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Future stars made their presence known in the Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West, hosted as part of the L.A. International. This is the only national equitation championship held on the West Coast, and there was no shortage of talent in the 45 entry class. Taylor Ann Adams made the trip from Florida to ride in the West Coast version of the Finals. “My trainer, Don Stewart, always goes to Capital Challenge and that conflicted with the East Coast Finals, so we decided to come to California,” explained Taylor of her decision. She leased El Toro (Lindsay Anderson, owner) and Karen Healey stepped in to coach the talented rider. Basics and fundamentals were the traits judges Ralph Alfano and Ellen Raidt rewarded throughout the multiple phase competition.

Taylor sat tenth after the Flat Phase with a solid score of 76.50, and after a strong performance in the Gymnastics Phase she found herself in sixth going into the Show Jumping Phase. Her strong show jumping performance vaulted her to second and a position in the Final Four in her first time contesting the challenging Talent Search Finals. Jocelyn Neff (Karen Healey, trainer), Jennifer Parker (Benson Carroll, trainer), and Caroline Ingalls (Hap Hansen, trainer) all joined the final four where each rider competes on the each of the others’ horses over a shortened course.

Although the temperatures soared to unseasonably hot weather, the four girls kept their cool and rode proficient rounds on the different horses. Unlike previous years, no one horse stood out as an absolute favorite nor as the most difficult. Favorites were spread out, but in the end the judges deemed El Toro as the Best Horse with his rider Taylor Ann Adams as the overall champion.

“It was so exciting,” Taylor recounted. “It was a last minute thing – I decided to compete just three days before, so it was a little stressful with the last minute arrangements, travel, the time change and not knowing what horse I would ride. When I made the top four, it was already better than I expected to do, and all the riders were really good. However, I felt really comfortable changing horses because I’m a catch rider so I’m used to riding different horses. Karen Healey knew all of the horses in the top four, so she helped me a lot.”

Seventeen-year-old Taylor is a senior in high school, although she home schools so she can devote a large part of her day to riding. She looks forward to entering her last season as a junior rider next year. “I hope to keep riding in college. I’ll always have animals in my life,” she added.

Karen Healey was awarded Best Trainer with two riders, Taylor and Jocelyn (Neff), in the Final Four. Karen is one of the top equitation coaches in the country and has coached numerous riders to wins in the Talent Search Finals.

“It was amazing,” Taylor said of working with Karen. “Karen is very patient and understanding. She explains every step to every student in the way that’s best for them. She’s such a great rider and trainer, and working with her was the chance of a lifetime!”

Reprinted with permission from USEF Network.

Thirty-nine leading West Coast junior equitation riders competed in Blenheim Farm’s covered arena at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park on the evening of September 18th in the ASPCA Maclay West Coast Regional Finals. With thirty returning for the flat phase and five for the work-off, it was 16-year-old Kylee Arbuckle aboard Kimberly Lynch’s D’Anconia Copper, who finished on top to secure her place in 2010 ASPCA Maclay National Championship on November 7th at the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament.

Scott Starnes’ course of fourteen obstacles asked the riders to commit to a flowing pace while riding the track. Eighth to compete in the over fences phase, Arbuckle (Karen Healey & Devon Gibson, trainers) showed mastery of the course and rode her mount with style and poise, earning her a spot in the top ten of the flat phase.

Following the jumping portion of the competition, the top thirty riders in the class were called back to work on the flat, divided into three groups of ten with the highest scoring riders flatting last. Judges Kip Rosenthal and John Roper asked for the walk, trot, and canter in both directions as well as a lengthening of stride at the trot down the long side of the ring. Several riders were solid in their seat, including Healey students Arbuckle and Theodore Boris.

The judges then chose their top five and asked them to return to the ring for a work-off. In reverse order, the juniors were asked to jump several jumps, including a trot jump and a rollback turn as well as to demonstrate two simple changes through the walk before returning to the line-up. Sitting second after the over fences and flat phases, Arbuckle had the advantage of watching three riders test before her, Audrey Coulter (Mary Manfredi, trainer), Clementine Yost (Benson Carroll, trainer) and Morgan Geller (Peter Lombardo, trainer). She clearly commanded the work-off requirements, having the most solid ride of the five. Sitting first after the first two rounds, Theodore Boris (Karen Healey, trainer) was the final junior to tackle the test. Unfortunately, he missed to the jump after the rollback turn, leaving the win open for Arbuckle.

