Lexington, Va. - The East Coast portion of the Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF Hunter Breeding National Championship presented by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Oare, took place on Saturday, August 25, at the Virginia Young Horse Festival in Lexington, Va. Judges Sue Lightner (Carlsbad, Calif.) and Chris Wynne (Virginia Beach, Va.) evaluated the young hunter prospects and awarded the East Coast Best Young Horse Champion title to Rotiyas.
Rotiyas (Rosenthal—Touch of Class) is Susan Tice-Grossman’s two-year-old Oldenburg colt, 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.
“We’ve been very pleased with his physical development,” said Taylor of Rotiyas. “His performance was magnificent today and he looked wonderful. How he looks is a reflection of the care he gets from his owners, Chuck Grossman and Sue Tice-Grossman, because he lives at home with them. I couldn’t be more pleased.”
The East Coast Best Young Horse Reserve Champion was Reflection (Rosenthal—Pardon Me Boys), Harriet Schiele’s three-year-old Oldenburg filly and handled by Matt Davis. Reflection also won the Three-Year-Old Fillies class.
Numerous other champion titles and breed registry awards were presented:
Yearling Colt/Gelding – Cabalero (Cabalito—Allegria), a 2017 Belgian Warmblood gelding bred and owned by Elizabeth Capor and handled by Charlie Brown.
Yearling Filly – Quite A Star (Qredit—Feiner Dance), a 2017 Oldenburg mare bred by Margaret Sherman, owned by North Hill Farm and handled by Emily Anne Belin.
Two-Year-Old Filly – Qismet (Qredit—Skattered Dreams), a 2016 Deutsches Sportpferd mare bred by Signature Sport Horses, LLC, owned by Lori Johnston and handled by Emily Anne Belin
Three-Year-Old Colt/Gelding & Three-Year-Old Under Saddle – Renoir (Rosenthal—Fuerstin), a 2015 Oldenburg colt bred by High Point Hanoverians, owned by Susan Tice-Grossman, handled by Richard Taylor and ridden by Macy Kirschnick
Four-Year-Old Under Saddle & Four-Year-Old Conformation Over Fences – Fool’s Hill (Hochfein—Luna), 2014 German Sporthorse gelding owned by Sally Mason and ridden by Catherine Ellis
Amateur/Junior Handler – Anne Jones handling Elizabeth Capor’s Cabalero
Leading Handler, Belcort Farm Perpetual Trophy – Emily Anne Belin
Leading Thoroughbred, Foxwick Farm Perpetual Trophy – Have U Heard (Running to the Alter—Anna Banana and Mom), a 2016 Thoroughbred mare bred by Cheryll Francella, owned by Gina Filewicz and handled by Dowell Johnson
American Hanoverian Society - Southern Lights (Sinatra Song—Fantasie HH), a 2017 Hanoverian bred by Signature Sport Horses, LLC, owned by Kathleen Winter and handled by Jay Francella
Belgian Warmblood Breeding Association – Elizabeth Capor’s Cabalero
KWPN - NA - Life's Grand RYU (Grand Cru—Sakura Hill Czola), a 2016 Dutch Warmblood stallion bred by Shirley and Sheila Murphy and RYU Equestrian, owned by Shirley Murphy and handled by Dowell Johnson
Stud Book sBs (Belgian Sport Horse Society) - L Beethoven CH (Balta’ Czar—F-Riva CH), a 2017 Belgian Sport Horse colt bred by Donna Belcher, owned by Charlotte Simmons and handled by Dowell Johnson
Oldenburg Registry of North America - Winterfells Casterly Rock (Cunningham—Castle Colleen), a 2017 Oldenburg colt bred and owned by Konicki Enterprises, LLC and handled by Jason Yannitello
The championship heads to the West Coast to the Showpark Summer Classic in Del Mar, Calif., on Wednesday, August 29, where Lightner and Wynne will award the West Coast Best Young Horse Champion title and then decide the Overall Grand Champion and Overall Reserve Grand Champion
Find out more about the Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF Hunter Breeding National Championship presented by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest 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.