AHJA Year End Awards Banquet

Saturday night, January 6th, the Alabama Hunter Jumper Association held its annual Awards Banquet at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook. Nearly 300 members of the AHJA gathered to celebrate all the hard-won successes of the 2017 show year. Awards were presented for every recognized AHJA division, honoring those competitors who were in the top 6 or top 10 for points accumulated during the show year. The Fox Lake Farm crew had plenty of opportunities to cheer throughout the banquet, as many of our riders were presented with an award! 

The Fox Lake Farm crew clean up nicely!

To start off the night, Brynn Smith received tied 9th place awards for helping pilot both Whispering Hill and Pixie Stix in the Walk Trot 9 & Under Hunter Division. Brynn also received a 9th place ribbon for Walk Trot 9 & Under Equitation.

Brynn posing with her Walk Trot awards!

Hannah Banks and Elliott ended a very competitive year of showing with 7th place in the Crosspole Hunter division. Hannah was also Reserve Champion in the Crosspole Equitation division. Bates Moody and Kaelin Taylor also ribboned in the Crosspole Equitation division, with Bates taking home the 8th place award aboard Roxie and Kaelin receiving the 10th award aboard Noah.

Our three Short Stirrup riders had a very successful night at the banquet. Emma Grace Early and Best Kept Secret took 3rd place overall in both the Short Stirrup Hunter and Equitation divisions. Julia McAdam and Cup of Joe were 4th in the Hunters and Reserve Champion in the Equitation, and Sarah Carson Hill and Mr. Congeniality finished out the year at 7th place in the Hunters and 8th in the Equitation. 

We are so proud of what Emma Grace Early, Sarah Carson Hill, and Julia McAdam accomplished this year!

Our three Long Stirrup riders were also recognized for their accomplishments. Paloma Caine and Capito were Reserve Champion in the Long Stirrup Hunters, and 3rd in the Long Stirrup Equitation. Ann Clair Walton and Gabriel picked up a 4th place award for the Hunters, and 5th for the Equitation. Sydney Velazquez and Requested took 8th place in the Hunters and 4th in the Equitation. 

Paloma and her mother Michelle posing with Paloma's Long Stirrup awards.

In the Pre-Child/Adult Hunter division, Campbell Swanner and All That were 5th overall. Campbell also took home the Reserve Champion ribbon for the Pre-Child/Adult Equitation. Lauren Velazquez and Lillian Reynolds finished 8th and 9th in the Pre-Child Adult Equitation as well. 

Kate Knowles and Kingsley made a clean sweep of the Children's Hunter and Equitation divisions, receiving both Champion ribbons! Kate also received two perpetual trophies for her successes in the Children's divisions. 

Clayton Mullis and Cruze received ribbons in several hunter and jumper divisions, taking 3rd in the Children's Hunter and Equitation, 4th in the .95 jumpers, and 5th in the 1.00 jumpers. 

Ribbons galore for Clayton Mullis, Kate Knowles, and Campbell Swanner!

Mimi Colette Frei and Mariano placed 6th in the Children's Pony Hunter division and 7th in the Children's Pony Equitation.

Our own Amy Knowles, who works tirelessly as both a horse show mom to her daughter Kate and as the head of the Fox Lake Farm lesson program, received the Outstanding Parent Award, which was voted upon at the start of the banquet. Kate nominated Amy on the basis of Amy's dedicated work in creating better horsemen, riders, and well-rounded individuals both in and out of the barn. We are so proud to have Amy as part of the Fox Lake Farm team. 

Amy and Kate posing with Amy's Outstanding Parent Award. 

Fox Lake Farm also won an award which was voted upon at the start of the banquet: Best Horse Show. Our AHJA recognized hunter show is held every year in May and is only made possible by the hard work of all the Fox Lake staff and several dedicated clients. However, one person in particular is to thank for her efforts in making each show better than the last: Guerry Force, Fox Lake Farm's Barn Manager. Guerry received the award on behalf of Fox Lake Farm. 

Guerry accepting the Best Horse Show trophy.

This past year was one of Fox Lake Farm's most successful show years to date. It was gratifying to see all of the hard work our riders have dedicated to this sport over the past year pay off in such a grand way. Each and every one of them deserves commendation for the improvements they made this year, not just as riders but as young horsemen as well. We hope they carry what life lessons they learn from us out into any other endeavors they may pursue. Thank you all for a spectacular year; we can't wait to do it all again in 2018! 