“[In the work-off] I tried to get my horse out in front of my leg before the first jump and move up to the trot fence,” gleaming winner Arbuckle explained. Her plan worked, impressing both the judges and her trainer.

“[Kylee’s] work-off was great,” commented Arbuckle’s trainer of three years, Karen Healey. In addition to being happy with her student’s test, Healey was also glad to see that Arbuckle’s over fences trip was scored properly despite pulling a rail on course. “Her first round was scored just how it should have been – as if the rail didn’t come down – and then four points were taken off of her [final over fences] score.”

Although winning is glorious, earning a place in the top fifteen will hopefully earn a spot in the prestigious finals in Syracuse this November. Once the final regional competition of eight throughout the country is complete, the exact number of qualified riders per regional will be announced.

Reprinted with permission from Blenheim Equisports. 

Thirty-three horse and rider duos stepped up to the challenge of the Leopoldo Palacios designed course in the $35,000 Summer Classic II Grand Prix, presented by Equ Lifestyle Magazine on August 21st in San Juan Capistrano. Out of all who had aspirations of going clean, only the first two on course, Lane Clarke aboard Bay Rose’s Nikko and Hannah Selleck riding the fiery mare Tosca of Descanso Farm, were able to do so. After a battle of the sexes in the jump-off, it was twenty-one-year-old Selleck who came out on top with a stellar double clear ride for the win.

Master course designer Palacios presented competitors in Saturday’s event with a difficult course. The track was technical and demanded a careful, yet gutsy ride. A total of 17 obstacles, including three combinations and a water jump in a keep-up-the-pace time allowed of 87 seconds. “This was a very tough national grand prix. I tried to challenge the group as much as possible,” commented Palacios.

The first two horse and rider teams made fault-free rides appear possible. First to gallop onto the grass, Clarke jumped Bay Rose’s Nikko around the course just under the time allowed in 86.72 seconds. Next in the ring, Selleck brilliantly answered Clarke’s call and forced the jump-off, laying down a clean and aggressive first round ride in 79.98 aboard her chestnut mount Tosca.

“The track suited Tosca,” said Selleck of her 14-year-old Belgium Warmblood. “The opening and shortening between fences is exactly what she likes.” Selleck appreciated the course too. “Leopoldo’s designs are great because they make me think about the track, which helps me ride better.”

As the rest of the thirty-three competitors took to the course, Palacios’ challenge was evident. All remaining exhibitors picked up faults of some kinds – rails fell, time allowed was exceeded, hooves landed in the water, and refusals, run-outs and accidental dismounts also occurred.

“Leopoldo’s courses are hard, technical and have a tight time allowed,” explained second place rider, Clarke. “He does a great job of getting rails in different places, plus the horses and the riders always learn something.”

As the first to take on the shortened track, Clarke knew his ride had to be strong.

“Hannah is a rocket and I knew I had to put the pressure on her,” Clarke explained. Clarke and Bay Rose’s Nikko navigated the shortened track in a time of 48.98 seconds and picked up eight faults towards the end. “I am really happy with my horse,” said Clark of Bay Rose’s Nikko. “He is green at the grand prix level and is coming along fantastically.”

Having the advantage of following Clarke in the jump-off, Selleck and Tosca galloped onto the International Field with an air of determination. “In the jump-off, the pressure was on. I just had to go out there and stick to my plan,” Selleck noted.

Selleck presented the crowd with a masterful ride and triumphantly crossed the timers without fault in 45.15 seconds to surpass Clarke and clinch her first win in the grand prix arena.

Although close but not clean in round one, some of the remaining prizewinners deserve mention. The fastest four-fault ride was Mexico City’s Jaime Azcarraga aboard his grey partner Selsius, who had just one unlucky rail at the second element of the 5A-B combination in 82.52, for third place honors. Slightly over half a second behind Azcarraga, Susan Hutchison and El Dorado 29’s Cantano picked up the fourth place prize, with four faults at 13A, the tall black and white striped vertical, the first element in a combination that caused trouble for many. Fifth through seventh went to four fault rides from Mexican riders Eduardo Menezes and his horse Utopia, last week’s winner Otavio Penedo aboard Carando Equisearch and Eduardo Menezes riding Avargo Mercedes Benz.

