Colleen Acosta and Limbo

Parker, CO – June 11, 2014 – The Colorado Horse Park launched Summer in the Rockies II at the Olson Family Main Hunter Ring today with the Second Year/High Performance Working Hunters, the Performance 3’6″ Hunters, and the Performance 3’3″ Hunters. The current leaders in all three divisions are high level professionals who are preparing their mounts for amateurs later in the week. Starting off the morning were Colleen Acosta and Limbo in the Second Year/High Performance Working Hunters. This pair won both classes that were run today: the over fences class and the handy. Acosta rides Limbo for his owner Sophia Depumpo. Depumpo shows him in the Junior Hunters and last week was awarded reserve champion. According to Acosta, Limbo can be a little looky towards the beginning of the week, so sometimes she will show him in the Second Year Green Hunters to set him up. Depumpo plans to show Limbo in the Junior Hunters again this week and try for similar results. “She has had great success with him in the Junior Hunters,” said Acosta. “They’re actually first in the country right now. She will keep doing him for much longer.” The 11-year-old gelding is pleasing to watch in the ring and a pleasure to have at Acosta’s Showtime Farms. “I feel like he is set up to do just as well again,” said Acosta. “He has a great canter, a great personality, and he’s just truly steady. He jumps great and doesn’t really have any bad qualities. Very solid, very steady, very consistent. Sophia has had a lot of great success with him. I’ve been very lucky to have him at my barn.” The Performance 3’6″ Hunters also kicked off today. Reigning champions Sarah Rice and McGraw of Pine Hollow Farm are mirroring those same great results so far. McGraw, owned by Kimberley Quinn, won the blue in both the over fences class and the hack and was second in the handy. Rice thinks that McGraw loved his time off and trail rides after Summer in the Rockies I and is ready to come back and do it all again. In addition to Rice’s rides, this week McGraw will have his Summer in the Rockies Junior Hunter debut with lessor Katie McDonnell.

Sarah Rice and McGraw

Rice has faith that McGraw will be highly successful in the Junior Hunters and that her work with him in the Performance 3’6″ Hunters will pay off. “He is a good division horse,” said Rice. “He doesn’t get tired and slow by the weekends. He likes the job in his Performance and Junior divisions.”

Rice, who coaches McDonnell with Will Roberts, enjoys teaching on McGraw just as much as she enjoys riding him. She also has great confidence in him as she hands off the reins to McDonnell. “He is exactly to teach on like he is to ride,” said Rice. “There’s no hidden tricks – he is very straightforward that way. She did the juniors last year and went to indoors for the Pessoa/USEF Medal Finals so she’s got a good idea of what she needs to do to win in the hunter ring. She just really enjoys riding this horse.” Rice also won the First Year Green Hunter over fences class that ran today on Falcon Ridge Stables’ La Roxx. In the Performance 3’3″ Division, last week’s reserve champions are starting off well in the division once again, leading the way after the first day. Will Roberts and Chicago of Pine Hollow Farm won their over fences and handy rounds and received third place in the hack. The 11-year-old Rhinelander gelding was sold to current owner TeriAnn Miller from Roberts. Miller has been showing him since 2010. The Performance 3’3″ Hunter division serves as schooling and preparation for Miller, who will show in the Amateur Owner Hunters this week. “It was nice to sell him within the barn,” said Roberts. “He has been a great horse for TeriAnn Miller.”

