Buffalo, NY – September 10, 2015 – Candid is no stranger to the impressive indoor arena at the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center (BTRC). The 7-year-old Holsteiner gelding, owned and ridden by Jennifer Alfano, resides there at SBS Farms, and this week at the Buffalo International Horse Show, he showed that he was every bit at home in the ring.
Jennifer Alfano and Candid
The 69th Annual Buffalo International Horse Show kicked off on Wednesday with Candid taking the blue ribbon in all four of the day’s Conformation Hunter division classes. Alfano and Candid then returned on Thursday to continue their domination of the division, ultimately claiming the championship. While Candid was uncatchable in the point tally toward the division championship award this week, Alfano also finished in the reserve championship position with another top Conformation Hunter, Helen Lenahan’s Me Again.
With the first championship under her belt, Alfano kept right on winning throughout the day. She next picked up the High Performance Hunter champion title riding Billie Steffee’s Maggie May and the Pre-Green Hunter championship on The Exchange, a 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by SBS Farms Inc. Alfano and The Exchange’s beautiful rounds throughout the day also earned him the win in the Pre-Green Incentive and the designation of the Equus Foundation’s Best Performance.
The reserve championships in the High Performance Hunters and the Pre-Green Hunters went respectively to Gianni, owned and ridden by Jennifer Dahlman, and to Castle, owned by Sharon O’Neill and ridden by Alfano.
In the Performance Hunter division, the championship went home to Alfano’s fellow SBS Farms rider, Alicia Heberle. Heberle rode to the top honor on Kinder Scout, a 10-year-old Wurtemberger gelding owned by Emily Cherney. The reserve championship in the Performance Hunters was back to Alfano, this time aboard Barbara Britt’s Rio Viva.
In the Low Hunters, the championship went to Lilly Ulrich and her own Montenegro. The reserve championship was awarded to Sarah Barge riding Sydney DeGrazia’s Reveille Z.
Rounding out the day on Thursday was the presentation of the Buffalo International Horse Show’s special $1,000 Groom’s Class, sponsored by Penelope Ayers and Ravens Wood Farm. This year’s top groom honor went to Shauna Pingrey of Hasty Hills.
Competition at the Buffalo International Horse Show continues on Friday with the $1,000 Take2 Thoroughbred Hunter division, the $1,000 “Full Monty” 3’6” Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic, the $1,000 Up the Creek 3’3” Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic and much more. In the evening, spectators and exhibitors alike can enjoy a demonstration from the riders of the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, the horse show’s beneficiary.
To learn more about the Buffalo International Horse Show and the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center visit www.thebtrc.org.