2006 Press Releases

DAVIS, ALFANO, UDELSON AND BIELEFELD GET THE SPOTLIGHT AT LEGACY CUP

May 13, 2006 – Lexington, KY -- “When I go in the ring I shut off everything. I am completely in the moment on the horse in the course and totally unaware of anything that is going on outside the arena,” said a happy Megan Udelson after dominating the 3’6” Restricted Pro Finals and winning the Championship aboard Luminaire on Saturday, May 13th at the Legacy Cup, which took place at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

The 3’6” Restricted Pro Finals was only one part of the day which began in the afternoon with the Pony Hunter Go Round and continued into the evening with the 3’6” Pro Finals. When it was all over, it was My Little Dickens ridden by Megan Davis that dominated the Pony Hunters while Just Jack ridden by Jennifer Alfano emerged the ultimate winner in the Pro 3’6” Finals. Then when all the money was tallied it was Rob Bielefeld who garnered the Walter J. Lee Perpetual Trophy as the rider accumulating the most money throughout the week ($5,087).

MY LITTLE DICKENS AND DAVIS SET THE PACE FOR THE PONY HUNTER GO ROUND
Twelve-year-old Megan Davis (MD) was very calm after she took the lead on My Little Dickens half way through the Pony Hunter Go Round. In contrast her mom, Kim, watched from the sidelines and you could see her jumping every fence with her daughter. For sure they were excited but what they both showed was the calm demeanor of knowing that anything can change in an instant. When the class was finished and Dickens score still lead by 11 points (173 and earnings of $450) you could just see a slight smile on Megan’s face. She had achieved another milestone with the pony that is now leading on the National Standings in the Small Pony division.

Davis first negotiated the course on Far From Home, the small pony she won the class on just one year earlier, but a couple of small bobbles put them in 13th overall. Yet, when she went in on Dickens everything just flowed.

Before answering about how well she did Megan took some time to think through her round and the outcome. “I thought I did well. I started out a little slow and then it built up to the end and finished off nice,” explained Davis. “I thought it was a good score. I was happy with it.”

Megan’s mom also thought things were looking up after Dickens did his course. “He had that look; he was on it so I was just hoping.” Then when Megan took over the lead, her mom was hopeful. “She seems to be riding with more confidence which really seems important when you are making decisions. It was there today!

I was very happy about her scores and hoping she would hold on to the lead.”

Davis has to change the way she rides her two ponies because “They both are a very different ride,” explained the soft spoken girl. “Far From Home you have to be more relaxed on and My Little Dickens you have to start out with enough pace and then you have to keep riding and not slow down.”

Davis enjoys the pony she has had for 31/2 years saying, “He’s smooth and he has a nice jump. It feels good in the air.”

The 14-year-old, 12.2 hand, liver chestnut, small Welsh Pony gelding is also fun in the barn and “he has a really cute personality. He begs a lot for treats and mints. He is just really sweet,” explains Megan, who admits to “spoiling him. I just like treating him special.”

Her mom adds, “He is always poking his nose out for a mint. He’s been getting many more treats and many more hugs so he’s looking for them more often. It’s very cute.”

The young girl used to play the piano but “started to not have a lot of time to practice and it became hard with my riding.” In the fall she did some running cross country “and did well,” said her mom. Yet the horses are what hold Megan’s attention. “It is a special sport. It’s not like anything else. I like all the personalities and enjoy dealing with different situations when I ride. It’s never the same.”

Megan has spent a fair amount of time this year in the winner’s circle but she also has learned that “when you don’t have such a good round you have to be a good sport and learn from your mistakes.”

She also realizes that this is not something you do alone. “My trainers (Tim and Kelly Goguen) and grooms are good to me and I am always confident that my ponies are ready to go to the ring. I feel like they teach me well and I am always learning something new.

This was Megan’s third time riding in the Legacy Cup and she really enjoys the concept. “It is fun to get a score. I always like that and it is nice to be indoors. It has a special feeling. I also like to have multiple scores so that I can see what more than one judge thinks.”

JUST JACK AND JENNIFER ALFANO STAY COMPOSED FOR THE WIN IN 3’6” PRO FINALS
“I had a blast,” said Jennifer Alfano after her winning round worth $3,178 on Just Jack. Alfano did not have much time to get used to her new mount as she only got the ride when his regular rider (Havens Schatt) broke her shoulder. Yet the match was meant to be as they just clicked. “This week was the first time I have ridden him,” explained Alfano, who added a special thank you to Caroline Moran and Scott Williamson “for giving me the chance to ride this great horse.”

“He is so much fun,” she continued. “He is a fun horse to ride. You pick up a gallop and keep going. He’s easy. He is a small horse but he doesn’t know that. He has such a big stride and a big jump.”

Alfano took over the lead as the 12th rider in a starting field of 29 horses knowing that there were still many top horses who could steal that lead away from her. “I was getting pretty nervous at the end. There were so many great horses and riders in this class.”

When the 37-year-old rider realized that the victory was hers she was thankful and “I was really excited. It’s a fun class and nice to compete against all these great riders and horses here in one class.”

Riding comes natural to Alfano who rides as a professional for Susie Schoellkopf out of Buffalo, NY. She explains that “I love the horses and what I do which is pretty much just ride. There is not a lot of time for too much else.”

