Ashland Farms, FL

Lexington, KY – July 26, 2009 – It was a fight to the finish in the Young Rider division. Everyone came out fighting for the Gold, and although the horses had already jumped four rounds, they came out looking fresh and ready to jump.

Jennifer Waxman and Venturo wrapped up their weekend with a big win to take home the Individual Gold medal. The pair, from Zone 5, jumped flawlessly all week and did so again today to wrap it up on a final score of 7.36.

“I was a little worried coming into today because he’s already jumped four rounds,” Waxman said after finishing her courses. Getting over the water has been hard all week. After he went clear this morning, he had tried so hard, I couldn’t let him down in the second round. He just tried so hard all week.”

Although Venturo and Waxman have been together for a year-and-a-half, their success only came recently when something “clicked” at Devon.

“He’s come a long way,” she said. “He did a lot of flat work, but we still weren’t able to post clear rounds. But something clicked at Devon. It was like he started to understand what I wanted. I think any he made were because he was just trying to please me.”

The Silver medal went to Lucy Davis and True Love from Zone 10. The pair has been successful all week and, despite the fact that he was starting to tire, True Love was able to jump solidly for Davis to keep her in second place with a score of 10.3.

“I was a little nervous today,” Davis said after her ride. “We were all so close in points, so I was just trying to go clear. My horse felt great, a little tired, but I couldn’t have asked for more from him.”

True Love is 13 years old, and Davis said that he has taught her so much since she started riding him.

“He has the biggest heart and tries so hard,” she said. “He truly enjoys going out and jumping. He has a little more experience, so it’s been him helping me rather than me helping him.”

Finally, taking home the Bronze Medal was Joelle Froese and Condor from British Columbia. Condor jumped well all week and consistently moved up the ranks. The pair only had one rail down today to bring their total score to 17.11.

“I tried not to think of the scores too much,” Froese said. “I just tried to jump every fence one at a time. I wasn’t sure how he was going to do because he’s done so much jumping this week, but he was great.”

Froese said that Condor loves to jump and that they have been lucky enough to be successful coming up the levels together.

All the medalists agree that they had a great time this year and gained so much from the experience.

“It was really exciting,” said Waxman. “As far as an experience, Young Riders is so important. To go under pressure, to go under the lights, it’s just so important for us to do that. The advantage that the professionals have is experience and now we have it too.”

Article by Erica Larson

Video of Waxman’s winning rounds:

Lexington, KY – July 24, 2009 – The Junior Hunter divisions began early this morning at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show in the Stonelea ring. Two classes were held over fences, and the horses also competed under saddle. These divisions will finish up tomorrow with an over fences class, a handy hunter class, and the awarding of the division championships. The Kentucky Summer Horse Show will continue at the Kentucky Horse Park until Sunday, July 26, 2009.

This morning Shawn Cassidy and Secret Weapon prevailed for both wins over fences in the Small Junior 15 & Under Hunter division. Megan Clark of Indianapolis, IN, who rode her own horse Right On, won the under saddle class of the Small Junior 15 & Under Hunters.

Caroline Spogli and Cachet bested a field of 14 in the Large Junior 15 & Under Hunter division. The pair won both over fences classes and the under saddle. Cachet is owned by Spogli and Cavallo Farms LLC of San Diego, CA. Spogli and Cachet also won the Open Working Hunter class that ran throughout the junior classes.

Kelsey Thatcher and her mount Gianni brought home blues in the first Large Junior 16-17 Hunter over fences class and the under saddle. Thatcher triumphed for the win with Francesca in the second Large Junior 16-17 Hunter over fences class. Both horses are owned by Pony Lane Farm of Bluffdale, UT.

To end the day for the juniors, Stone Hill Farm’s Sublime, with Jessica Springsteen in the irons, won both Small Junior 16-17 Hunter over fences classes and the under saddle. Stone Hill Farm is located in Colts Neck, NJ.

