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Grand Ponies in Small Packages

by Brian Sosby | Feb 25, 2009, 10:46 AM

American Hunter Pony Classic Sale graduates captured both of the USEF Horse of the Year Grand Champion Pony Hunter titles in 2008. Small pony hunters won both titles. The American Hunter Pony Classic held each year in conjunction with the USEF National Pony Hunter Finals.

Horse of the Year Grand Champion Pony Hunter honors went to 13-year-old Fancy Feet in one of most dominating HOTY performances in years. Fancy Feet was the nation’s leading small pony hunter earning 11,410 points, beating the next best small pony by a margin of 670 points and out distancing the champion large pony by 3,845 points and the champion medium pony by 3,905.5 points.

David Wright’s Hunters Court Farm at the 2007 American Hunter Pony Classic from Bill Schaub’s Over The Hill Farm consignment purchased Fancy Feet. Schaub has been one of the sale’s leading sellers since 2006. Morgane Qualls piloted Fancy Feet throughout the show season. From Lake St. Louis in December 2007 to the Atlanta Fall Classic III in late November 2008, Qualls and Fancy Feet consistently racked up points every week.

“It’s magic when everything works. The right pony, the right seller, the right buyer and the right rider,” stated Tim Jennings, Director of Marketing for Professional Auction Services, Inc. “This pony was a great value. It shows that this sale may be the best place to buy a show pony or prospect.”

The title of Horse of the Year Grand Champion Green Pony Hunter went to Monroe, an eight-year-old Welsh cross pony. Meehan Shirey guided Monroe to the top spot in the small green pony hunter division and finished a strong 8th in the regular small pony hunters. The team’s championship year started with strong placings throughout the Wellington shows and took them to Illinois, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey.

Julia Shirey of Napierville, IL, purchased Monroe at the 2006 American Hunter Pony Classic from Richard Taylor’s Venture Stables as agent for Pam Simoneau. Taylor’s Venture Stables is the American Hunter Pony Classic’s all-time leading seller with total sales of over $1,500,000. Taylor has sold the high selling pony at eight of the past 15 sales. Simoneau’s Pony Haven Farm has produces show ponies in Virginia.

Sale graduate Sparkle Plenty earned the reserve championship in the small green pony hunter division. The five-year-old gelded son of leading sire Farnley Belshazzar also won the Green Division Overall Grand Championship at the 2008 USEF Pony Finals. Sparkle Plenty was shown by Lillie Keenan and owned by Olivia Golden’s Double G Stables, LLC. The team swept the division winning the model, under saddle classes and the over fences classes.

Sparkle Plenty was sold under the name of Stars Go Blue at the 2006 American Hunter Pony Classic by Bill Schaub’s Over The Hill Farm to Olivia Golden’s Double G Stables, LLC. Sparkle Plenty Blue is by leading sire Farnley Belshazzer.

The American Hunter Pony Classic returns to the USEF Pony Finals on August 5, 2009, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY.

Professional Auction Services, Inc., of Berryville, VA, produced the American Hunter Pony Classic. The auction firm was formed in 1978 and has produced over 265 auctions selling 50,000 horses and ponies for $175,000,000. Visit www.professionalauction.com or call (800) 240-7900 for information on the sale and to find out how much these ponies cost.

ENDS