Heidi Fish secures a spot in the “Final Four” with WCHR Pro Challenge win

Upper Marlboro, MD – October 6, 2004 – Consistency is a rare trait to find in the future hunter division. Most young horses don’t have the experience necessary to lay down a number of good trips in a row. But Touché, a six year old from Germany, has the mind of a seasoned show hunter. The six-year-old gelding ridden by professional rider Ken Berkley of Flemington, NJ, dominated the six and over division winning all five classes. The pair then went on to top the two-round $26,200 Future Hunter World Championship at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Upper Marlboro, MD.

“He jumps great and moves great. And he’s got a great mind. He’s just gotten better and better,” said Berkley who found the young hunter a year and a half ago “in a backyard with a German man.” The brilliant mover and talented jumper has shown lightly but has never shown indoors prior to the Capital Challenge.

Berkley attributes his consistency to his mind as well as his way of going. Berkley said, “His gallop is so rhythmic and so elevated anyone could find a distance. He’s elastic in the body for a big horse. He rides like a little horse. A horse that is 17 hands doesn’t usually have that kind of buoyancy.”

Touché will move up to the first year green division next year and will also show in the amateur-hunter division with his owner, Marilou Case.

In addition to the championship with Touché, Berkley also picked up the reserve ribbon in the six and over division riding Rocker Bar, a horse owned and usually ridden by Scott Stewart. Berkley picked up the ride on Rocker Bar after Stewart broke his ankle during a fall on his regular working hunter Prove It. Stewart passed on nearly ten rides to Berkley in order for horses to finish out the show. The transition has been smooth with Berkley winning the green conformation champion riding Tribute.

There was a lot at stake for Heidi Fish in the evening class on Wednesday at the Capital Challenge. A goal for Fish this year was to qualify for the World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) Professional Finals class held on Friday evening, but Wednesday’s WCHR Pro Challenge class was the last opportunity to accumulate points. Although the Illinios resident stood in fourth going in the class Louise Serio was knocking at the door and a win for Serio could have pushed Fish out of the “Final Four” class.

The WCHR Pro Challenge is a two round class judged by a panel of five judges. The top twelve from the first round return for a second. The scores from both rounds are added together for the final score. Going into the second round Fish and her mount Vanity stood in seventh with an 86.76 and Serio led the class with an 88.20. Lucky for Fish she doesn’t keep track of points.

She said, “I don’t really keep track of points, I always try really hard but I just let things fall where they may. I tend to be an optimistic person by nature but the people behind me were great riders with great horses”

She added, “I knew I had to go for the win to assure myself of a spot on Friday. I wanted the last jump to be brilliant, gallop down there and fire and she did. She’s a dream to ride, really scopey. I don’t think you can ever make her jump a bad jump. I didn’t know if my score would hold but it did!”

Fish and Vanity scored an 87.4 and held the lead. When Serio left the ring everyone knew it would be close. But when Serio’s score of 85.55 flashed on the scoreboard, it was Fish who came out on top by 1/10th of a point.

“I wanted this so badly,” she said after an exuberant victory gallop on Vanity. “I’m 48 years old and this class really made me spark again. It was really exciting riding against these great riders!”

The Capital Challenge Horse Show runs through Sunday, October 10 and will showcase the nation’s best hunters and jumpers. Thursday’s schedule includes the World Champion Hunter Rider Amateur Owner Challenge and the $10,000 Devon Hill Motors Open Jumper Stake.

The $40,000 Ariat Congressional Cup Grand Prix is the highlight of the jumper action. Held at 7:30pm on Saturday, October 9 the FEI World Cup Qualifying class is a great opportunity to witness US Equestrian Team veterans tackle a demanding course. As always admission to the show is free and classes run in two rings throughout the day. Evening classes are held Tuesday through Saturday. Results, photos and the time schedule can be found on the Capital Challenge website: www.capitalchallenge.org . For more information on the Capital Challenge Horse Show call (301) 260-2467 prior to the show or (301) 952-7944 during the show.