Springsteen was pleased with Sublime and stated, “He felt really great. He hasn’t shown in a couple weeks, and he was perfect.” She enjoyed how the courses rode today. “It was nice showing hunters in such nice footing; we don’t get to do that very often,” she laughed. “And he did really well over all of the jumps. This was my first time showing here at the park and it’s beautiful. ”

The Kentucky Summer Horse Show continues tomorrow, and Junior Hunter division championships will be presented in the Stonelea Ring. The Amateur-Owner and Pony Hunter divisions will begin tomorrow and finish up on Sunday.

Ken Smith on Cento

WELLINGTON, Fla., Jan. 16–Ken Smith kicked off the opening day of the CN Winter Equestrian Festival with wins in two Regular Working Hunter classes aboard seven-year-old gray gelding Cento at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center Wednesday.
The seven-year-old, owned by Angel/Ashland Farms of Wellington, took the blue ahead of Tiffany Cornacchio on Hypnotiq in the one class and Amy Momrow and Rolling Hills Contessa in the other class.

“It has been a great show so far,” Smith joked, being a winner on the first day of 12 weeks of competition.

The classes were in the Grand Hunter Ring which has had new footing installed in the past month, along with several other competition arenas.
$500 Regular Working Hunter
1. Cento Ken Smith Ashland Farms
2. Hypnotiq Tiffany Cornacchio Jessica Leto
3. Rolling Hillss Contessa Amy Momrow Rolling Hills Farm
4. Federal Hill Tracy Scheriff Tracy Scheriff
5. Premier Ken Smith Amy Rosenthal
6. Castleguard Tommy Serio Adrea Foster

$500 Regular Working Hunter
1. Cento Ken Smith Ashland Farms
2. Rolling Hillss Contessa Amy Momrow Rolling Hills Farm
3. Premier Ken Smith Amy Rosenthal
4. Federal Hill Tracy Scheriff Tracy Scheriff
5. Castleguard Tommy Serio Adrea Foster
6. Hypnotiq Tiffany Cornacchio Jessica Leto

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Bridgehampton, NY-August 31, 2008-Jennifer Waxman, 16, of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, won Sunday’s $25,000 Calvin Klein Show Jumping Derby at the Hampton Classic Horse Show. Waxman won aboard Outline in a timed jump-off against five other riders, swooping over the final course in 34.385 seconds. They were followed by Addison Phillips of New York City on Teirra (36.051) in second place and Hungarian Henri Kovaks, who is based in Middleburg, Va., finishing third with G-5 (36.291). All three went double-clear.

One of the nation’s premier show jumping competitions, the Hampton Classic concludes Sunday, August 31. The Classic hosts hunter/jumper competition for riders ranging from the youngest competitors in Leadline and Short Stirrup classes all the way up to Olympic veterans in the $200,000 FTI Grand Prix. Show entries include two Olympic riders who flew in directly from the Olympic show jumping competition in Hong Kong: McLain Ward, a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. team, and individual gold medalist Eric Lamaze of Canada.

Waxman had a remarkable week at the Hampton Classic and showed the field of 30 competitors in the Calvin Klein Show Jumping Derby how it’s done. She piloted Outline, who has a long, ground-covering stride, handily over the six obstacles in the Jumping Derby jump-off. Waxman positioned the horse perfectly on the approach to the Wolffer Estate oxer, which came off a hairpin turn from a vertical, and then kicked on to a tricky combination. That series of fences was the undoing of several of her competitors, some of whom had a refusal or rails down.

While Waxman darted off for two more rides in another class immediately after her win, her trainer, Emily Smith of Wellington, Fla., explained her win. “Jen really followed the plan,” she said. “The horse has a big stride, and she stuck to riding him exactly the way we planned.”

Smith, who has been training Waxman for eight years, said they were “very pleased with this year’s progress.” Aboard Falcon, Waxman won both the Hunter Phase and the Grand Championship of the WIHS International Equitation competition at this year’s Hampton Classic.

