2011 VHSA Season Awards

Savannah Jenkins

Junior Exhibitor Of The Year

Annapolis

Owner / Rider – Michelle Jackson Downs

Grand Champion - Adult Amateur Hunter

Champion – Adult Amateur Hunter – 36-46 

Crown Royal

Owner – Carolyn DeVan

Champion – Pre-Green Hunter 3-3 

Piper

Owner – Kim Shuler

Champion – Green Conformation Hunter

5^th Place – 1^st Year Green Working Hunter

Legend

Rider – Savannah Jenkins

Champion – Large Junior Hunter (Older)

Gratitude

Owner – Emily Langhorne

Reserve Champion – 1^st Year Green Working Hunter

3^rd Place – Green Conformation Hunter

Sobriety

Owner/Rider – Christine Ryan

3^rd Place – Amateur Owner 3-3

Hudson

Owner – Nicole Guthrie

3^rd Place – Green Pony Hunter – Large

Lexus SZ

Owner / Rider - Savannah Jenkins

3^rd Place – Small Junior Hunter (Older)

5^th Place – Green Conformation Hunter

Petunia Mae

Owner – Kathy Buhrer

4^th Place – Pony Hunter – Medium

Keep The Faith

Rider – Holly Shearin

6^th Place – Children’s Hunter – 15 and Over

Aspen

Rider – Leigh Anne Kline

6^th Place – Children’s Hunter – 14 and Under

Everythings Rosie

Owner / Rider – Janet Knauff

9^th Place – Adult Amateur Hunter – 47+

Spindrift

Rider – Zander Lichacz

9^th Place – Children’s Hunter – 14 and Under

Savannah Jenkins finishes strong to place 9th in the 2011 ASPCA Maclay National Championship at the Alltech National Horse Show

Savannah placed 23rd out of 199 competitors after the first round of competition, an exciting course with multiple options the riders could chose from to show off their skills.  The top 36 riders were then invited back in groups of 12 to compete in the next phase of competition which was on the flat.  Half of the remaining riders from the flat phase were invited back for the final over fences portion of the competion and Savannah was the final competitor selected by the judges to continue in the competition moving up to 18th from her 23rd position after the flat phase. 

The final over fences course included even more challanges that the riders could use to impress the judges including options on where to approach the next jump, a hand gallop and multiple change of gaits.  Entering the final phase in 18th place of the 18 remaining riders Jenkins was the first competitor to tackle the final course.  She took all of the more difficult options and attacked the hand gallop jump.  The judges rewarded her for her performance by moving her up through half of the remaining field to finish in 9th place.

Virginian Chris Wynne Invited to

Judge at 2011 WIHS

Article and Photos by Diana De Rosa from the Sept/Oct 2011 issue of Horse Talk Magazine

Chris Wynne was born and raised in Virginia. He went to college there, worked at a variety of horse farms in Virginia and today continues with his Breckenridge Manor stables in his home state. After spending most of his life in and around the horse shows in Virginia, he knows just about everyone. “It’s like spending time with your family when I  go to shows in Virginia,” he explained. “We are all competitive but everyone is friends. As a kid when I went to the shows I always felt safe because I knew they were watching out for me. Now I have two kids, Justin is 15 and Colton is 12. When my kids go to the shows with me, I know they are being looked out for as well.”

A Virginia Beach native, Chris grew up in Chesapeake and had a very successful junior career riding in both equitation and hunters with Pam Baker at Hillcrest Farms. He  qualified and competed at Indoors several times. After graduating in 1986 from James Madison University with a BA in business he continued on with his passion for horse. For 22 years Chris leased various barns throughout Virginia Beach to house his ever-growing clientele. (Horses and riders under his tutelage have won many USEF, state and local championships.) In 2009 Chris, with the help of his wife, Jenna, and his parents, Werdna and Pat Wynne, achieved his lifelong dream of building Breckenridge Manor, a full-service show barn and training facility located in Virginia Beach. He refers to the people at his farm as the “Breckenridge Manor Team” and on his web site he explains it this way: “A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team. Teams normally have members with complementary skills and generate synergy through a coordinated effort which allows each member to maximize his or her strengths and minimize his or her weaknesses.”

