Sara Green is Victorious in the 2007 ASPCA Maclay Region 3 Championship

Green Cove Springs, FL­It was an exciting weekend for Sara Green as she and her horse Why Not Jack bested 54 of the region’s top competitors to capture the ASPCA Maclay Regional Championship (Region 3, the Southeast), held during final weekend of the 2007 North Florida Hunter Jumper Association’s Labor Day Horse Show. This was the first time the prestigious Region 3 Championship was held at the Agricultural Center in Green Cove Springs, Fl.

“He’s perfect!  We get along so well,” said Green of her mount, who is known around the barn as just “Jack”.  The 16-year-old rider, who makes her home in Sherborn, MA., and trains with Christina Schlusemeyer and Bob Braswell of Ocala, Fl., has been teamed with Jack for two years. Green described the 12-fence course, designed by Allen Rheinheimer as “hard! But it should be.” The exuberant Green added that her win was totally unexpected. “Honestly, I was just hoping to qualify for the [MaclayFinals] in Syracuse,” she laughed.

Second place went to Taylor Adams of Ocala, Fl, aboard Mary Kate Hassett’s Lulu. In third place was Paulena Johnson of Bristol, VA. aboard the Paulexi, LLC-owned Cornetto, while Emily Gardner of Tallahassee, FL., landed in fourth with the Kelsey Buchanan-owned Almost Famous. All three riders are trained by Don Stewart.

Of the 54 contenders in the first round of the Maclay, 31 were called back by judges Sandra Brown, Penny Wahler, Archie Cox, and Rob Gage to move into the “flat phase.”  Upon completion of the flat phase, the judges then called back only four horse and rider teams for the “work off.” This final test had the teams hand gallop to the course’s fence 12, counter canter to fence 5, a canter to fence 6, halt, and then return to the lineup at a sitting trot.

At the conclusion of the class awards were presented by Tony Weight, president of the North Florida Hunter Jumper Association and Bob Bell, President of the Classic Company, which managed the Labor Day Show. “It was wonderful to be able to hold the regional at this facility,” said Weight following the presentation. “The covered arena was the perfect setting and it was a great challenge for the competitors.”

The 2007 Maclay National Championship for the ASPCA Horsemanship Classes will be held on November 2nd and 3rd at the Syracuse Invitational Horse Show

REGION 3 TOP 15 RESULTS

Why Not Jack - Sara Green
Lulu - Taylor Adams
Cornetto - Paulena Johnson
Almost Famous - Emily Gardner
Let’s Go M - Catherine Pasmore
Borealus - Katherine Dinan
Bentley - Faye Keegan
Wimbledon - Claudia Billups
Pia - Taylor Kain
The General - Molly Braswell
Cotton Eye Joe - Jessica Tindley
Guiness - Megan Fellows
Sag Harbor’s Lucky Star - Paige Dekko
Pacific D - Kaleigh Senesac
Dahlila - Chasen Boggio 

Photo Credit: Sara Green and Why Not Jack ©Flashpoint Photography