We’re Back!

WE’RE BACK! For Immediate Release: June 14, 2020 Aiken, South Carolina After a long hiatus, the Classic Company kicked off Week I at the Aiken Summer Classic with sold-out stalls. “We are so happy to be back in the ring,” commented Bob Bell, President of the Classic Company. “We have implemented Covid-19 protocol geared to making the exhibitors’ showing experience the safest it can be,” he added. “We’ve added extensive, additional services in the office and if you haven’t closed out your online bills, we ask that you do so this evening. So please check your emails,” said Bell. DANIEL GEITNER SWEEPS THE $25,000 MARSHALL & STERLING GRAND PRIX, PRESENTED BY EMO As the first show back after the Covid-19 shut down, Geitner made up for lost time bringing home four ribbons, including the blue with November Hill’s Vesta De Lavardin in Saturday’s $25,000 Marshall & Sterling Equisport Insurance Grand Prix, presented by EMO. “It was great to be back in the show ring,” he said. “We really missed it!” Twenty six entries competed over the course designed by Micheal Vaillancourt and only eight of the horse and rider teams advanced to the jump off round. “It was a nice class and a really well designed course,” commented Geitner. “You want a third to a quarter of the class clean and Micheal [Vaillancourt] hit that number. He [Vaillancourt] is so good; he’s an excellent judge of how tough and technical he can make the course,” said Geitner. Geitner rode four of the eight jump off qualifiers! His first ride, Cilia M, owned by November Hill, took two rails at the final combination for a combined 8 jump faults in a time of 35.580 seconds. “She was great, but she lost a shoe after the fourth jump and that kind of threw her off a bit. We all knew it would be a fast jump off and a tight turn to the final combination which gave some of us problems,” said Geitner. Kyle Dewar of Ocala, Florida, and his own Clever Van De Helle were next to tackle the course but the same combination earned him a four jump faults and he finished in 35.963 seconds. Geitner returned to the arena, this time in the irons of his own Gigolo. The pair turned in a fault-free round in 36.662 seconds. “He’s [Gigolo] a new mount for me and this is actually his first Grand Prix. I wanted to be quick enough but make sure I was clean and we accomplished that goal which put a little pressure on everyone after me,” he said. Jamie Gibson, of Ocala, Florida, in the irons of Lucky Horses, LLC’s Caddie R followed in the order. The pair grabbed the same rail at the last combination for a total of four jump faults in a time of 35.521 seconds. Hanna Toering of Waterford, Virginia and her own Balou Moon BHF followed in the order with four jump faults in a time of 37.515 seconds which would see them finish in seventh place. Geitner returned with this third ride in the jump off, November Hill’s Vesta De Lavardin and turned in another fault-free round in a time of 34.043, setting the new time to beat. Geitner commented, “She’s [Vesta De Lavardin] is really fast and very experienced. I knew I could take some chances with her and the only person I needed to get pressure on at that time was Grant Seger. That’s her game going fast…she’s naturally quick and is as competitive as I am,” he said. Grant Seger, also of Aiken, and his own Catogi, followed Geitner and Vesta De Lavardin with a fault-free round, but their time of 35.327 would keep Geitner in the lead. Geitner was last to go in the Grand Prix with Oak Ledge Farm’s Fazous. Four jump faults in a time of 34.425 seconds would earn them a fourth place ribbon overall. “He’s [Fazous] a younger horse and I knew there were only three double cleans so I went as quick as I could, but knew that even with a rail I could still get a fourth,” Geitner commented. The final results had Geitner awarded the blue ribbon with Vesta De Lavardin, third with Gigolo and fourth with Fazous as well as an eighth with November Hill’s Cilia M. Seger and Catogi earned second place as well as a tenth and eleventh with Hillary Drummond Sport Horses’ Idalgo and Grey Fox Crossing’s Cantucchini, respectively. Gibson finished in fifth place with Caddie R and Dewar earned a sixth place with Clever Van De Helle. Doug Payne finished in ninth with Jane Dudinsky’s Quintessence and Penny Brennan of Buhl, Alabama, wrapped up the class in twelfth place