61st Annual Buffalo International Horse Show Helps Riders Prepare for Indoor Show Circuit

Kacey McCann Finishes Seventh, Katherine Newman is Eighth at ASPCA Maclay Region 2 Qualifier

Buffalo, NY - The 61st Annual Buffalo International Horse Show (BIHS) will be held this year on September 19-23, 2007. The show features competition for hunters, jumpers and equitation in their ample and spacious indoor arena. The BIHS is the perfect opportunity for competitors and horses of all ages and experience to show in an indoor arena before this year's fall indoor show circuit.

At this past weekend's ASPCA Maclay Region 2 qualifier at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, NY, two riders under the tutelage of Jennifer Alfano of SBS Farms placed in the top ten. Kacey McCann of Palmyra, PA, placed seventh, while Katherine Newman of Wellington, FL, was eighth. Newman rides and trains out of her parents' farm, Allwyn Court, but SBS Farms and Alfano help her for the equitation.

SBS Farms is based at the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center (BTRC), which hosts the BIHS. Alfano, along with Susie Schoellkopf, train at BTRC and use their home show to prepare many of their student and mounts for "indoors."

The indoor arena at BTRC is 250 by 190 feet long. It has an indoor schooling area, along with a show ring of fully decorated jumps and boxes of seats along one long side. It is similar to other indoor rings and gives horses more experience dealing with activity so close to the show ring.

"We really use our show in Buffalo to prepare our younger horses for indoors," said Schoellkopf. "The First Year horses have never shown indoors, and it is quite a change from being outside. Here, they have a familiar environment but in a different situation - that of competition. It gets their attention and keeps them focused. I think that carries over into the next indoor finals shows."

"Junior riders like Kacey and Katherine have plenty of show experience, but this gives them that added confidence boost right before they go to indoors," she went on to say. "It really is a great low-pressure situation and is a lot of fun."

If you would like to give your horse or rider more experience at an 'AA' rated indoor show in a relaxed environment, stalls are still available for this year's show. Please contact Susie Schoellkopf at becandbtrc@aol.com or call 716-877-9295 for more information. Prize lists and additional information are available online at www.thebtrc.org.

Photo Credit: Top junior rider Kacey McCann prepares for the fall indoor show circuit at the Buffalo International Horse Show. Photo (C) 2007 Randi Muster.