Samantha Schaffer Cleans Up In Junior Hunters At Tampa Equestrian Festival

Tampa, FL - The Small and Large Jr. Hunters were up early and ready to ride it out for top honors to bring their respective divisions to a close in the second week of the Tampa Equestrian Festival.

The riders not only had to compete against each other today, but also with the boom of stereos that belong to the Low Rider Car competition taking place directly behind the hedges of the hunter ring. While distracting, is did not seem to bother the horses much. 

Both champion and reserve champion in the Small Jr. Hunter division belonged to one rider, Samantha Schaffer. She carried over her success from yesterday.. Schaffer of Westminster, MD collected a champion ribbon aboard her own horse, Monroe and the reserve champion riding Mister Maryland, owned by Charlotte Fetridge of Potomac, MD. 

"I kind of go a little crazy in the handy hunter, sometimes it gets me into trouble, but it worked out OK," said Schaffer. "I was able to hand gallop the long run oxer and I took the inside turn to the two stride; I know all my horses are really good with that."

The Large Jr. Hunters also finished up their division with a hunter and handy hunter class.  Samantha Schaffer was not only champion in the Small Jr. Hunters, but the Large Jr. Hunter division as well with D'Atragnan, owned by Equine Dreams of Ft. Salogna, NY. The reserve champion award went to owner/rider Hasbrouck Donovan of Gainesville, FL and her horse Eastwood. "It has been great," Schaffer said. "All the horses I rode have been just great."

Samantha did not just keep her wins contained to the hunter ring. She also was the winner of the USET Talent Search earlier this morning in the equitation ring.

The Tampa Equestrian Festival runs from March 19-April 6, 2008. Competition for the Tampa Bay Classic continues through Sunday, March 30. The highlight class for hunters at the Tampa Equestrian Festival is the $20,000 ASG Software Solutions USHJA International Hunter Derby. The class will host a "Tradition, Tailgate, Top Hot, and Tails" party and will be held on Sunday, April 6, at 1 p.m. at Wrenwood Farm in Naples, FL.

For more information on the Tampa Equestrian Festival, please visit www.stadiumjumping.com.

Photo Credit: Samantha Schaffer with Monroe champion in Small Jr. Hunters. (C) 2008 Jenny Underwood/PMG.