Havens Schatt Collects Four Tri-colors with Future Hunters

 Upper Marlboro, MD – (October 4, 2005) Repeating her 2004 performance professional rider Louise Serio of Kennett Square, Pa., piloted Grey Slipper to the championship in the Regular Working Hunter division at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Upper Marlboro, MD. It was the fourth day of showing at the prestigious hunter-jumper show held October 1-9 at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center.
Grey Slipper, a 10-year-old grey gelding owned by Bridget Hallman of Oyster Bay, NY, started in the future hunter division back in 2001 with Serio. This year the duo topped two over-fence classes the opening day of the professional divisions and took home the blue in the under saddle.

Serio watched another horse from her farm take the Future Hunter Mares Championship with Amanda Lyerly in the irons. Lyerly works for Serio at Derbydown and rode the four-year-old mare, Daria to a first and two seconds to take the tricolor. Daria is owned by Ann Rinaldi and has been with Derbydown since the beginning of Florida. Lyerly said of the young mare, “Daria has a great attitude. She pretty much figured things out after one horse show.” The young mare proved herself early on, ending up 2005 Circuit Champion in the three and four-year-old division at the Winter Equestrian Festival in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Another winner in the Future Hunter division was Havens Schatt who picked up two championships and two reserves. In the Thoroughbred section Schatt collected the championship riding Ides of March. The six-year-old mare came to Schatt a year and a half ago and was a homebred from Debbie Grunnah of Ocala, FL.

Schatt explained, “She hadn’t really done a lot when we got her. She had just started jumping and was kind of a baby.” According to Schatt, Ides of March competed in Baby Green classes here and there and then showed in the Pre Green at the Winter Equestrian Festival in West Palm Beach (Fla.). There she was champion three times. Schatt went on to say that the mare didn’t do much this summer but did collect the Young Hunter Champion at Upperville (Va.). She said of the mare, “She’s been very willing and sweet. She’ actually been very easy in everything we ever asked her to do.” Ides of March will go on to show in the first year green division next year and will hopefully compete in the adult hunters with her owner John Yozell of Boston, MA.

Schatt was a busy rider in the Future Hunter divisions. She also picked up a championship with All The Answers, an eight-year-old owned by Sherri Crawford. Schatt said or the gelding, “He’s one of the best horses I’ve ever ridden. The feeling you get when you jump is amazing.”

On Wednesday afternoon the best of the Future Hunters will go head-to-head in the Future Hunter World Championships. The Capital Challenge Horse Show runs through Sunday, October 9. The $50,000 Ariat Congressional Cup Grand Prix presented by Stillwell-Hansen Inc. and Arwen Stables is the highlight of the jumper action. Held at 7:30pm on Saturday, October 8 the FEI World Cup Qualifying class is a great opportunity to witness US Equestrian Team veterans tackle a demanding course. As always, admission to the show is free and classes run in two rings throughout the day. Evening classes are held Wednesday through Saturday. Results, photos and the time schedule can be found on the Capital Challenge website: www.capitalchallenge.org . For more information on the Capital Challenge Horse Show call (301) 952-7944.