We'd like to thank Ellen Blalock and Morgan Hurd for their excellent job in putting together this year's banquet.

Click through the gallery below to check out more photos from the banquet! Huge thanks to Madison Massey and Michael Gibbens for the photographs. 

-Carlyle Brown

Welcoming Wonderland and Benlea Rain Dancer!

There are lots of new mounts at Fox Lake Farm this year as our girls all prepare to move up to new divisions! We'd like to welcome two more horses to the barn family: Wonderland, aka "Wonder," and Benlea Rain Dancer, aka "Stormy." 

We want to congratulate Emma Grace Early and her family on her lease of Wonder! Emma Grace spent 2017 showing in the Short Stirrup division and is ready to move up to the Pre-Children's hunters. 

Emma Grace and Wonder. Photo credits to Heather Swanner.

Congratulations are also in order for Sarah Carson and the Hill family on their purchase of Stormy! Sarah Carson also spent the past year in Short Stirrup and is moving up to the Large Children's Pony division this year! 

Sarah Carson and Stormy. Photo credits to Heather Swanner. 

We think these two new pairs will have plenty to learn and lots of success in this new year! 

-Carlyle Brown

Fox Lake Farm Riders Receive Zone 4 Awards

Fox Lake Farm is pleased to announce that two of our riders have topped the year end standings for Zone 4. Under the USHJA, Zone 4 includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina, so suffice to say these girls had a very successful year of competition!

Katie Habeeb and her mount Simply Red are the Children's Hunters 15-17 Champions for 2017. Habeeb began her partnership with Simply Red, aka "Cinco," in 2015. The pair has attended shows all over the country together, including the Washington International Horse Show and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. 

Katie and Cinco accrued a grand total of 1176.95 points in the 2017 competition year over the course of 17 shows. 

Katie's all smiles after a course with Cinco in the Children's Hunters. Photo credits to Alison Hartwell.

Hagen Blackwell and her medium pony Footsteps also received honors this year for Zone 4, taking the Reserve Champion Medium Pony Hunter title. This year was Hagen's first full competition year with Footsteps, or "Butter" as she's known at home. Hagen and Butter also qualified for the Washington International Horse Show and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. The pair laid down some successful courses in their first indoors trip together. 

Hagen and Butter's grand point total for the year is 2482.7 over the course of 23 competitions. Hagen and Butter will take on the Medium Pony Hunters again in 2018, certainly to much success! 

Hagen giving Butter some love at Brownland Farm in Franklin, TN. Photo credits to Madison Massey. 

We are so proud of all of our riders and horses this year, and we cannot wait to see what successes 2018 brings! 

-Carlyle Brown

Introducing Michael Allen

The Fox Lake Farm team is thrilled to officially welcome Michael Allen! Michael has been a lifelong horseman, and has spent the past five years in Scottsdale, Arizona at Smoke Tree Ranch as a professional rider and trainer with much success. Michael has experience in both the hunter and the jumper rings. In his last position, he was the reserve champion World Championship Hunter Rider in 2017 for the Mountain/Southwest Region. Under his tutelage, many of his clients and horses have received High Point standings for Zone 8 as well. He also has several National and International Hunter Derby wins and placings under his belt. We are so excited for him to share his wealth of knowledge with us! All of our clients have much to learn from him. Welcome to the team!

-Carlyle Brown

Welcome to Fox Lake!

We would like to welcome Campbell Swanner's new mount THS Pia-Lena to Fox Lake Farm. We are excited for Campbell and Pia to tackle 2018 together!

Congratulations Velazquez Family

We are so excited for the two Velazquez girls on their new mounts!

Sydney Velazquez will pilot Double Dutch in 2018 and Lauren Velazquez has a new partner in Caredan Z. 

Good Luck Girls!

Thank you Heather Swanner Photography for the wonderful pictures. 

Brownland Fall I & II

The Fox Lake Farm team returned on Sunday from two weeks in Franklin, TN at Brownland Farm. Brownland is one of Fox Lake Farm's favorite shows to attend during the year, and our clients are always excited to go for the beautiful facilities, the well-run show, and the proximity to charming Franklin and of course, Nashville. 

Both weeks of the show brought successes to our horses and riders. Fox Lake Farm rider Chaz Harpman had stellar trips in the Brownland Farm Hunter Derby, taking 5th place with Romney Velazquez's A Timely Affair, 6th with Annie LaRussa's Escalido, and 9th with Katie Habeeb's Simply Red.