Earning the eighth spot, Michelle Parker and Socrates De Midos (Cross Creek Farms Inc., owner) thrilled the crowd when they miraculously cleared fence six from a near standstill. It looked as though the duo was going to go clean until, like so many others before them, they lowered the height of the first element in the one stride at 13A for four faults. In addition to finishing second in the competition, Clarke also finished in the money aboard his second mount, Mickey Hayden’s McLord’s First John, stopping the clock just over the time allowed for one time fault in addition to eight jumping faults. Winner Selleck rode Descanso Farm’s Bauer to an eleventh place finish as the fastest of the twelve fault rides.

Reprinted with permission from Blenheim Equisports.

Despite the fact that trainers aren’t allowed to assist riders when they’re warming up or walking the course for the R.W. “Ronnie” Mutch Equitation Classic, Theodore Boris wasn’t too worried. He felt like he could hear the words of his trainer, Karen Healey, in his head.

“It’s so nice to have Karen as a trainer,” Boris said. “It’s very confidence-building to be with someone who has so much knowledge. Even if she’s 20 miles away, you can still hear her voice.”

That voice obviously helped, and Boris, 17, added another win to his already impressive resume tonight, March 13. Last year Boris won the USEF Talent Search Finals-West with Carol Bird’s W.C.  Swing, the same horse he rode in tonight’s class at HITS Thermal Desert Circuit VI.

Riders must qualify for the classic by winning at least one major equitation class in any of the major winter circuits: HITS Thermal (Calif.), HITS Arizona, HITS Ocala (Fla.), Winter Equestrian Festival (Fla.) or Gulf Coast (Miss.). Only eight riders entered the covered ring in Thermal, Calif., for the Ronnie Mutch Classic. All eight completed the first two courses, and then Boris and second-placed Cassandra Kahle, riding Taylor Harris’ Vindoctro, returned for a test.

The test called for several canter fences, a trot jump, one tight turn and fence to be negotiated in counter-canter, and then two flying changes and a halt on the quarter line in front of all six judges.

Kahle tested first. Her horse wouldn’t pick up the counter-canter, and she did simple changes instead of flying changes, which opened the door for Boris. However, because the riders were told to face the stands, he didn’t know that. Boris’ horse also broke from the counter-canter, and Boris assumed he’d lost. But two perfectly executed flying changes and smooth, bold lines still left him standing in first.

“I messed up that counter-canter,” Boris admitted. “I could have had him around my right leg more, and it just came up really quickly. Things don’t always go as planned. It will give me something to work on!”

Besides being judged in the ring, riders are also judged in the warm-up for the Ronnie Mutch Classic. For each of the first two rounds they are given up to three bonus points or three points taken off their score in the ring for their warm-ups. Boris received three bonus points for each of his warm-ups. He attributed the extra points, and his win, to his theory of keeping it simple. Before the first round he only jumped about five jumps, and then only two before the second round.

“My warm-up was very brief,” Boris said. “Karen told me earlier today, ‘They’re not going to see how many jumps you’re going to jump in warm-up when you’re in the ring.’ I had done a few classes during the day, so I was already pretty much warmed up. He’s a very easy horse to prepare. I know the horse, and I know myself. I like to keep things simple. When I start jumping too much or thinking too much it just starts complicating things.”

Boris said one of the biggest challenges in the class was the size of the covered ring at Thermal.

“It’s a very small indoor ring,” Boris, Los Angeles, Calif., said. “My plans a little bit changed in the first round. You really had only two strides to the first fence, which was a triple bar, and usually you want a lot of room to get to the base of the triple bar. I got a little deep, and I just didn’t have enough to do four strides in the next line, and if I did it would have been ugly. I did the five, and that worked out well.”