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Christina Schlusemeyer (from left), USEF’s Lauren Fahey and her trainer Emily Smith

SAUGERTIES, NEW YORK (August 7, 2008) – After three days of exciting competition, a new champion was crowned when Jennifer Waxman rode her mount Red Panda to the Grand Championship at the 2008 East Coast USEF Junior Hunter Championship on Wednesday afternoon at HITS Saugerties.
The Ohio native used an overall score of 87.63 aboard Red Panda, who is owned by John Ingram, in the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 Division to win the title. “Jen rose to the occasion,” said trainer Emily Smith. “It was a new venue for Red Panda and that horse put its entire heart into it.”
“I started riding him a few months ago,” said Waxman. “It has really worked out well. The courses were really hard for the finals. But I thought that was good because it divided the people competing easily.”
Taking the honors of Reserve Grand Champion was North Country, piloted by Johanna Hyyppa. Hyyppa, who is trained by Andre Dignelli of Heritage Farms, had an overall score of 85.63 in the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 Division. Other division winners include Caprice, with Genevieve Zock in the irons, who won the Large Junior Hunter 15 & Under Division and The War Dress Memorial Trophy for the Leading Mare. Taking the top honors in the Small Junior Hunter 15 & Under Division was Corvette Z, who was owned and ridden by Samantha Schaefer, while Christina Gellos and Sirius Black earned the Reserve Champion in that division.
Other Reserve Champions included Caitlin Hope and Lyle in the Small Junior 16-17 Division, Adrienne Sternlicht and Mimosa in the Large Junior 15 & Under Division and Taylor Brown and Bering C in the Large Junior 16-17 Division.
“It was very competitive,” said Smith, who operates Ashland Farm with her husband Ken. “I thought it was wonderful. Everyone here was very accommodating and friendly. It was a job well done by everyone involved.”
“This year’s competition not only had an increased number of riders, but also had high caliber riders,” said Marion Maybank, USEF’s Director of Hunter Divisions and coordinator for the Finals. “Jerry Dougherty’s fantastic courses were flowing and really gave the kids a chance to be sharp and demonstrate to the judges the skills that got them here.”
“My trainers, Ken and Emily Smith, are amazing,” said Waxman. “I also want to give special thanks to John Ingram. Winning this title was certainly a team effort.”

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Lexington, KY – May 10, 2008 – The sun shined down on the Kentucky Horse Park during the fourth day of competition at the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows. Two previous days of rained forced the 15 and Under Junior Hunter divisions and the Large Junior 16-17 Hunters out of the Stonelea Arena and into the Indoor Arena yesterday. However, today the juniors competed outside over an exciting course of natural obstacles in the Stonelea Arena.

Jennifer Waxman brought home not one, not two, but three tricolor ribbons today. Starting in the Large Junior 16-17 Hunters with Golden Point Farm’s Cento, Waxman executed stunning rounds, earning herself three blue ribbons and the championship. Waxman resides in Chagrin Falls, OH. Vanessa Mavec of Pepper Pike, OH, rode her horse Pacemaker to the reserve championship.

Cento’s impressive trips came after a long break. “He’s had a month off since Florida so we’re just getting back into the hang of it,” explained Waxman. “I actually haven’t ridden him for a month. I just got on him yesterday and showed.”

Waxman is excited to have the opportunity to ride Cento. “Jan and Bruce Agerty own him. Jan cannot ride anymore, so she’s letting me ride him until he gets sold. It’s so fun and I’m very thankful to have the ride,” she beamed. “They come and watch every show, and they’re really supportive.”

After the large division was complete, Waxman rode her mount Red Panda to the Small Junior 16-17 Hunter Championship and earned the reserve championship award aboard Zoom.

Champion Red Panda reacquainted with the junior divisions this week. “He hasn’t done the juniors in awhile, so he’s still getting used to the handys,” said Waxman. “I just started riding him at the end of WEF, and we really started to click. He’s so awesome to ride.”

Waxman’s other horse Zoom is new to the junior divisions, but proved he is up to the task. “Zoom is getting so handy and I’m so excited. We tried some extra tight turns that I didn’t do with any of my other horses today, and he was perfect so I’m very happy,” she smiled. Zoom’s handy hunter course earned a score of 89, the highest of the day.

Gracious as always, Waxman thanked Tom Wright and John Ingram for letting her ride Panda and said she owes much of her success to her trainers, Ken and Emily Smith.

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