Madison Massey and her own "Smithwick" added to the weekend's successes by taking Reserve Champion honors in the Low Children's Jumpers. This was Massey's first show back on Smithwick after spending much of 2017 showing a leased mount, Captain Dukato. The results of the weekend far exceeded her expectations. Initially, she hoped to get around smoothly and have solid trips: "my goal was to just go into the ring and ride the track that would benefit Smithwick best, and keep him relaxed and confident. Also, with me not riding everyday I just wanted to give Smithwick the best ride I could."

Massey and Smithwick accomplished more than just executing solid rounds--they were highly competitive. Once she entered the show ring, Massey knew that Smithwick had brought his A-game. "Smithwick was willing to do anything I asked of him, from making a little bit of a risky inside turn, to opening up and leaving out a stride if need be. I would say Smithwick's entire perspective on the show was to please me by doing what I asked. We even won a couple of classes, which I haven’t done in a while because my other horse was kind of slow, so it felt nice to be back in the winner's circle."

Massey recently started her freshman year at The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. She's managed to find time to balance her school work and her riding life. Her whole life, her parents have emphasized the importance of her schoolwork. She sticks with that mindset: "My parents say 'school work first' and so that is what I do, so I can keep riding and horse showing as much as I can. I try to get ahead with my work when I can because I would much rather spend my weekends at the barn than doing homework." The Fox Lake Farm team is so proud of Madison Massey's accomplishments both in and out of the barn. 

Clayton Mullis continued with Madison's winning ways in the Low Children's Jumpers during the second week of Brownland. She piloted her own "Cruze" to Reserve Champion honors. The timing was perfect, as it also happened to be Mullis's birthday weekend. She had the chance to celebrate her 15th birthday with everyone from Fox Lake Farm at one of her favorite shows. 

Throughout the course of the two weeks, Annie LaRussa had strong efforts with good ribbons in the Children's Hunters on Escalido, and Hagen Blackwell left with blue ribbons from her rounds in the Medium Pony Hunters on Footsteps and the Large Pony Hunters on Hey Scooby. Cynthia Hallman and Fig Street's Duchess had great trips in the Adult Amateur Hunters during the second week of showing, placing 2nd in two trips in good company. Fig Street's Duchess was also 6th in the Brownland Farm Hunter Derby with Chaz Harpman that same week. We can't wait to return to Brownland in October!

-Carlyle Brown

Fig Street's Duchess Rises to the Occasion at Derby Finals

As summer draws to an end, we here at Fox Lake Farm have spent some time reflecting upon all of the experiences we had this season. There were countless successes and ample learning opportunities for us all. This summer was certainly a time for celebration for Cynthia Hallman, owner of Fig Street’s Duchess. Fig Street’s Duchess, or “Gracie” as she’s called at home, took 4th place with Holly Shepherd in the $10,000 Derby Challenge at the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship in August. This was Gracie’s first trip to the Derby Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park, an exciting conclusion to her first year of consistently competing in the International Hunter Derby classes.

Hallman purchased Gracie, a Hanoverian mare by Don Principe out of Comtessa, as a three year old and has had the pleasurable experience of witnessing her young horse develop at Fox Lake Farm over the past four years. With this being Gracie’s first trip to the Finals, Hallman’s expectations were modest: “My hope, going into the Finals, was for Gracie to have a positive experience on a national stage and establish herself within the International Hunter Derby community.  I just wanted her to have positive, consistent rounds.” With Holly Shepherd’s guidance in the saddle, Gracie rose to the occasion.

Gracie and Shepherd jumped to a total score of 243.00 in the Classic Round of the Finals on Friday, August 18th, putting them in the 38th spot. They would go on to compete the following day in the $10,000 Derby Challenge. Hallman’s favorite moment of the Finals came that Saturday the 19th, as Shepherd and Gracie executed the Derby Challenge Round, a course designed to test each horse’s handiness. Gracie was in her element—Hallman remarks, “to receive 9 out of 10 possible bonus points for handiness from each of the judging panels was beyond my expectations.” The bonus points were smartly rewarded—Shepherd executed four strides in the first line of the course, which nearly no other horse and rider pair attempted.  They also successfully navigated all four high fence options offered. The pair received a total score of 284.00, securing them a 4th place finish.

This year’s Derby Finals fulfilled a long-held dream of Hallman’s, who has aspired to have a horse of her own attend the event since its inception in 2009. “I watched John French and Rumba lay down breath-taking course after course in Southern California then perform flawlessly in the Finals and thought how amazing it would be to own such a horse. Now I do!”