Boris hopes to qualify for the fall indoor shows on the East Coast again this year. He also has a newly purchased junior jumper and would like to qualify for the North American Junior And Young Rider Championships (Ky.). Despite his East Coast aspirations, he said that he still enjoys riding on the West Coast because the pressure is slightly less.

“Even if you put this same course in the ring at Harrisburg, it would feel totally different,” he said. “It’s a psychological thing. It’s stressful.”

 

Reprinted with permission from The Chronicle of the Horse.

Karen Healey Stables showed at the Blenheim Fall Tournament in San Juan Capistrano, CA, on September 9-13, 2009, and the L.A. International Jumping Festival in Burbank, CA, on September 16-20, 2009, excelling in the hunters, jumpers and equitation throughout the two weeks of competition. The Blenheim Fall Tournament hosted the 2009 ASPCA Maclay Regionals for Region 8, and the L.A. International Jumping Festival hosted the 2009 Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals – West, USEF Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal Zone 8, 9, and 10 Finals, and USEF Zone 10 Adult Medal Finals.

Sixteen-year-old Theo Boris of Culver City, CA, began training with Karen Healey just three months ago, and he has come a long way since the start of the summer. At the Blenheim Fall Tournament, Boris earned a second place finish in the ASPCA Maclay Regionals and a first place victory in the WIHS Equitation Classic riding his eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood Du Calme (by Voltaire). Boris then went on to earn the championship in the 2009 Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals – Westriding Carol Bird’s W.C. Swing, who also won last year’s finals with Karen Healey student Hannah Selleck. Boris earned his second championship of the week in the USEF Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal Zone 8, 9, and 10 Finals again riding his horse Du Calme.

Theo Boris has been riding since around the age of five and decided to start training with Karen Healey this year in order to get a fresh perspective. “I think that everybody at some point needs to change, and I just felt like it was the right time,” Boris stated. “Really there was nobody else that I considered going to; I just really wanted to ride with Karen. I have always watched the way she teaches and I really liked her.”

“What she does isn’t magic, it is just proper training,” Boris said. “She makes sure that you are really prepared, so that when you get to the ring there are no surprises.”

Boris explained that Healey has brought a lot of confidence to his riding that he did not feel before. “I think that I did really well because I am a lot more positive about things now,” he acknowledged. “At the beginning of the week I just told myself, ‘My horse feels really good, I feel ready, and I am going to do well.’ I should have been that way a long time ago, but riding with Karen gives me so much confidence and I think that really brings a positive feeling to the whole experience.”

In addition to improving his confidence, Boris noted that Healey has also had a very positive effect on his equitation horse, Du Calme. “Du Calme just turned eight, so he is relatively young still. I have owned him for a year, and in the past three months that I have had him with Karen, he has become a completely different horse. He is so rideable, so adjustable, and he is really, really brave, which has given me a lot of confidence with him. He is a really good horse with a good mind and he is a very sweet, funny character.”

Boris has a busy fall schedule ahead as he prepares to travel to the East Coast for indoors. He will compete at the Capital Challenge Horse Show, in Upper Marlboro, MD, followed by the PA National Horse Show in Harrisburg, PA, and the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament and 126th National Horse Show in Syracuse, NY. Competing against some of the top horses and riders in the country, Boris will show in the prestigious USEF Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal Finals and ASPCA Maclay National Championship, and will then return to California to compete in other West Coast medal finals.

As the 2010 show season nears, Boris hopes to maintain his biggest goal, which is to be consistent. He also hopes to buy a jumper so that he can start showing consistently in the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers and would like to do more catch riding throughout the season. Boris will again pursue the top honors in the equitation divisions, and hopes to qualify for the Washington International Horse Show next year, as it has eluded him in 2009. The astute young rider noted that he does not like to set his goals too high or too far ahead in the future, but would rather take it day by day according to how he is riding.

Following Boris’s second place in the ASPCA Maclay Regionals at Blenheim was Karen Healey student Jocelyn Neff, who placed third. Healey had several other riders qualify for the Region 8 Finals as well, including Navona Gallegos and Holly Dickinson, along with Samantha Harrison and Demi Stiegler, who both placed in the top ten.

In the jumpers, three of Karen Healey’s strongest partnerships placed in the top ten of the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Navona Gallegos rode Drossana to a fifth place finish, Samantha Harrison and Santika came in sixth, and Elizabeth Dickinson rode Bailey’s VH Muelenhof to an eight place finish.

