Traverse City, MI - Horse Shows by the Bay in Traverse City, MI, awarded its professional and junior hunter division champions today. Texas-based Peter Pletcher received the Ovation Leading Professional Hunter Rider Award and one of his students, Caroline Gibson, received the Ovation Leading Junior Hunter Rider Award. Pletcher, who has been almost unbeatable over Horse Shows by the Bay's three weeks, received three tricolors and two reserve championships today, not to mention the numerous ribbons won by his students.

The Ovation Leading Rider Awards, sponsored by English Riding Supply, are presented to the rider who has accumulated the most points over the past three weeks in their respective divisions. Each winner receives a $500 English Riding Supply gift certificate. Ovation Leading Rider Awards are also awarded in the jumper divisions.

Pletcher began the morning riding Mary Katherine Atkins' Beluga to the Pregreen Level 2 Tricolor. Christina Jason rode her Gauthier to the reserve. In the second division of the day, the Green Working Hunters, Pletcher earned champion and reserve on Shadyside Farm's Charity and Mary Jane Stone's Surella, respectively. Pletcher took home his third championship of the day on Leonardo, owned by Priscilla Flawn-Chopp, in the Regular Working Hunter division.

Pletcher acknowledged what a big role his staff has in the end result. "The horses were great, they were consistent each week. My staff is amazing, it is always nice to be able to get up, come to the horse show and know that the horses are going to be the same. I think a lot of that has to do with the help you have and a lot of times they get forgotten in this business," explained Pletcher.

Today the Green and Regular Conformation Hunters were combined. Tim Goguen rode Janet Read's Stroller to the division tricolor while Pletcher and Lynn Walsh's MacArthur Park earned the reserve championship. Goguen began showing Stroller in the conformation hunters at the Kentucky Spring horse shows earlier this year. "[Stroller] has just gotten better and better each show and then this show he really came together," Goguen said.

Pletcher earned the Grand Working Hunter tricolor on Leonardo while Goguen took home the Grand Conformation Hunter championship aboard Stroller. Another of Goguen's mounts, Boulevard Deir, owned by Janet Read, was awarded the Susan Wallace Memorial Trophy today.

Also today in the main hunter ring, the junior hunters awarded their champions. The 15 & Under Small Junior Hunters went first. Goguen's student, Ande Farish, won the tricolor aboard Town and Country. "I started riding him about a month ago at the Kentucky Spring horse shows, but this is the first time we've ever been champion," said Farish. Rachel DeGabrielle earned the reserve championship riding her Polina.

Because there were no 16-17 Small Junior Hunters, the 15 & Under Large Junior Hunters went next. Caroline Gibson rode Shadyside Farm's Primetime to the division tricolor. Gibson, who rides with Pletcher, also received the Ovation Leading Junior Hunter Rider Award. Katie Dinan guided her Allejandro to the division's reserve championship.

In the 16-17 Large Junior Hunters, Lisa Goldman rode her Ruben to the championship. Goldman bought Ruben from Kevin Babbington in January. "I was going to do him in the High Junior Jumpers but then we saw how good he jumped and decided to do him in the Junior Hunters," explained Goldman. Alysa Boan and Rio Savvy received the reserve championship.

Goldman and Ruben also received the Grand Junior Hunter tricolor.

Horse Shows by the Bay III continues tomorrow with the ASPCA Maclay and Pessoa/USEF Medal equitation classes.

For complete results, please visit www.horseshowing.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Pletcher riding MacArthur Park at Horse Shows by the Bay III. Photo (c) 2007 Randi Muster.