Tim Goguen and Classified Awarded Grand Hunter Championship at Horse Shows by the Bay

Traverse City, MI - Day two of Horse Shows by the Bay kicked off this morning in the Polk Family Hunter Ring with the First Year Green, Second Year Green, Green Conformation and Regular Working Hunter divisions on the schedule for the day. It was a nice day with strong winds blowing across the horse park as the first of three weeks of equestrian competition continued on here in Traverse City, MI. Competition runs through August 3.

After a successful day yesterday and a second place finish over fences this morning, Peter Pletcher and his 6 year-old horse Argentum, owned by Alta Basaldua of Kingwood, TX were named First Year Green Working Hunter Champions. Patricia Griffith rode Drumline for Heritage Farm to the reserve championship.

"He has been really good so far," Pletcher said. "He is really green, much greener than I thought when we bought him, but he is good. He is really brave and he has a beautiful jump; a good, powerful jump."

Champion of the Second Year Green Working Hunters went to Winter Place, owned by Caitlyn Ziegler of Mequon, WI and ridden by Cookie Beck. The reserve champion was Genuine, ridden by Kirsten Coe and owned by Laura King-Kaplan.

"He is an unbelievable horse," said rider Cookie Beck. "He has a lot of scope and not only is he a good jumper, but he is a very good mover too, which helps. He likes to win."

Following the Second Year Greens were the Green Conformation Hunters. After a successful two days of competing, Tim Goguen and Classified, owned by Paula Polk Lillard of Lake Forest, IL walked away as division Champions as well as overall Grand Hunters Champions. Coe and King-Kaplan's Fortune Hunter were reserve champions in the Second Year Green Hunters.

"I think he is five," Goguen said of the young horse, "so he is still a first year horse, a baby. I have been working with him since last year. He is a good horse. Most of the time he is the same horse, each day. I think he is a quiet horse in general, so he is a little easier to manage than some that might be a little more nervous. He went well for me."

Rounding out the afternoon were the Regular Working Hunters and division champions Patricia Griffith and the gray mare Vida Blue. The 10-year-old mare, owned by Laura King-Kaplan of Irvington, NY was purchased in California in March. She shows with both Griffith and King-Kaplan, who rides her in the Junior Hunters. Paramount and Rob Bielefeld, who rode for Lily Zarrella, were reserve champions.

"I started riding her in May and she is awesome," Griffith said after her win. "Yesterday she was amazing, she scored a 95.000, which is one of my highest scores ever. She is a great horse; she is always trying to win." 

"I think she is so easy on herself that she was just born to be a hunter," Griffith said of the horse. "She is easy on herself, she knows her job and she likes it, so it is just really nice to have a horse that is really into it."

"I would like to take credit," Griffith laughed, "but the horse is just really nice."

Be sure to check in next week for more competition from the professional hunters in the Polk Family Hunter Ring here at Horse Shows by the Bay in beautiful Traverse City, MI.

For more information on Horse Shows by the Bay and the fun events planned for competitors and spectators alike, please go to www.horsesportsbythebay.com

Photo Credit: Tim Goguen and Classified, week one Grand Hunter Champions at Horse Shows by the Bay. Photo (C) 2008 Randi Muster.