2006 Press Releases

WAXMAN, MARTIN, HALLMAN AND SOCHA
DOMINATE IN THE NON PROS
Legacy Cup Puts The Show Back Into The Horse Show

"The Legacy Cup is putting the show back in the horse show," said Rob Bielefeld, who competed at the 2006 two-week Legacy Cup, which took place in Lexington, KY, May 10-21. "You don't wait six 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 anymore."

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."

WEEK TWO IN A NUTSHELL
3'6" NON PROS
The first week of the horse show focused on the Professionals and Ponies while the second week showcased the Non Pros. When the scores were tallied in the 3'6" Non Pro Finals the top two riders (Jennifer Waxman on Saloon and Jamie Martin on Cayman) had switched places from there 3'6" Go Round Non Pro results. This time Cayman was first and Saloon took second, but they each continued to lead in Juniors (Waxman) and Amateurs (Martin). The 3'6" Non Pro division was sponsored by Providence Hill LLC/Jamie Plank Martin & Tinsley Martin. The Lindner Family Perpetual Trophy given to the winner was sponsored by the Lindners. Martin and Waxman also won the Leading Junior and Amateur-Owner Rider Awards for their respective divisions.

In addition, Saloon was presented with the Signature Trophy (named after the top Junior Hunter who died last summer at age 24) for the Non Pro 3'6" Junior Hunter earning the most money, while Cayman was presented with the Jeanne Geiger Memorial Trophy by Rachel Geiger in honor of her mother who passed away unexpectedly last year. That award went to the Amateur-Owner 3'6" Leading Rider.

3' NON PROS
It was "Lucky" luck for Samantha Hallman who rode two horses in the Non Pro 3' Go Round Finals on Sunday, May 21. She first rode CC Bloom but after crashing through an oxer on the course, Hallman walked out of the ring dismayed but determined. Near the end of the field of 25 horses Hallman rode in on Lucky and aced the course winning the Non Pro 3' Finals, the Leading Non Pro 3' Rider Overall, the Non Pro 3' Amateur Finals and the Overall Non Pro Rider (3' and 3'6"). Grace Socha aboard Navigator was the winner in the Junior section of the Finals and was the Leading Junior Non Pro 3' Rider. The Finals were sponsored by Derbydown, Inc./Louise Serio and the winner was presented with the Lisa Cudahy Trophy,

Eye Remember Rio with Victoria Watters LeBlond riding was the winner of both the Non Pro & Amateur 3' Go Round on Saturday, May 20. Junior honors went to Call It Art, ridden by Jordan Baird.

OTHER AWARDS
Other trophy winners included Ashland Farms for the Non Pro Team award and Derbydown, Inc./Louise Serio for the Week Two Trainer Award, sponsored by E. P. Bishop Co. The Belcort Trophy is presented to the owner of the horse with the highest score, presented this year to Caroline Moran, for Just Jack's score of 268. Just Jack was ridden by Jennifer Alfano. Other sponsors included Essex Classics and Malvern Saddlery. The grooms of the top three placed horses in each class were awarded $100 cash.

EYE REMEMBER RIO TAKES VICTORIA WATTERS LEBLOND TO THE WINNING NON PRO 3' GO ROUND
"He is just one of the best horses you could ever know," said LeBlond after her victory ride. "I am busy being a mother of two small boys (Max-7/Matthew-6) and I have a new husband (Peter) (she was married less than a year ago) and this week I am moving into a new house in Cincinnati. I was at a t-ball (pee wee baseball) game and a track meet this morning and then we drove to the horse park."

"I haven't seen my horse since Tampa in March," continued LeBlond. "He is the most wonderful horse. He is just phenomenal. He doesn't change. You just point and squeeze."

There is even more reason for LeBlond to be happy with her first place finish because LeBlond is legally blind. "The world is out of focus. Everything is like a Monet painting," explained the Amateur rider, who jokingly adds, "I tried to feed my kids moldy bagels thinking they were blueberry bagels."

LeBlond lost her eyesight as a teenager. "I was ill when I was 14 and it left my optic nerves damaged. Before that I had normal vision but I still had a passion for riding. I started showing on the circuit when I was ten and after that I just had to learn to adjust. I am blessed to have a horse like Rio that I can just show up, do my thing, be successful and still go home and be a mother and a wife."