Other top competitors out of Karen Healey Stables at the Blenheim Fall Tournament included Alexandra Block and Kristi Siam. Alexandra Block placed second in the USEF Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal and also received top ribbons in the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 riding her horse All That. Kristi Siam won the USEF Adult Medal and continued a winning year with her horse Krosus by earning the championship tricolor in the Low Amateur-Owner Hunters.

Following Theo Boris in the championship of the 2009 Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search Finals – West at L.A. International, Karen Healey student Jocelyn Neff rode Thea Disney’s Kona to the third place honors, while Navona Gallegos and Class Action placed fourth and Kylee Arbuckle came in ninth.

In the USEF Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal Zone 8, 9, and 10 Finals, Kylee Arbuckle followed behind Theo Boris, coming in third place riding Karen Healey’s Fairbanks. Navona Gallegos and Cortes 7 placed in seventh, and Holly Dickinson rode Beckham to the ninth place honors.

The L.A. International Jumping Festival hosted the USEF Zone 10 Adult Medal Finals as well this weekend, and Karen Healey riders Kristi Siam and Yvette Lang-Einczig both placed in the top ten. Kristi Siam rode her horse Krosus to a fifth place in the finals and also placed second in the regular USEF Adult Equitation during the week. Yvette Lang-Einczig rode Landino to a ninth place finish in the final and also placed first in the Foxfield Medal and Equitation 36-50 over fences.

Mackensie Baker and Tolstoy were top finishers at L.A. International, placing first in the WCE Medal and Equitation 16-17 on the Flat, and placing second overall in the WIHS Equitation Classic. Demi Stiegler placed second in the USEF Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal and was third in the ASPCA Maclay, and Haley Harrison came in fourth place in the CPHA Foundation Medal.

In the jumpers, Karen Healey students continued to excel as Samantha Harrison and Santika came in sixth place in the $5,000 High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic.

In addition to the great success at the Blenheim Fall Tournament and L.A. International horse shows, one of Karen Healey’s top students, Hannah Selleck, did very well at the Spruce Meadows Masters. She was fourth in the $75,000 BP Cup 1.50m as well as fourth in the $50,000 Suncor Energy Cup 1.50m class, both with her horse Tosca.

Karen Healey Stables will compete next at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Upper Marlboro, MD, September 26 – October 4, 2009, and the Flintridge Autumn Classic in La Canada, CA, on September 25-27, 2009.

Reprinted with permission from Phelps Media Group.

Karen Healey student Samantha Harrison of La Canada, CA, had a very exciting week of competition at last week’s Adequan FEI North American Junior/Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC), held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. Harrison rode her nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare Santika to an individual silver medal and team gold medal representing the Zone 10 junior show jumping team. Karen Healey student Navona Gallegos represented the Zone 8 junior team riding Drossana, and finished in fifth place individually after leading the Zone 8 team to a fourth place finish overall.

The junior competition ended with an exciting finale when the Zone 2 and Zone 10 teams jumped off for the team and individual gold medals. Samantha Harrison jumped clean through every round of individual competition and ended up with the silver medal after the final individual jump-off round. Harrison also jumped clean in both rounds of team competition and then had the only clear round in the team jump-off to secure the gold medal for Zone 10. 

“I had so much fun,” Harrison smiled following the competition. “Santika was really, really good. She was jumping fabulous, and she was really on top of her game all week. My team did really well, and it was a very close competition between Zone 10 and Zone 2. I loved riding on the team; my teammates were all really nice and funny and the whole thing was a great experience.”

Harrison noted that she really enjoyed having the opportunity to ride in the brand new stadium that was recently built at the Kentucky Horse Park in preparation for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. “It was so beautiful there,” she stated. “My favorite thing was riding in the ring because it was huge and the footing was awesome. It poured really hard one day that we had to show, and the footing wasn’t affected at all.”

“I loved the stadium,” Harrison continued. “All of the bleachers were so nice and walking into the ring it felt like you were meant to be there; it just felt so special. There were a lot of press there and they asked us all questions after we got our medals, so it felt like a really big deal and it was such a fun experience.”