She was glad that the Legacy Cup was included in her schedule. “It is such fun for all of these great riders to be here and to ride any horse they want (there is no qualification for competing at the Legacy Cup).”

MEGAN UDELSON AND LUMINAIRE DOMINATED THE RESTRICTED 3’6” PRO DIVISION
While Luminaire finished 8th in the Finals (and earned $248), he won the Restricted 3’6” Pro Finals ($150) for rider Megan Udelson. The 9-year-old, 16.1 hand, bay, Trakehner, gelding not only won but was also the Champion of that division, which garnered them the Legacy Cup Trophy for the Restricted 3’6 Riders donated by Joe Darby and an additional $1,250.

This was no surprise to Udelson who explained that Luminaire “is a very special horse. He’s happy all the time. The owner Betty Weibel and I found him together three years ago and we’ve brought him along from the very beginning so this win is important to us.”

What’s even more unique is that “he loves his job. His favorite thing to do is go in the show ring and he always gives 100%. You can count on him.”

In addition, Luminaire “is fantastic to ride. He is so light and soft across the ground and he has an enormous stride and a lot of scope so you can go very slowly and smoothly,” continued his rider.

Udelson also has “developed a very special relationship with him. I don’t know that I can put it in words. It’s just a special bond.”

When asked how she felt once she realized they had won, Udelson commented, “I was proud because that was my goal coming into the evening. I was determined to ride my best. My horse was in the right condition and I also had great help from my trainer (Scott Williamson) and assistant trainer (Melissa Murphy).”

She paused for a moment and then continued. “It was such an accomplishment for the whole team of people from the owners, the grooms, the trainer, and the rider; everybody really works to bring it together. They are a very important part of the horse’s performance.”

Udelson was also thankful that there is such a thing as a Legacy Cup. “It’s a great way to promote good horses and good riders and I think it is also good for the hunter sport.”

Like Alfano, Udelson admitted that horses are a main focus in her life. “This is pretty much what I do. I love the relationship that you have with the animals and learning how to communicate with them is the biggest thing.” Yet in the end while horses are a big part of her daily schedule, the Cleveland, OH resident admits that she also “enjoys spending time with my husband Steven and our dog Keda.”

BIELEFELD GOES HOME WITH THE BUCKS AND NOT THE BUCKING KIND
One of the great things about each class of the Legacy Cup is that it determines multiple winners and so when the money was tallied it was Rob Bielefeld who accumulated the most money with his five horses (Purple Label, CC Bloom, Lucky, Landstorm and Talent Scout). Not only did he earn a total of $5,087, but was also presented with the Walter J. Lee Perpetual Trophy donated by its namesake.

This was one of those awards you have no clue who is going to win it. “You don’t know until it is over.”

When Bielefeld found out the award was his he “was elated. I was very excited. I was thrilled anyway because I was really happy with my horses tonight.”

Bielefeld was most proud of Talent Scout, who was “only competing in his third horse show ever in his life.” When they finished up 5th overall in the 3’6” Pro Finals Bielefeld was thankful and ecstatic all at the same time, “For him to go in there and do that well was really exciting!”

Bielefeld was also glad that the owners, Brett Carter and Robert Fisher, could be there to see their horse go. “He was so straightforward and so non spooky. Horses get a little intimidated in there and he thought it was a blast.”

Yet in the end what seemed to mean the most to Bielefeld was the Legacy Cup.

“This horse show is putting the show back in the horse show. You don’t wait 6 hours until the end of the day to see if you got a ribbon. They have a big presentation. They make a big deal out of it. Twenty years ago it used to be a social event but nowadays horse shows have gotten to be such a big business and they don’t do that any more.”

So, as far as Bielefeld is concerned the Legacy Cup is bringing back some of that prestige and importance. “They have a cocktail and dinner party where everyone can watch the horse show from. It’s great for the owners of the horses. All my horse owners were watching, cheering, eating, drinking and having a good time.”

“It’s a nice event,” continued Bielefeld. “You can see it has gotten so popular. The first couple of years it was small but the third year it got bigger and it’s gotten bigger ever since.”

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE SPONSORS
While the American Hunter-Jumper Foundation is the creator of the Legacy Cup it is because of all the support from the sponsors that they are able to “put the show back in the horse show.” So a special thank you goes to All Season Farm as the sponsor of the 3’6” Pro Go Round which was won by Louise Serio on Rio Renoir and to McQuay Stables as the sponsor of the 3’6” Restricted Pro Go Round which was won by Maria Dritsas aboard Passport. (A Restricted Pro rider is a new professional or one who hasn’t shown or won at the upper levels of show hunter competition.)

Bryan Baldwin’s Meralex Farm was the sponsor of the 3’6” Pro Finals and Mr. & Mrs. Rush Weeden sponsored the Restricted Finals. Championship honors were thanks to John & Stephani Ingram. A number of other companies and individuals also supported the 3’6” Pro division, including Essex Classics, Malvern Saddlery, and Joe Darby (sponsor of the Restricted Championship for 3’6 Trophy).

For more information about the Legacy Cup contact the AHJF (335 Lancaster Street, West Boylston, MA 01583-0369), Phone: 508-835-8813, www.legacycup.com, E-mail: AHJF@earthlink.net.