The Capital Challenge Horse Show had a full schedule of hunter competition on Wednesday with many highlights. There were professional hunter divisions finishing up with championships, plus four championship classes were pinned in the Show Place Arena. Some of the big winners early in the day were Peter Pletcher, Kelley Farmer and Sandy Ferrell.

But it was Ken Berkley who led the Professionals riding Sambalino to the Grand Hunter Championship after their Green Conformation Champion win.

Berkley and Sambalino, owned by Gina Day, were champions in the Green Conformation Hunters, winning over Fashion Farm’s Declaration and Scott Stewart. With their 37 points in the division, they were awarded the Grand Hunter Championship and Berkley was named the Leading Hunter Rider.
“Good horses are born good,” said Ken Berkley of Sambalino, the talented hunter. The seven-year-old is owned by Gina Day of Boulder, CO, and has earned champions and reserves throughout the year at shows like Devon, Upperville, Loudon, Lake Placid, Hampton Classic, and Middleburg.
Berkley has been riding him for three years and has taken him from the Pre-Greens, through the First Years and this year has concentrated on the Green Conformation division.
Berkley can’t say enough about Sambalino’s talent. He said, “It's an amazing feeling to jump around an athletic, long-strided horse - a horse that has brains and scope, and uses its body like he can. You just get chills in the schooling area because he can jump a big jump. He can jump a wide oxer. Good hunters are athletes.”
Kelly Farmer knows about good athletes too, as her mount, Luigi, swept the over fences classes in the Regular Working Hunter division. The 8-year-old Oldenburg, owned by Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Oare, has been champion with Farmer at every show since August and has won all but one over fences class during that time. Former owner, Larry Glefke said, “He is easy, smooth, jumps beautifully, just a freak of nature- he could jump six foot if you ask him to.”
Glefke owned Luigi briefly after purchasing the talented hunter in August. But he didn’t have him long. Glefke explained, “I showed him three times and sold him to the Oares as an amateur horse for Betty. Bucky and Betty were nice enough to let Kelley ride him in the Conformation here.”
In the First Year division a large turnout necessitated a split. Peter Pletcher competed with Becky Gochman’s Arabella in section B and finished with 23 points to collect the First Year championship. The pair also took home the Grand First Year title, edging out Sandy Ferrell and Ante Up, who were the Section A First Year Green champions.
Arabella is no stranger to the ring at Capital Challenge. Last year the young mare topped the North American Future Hunter Championship with Scott Stewart. Pletcher enjoyed knowing that she won the big Future Hunter Championship last year saying, “I kept thinking to myself, ‘Wouldn't it be nice to have that winner be champion here this year?’ So that was in the back of my mind.”
Pletcher describes the mare as very brave, saying, “Any ring she walks into, she's always going to give it her best shot.”
Arabella was purchased for Becky Gochman to do in the Amateur-Owner division. “She's been good,” said Pletcher about Arabella in the Amateurs. “She's really sweet, no spook, and easy to get to the ring.”
Ferrell and Ante Up earned the First Year Green Section A champion with two firsts and a fourth over fences, and a seventh under saddle. Ante Up is owned by Ann Thompson, who has given Ferrell the ride since she purchased him nearly two years ago.
Moving up from the Pre-Green division into the First Years wasn’t a difficult transition for the brave, scopey horse. She said, “It was so easy for him as a 3'3" horse. It wasn't that much of a change for him to step up to the bigger jumps. He’s very, very solid.”
Rumba’s wining streak in the Second Year Green Division continued yesterday, and the 34 points he racked up earned him the Grand Green title with rider John French. Rumba also shared the EMO Trip of the Show award with Hunt Tosh and Lone Star, both having top scores of 92.

The championships awarded for the professional hunter divisions are as follows:
First Year Green Working Hunter Section A
Champion: Ante Up, Sandy Ferrell, Ann Thompson
Reserve Champion: Triton, Peter Pletcher, Don Stewart Jr.
First Year Green Working Hunter Section B
Champion: Arabella, Peter Pletcher, Becky Gochman
Reserve Champion: Travino, Patricia Griffith, Heritage Farm
Green Conformation Hunter
Champion: Sambalino, Ken Berkley, Gina Day
Reserve Champion: Declaration, Scott Stewart, Fashion Farm
Regular Conformation Hunter
Champion: Luigi, Kelley Farmer, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Oare
Reserve Champion: Declaration, Scott Stewart, Fashion Farm

Grand First Year Green Hunter: Arabella, Peter Pletcher, Becky Gochman
Grand Green Hunter: Rumba, John French, Mountain Home Stable
Grand Conformation Hunter: Luigi, Kelley Farmer, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Oare
Tribute Perpetual Trophy: Lone Star, Hunt Tosh, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Wheeler
Best Hunter Performance: tie: Rumba, John French, Mountain Home Stable
Lone Star, Hunt Tosh, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Wheeler
EMO Trip of the Show: tie: Rumba, John French, Mountain Home Stable
Lone Star, Hunt Tosh, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Wheeler