After a month of rest, the SBS Farms team was back at it, starting with the Aiken Charity Horse Show in Aiken, South Carolina. Jennifer Alfano and the talented string from Buffalo, New York, enjoyed the spotlight during the opening week, with Candid closing out the professional divisions as the Conformation Hunter Reserve Champion.
Alfano rode her own Candid to the reserve championship in the Conformation Hunter division with the win over fences, two second place finishes, as well as the third place in the handy round. The pair also earned the second place ribbon for Candid’s conformation in the Green Conformation Model.
Jennifer Alfano, right, with Havens Schatt and Liza Boyd enjoying Aiken
It was the USHJA Pre-Green Incentive that originally brought Alfano to Candid, a horse that has exceeded all expectations as he journeys the hunter pipeline. It's the same program that brought Alfano to two up-and-coming Pre-Green horses, Savannah and Girl Crush.
Girl Crush, owned by Helen Lenahan, captured top ribbons in the Pre-Green 3’3 Hunters, including a first place in the over fences. Alfano then guided Girl Crush to the second place finish in the $1,000 USHJA Pre-Green Incentive. Alfano also rode Savannah, owned by Sharon O’Neill, to good results in the Pre-Green 3’ Hunters. Savannah was also awarded the second place for their efforts in the $10,000 Goshen Hill Farm Future Stake.
SBS Farms’ veterans, Miss Lucy and Maggie May, also returned to the show ring during the first week of competition. It was Miss Lucy, owned by Lenahan, that took the lead in the High Performance Hunters with two first place efforts. Maggie May, owned by Billie Steffee, was not too far behind, snatching up the third place in the handy.
During the First Year Green Working Hunters, The Exchange, owned by SBS Farms, Inc., took the first and second place finishes, while Alfano rode Sweetwater, owned by Kathy Chiaf to the third place finish in the Performance 3’3 Working Hunters. Alfano also rode Miramar in the Performance 3’6 Working Hunters, taking home a top finish in the over fences, as well as several good ribbons.
Barbara Britt continued the string of top placings with her own Rio Viva, riding to the first place in the Low Adult Hunters.
Addison Basile and Silver Icing
While Britt and Alfano picked up the ribbons in South Carolina, several of the SBS riders were busy raking in the tricolors at the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center Horse Show, held May 6-7. Molly Gfroerer earned great ribbons in the Beginner Rider Hunter division, while Zoe Schaab took the reserve championship in the Children’s Pony Hunter division with Lucky Charm. Chloe Karl and Fantabulous were in the top ribbons during the Low Children’s Hunter division, while Addison Basile and Silver Icing closed out the show as reserve champions in the Cross Rail Hunters.
Based out of Buffalo, New York, SBS Farms, Inc.'s Susie Schoellkopf and Jennifer Alfano run one of the foremost show hunter training operations in the country, and travel nationwide to compete in the most prestigious horse shows.
SBS Farms, Inc. continues the proud tradition of the Saddle and Bridle Club as one of the top show stables in the Northeast. Schoellkopf is also the executive director of the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, which houses both the Buffalo Equestrian Center as well as SBS Farms, Inc. Built in 1922, the 160-stall facility is a historical landmark, with its unique English Tudor and Gothic-style architecture.
For more information on the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, please visit: www.thebtrc.org.
Special thanks to Phelps Media Group for the press release.