to be around horses. I like to be with horses and have fun." And fun was what everybody had at another successful Twin Acres’ Show. www.bridleandbit.com |
