Welcome to Madison Zimmerman and her horse Lewis!  Look for this duo in the children’s hunters in the coming season.

Chestnut Hill’s Halloween Horse Show was a great day of easy-going fun, creativity and laughter.  Blaire Kingsley and Grasshopper won the egg & spoon class, Kelly Martin and Santo won the ride-a-buck class, India Graham and Chlarissa along with Caroline DeMoss and Lucky Mushroom won the pairs class, and pony Bridgette (as Princess Leia), Will Twomey (as a Stormtrooper) and Madeline Twomey (as Darth Vader) were grand champions of the costume class. Shown below: judge Carli Hamilton awarding Pacheco and Alexandra Polidora with a ribbons and prizes for their costumes.  Check out the Chestnut Hill LLC page on Facebook for more photos!

Trainer Beverly Jovais served as judge for the hunter, equitation and jumper classes at the sixth and final show of the Mark West Stables 2009 series on October 31 and November 1.  Riders who accumulated the most points over the series were awarded lovely tack trunks.  The Final Class of the season was a 5-Bar Class that went to 4′ and was fun or participants and spectators alike.

Congratulations to Grace McLaughlin and her mount, Santo for their big win of the NorCal 3′ Medal Final!  The pair won both the first and the second round, securing them the top spot overall.  Elizabeth Robbins and Jonagold turned in impressive rounds to capture 7th overall.

Assistant Trainer Katharina Coleman was at the top of her game – winning the $3,500 NorCal Hunter Challenge on Grace McLaughlin’s Olympic, and taking second with Bridget Twomey’s Thoughtful.  Katharina also won the $1,000 Pre-Green Hunter Stake with Thoughtful, and was 6th with Sarina Kernberg’s Atticus.  Sarah Trask rode Marguerite Burbank’s Stuart to 4th place in the class.

Check out “Results” in the Navigation bar above for a complete listing.  Go Team Chestnut Hill!

Congratulations to Gwen McLaughlin (shown above with her winnings) and her mount, Capito on their big win of the CPHA Regional Medal Final at the Woodside Fall Finale.  This is Gwen’s first year stepping up from the pony division, and her first medal final with “Cappy,” the 13-year-old gelding she inherited from her older sister, Grace.  Gwen went into the work-off in fourth and her fantastic round placed her in first overall.  Elizabeth Robbins placed second in the CPHA Horsemanship Regional Medal Final on Jonagold. After returning to riding as an adult two years ago, Elizabeth bought her amazing gelding a year ago.  Her daughter, Caroline, was champion in the Pony Hunter and Pony Equitation divisions on “Right on Time.”

Sarina Kernberg and her mount, Atticus, were champions in the Children’s Hunter 14 – 17 division, and won the $500 Children’s Hunter Classic (photo with Sarina and Katharina Coleman below).   Congratulations to all competitors and their mounts!

Trainer Beverly Jovais is featured in October ’09 issue of Practical Horseman’s Magazine’s “How To” section.  In the Q & A, Beverly discusses guidelines to consider when moving a child from riding ponies up to their first horse.  This is a tricky time in a child’s riding career, and Beverly outlines both the pitfalls and opportunities. Check it out!

Grace Lukach and her lovely mare, Angel Smiling won the Pickwick Medal Final 2009.  The duo won the first round on Saturday with a score of 85, with second place coming in with a score of 81.  Grace, Beverly and Angel prepared for Sunday’s final with the pressure of maintaining their lead.

Judged by Mr. Russ Waither and Ms. Paddy Downing-Nyegard, the team received an 88 for their second round.  The two stellar performances put Grace and Angel ten points ahead in their combined total two-day score.  The pair were so far in the lead, and given that the work-offs are optional, the judges decided not to require them to do a work-off and declared them the winners.  The judges did, however, work off those sitting in second, third, fourth and fifth places.

Grace won a new Antares saddle, a $250 gift certificate to Jake’s Place, a cooler, a blanket of incredible roses, flowers, vases and, or course — long ribbons, and memories to last forever.

Congratulations to all involved in this big win.

Congratulations to all for a great show at Pebble Beach’s Strides & Tides.  Caroline DeMoss and her mount, Lucky Mushroom were 4th in the Hudson & Co Medal final, 1st in the NorCal Equitation Classic, and won the $2,500 Junior Derby Hunter Chase.  Their numerous wins made them the highest money earned Junior Horse and Rider Combo, for which they were awarded a $5,000 vacation package award!

Grace McLaughin and her hunter mount, Olympic (pictured above) were Champions in the Junior Hunter division, and 4th in the Hunter Chase.  Grace was Champion in both the NorCal Equitation Classic 15 – 17, and Junior Equitation 15 – 17 (in which they won every class) with her mount Santo.

Tylor Nowell and her versatile pony Otteridge Black Hawk won the NorCal Pony Equitation Classic, were Champions in Large Pony Hunters, Reserve in the Pony Equitation division and won the $500 Pony Hunter Classic.

India Graham and Chlarissa were Champions in the Children’s Hunter 14 – 17 division, and Bridget Twomey and Iridescent were Champions in the Adult Amateur 18 – 44 division and Reserve Champions in the Adult Amateur Modified Hunter division.

For a complete listing, click on “Results” in the navigation bar above.

Check out the new photos on Chestnut Hill’s website.  The photos in the homepage rotation have also been updated!

Chestnut Hill posted great results at the Woodside Labor Day Classic, with the equitation teams turning in particularly outstanding performances.  Results included Champion in Low Adult Equitation for Elizabeth Robbins and Jonagold, Reserve Champion in the Carousel Junior/Amateur Medal and Equitation 15 – 17 for Blaire Kingsley and Grasshopper, wins for Kelley Anne LaFond and Greta in the Horse & Hound, Ariat and PCHA Horsemanship Adult medals.

The pony Bridgette, owned by Marnye Langer returned to the show ring after a 10-year hiatus and helped rider Toni Anderson  nab a 7th and an 8th place ribbon in the Opportunity Junior Walk-Trot classes.  Marnye and her horse Glados were busy collecting red ribbons and cash in the jumper ring for the $1,000 Open Welcome Jumper Stake, the $1,500 Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper Classic and the $7,500 Woodside Jumper Classic.

Check out all the results – including a second in the $1,000 Pony Hunter Final for Caroline Robbins and Right on Time.  Congratulations to all!