Fabulous Week for Karen Healey Stables at Oaks Blenheim Summer Classic II

San Juan Capistrano, CA- August 24- Karen Healey Stables had a very successful week at the Oaks Blenheim Summer Classic II during the week of August 17-21. Their wins came in the CPHA Medal Finals, the rated hunter divisions, and the jumper classics.

The CPHA Medal Finals were held this past week, and the junior medal included 63 riders. The winner was Lauren Hester and her solid grey equitation horse, K2. The 18 year old Hester rides as a 17 year old and is from Rancho Santa Fe, CA. She deferred her first semester at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, in order to focus on her riding and the various medal finals held this fall.

Hester came away with the clear win in the three-round medal class. “It was very hotly contested this year,” stated trainer Karen Healey. “She won the first round, and her accumulated scores were so high at the end that they did not need a work off. She rode absolutely beautifully.”

“I was kind of nervous,” Hester revealed, “but I figured by the third round that I was going to finish in the top ten, which was my goal. I had a great round, so I was really happy with that.” Hester’s mount, K2, competed after having several months off this summer. “Karen helped school him before the Final, and he felt amazing,” Hester acknowledged.

Hester feels that she and K2 are also ready to travel to the East Coast this fall to compete in the Pessoa/USEF Medal Finals and the Washington International Horse Show Equitation Classic Finals. They are also qualified for the ASPCA Maclay Regional and the USEF Talent Search West Coast Finals.

In sixth place in the CPHA Foundation Junior Medal Finals was Torie Immel and Ambassador, and ninth place was Karen Healey Stables newcomer Alexandra Conforti and her horse, The Graduate.

In the CPHA Senior Medal Finals, Kristi Siam and Carmelo were fourth. They also finished fourth in the Foxfield Medal. Yvette Lang-Einczig and LaVall pinned sixth. Tammy Chipko rode her Spruce Meadows winning young jumper, Good Time Charlie, to seventh place.

Lang-Einczig also rode Corland to second place in the Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic, while assistant trainer Kasey Ament piloted him to the championship in the First Year Green division. Ament and Corland won three classes and were second in the remaining two classes.

Jenny Karazissis and LRW Farm’s Touchstone continued their dominance in the rated hunter divisions as they picked up championships once again in the Second Year Green and Regular Working Hunter divisions. In the Second Year division, Touchstone won three classes and finished second and third in the other two classes. The fancy chestnut also won four out of five classes in the Regular Working division.

LRW Farm had another winner with Country Grammar and rider Mary Ann Weisberg-Perry, as they received the reserve championship in the Amateur-Owner 36 & Over division. Country Grammar won three classes and was second and fourth in the other two classes. Stephanie Mazer and Don Gregory won their third straight Low Amateur-Owner Hunter championship this week after they received three blue and two red ribbons.

At the Show Circuit Magazine/USEF National Junior Hunter West Coast Finals, Michelle Morris and Bergerac finished sixth overall in the Small Junior 15 & Under division. Morris also finished fourth in the Pessoa/USEF Medal class.

In addition to winning the CPHA Foundation Junior Medal Finals, Hester won the Equitation 15-17 over fences class, was second in the Eq. 15-17 under saddle and USEF Talent Search, and was fourth in the Washington International Horse Show Equitation Classic. Torie Immel was third in the USEF Talent Search, while Alexandra Conforti was third in the Pessoa/USEF Medal class.

Allison Lajoie was the most impressive in the jumper divisions for Karen Healey Stables. On Northstar, she finished second in the Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. In the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, she and Spa Sciences Lynas 2 finished third.

Karen Healey Stables will continue to show at the Showpark Summer Classic on August 24-28.

Photo Credit: Lauren Hester and K2. Photo copyright 2005 by JumpShot.