Cardozo Kicks Off Hunter Career with Evan Coluccio at Kentucky Summer Classic

Lexington, KY - June 29, 2014 - Cardozo just became a hunter three days ago, but today at the Kentucky Summer Classic he showed signs of a promising future ahead in his new found division. Evan Coluccio guided the 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood through his first hunter courses and to his first blue ribbon hunter win today in the High Performance Hunters at the Kentucky Horse Park.

"Today was his very first day ever doing hunters," Coluccio said. "I was very proud of him. We did the Second Years as a bit of practice and to kind of work out kinks and get to know him a little. Literally, he just came to us [at Lane Change Farm] this weekend. He belongs to Ronnie Beard and Michael Dorman. He was a jumper. I think he was doing 1.30m classes."

Coluccio continued, "They thought he was a little quiet for the jumpers, and he's so careful and tries so hard that they thought maybe he would be better in this ring. He still has some parts to learn, but I think he's going to be a natural at it."

Cardozo seemed to improve with every trip today in the Stonelea Ring, picking up both a third and first place finish in the High Performance Hunters. With his strong performances today, Coluccio is optimistic for what is to come for the gelding.

"He wants to be so easy. Once he understands the job, he's going to be really great," Coluccio said. "He never really made any major mistakes today. I think he's going to be quite good at the derbies too. That's our main goal for him; to let him do some of those."

Besting Cardozo for the win in the second High Performance Hunter division was one of his new barn mates, Enticement. After several weeks off, the 6-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare came back to the show ring last week with Kelley Farmer in the First Year Green and Green Conformation Hunters, and this week the pair shot to the top of the leader board in the High Performance Hunters.

Following the mare's success last week, Farmer is contemplating pointing her at the upcoming USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals, to be held August 14-16, 2014.

"I'm going to hold out on her entry for as long as possible. I want to be fair to her, but right now it's looking like it," Farmer said of competing Enticement in the Derby Finals. "She can definitely jump it, but she's only 6-years-old. I don't want to push her too hard, but we'll see how she is doing."

If today was any indication, she seems to be doing quite well. In addition to her win in the second over fences class, Enticement finished second behind Cardozo in the first class.

In the Second Year Green Hunters, Christopher Payne and Susan Moriconi's Channing continue to be a dominating force. The duo has been extremely competitive in the division throughout both the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows and the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows, and today they added another first and second place ribbon to their string of division accolades.

Besting Channing in the second over fences class of the division were Tim Goguen and Character, owned by Belhaven Stables, LLC. Both mounts will return tomorrow to via for the championship in the conclusion of the Second Year Green Hunter division at the Kentucky Summer Classic.

All professional hunter divisions conclude tomorrow with classes beginning at 8 a.m. In addition to offering a full range of competitive hunter divisions, the Kentucky Summer Classic features the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby on Saturday, August 2.

To learn more about the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.