Aimee Aron and Corafina 4 Win $10,000 Chesapeake Petroleum National Open Speed Stake At The 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival

Wellington, FL – December 4, 2004 – Aimee Aron, 15, of Keswick, VA, riding Corafina 4 for owner Kinloch Enterprises won the $10,000 Chesapeake Petroleum National Open Speed Stake in the Internationale Arena at the 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival in Wellington, FL, today. The teenager topped a field of 25 horses in this speed class where the fastest first round wins and faults from knockdowns are converted into seconds. Aron jumped the course clean in a blazing fast time of 65.145 seconds. Second place went to Margie Engle aboard Hidden Creek’s Charlie Brown for her time of 65.383. The third place ribbon was awarded to Joie Gatlin riding Plutus.com Delivers to a finish in 65.569 seconds.

“I watched some of the riders earlier so that was a definite advantage,” said Aron, who was the 21st rider on the roster. “But my mare has humongous stride and I really used that to my advantage over the course because it was a little bit of a galloping, flowing course. Coming to the last line across the ring – that was really a place where I got to use my stride.”

Corafina 4 is a nine-year-old Holsteiner mare that the Aron family has had in their Kinloch Enterprises barn for three years. “I’ve been riding her for about two years now,” Aron said. Aron has been training with Laura Kraut for four years.

Conrad Homfeld designed a 12-jump course that included two doubles – one at Fence 8 and another at Fence 11 – and opportunities to make tight loops and shave fractions as well as race between jumps. Gatlin took the earlier lead, usurped by Engle, who was then edged out of the top slot by Aron. “I went for it,” Aron said. “I watched Margie and she was pretty fast. I was looking at the clock through the timers and I was like, ‘Go!’ And I heard them all at the gate – that extra push is a vital key, those 100ths of a second.” She beat Engle by .283/100ths of a second.

Based in Keswick, the Aron family resides in Wellington for the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), then travels to additional shows, including six weeks in Calgary, Canada, for Spruce Meadows in the summer. Last year Aron made her first trip to Europe. She has been riding since age six, originally training with Elizabeth Solter. She attended Tandem Friends School in Keswick until recently, but due to her extensive show commitments made the transition to home-schooling five weeks ago. “I do have a love for the animals,” Aron explained. “The horse show environment is something I really love and enjoy. I love good clean competition but I also love having friends and cheering them on as well.”

Under FEI rules, Aron is allowed to show as a year older (16), but cannot yet compete in WEF Sunday Grand Prix classes where the minimum age is 18. “I’m turning 16 on the 15th of December so next year I’ll show as 18 here and hopefully be competitive,” Aron explained. “It might be too bold to say, but I would set my sights on Beijing.”

Aron says she has three horses right now that are capable of competing in an Olympic Games – Corafina 4, Ria 56, and Ostara. “I’m extremely lucky in that sense,” Aron notes. “The gray mare Ostara that Laura found for us last year is probably one of the most special horses I’ve sat on.” Aron added that she credits most of her success to Kraut. “She’s an excellent role model, an excellent teacher and just a wonderful person to be around.”

Aron also pointed out that her achievements are also due to her attitude. “I don’t put so much pressure on myself. I really just go and try to be confident and have fun with it.” She does acknowledge that part of her riding style is innate. “I think it just comes naturally,” said the 5’ 9” tall Aron. “Margie is about two feet shorter than I am. I’m tall and that’s a big part of it, but I also think everybody adjusts and has their own style.”

This was Aron’s first time competing in the National Horse Show in Wellington and she’s logged two other significant wins so far – she claimed victory in the $5,000 National Junior Jumper Welcome Stake on Friday and the $5,000 National Junior Jumper Speed Stake just prior to the $10,000 Chesapeake Petroleum National Open Speed Stake today. “It’s been an extremely good show. So far, so good, I cannot complain,” Aron said. “It’s nice because we have a barn in the Grand Prix Village [next door to the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club] – and it’s getting pretty cold back home. It’s a wonderful venue and it’s a pleasure to be here.”

For more information about the 121st National Horse Show & Family Festival, write to National Horse Show, PO Box 386, Greenvale, NY 11548. E-mail: NationalHS@aol.com; Phone: (516) 484-1865; Fax: (516) 484-1982. Web: www.nhs.org.