with her own Vertigo Delorme. For more information please visit horseshowsonline.com. AIKEN’S’S OWN DOUG PAYNE AND QUINTESSENCE WIN THE $7,500 WELCOME Of the 23 horse and rider teams to tackle the course designed by Micheal Vailancourt, only 12 advanced to a second round opportunity with just eight boasting double clear rounds. Doug Payne of Aiken, South Carolina in the irons of Jane Dudinsky’s Quintessence was third to go in the order and the first to turn in double clear rounds, setting the new time to beat at 29.836 seconds. Kara Jones of Cornelius, North Carolina and her own End Game were the next pair to turn in double clear rounds, but their second round time in 36.536 finished them in eighth overall. Kris Killam of Naples, Florida and Tophorses LLC’s Gangster CHS followed with double clear rounds, but their time of 33.144 wouldn’t beat Payne and Quintessence and would see them finish in fifth place. Next with double clear rounds was Grant Seger of Aiken, South Carolina and Grey Fox Crossing’s Cantucchini. Their second round time of 34.697 kept Payne in the winner’s circle and finished them in seventh place overall. Seger returned to the arena posting double clear rounds in the irons of Hillary Drummond Sport Horses, LLC’s Idalgo. Their second round time of 32.749 seconds saw them finish in fourth place overall. Laura Gaither Ulrich of Raleigh, North Carolina and her own Garda were the next horse and rider team to turn in double fault free rounds. Their second round time of 31.772 seconds would not unseat Payne and Quintessence and earned them a third place overall. Kyle Dewar of Ocala, Florida and his own Clever Van De Helle turned in double clear rounds and their second round time of 33.566 awarded them the sixth place ribbon. Killam was the last to turn in double clear rounds and returned to the arena in the irons of Empire Show Stables’ Boreale De Talma. They posted a second round time of 30.588 seconds which would finish them in second overall, leaving Payne and Quintessence victorious. GEITNER AND BANKS MILL WIN THE $10,000 HUNTER CLASSIC, IN MEMORY OF ELLEN VEITCH Eighteen horse and rider teams competed in the $10,000 Hunter Classic, in memory of Ellen Veitch. “Ellen was a part of our Classic Company family for years. She was such a wonderful person and while we think of her often, this competition brings our entire horse show family together one day a year as a way to celebrate her life and the equestrian sport that she loved. She was a wonderful woman, full of warmth and kindness and touched so many lives with her positive outlook,” said Bob Bell. “I’m glad to produce this event every year in her memory,” he added. Banks Mill, owned and ridden by Daniel Geitner rode away with the blue ribbon over the course designed by Nancy Wallis of Lambertville, New Jersey. Geitner said, “I was dear friends with Ellen and it was such an honor to win her trophy. I knew her most of my life. Her passing was such a loss and I miss her. It was really special to win this class,” he added. Geitner continued, “Nancy [Wallis] designed a great course. The first round was a really nice Classic style round and the jumps were beautifully decorated. The Handy was tricky with an inside turn and the bending lines were tough. Banks Mill is a second year horse and he’s seen this stuff before, so it was easy for him to handle,” commented Geitner. Finally Farm, LLC’s Family Style, ridden by Liza Boyd of Camden, South Carolina, took home a second place finish. Geitner returned to the winner’s circle for a third place finish in the irons of Karen Lackinger’s Gratis. Michael Britt-Leon and Kelly Sims’ Bacchus placed fourth overall and Tim Maddrix of Leeds, Alabama, piloted Missy Nolen’s Cypress to a fifth place finish. Boyd returned to the arena in the irons of Grace Ann Nolan’s Kumano to pick up the sixth place ribbon. Geitner also earned a seventh place ribbon aboard his own Pen and Ink and Katherine Dewar’s Winterfell, ridden by Morgan Van Nortwick of Leesburg, Virginia, finished in eighth place. Chello, owned and ridden by Kara Jones of Cornelius, North Carolina, earned a ninth place finish and Cassino, owned by Joey Rose, LLC and ridden by Josephine Rose of Springboro, Ohio, placed tenth overall. Britt-Leon piloted Kelly Sims’ Private I to an eleventh place and Ayla, owned by Empire Show Stables and ridden by Kris Killam