Harrison added a special acknowledgement, stating, “I just want to say thank you to Karen Healey, and my mom, who was there. I would also like to thank Butch Thomas, the Chef d’Equipe, who was awesome, and everyone who participated in Zone 10. It was amazing.”

After an intense week of competition, Harrison and Santika will now take a well-deserved break before preparing for the fall show season. Harrison’s goals for the rest of the season include a possible trip back to the east coast to compete in the Prix de States Junior Jumper competition at this year’s Pennsylvania National Horse Show.

Karen Healey Stables will compete next at the Showpark August Festival, which runs July 29-August 2 at the Del Mar Horse Park in Del Mar, CA.

Reprinted with permission from Phelps Media Group.

Burbank, CA – May 27, 2009 – Karen Healey Stables spent the holiday weekend at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, competing at the Memorial Day Classic Horse Show, held May 21-25, 2009. Healey’s students showed in the hunter, jumper, and equitation divisions throughout the weekend and earned top placings in all three disciplines.

The Memorial Day Classic had an exciting equitation team challenge over the weekend that provided a fun opportunity for each team, which was made up of one professional, one amateur, and one junior rider to compete together. After completing the team challenge, it was the Karen Healey team made up of Kasey Ament, Michelle Morris, and Navona Gallegos, who took the first place prize. Amanda Ballew, Yvette Lang-Einczig, and Jocelyn Neff made up the fourth place team.

The equitation challenge consisted of two rounds, with the first round on Friday night and the second on Saturday night. Ament, Morris, and Gallegos scored well with a top score of 86 from Gallegos, riding Cortes 7, on Friday and an 87 from Morris on Saturday.

Morris, who has just returned from the University of Georgia, was excited to be back at home showing her horses. She helped her team win the National Championship for Varsity Equestrian. Morris rode her veteran horse Bergerac in the team challenge.

“It’s nice to be back home,” Morris said. “I’m looking forward to showing this summer.” Since she has been home, Morris has won two USEF Show Jumping Talent Search classes. This will help her towards her goal of qualifying for the finals this fall and help her achieve a Silver Medal. Morris needs just two more wins to acquire the prestigious award.

Morris noted that the courses were particularly suited the variety of riders in the class and helped make the competition challenging. “I really liked the courses. They weren’t outrageously technical or incredibly difficult, but there were still elements to it that got people. You really had to make decision about which track to ride and what the boldest choice might be. They had a nice flow.”

Ament rode Krosus, a six-year-old equitation horse owned by Kristi Siam. “He’s a wonderful horse,” Ament said. “It’s his first year in equitation. We just got a few months ago, and he’s like a dreamboat.”

Ament praised the format of the class and was thrilled to win her second big equitation championship of the year, having taken the top place in the Del Mar Open Equitation Championship a few weeks ago. “It was a really fun class. Our team was called Brown Sugar because we were all on bay horses,” she laughed. “I think we did very well overall as a team. It’s a great class because there are not a lot of team classes here, so it’s nice that you can join up with fellow riders and see how you do together. It paid off for us.”

The winning trainer of the equitation team challenge won a trip to Hawaii, and the junior and amateur riders were awarded new beach cruiser bicycles. Ament won the team challenge in 2004 as a junior rider, but this was her first win as a professional. “I’m very excited, I can’t wait to go!” she exclaimed. “I’m a total beach person. I surf and snorkel, so I would love to go to Hawaii for that kind of stuff.”

After riding on the winning team, Michelle Morris went on to win the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search class this week, as well as the Foxfield Medal, and won the second place ribbon in the USEF Adult Equitation. Morris also earned the reserve championship honors in the 1.20m Jumpers riding Liechtenstein 7.

Navona Gallegos went on from the team challenge to win first place out of 45 riders in the CPHA Foundation Medal. She then won the Equitation 16-17 over fences, was second in the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search and the WIHS Equitation Classic, and placed fourth in the Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic with Acrobat.

Jocelyn Neff took her team’s fourth place finish and went on to win the LA Junior Medal as well as the overall win in the WIHS Equitation Classic. Neff also placed second in the CPHA Foundation Medal, was fourth in the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic with Blue Shot Baco, and second and third in the Low Junior Jumpers with Golden Flip. Neff also rode Allegro in the $10,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA International Hunter Derby and placed twelfth.