Gracie’s success is the culmination of both Hallman and the Fox Lake Farm team’s hard work, and Hallman is quick to give credit to Allison Black, Mark Tompkins, Guerry Force, and Chaz Harpman: “They mapped out the perfect program for Gracie – from the types of schooling she received at home, to the shows at which she showed leading up to August, to her chiropractic, massage and TheraPlate sessions – which set her up perfectly for the Finals.  They see Gracie as the individual she is and created the perfect custom program to meet her needs.  I couldn’t be more grateful!”

When asked to summarize the experience, Hallman says, “The Derby Finals were everything I hoped they would be.  My mare was relaxed, happy and competitive!  The weather was wonderful, and the courses were big and interesting.  And, most importantly, I was able to share the experience with Allison [Black], my mother, my sister and two of my dearest friends.” We wish Gracie and Cynthia continued success together in the Adult Amateur Hunters, and are excited to see what the future brings for Gracie in the Derby ring.

Photo credits to Zelda Hallman

-Carlyle Brown

Atlanta Summerfest II & III

The Fox Lake Farm Team has just returned from two exciting weeks at Atlanta Summerfest II & III in Fairburn, Georgia!

At week II, Romney Velazquez took reserve champion honors in the Pre-Adult Hunters on her new mount A Timely Affair. Anna Hymer and her own Cinsational received reserve champion honors in the Amateur/Owner 3'3 division. Keri Rankin and Abby Beaty's Third Day won every over fences class, including the classic, in the Adult Amateur 35+ Hunters and took champion honors. Annie LaRussa and Escalido, and Kate Knowles and Kingsley received good placings in the Children's Hunters. Sydney Velazquez and Requested won the Long Stirrup Hunter under saddle. At Hagen Blackwell's first show with Hey Scooby, she won an over fences class in the Large Pony Hunters; she also received good placings with Footsteps in the Medium Pony Hunters. Chaz Harpman and Abby Beaty's Via Dolorosa placed 4th and Madison Massey and Captain Dukato placed 7th in the $1500 1.20 Welcome Classic. Chaz Harpman also received top placings in the $5000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, taking 3rd place on Annie LaRussa's Escalido, 8th on Anna Hymer's Cinsational, and 11th on Abby Beaty's Third Day. 

We are pleased to say that several of our riders stepped up to their first "A" rated show at week II and received top honors in their divisions! Paloma Caine and Capito won champion in the Long Stirrup Hunter division. Emma Grace Early and Best Kept Secret won the Short Stirrup Hunter Challenge, Julia McAdam and Cup of Joe received 3rd, and Mr. Congeniality and Sarah Carson Hill took 10th. All three riders received high placings in the Short Stirrup Hunter division. Lillian Reynolds and Gabriel had good ribbons in the Pre-Childrens Hunters, including 4th in the Pre-Child/Adult Hunter Challenge. Hannah Banks and Elliott received many top 3 placings in the Crossrail Hunters. We are thrilled with the progress that these horse and rider pairs have made--their hard work paid off with great results! 

At week III, Chaz Harpman had all four of his mounts back to the handy round in the $5000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. He placed 2nd on Abby Beaty's Third Day, 3rd on Anna Hymer's Cinsational, 8th on Romney Velazquez's A Timely Affair, and 9th on Susan Warner's Commodore. Commodore also took reserve champion in the 3ft Green Working Hunters with Chaz. Clayton Mullis and Cruze won the Low Child/Adult Jumper Classic with Anna Hymer and Fleetwood taking a close 2nd. Jessica Dallow and Zoffany had great rounds in the High Adult Jumpers and placed 6th in the Adult Jumper Classic. Annie LaRussa and Escalido took 2nd in the Children's Hunter Classic as well as reserve champion honors. Hagen Blackwell and Hey Scooby had another good weekend with a 3rd place in the $500 Pony Classic. Romney Velazquez and A Timely Affair had many top 3 placings in the Pre-Adult Hunters, including a 2nd place finish in the Pre-Adult Hunter Challenge. Carlyle Brown and One Fine Day had good clear rounds in the .90 jumpers. 

The Fox Lake Farm team is home for a week before heading to Brownland Fall in Franklin, Tennessee on September 5th! 

Click through the photo below to check out our gallery from the past two weeks!

Congratulations Romney Velazquez!

Congratulations to Romney Velazquez on your new horse A Timely Affair aka "Heidi"!

Looking forward to seeing this horse grow and develop.