of Naples, Florida, wrapped up the class with a twelfth place finish. BRITT-LEON PILOTS HEARTS FOREVER TO THE BLUE IN THE $3,000 MARSHALL & STERLING CLASSIC HUNTER DERBY The popular Marshall & Sterling Hunter Classic Week I saw twenty horse and rider teams compete over a course designed by Nancy Wallis of Lambertville, New Jersey. Heart’s Forever, owned by Jami O’Shea-Johnson ridden and ridden by Michael Britt-Leon of Marietta, Georgia, earned the blue ribbon. Select, owned by Katherine Orrell and ridden by Daniel Geitner of Aiken, South Carolina placed second and Doug Payne rode his own Quiberon to a third place ribbon. Flickerdale Farm, LLC’s Whiskey at Midnight, ridden by Rachel Kennedy of Brookeville, Maryland, placed fourth and Geitner returned to the winner’s circle with Claire De Lune Farm’s Hudson for a fifth place ribbon. True Enough, owned by Kelly Sims and ridden by Britt-Leon earned a sixth place finish. Holly Sims’ Sunkist, ridden by Hanna Toering of Waterford, Virginia, placed seventh and Rodney Bross’ Big Girls Don’t Cry, ridden by Patricia Barr of Wellington, Florida, finished in eighth place and also won the $500 Marshall & Sterling 3’ Non Pro Rider Bonus. Rebel de Vizy, owned by Olivia Kuo and ridden by Ashley Conkle placed ninth overall. Toering piloted Terry Brown’s Brulee to a tenth place finish and Ava, owned and ridden by Kathryn Jarriel of Collins, Georgia, earned an eleventh place finish and also won the Marshall & Sterling 3’3” Non Pro Rider Bonus. Twelfth place finisher was Andrea Guzinki’s Rio Oro, ridden by Gigi Phillips of Charlotte, North Carolina. The pair also won the Marshall & Sterling 3’3” $300 Non Pro Rider Bonus. Mindset, owned by Emily Elek-Burtard and ridden by Laura Clement of Waxhaw, North Carolina, won the Marshall & Sterling 3’ Non Pro Rider Bonus and Emily Yoder of Acworth, Gerogia, aboard her own Papparazzi, won the Marshall & Sterling 3’ $200 Non Pro Rider Bonus. Eleese Shillingford of Alpharetta, Georgia and her own Odyssey, won the Marshall & Sterling 3’3” $200 Non Pro Rider Bonus. For complete results, please visit horseshowsonline.com MARSHALL & STERLING INSURANCE Marshall & Sterling Insurance, title sponsor of the Week I $25,000 Marshall & Sterling Insurance Equisport Division Grand Prix, presented by EMO, is also the title sponsor of all Marshall & Sterling Hunter Classics at the Gulf Coast Winter Classicand Classic Company shows in 2020. Marshall & Sterling’s Equisport Division was created by insurance professionals to meet the demands of horse owners from competing professionals, dedicated amateurs and those who just plain love horses. Their client service and claims team is dedicated exclusively to support their horse insurance clients. One quick call to their office will provide instant answers to your questions. Claims are handled quickly and efficiently. They work to exceed every customer’s expectation for quality and service. Marshall & Sterling Insurance specializes in personalized plans that encompass a full range of extensive coverage options, uniquely tailored to fit your distinctive needs. Marshall & Sterling Insurance is your true advocate when it matters most—when you apply for insurance, and when your horse has an accident, becomes sick, or injured. For more information, visit them on the web or call their office at 800-836-3046 ABOUT THE CLASSIC COMPANY The Classic Company’s philosophy is to offer an event for every level of rider and horse. From lead line to Olympic level Grand Prix competition, from seasoned veteran horse and rider team to a first time horse show experience, the Classic Company offers competition that provides the competitor substantial prize money, award-winning facilities and courses, quality competition and the best customer service in the industry. Service is what sets the Classic Company apart from other horse shows. Consistently awarded the USHJA‘s Member Choice Award for providing excellent customer-friendly competitions, the Classic Company provides champion service from in-gates to show office at all its venues. Top competition with an emphasis on southern hospitality is their hallmark and the reason thousands prefer to compete at Classic Company produced events each year. All press and sponsorship inquiries should be directed to Lisa Davis Engel. All program ad requests should be submitted to Drew Coster.