Samantha Harrison showed at the Memorial Day Classic this weekend as well and placed fifth overall in the Hunter Derby after a brilliant second round improved her place in the standings. Harrison was fourth in the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search with Triple Lutz and won first place in the High Junior Jumpers with Santika. Harrison and Santika also placed third in the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic.

Grace Shelton showed in the equitation this weekend and did very well. Shelton came in first place in the CPHA Junior Medal and was second in the LA Junior Medal as well as fourth in the CPHA Foundation Medal and third in the Equitation 14-15 on the flat.

Yvette Lang-Einczig placed second in the Foxfield Medal after riding on the fourth place team in the equitation challenge.

Kristi Siam and Krosus won the blue ribbon in the USEF Adult Equitation. Siam also placed fourth in the Ariat National Adult Medal.

Yvette Harris showed this weekend and placed third and fifth in the Adult Amateur 36-50 division. Harris also placed sixth in the PCHA Adult Horsemanship class. Alex Block showed this weekend, placing second in both the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal and the Junior Hunter Classic.

Tammy Chipko won a blue ribbon in the Six-Year-Old Jumpers at the Memorial Day Classic. Chipko also placed second in the Classic with Wonderfull and fifth in the Futures with Quinolli. Other placings for Chipko include a fourth place ribbon in the 1.35m and a second place in the 1.40m Jumpers.

Following her team’s win in the equitation challenge, Kasey Ament went on to earn multiple wins in the jumpers throughout the weekend. Ament showed Roma M to a first place ribbon in the 1.30m Jumpers and was awarded the division’s reserve championship. She also won in the 1.30m with Damiro 21 and The Jackal, and placed third with Golden Flip. Damiro 21 was also fifth in the Low Junior Jumper Classic with Lauren Kay, and The Jackal was sixth in the Low Classic with Dylan Kornbluth.

Kasey Ament then showed Bailey’s VH Muelenhof to a first place win as well as the division championship in the 1.35m Jumpers, and placed first in the 1.40m Jumpers with both Acrobat and Zico-13. Bailey’s VH Muelenhof was also third in the Low Classic with owner Elizabeth Dickinson.

Other top finishers for Karen Healey Stables include Hannah Bibb and Kristen Holwick. Bibb won the first place ribbon in the Equitation 16-17 on the flat and then placed seventh and eighth in the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 division with Regatton. Holwick placed third and fifth in the Six-Year-Old Jumpers with Catch Me If You Can.

Karen Healey Stables will compete next at Blenheim Equisports’ Showpark June Jamboree Festival, held on May 28-31, 2009, at the Del Mar Horse Park.

Reprinted with permission from EquestrianMag.

Karen Healey Stables showed at the Del Mar National Horse Show this past week and posted several big wins throughout the competition. The horses and riders competed on April 28 through May 3, and put in a successful weekend of hunter, equitation, and jumper competition and were led by head trainer Karen Healey of Hidden Valley, CA.

For the second straight year, Kasey Ament won the $25,000 Del Mar Open Equitation Championship. Ament showed Octavia, owned by Bastion LLC, in the two rounds of competition and won the blue ribbon and first place prizes. Other riders to compete in the Equitation Championship were Navona Gallegos, who finished fourth overall, Hannah Selleck, who finished fifth overall, and Samantha Harrison, who finished seventh overall. 

Karen Healey student Hannah Selleck also won the award for Best Adult Rider and the Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter championship after a very successful weekend of competition in Del Mar. Selleck and her horse Bella won blue ribbons in all four classes of the Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 over fences, placed third under saddle and came in second in the $2,000 Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic. The pair also placed first in the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search.

Rider Samantha Harrison was second in the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, coming in just behind Selleck, and Navona Gallegos placed fifth. Harrison and Gallegos also showed in the USEF Hunter Seat Medal. Harrison placed first and Gallegos placed fourth.