Will Roberts and Chicago

Roberts, who knows Chicago inside and out, thinks that the Performance 3’3″ Hunters will set him up to be consistent and dependable in the Amateur Owner Hunters later this week. He also has high praise of the Colorado Horse Park. After not visiting the venue for a few years, he was pleasantly surprised by changes. “It’s very nice to come back and see the footing, which is a huge improvement,” said Roberts. “They’ve certainly put a lot of time and money into it, and it looks great.” Tomorrow, the Second Year/High Performance Hunters will finish up with their hack and two classes over fences. The Performance 3’3″ and 3’6″ Hunter divisions will run two classes over fences to conclude. Click here for full results from Wednesday. Visit the Colorado Horse Park’s website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout Summer in the Rockies II. Results: Summer in the Rockies II – Wednesday, June 11(Number/Horse/Owner/Rider)2nd Yr/High Perf Working Hunter O/F1. 508/Limbo/Sophia Depumpo/Colleen Acosta2. 573/CR Explosive/Katie Crone/Katie Crone3. 722/Chaleon/Crooked Willow Farms/Jami Jensen4. 736/City Boy/Janey Belozer/Megan Jordan 2nd Yr/High Perf Working Hunter Handy1. 508/Limbo/Sophia Depumpo/Colleen Acosta2. 722/Chaleon/Crooked Willow Farms/Jami Jensen3. 573/CR Explosive/Katie Crone/Katie Crone Performance 3’6 Hunter O/F1. 818/McGraw/Kimberley Quinn/Sarah Rice2. 931/Olivia/Heidi Schmutz/Ashley Keeler3. 829/Harlu/Laurie Brants/Mickie Sage4. 810/Simone/Catherine Schoelzel/Jennifer Rhodes5. 880/Baloubet K/Roderick Kyle Dewar/Katey Kozeny6. 519/Sir Rio/Chelsea Magness/Stacey Swink7. 969/Premonition/Lindsay Gersoff/Lindsay Gersoff8. 970/Rocket Man/Lindsay Gersoff/Lindsay Gersoff9. 607/Arthur/Brooke Weiss/Brooke Weiss   Performance 3’6 Hunter Handy1. 819/Viceroy/Bethany Bolen/Will Roberts2. 818/McGraw/Kimberley Quinn/Sarah Rice3. 931/Olivia/Heidi Schmutz/Ashley Keeler4. 519/Sir Rio/Chelsea Magness/Stacey Swink5. 829/Harlu/Laurie Brants/Mickie Sage6. 607/Arthur/Brooke Weiss/Brooke Weiss7. 828/Lago W/Steve Lockton/Mickie Sage8. 810/Simone/Catherine Schoelzel/Jennifer Rhodes Performance 3’6 Hunter U/S1. 818/McGraw/Kimberley Quinn/Sarah Rice2. 607/Arthur/Brooke Weiss/Brooke Weiss3. 810/Simone/Catherine Schoelzel/Jennifer Rhodes4. 829/Harlu/Laurie Brants/Mickie Sage5. 880/Baloubet K/Roderick Kyle Dewar/ Katey Kozeny Performance 3’3″ O/F1. 814/Chicago/TeriAnn Miller/Will Roberts/2. 507/INXS/Grace Albritton/Colleen Acosta/3. 738/Rio’s Firefly/Christen Tuxworth/Laurie Jueneman/4. 559/Hyde Park/Dara Fuller/Dara Fuller5. 820/Storyline/Lindsey Roberts/Will Roberts/6. 667/Chelios/Shannan Gossman/Shannan Gossman7. 995/Estes Park/Arden Mc Reynolds/Arden Mc Reynolds8. 808/Duet/Lisa Philpott/Jennifer Rhodes Performance 3’3″ Hunter Handy1. 814/Chicago/TeriAnn Miller/Will Roberts2. 820/Storyline/Lindsey Roberts/Will Roberts3. 559/Hyde Park/Dara Fuller/Dara Fuller4. 507/INXS/Grace Albritton/Colleen Acosta5. 667/Chelios/Shannan Gossman/Shannan Gossman6. 618/Sir Topham Hat/The Cottonwoods Ltd/Mark Mead7. 808/Duet/Lisa Philpott/Jennifer Rhodes8. 903/Divali/Joe Nash/Amy White Performance 3’3″ Hunter U/S1. 667/Chelios/Shannan Gossman/Shannan Gossman2. 507/INXS/Grace Albritton/Colleen Acosta3. 814/Chicago/TeriAnn Miller/Will Roberts4. 820/Storyline/Lindsey Roberts/Will Roberts5. 640/Stanwick/Tarah Wolf/Tarah Wolf6. 903/Divali/Joe Nash/Amy White7. 749/Wagner/Annabelle Regan/Kelly Lorek8. 600/Ddominicc/Anna Corley/Anna Corley Green 1st Year Hunter- 3’6″1. 949/La Roxx/Falcon Ridge Stables/Sarah Rice2. 663/Shenanigans/Lexi Mulkey/Megan Ghere3. 557/Callucci/KNW Farms LLC/Courtney Calcagnini4. 558/Elementary/Fleur De Lis Farms/Courtney Calcagnini5. 966/Argonaut/Elizabeth Hund/Ashley Keeler6. 605/Wesley/Haley Fleming/Meghan Felts7. 860/Durgin Park/Henri Hall/Sarah Invicta Williams8. 853/Samarkand/NTM Enterprises/Paul Rohrbach

Green 1st Year -3’6 -Handy1. 558/Elementary/Fleur De Lis Farms/Courtney Calcagnini2. 853/Samarkand/NTM Enterprises/Paul Rohrbach3. 557/Callucci/KNW Farms LLC/Courtney Calcagnini4. 605/Wesley/Haley Fleming/Meghan Felts5. 860/Durgin Park/Henri Hall/Sarah Invicta Williams6. 663/Shenanigans/Lexi Mulkey/Megan Ghere7. 949/La Roxx/Falcon Ridge Stables/Sarah Rice Green 1st Year Htr U/S1. 605/Wesley/Haley Fleming/Meghan Felts2. 949/La Roxx/Falcon Ridge Stables/Sarah Rice3. 860/Durgin Park/Henri Hall/Sarah Invicta Williams4. 966/Argonaut/Elizabeth Hund/Ashley Keeler5. 557/Callucci/KNW Farms LLC/Courtney Calcagnini6. 853/Samarkand/NTM Enterprises/Paul Rohrbach7. 663/Shenanigans/Lexi Mulkey/Megan Ghere8. 558/Elementary/Fleur De Lis Farms/Courtney Calcagnini