Indian Summer and Holly Caristo are Undefeated in Adult Amateurs at Winter Equestrian Festival

Wellington, FL- March 11, 2005 - The sunshine returned for a beautiful day at the CN Finale week of the Winter Equestrian Festival, but it’s brilliance paled in comparison to the achievement that Indian Summer and Holly Caristo attained today.

The graceful chestnut gelding won his sixth championship of the Winter Equestrian Festival and his eighth tricolor in a row. Indian Summer also won 15 out of 28 classes this season. The pair are leaps and bounds ahead of their competitors in the race for the WEF Circuit Championship. Caristo said they will not show in Tampa, and mentioned, “I promised him I was done until May now. Hopefully, we’ll be in the Parade of Champions!”

Indian Summer had his best week in the CN Finale, winning all four classes. The reserve championship went to Just Harry and Debbie Bass, who rode for the Maypine Farm. Caristo divulged, “He’s been a great horse and I’m glad he’s finally done.” There was no change from week one to week seven, said Caristo, and “he sort of goes the same way every time.”

Caristo was full of praise for her incredible partner, and said, “He just waits for you to tell him whatever you want him to do. He’s very responsive when you ask him to do something. I’m just lucky and thrilled that he’s so consistent.” She also added, “He’s like a dream to ride, and today was just a perfect ending.”

Today was the final opportunity for junior riders to qualify for tomorrow’s WEF Equitation Championship for the R.W. “Ronnie” Mutch trophy. Only two new names will be added to the list, as Michael Delfiandra won Section A of the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class and Callie Leone got the top call in Section A of the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search.

The R.W. “Ronnie” Mutch Scholarship winner, Cathy Rolfs, placed eighth in Section A of the ASPCA Maclay today and had scores of 80 in both the hunter and jumper phases of the WIHS Equitation Classic. Zazou Hoffman, the R.W. “Ronnie” Mutch Working Student winner, placed ninth in the ASPCA Maclay and also received a score of 80 in the hunter phase of the WIHS Equitation Classic. Both girls were graciously loaned wonderful horses to compete on. Rolfs rode Aristocrat, who is owned by Paul Valliere, while Hoffman rode Missy Clark’s Long Island.

The final list for the WEF Equitation Championship for the R.W. “Ronnie” Mutch trophy is:

• Addison Phillips
• Blythe Marano
• Brianne Goutal
• Caitlin Donovan
• Cordelia Allsopp
• Dominique Mungin
• Haylie Jayne
• Heather Dobbs
• Jack Hardin Towell Jr.
• Jessica Gaeta
• Jessica Speiser
• Josephine Nash
• Julia Shand
• Julie Welles
• Maggie McAlary
• Maria Schaub
• Natalie Johnson
• Nikko Ritter
• Sloane Coles
• Whitney Weeks
• Michael Delfiandra
• Callie Leone

The hunters have a full day of competition tomorrow with the Pony Hunters, Junior Hunters and the Amateur-Owners 36 & Over starting their classes, while the Amateur-Owner 18-35 Hunters will be awarded championship honors.

Photo Credit: Indian Summer and Holly Caristo, champions in Adult Amateur Hunters every week at Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo by Randi Muster.