Jocelyn Neff is another student out of Karen Healey Stables who had a successful weekend in Del Mar. Neff won the WIHS Equitation Classic jumper phase and was second in the hunter phase, ending up in first place overall after the two rounds of competition. Neff also won the WCE Medal and was second in the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Medal.

Other top finishers include Haley Harrison, who won the PCHA Horsemanship Medal 14 and Under, Mackensie Baker, who was second in the CPHA Junior Hunter Seat Medal and fourth in the WCE Medal, and Grace Shelton, who placed fifth in the WCE Medal.

Karen Healey Stables will compete this week at the Showpark Ranch and Coast Tournament May 5-10.

Reprinted with permission from Phelps Media Group.

The riders of Karen Healey Stables in Orange stayed busy in April. Addy Graves placed first in the PCHA Horsemanship class, first in the Onondarka Medal and first in the THIS National Children’s Medal at the Gold Coast series at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Samantha Harrison showed her mare Santika at the Pebble Beach Spring Horse Shows, too, and placed first in the $3,500 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Harrison also competed for a spot on the B team in the North American Junior Young Rider Trials.
At the Oaks Blenheim Spring Classic II, Healey trained her many other students, including Alex Block, who showed Tammy Chipko’s All That and was reserve champion of the Large Junior Hunter 16 -17 division. Holly Dickinson showed HMG Farm’s Beckham and placed first overall in the WIHS Equitation Classic after a first place finish in the jumper phase. She also placed first over fences in the Equitation 15-17.

Other Healey students who enjoyed success include Kylee Arbuckle, Kristi Siam, Hannah Selleck, Carol Bird, Mackensie Baker and Kasey Ament.

Reprinted with permission from Riding Magazine.

Trainer Karen Healey has taught some very talented young equestrians throughout her career, and this past weekend two of those riders showed in national and world championship competitions. This year’s Rolex FEI World Cup champion, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, began her career in California and trained with Healey as a junior rider. Current Karen Healey student Michelle Morris rides for the University of Georgia’s equestrian team and was part of the team’s national championship win this weekend.

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum is currently the number one ranked rider in the world competing for Germany, but at one time she lived in California and trained for about six years in the Equitation and Junior Jumpers with Karen Healey. Michaels-Beerbaum showed her once in a lifetime horse Shutterfly in Las Vegas, NV, this past weekend for the Rolex FEI World Cup Finals and swept the competition. This was the rider’s third year winning the World Cup championship and although she competes for Germany, she still considers herself 50% American and enjoys the support of her American family and friends.

Karen Healey traveled to Las Vegas to cheer on her former student this weekend, and was very proud of her big win. “It was fabulous,” Healey smiled. “I would like to think that I did something, but she did most of this herself. I mean, I think I gave her a very nice foundation, but her determination and mind set and just the nerve control and all the rest of it, she did all of that herself over the years.”

“Meredith just lost her father. He passed away about a month ago,” Healey continued. “I had a long history with him and her mother, and I still am very close with her mother, so it was very special.”

Healey still stays in touch with Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, speaks to her often, and has two of her sale horses at her farm in California right now. “I talk to her at least once a month and sometimes more,” Healey stated. “And I will say that her first grand prix that she won over there, she called me immediately. We have quite a good relationship, and I feel very privileged to have been a part of her career.”

 

Another successful student of Karen Healey’s is Michelle Morris of La Canada, CA. Morris is one of Healey’s current students and rides as a freshman on the University of Georgia’s NCAA equestrian team. The 2009 Varsity Equestrian National Championships were held in Waco, TX, this past weekend, and the Georgia Bulldogs were the overall national champions. Morris rode in the Equitation on the Flat division for the UGA team.

Karen Healey commented on Morris riding on the college team, stating, “I used to tell them all the time, I’m not going to ride these horses for you, you are going to have to ride horses that I haven’t prepared. That is the hardest thing with the school competition is just being able to get on horses that are maybe not as nice as they are used to, not as prepared.”

Healey added, “I think that Michelle took away a lot and learned a lot. She was always a good student and always tried really hard. They still have a horse with me, and when she gets back she will ride a little bit over the summer.”

Karen Healey congratulates both Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Michelle Morris for their individual successes this weekend and is proud to have contributed to their riding careers.

Reprinted with permission from Phelps Media Group.