Sandy Ferrell Pockets Second Year Green and Pre-Green 3&4 Year Old Championships on Sunset Strip and Prestwick

Wellington, FL – The Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL, pinned its last professional hunter championships today for the 2007 season, and Sandy Ferrell and Sunset Strip celebrated the final week with a win in the Second Year Green Hunter division.

“Sunset Strip just came to me two weeks ago. Mindy Darst rides him and was unable to be down here, so she called me and asked if I’d help them out,” Ferrell explained. “I’m kind of learning a little bit about him each week, and I have to say, he’s s probably one of the most athletic horses I’ve ever ridden. His range and his scope are unlimited.”

She continued, “He has a beautiful ring presence and pokes his nose out and pricks his ears, and he studies the jump quite, quite hard. That I really like because then I can just really sit there, keep squeezing and let him search and look, and he then gives you a great big jump. His jump is a beautiful thing. Last week was a little bit hit and miss, and this week he came back and just went like a million bucks.”

Holly Orlando and Castle Rock took the reserve championship in the Second Year Green Hunters.

In the Regular Working Hunter division sponsored by Farnam Companies, Inc., Scott Stewart of Flemington, NJ, rode his veteran Good Life to the tricolor. Good Life, who is owned by Stewart, has previously earned the championship this season as well.

“He’s such a great horse. He moves so well, and he’s a complete delight in the barn,” Stewart explained. “He’s gotten so easy, he’s nice. We have a great partnership together, and we know him so well that we know how to get him to the ring and keep him fresh, despite weeks of showing.” The reserve championship went to Tommy Serio and Game On, owned by Cherry Knoll Farm.

Champion in the Green Conformation Hunter division, sponsored by Equestrian Properties, was Scott Stewart on West Point. The Green and Regular Conformation divisions were combined because of the number of entries, and the pair nabbed the tricolor from Popeye K and Tommy Serio, who have earned all but two championships in the Regular Conformation Hunter divisions to date. Today, Serio and Popeye took the reserve championship.

In the 3 & 4 Year Old Pre-Green Hunter division, Ferrell was again victorious and brought home the championship aboard Prestwick. The pair has had success in the division throughout the season. Reserve champion was Stepped in Snow, ridden by Cookie Beck.

“He’s owned by Megan Fellows of Great Falls, Va,” Ferrell described. “He’s only 3 and a half, and I have to say he has so many brilliant qualities: He’s a brilliant mover, he’s quiet, he’s scopey. His jump, however, I don’t think is finished yet. He has yet to figure out what to do with those long legs and how to put it all together, but he has a fantastic attitude and great ring presence.”

She followed, “Luckily, we have the 3 & 4 Year Old division, so he was in there with horses kind of going through the same growing pains that he’s experiencing now. He had two weeks off and last week, he was a little all over the place in the ring. But, he came back this week and put it together and finished up being very good.”

In Section “A” of the Pre-Green Hunter 3’ division, Ken Smith piloted Significant to the championship, while Caroline Moran’s Sabantha Fortuna and Havens Schatt took the championship in Section “B.” The championship in the First Year Green division went to Scott Stewart aboard Ovation, while Winter Place and Cookie Beck took the reserve championship.

Hunter competition will resume tomorrow morning. The Adult Amateur Hunter divisions will have championships pinned in the Grand Hunter Field.

PHOTO CREDIT: Sandy Ferrell and Prestwick, 3&4 Year Old Pre-Green Hunter division champions. Photo ©2007 Randi Muster.