In order to insure she gets to the right fences LeBlond walks her course and works off the corner to approach each fence. "I walk around the ring. I find out where on the corner I am going to turn; I pick spots. I look down and up and down and up to make sure I am on the path. Riding is a science. Stay on track and maintain your rhythm. You get nervous you pick or you gun and you are a goner," she adds.

LeBlond went on to talk about the need for patience when you ride, "for me it is a whole lot of patience." She quotes her husband who says that "Patience can be painful but the satisfaction afterwards is so rewarding."

In 2005 LeBlond "won the Peggy Cone Classic in Florida. I can compare that to the Legacy Cup. It is a fun Hunter Classic during hunter week and it is a big thrill to win as would be the Legacy Cup instead of just another championship at another horse show. The Legacy Cup brings the fun back into horse showing."

LeBlond had been away in Hawaii and came home three days earlier and only arrived at the horse show grounds two hours before her class, but she was determined to get to the show. "I was thrilled that I didn't miss the Legacy Cup weekend. It's great that the hunters have a chance to have some fun instead of doing the typical hunter division. My training routine was the treadmill staring at the ocean and walking on the beaches," said LeBlond with a laugh.

CAYMAN AND SALOON SWITCH PLACES
A total of 24 horses came back from the original field of 43 horses in the Non Pro 3'6" Finals with an overall purse of $12,600 allocated to the division of which $11,100 went to the Finals winners. When the last two riders completed the course it was a case of musical horses. Saloon with Jennifer Waxman in the irons who had won the Go Round the day before placed second in the Finals while 2nd place Go Round winner Cayman with Jamie Martin riding won the class, with only a mere fraction between (Cayman scored 257.5 to Saloon's 257). Martin took away a check for $3,634 while Waxman earned $1,704.

When Martin saw Jennifer she commented, "I have to be one of the oldest (47) and Jennifer one of the youngest (14)," and gave her a big hug.
She continued explaining, "My horse was really tired today. I made a bad mistake in the schooling area and made him land in the middle of the jump. I am very proud of him today for walking in the ring and being the winner. When I was going around I was thinking thank you for this very nice horse."

Near the end of the course Martin recalls thinking, "I was saying only a couple more jumps. Don't screw up now." As she finished those words Waxman walked over and nodded in agreement, clearly having gone through those same feelings many times.

Both Martin and Waxman liked the course. "The course rode easy," they chimed. "It was a nice course," added Martin. "I am always worried at night in the indoor arena, but he walked in that ring and he put up his ears and he was going to give it his best shot."

Martin was looking forward to going home and getting back into her normal routine. "I am going to go home and watch my boys play soccer and baseball tomorrow. And tonight Tinsley (her daughter) and I are going to go back to the hotel room and watch a movie, probably 'Dreamer.'"

And as far as Cayman goes. "He is going to get lots of treats, a massage and the day off tomorrow."

Waxman was anxious to get back to her trailer so she could celebrate. Her friends chided her as she talked about her night trying to distract her as best they could. "I was really nervous and I wanted to do good," she commented. "He was awesome. He is always perfect."

While Saloon was taking everything in stride Waxman recalls, "just trying to breathe and don't miss." When it was over and she could take a deep breath she was pleased. "I was so happy because he was perfect and I was just happy it was over. I felt I did all I could do."

As she was about to head out Waxman thought about Saloon because if she was going to celebrate he should too. "I'm gonna give him a million treats even though he already had a million," she concluded as she headed off with her own plans. "I am going to roast marshmallows at the campground and make s'mores with my whole barn."

CALL IT ART AND JORDAN BAIRD TOP OFF THE JUNIOR NON PRO 3' GO ROUND
Sixteen-year-old Jordan Baird didn't even know she placed second in the Non Pro 3' Go Round and led the juniors until her mom called her. She quickly focused on her horse Call It Art exclaiming, "He was awesome. He jumped beautifully. I was really happy with the round and how well he went. I am happy that he was stellar and so brave. This is a really good way to end my 3' year (she'll be moving up to 3'6" on Call It Art which he can easily do)."

The bay gelding used to be ridden by her sister Taylor and she recalls thinking in her younger days that she hoped she could one day ride this horse. "My sister rode him first. I never thought I'd be on him so I am excited to ride him now."

"He has the best canter you just sit into him and you come out of the corner with leg and the jump is right there. He is awesome. He is the easiest horse," she was exploding with praise for her new mount.

Baird explained that it is not only in the ring that he is good but also in the barn. "He is just like a little dog. He has the best personality. He is always very quiet and never mean."

