Melissa Cleary Celebrates Retirement from Show Ring With Victory in $2,500 IBM Silver Stirrup Classic at 61st Annual Buffalo International Horse Show

Buffalo, NY - Three evening classics marked the third day of showing at the Buffalo International Horse Show, and Melissa Cleary found victory on her last night of competition in the $2,500 IBM Silver Stirrup Hunter Classic.

Riding her own Russian Hill, also known as "Red," Cleary earned a score of 87 in the first round and a score of 88 in the second round for a total of 175, launching her to the top of the standings. Cleary, whose 11-year-old daughter also rides, decided to retire at the Buffalo International Horse Show to be a full-time horse show mom, not rider.

"I'm actually retiring because my daughter is taking over," Cleary explained. "I just wanted to be the horse show mom, and I told Jennifer (Alfano) when I got her, I just have a couple of goals. I want silver - just one piece of silver - I wanted to wear this coat (a shadbelly) and do a victory lap."

In the $2,500 GG Valentine Handy Hunter Classic, Meredith Lipke Bartolone of Buffalo rode Churchill to the win with a two-round total of 178. She also competed with Once and Again, finishing with a total of 161. Jamie Bates George placed second and third respectively aboard Everest and Purple Nova with score of 168 and 167.

Kathleen Mitchell galloped her own Gator Be Careful to the victory in the final class of the evening, the $2,500 M&T Bank Children's/Adult Jumper Classic with a jump-off time of 34.44 seconds over Sydney Christman aboard Cappuccino. Mitchell capitalized on the shaky turn made by Cappuccino, which allowed her and "Gator" to shave two seconds off Christman's time.

"Today, it felt like he stepped up his game a little bit. It was really, really nice to be last in that class because I've competed against that horse Cappuccino before, and I know she's really, really fast," Mitchell described. "It looked like she sort of made an odd turn, so it was nice to know that I maybe had an inch to spare. I know him really well, I know where he can turn and gallop, and I just tried to ride the heck out of it."

Christman and Cappuccino finished in second place, and Grace Socha and Rembrandt's VH Paradise took third with a time of 37.07.

Sisters Lindsey and Morgan Ward dominated the pony hunters, earning championship honors in the Medium and Small pony hunters, respectively. Both girls ride with Emil Spadone of Califon, NJ. Lindsey, paired with her own Finally Mine, took two firsts, a second and a third place over fences and a first in the hack for the tricolor, in addition to winning Friday's pony hunter classic. Morgan and Good Sport, owned by Spadone, were unbeatable and won every class of the division. In addition to being Small Pony Hunter championships, Morgan and "Sport" were also pinned Grand Pony Hunter Champions - a career first for the 10-year-old equestrian.

In the 15 & Under Junior hunter division, Megan Kaup aboard Vanderbilt won the tricolor, while Charlotte Jacobs of Deeridge Farm earned the reserve championship. In the 16 & 17 Junior Hunters, Grace Socha piloted Jersey Boy and Sting, both owned by SBS Farms Ltd., to the championship and reserve championship, respectively.

Competition at the BIHS will continue Sunday morning with the equitation classes.

The Buffalo International Horse Show benefits the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, and is one of the largest fundraisers for the program. For more information, please visit www.ryegate.com/BTRC/index.htm.

PHOTO CREDIT: Melissa Cleary and Russian Hill, winners of the $2,500 IBM Silver Stirrup Hunter Classic at the Buffalo International Horse Show. Photo(C)2007 Randi Muster.