Upper Marlboro, MD – Thirty two of the top future hunters battled for the blue in the $26,950 Future Hunter World Championship at the Capital Challenge Horse Show. But it was Lafayette who won it with a score of 86.65 in the first round and an 88.1 in the second. Lafayette is ridden by Louise Serio of Kennett Square, Pa., and is owned by Brian Baldwin of Tampa, Fla.
Serio said of the five-year-old, “He was amazing. He was so relaxed. At the in-gate he stood with his head down and was sound asleep. At first he walked in and looked around, then he took a deep breath and he let it out and was great. I thought his second round was even better than his first. He was really on it.”
Serio bought Lafayette in May from Emil Spadone, who imported him the prior autumn. After the purchase, Serio took the young hunter directly to Saratoga where he proceeded to collect championships both weeks there. Capital Challenge was only Lafayette’s seventh show this year.
The Future Hunter World Championships class, co-sponsored by The Russo Family and Bainbridge Farm, is a unique event and one that Serio uses to prime her young hunters. She said, “I think that at this time of the year it is a really important thing to have. It is a really great experience to have for next year. It gets them exposure in here. It is a really good experience.”
Earlier in the week the future hunters competed in six sections giving spectators the opportunity to watch talent in the raw. For Echo Bay, however, his talent was honed enough to sweep the Thoroughbred/Thoroughbred-Cross section of the future hunter division and take the championship. His rider, Sandy Ferrell, of Bemville, Pa., said that the gelding “earned it”. His consistent clean sweep included three jumping classes and hack, besting a field of sixteen.
Echo Bay was purchased last winter in Florida for Ferrell’s client Alex Vespico. Ferrell said, “Alex shows him in the younger children’s division and has been quite successful. He’s coming along great.”
Ferrell also excelled in the mare section of the future hunter division riding Pasha. The young mare picked up the championship after winning the first two jumping classes on Monday and collecting a sixth in Tuesday’s jumping class. Pasha didn’t get a ribbon in the hack class but Ferrell wasn’t fazed by it.
She said, “Luck was on my side with Pasha. I mean, she didn’t win [Tuesday], but she ended up being champion, which was nice. That was a great hack class. When you come to a place like this, well, you can be the hack winner at most places and then you come here and everyone has the hack winner. Just because you didn’t win a ribbon doesn’t mean you don’t have a good mover. There are only so many ribbons to go around.”
Ferrell finds it difficult sometimes to have an exceptional day and to then have to get up the next morning and try to repeat it. She said, “You know it’s a funny thing, this business is such a humbling sport. Just because you’re ‘on’ one day, it has nothing to do with the next day. I know I can speak for other people when I say, once you win the first day, it almost becomes that much more difficult the second day, and up until these two horses, my day wasn’t so good.”
The 13th annual Capital Challenge Horse Show will run through October 8th at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. Wednesday’s schedule includes the $20,000 Future Hunter World Championship as well as the World Champion Hunter Rider Professional Challenge.
In addition to the equestrian action running in two rings, the horse show also offers some of the best in equestrian shopping. The shopping areas are located inside and out, with a new Boutique Mall located on the concourse level. With over fifty shops on the premises early holiday shopping is made easy. You’ll find unique gift items, artwork, the finest jewelry, clothing, footwear and a variety of quality equestrian equipment.
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