Baird's trainer, Chris Payne, had won on Tucker the week before so her win was even more special. "I really like the Legacy Cup. It's fun to show indoors and everyone can compete in it (you don't have to qualify). Plus they take back 25 in the Finals and so you can come back and redeem yourself."

HALLMAN HAS A LUCKY AND A BLOOMY DAY
Twenty-seven-year-old Samantha Hallman, Wellington, FL, was thrilled about her victory but she was still anxious to get back to her hotel room "I've had a cold all week. I think the killer rain last week got to me," she explained, "just too many days standing in the wet weather!"

Yet she still managed to recall her victory ride thrilled that Lucky (who had won the 3'6" Pro Finals in 2004) was on today. "It was a nice thing and a great win and I am thrilled to death. He has a true talent. I had a lot of faith in him. I knew if anyone could pull it off he could." Hallman went on to explain that the 17.1H, 16-year-old, bay, Danish Warmblood gelding by Lucky Light, can either be "very very good or very bad. Last year Rob (Bielefeld - her trainer) walked in and he spun in a circle before he even got going."

Hallman was able to pull it together after falling off of CC Bloom. The 10-year-old, 16.1H, Belgium Warmblood, chestnut mare, by Jus du Pomme, Gold Medal winner at the 1996 Olympic Games, was named after Bette Midler because "she is a sassy little redhead." She explained, "After a fall you have to get right back on the horse. That sounds so cheesy but that's what you have to do. It made me ride that oxer (the one she fell off over) more conservatively. I wanted to do well and go well and be safe on Lucky."

When not competing, Hallman is attending graduate school. She also started playing polo this season, "which has made me a stronger rider. I box to stay fit and do pilates to increase my strength and balance because I don't get to ride all the time so I need to make sure the rest of my fitness is together."

Hallman praised the Legacy Cup saying "It is a wonderful event and I am always thrilled to participate in it. It is a goal and we get revved up for this horse show. They do a great job to make for a nice horse show and one that is both exhibitor and spectator friendly. Also they make it special for the grooms by giving them prizes. Not enough is said about that. (She was referring to the fact that an anonymous sponsor underwrites awarding the grooms of each of the top three placed horses a $100 cash prize.) It is really a wonderful event."

Hallman wanted to thank a few people before she headed off for her bath. "A special thank you to my family for being so supportive and to Rob Bielefeld and Scott Fitton, my trainers, and Chrystal Knight, who does absolutely everything for me, our groom Fernando Cruz Rodriquez and all the other people that help me get to the ring each week because it is a team effort and they are the most supportive, fantastic team."

GRACE SOCHA HAS A GOOD NAVIGATOR
Grace Socha rode both Final Answer (14th in the Finals and 4th in Juniors) and Navigator (4th in the Finals) in the Non Pro 3' Finals and it was Navigator who took her to the top of the Junior division. Both horses are owned by Sherri Crawford. She also won the Non Pro 3' Leading Junior Rider for the most money won in that division.

Surprisingly, this was the first time Socha ever competed on Navigator and she only had a brief schooling a few days earlier to get to know him just a little. "He is an absolute dream. He is very comfortable and gives you a great feeling and really nice to ride. He was on it the entire way - he was with me. I wasn't worried about anything. I knew I was going in with a great horse and I just went for it."

Sixteen-year-old Socha, Glenville, NY, like so many others, gave the Legacy Cup high marks. "I think it is a great event. It's really exciting and a great pleasure to ride in."

The last day of both the Legacy Cup and the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows is a mad dash to leave. Everyone is packing to catch planes and return cars heading either home or to their next horse show. Socha, who admitted that "horses are pretty much my life," also was in a hurry but as she was leaving she too wanted to add one more comment. "Thanks to my farm Derbydown and Louise Serio and Amanda Lyerly for being the best support team," she commented. "And a special thank you to Havens Schatt and Sherri for giving me the opportunity to ride such great horses."

And with that the Legacy Cup was over with new and repeat winners. Plans are already in the works for next years Legacy Cup which will again take place as part of the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows. The day began with a Champagne Brunch, sponsored by Jenny Sutton and Wrenwood Farms, where the food was a repeat of the great recipes that those who were members of the Legacy Club had enjoyed for the two weeks. The Finals began at 3:00 and by 5:30 it was over and if you walked around the Kentucky Spring Horse Show grounds there were few people other than the workers who were onsite. The winners, losers and hopefuls were back on the road again!

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.