He ultimately decided to add judging to his list of credentials, and in 1992, became an 'R' rated USEF judge in hunters, jumpers and equitation. His knowledge and reputation for fairness have offered him the opportunity to judge some of the country’s largest and most prestigious horse shows. On a regular basis you will find Chris around the country at shows in Ocala, Wellington, Toronto, Atlanta and other states.

While horses are the driving force in his life, Chris is also an avid fitness guru who goes to the gym on a regular basis, as well as a sports enthusiast, who enjoys the fact that when rooting for the Dallas Cowboys he can do it as a fan without the pressure of the show ring where you are rooting for a horse or child. “It’s something I can do just for fun,” he explained.

This year Chris was invited to add judging the Washington International Horse Show to his list of credentials, something he is very much looking forward to. We chatted with Chris about his past and present life with horses and his thoughts about the Washington International.

Q: Tell us about your horse background.

CW: I started riding when I was six years old. At nine I began showing and rode with Pam Baker at Hillcrest Farm. As a Junior I competed on the “A” show circuit. When I was 24 I began working and running Breckenridge Manor. I graduated from James Madison University and worked for a year at Southern Seminary Jr. College as the

assistant riding director. Then in 1989 I took over Breckenridge Manor. I moved the farm to different locations but finally rebuilt it in Virginia Beach, where it continues to operate today.

Q: What is the first time you remember being on a horse?

CW: I don’t totally remember but the pictures show me riding lead line when I was very young in a Western saddle.

Q: What is it about horses that gave you the horse bug?

CW: When you reward a horse for performing well, then they want to perform well! Horses want to please you, and if you work WITH them they teach you many life lessons. For example: you realize how crucial patience is in the equation, because when you are patient the end result is achievement.

Q: Did you ever compete at WIHS and if so what was it like?

CW: I sure did. The first time I competed was when I was ten years old. I was riding a small pony. Then as a junior I competed for four years on Bandit, a 15.2H, bay Thoroughbred gelding. Over the past 15 years I’ve also shown various customers’ horses in the professional divisions.

Q: What has been your greatest riding achievement overall?

CW: I really believe that bringing a young horse along to be successful at whatever level it can achieve is a great accomplishment, whether it’s a local horse or a winner at Indoors. To me that has always been my goal and my greatest achievement.

Q: What was your greatest WIHS achievement?

CW: My greatest riding achievement was to win a class as a professional at WIHS on a horse we had brought up from the baby green division. Madison, a 17H, bay Warmbloodcross gelding, owned by Joanna Nelson, won a Second Year Green over fences class and tied for the Reserve Championship.

As a trainer, I am always proud of my students for qualifying for WIHS; it takes a great deal of dedication, hard work, and talent, just to get “the letter.” (WIHS sends out a letter letting people know they have qualified. The riders wait in anticipation of that “letter.”)

My highest achievement as a trainer came in 2009 when one of my junior riders, Taylor Shearin, won a blue ribbon over fences in the Older Large Junior division. Taylor’s mare, Rejoice, was green when the Shearin’s purchased her, and so I was proud of how far both the student and the horse had progressed in just a few short years.

Q: Now you will be judging the hunters at WIHS. What's it like to be on the "other side"?

CW: This will be my first opportunity to judge the Washington International Horse Show. There is pressure on both sides. Judging is really just the opportunity to reward really great horses; whereas, showing is the opportunity to showcase the horse’s ability to its utmost. It will be very exciting to watch my peers, their students, and our nation’s greatest horses compete and to give my opinion on the way they go over those couple of days.

Q: In the scheme of things, what does it mean to you to judge at WIHS?

CW: To judge WIHS is the greatest honor of my judging career. It has always been a special horse show, one where I was thrilled to compete and where now I excitedly look forward to viewing from the judge’s perspective.

Article about Diane Monroe from the Virginia Horse Center’s “Over The Rail” newsletter.

Virginia Beach-based amateur, Diane Monroe, has made horses an intricate part of her life, from her early years in Potomac, Maryland to the present, where she is a top competitor in the Older Amateur Owner Hunter Division. Diane’s success is no secret. With the help of well-known professionals, her dedication to the sport and to her horses,

her lifelong passion, she “sculpts” her horses into amateur mounts, selecting young horses without experience, making them into competitive 3’6 show hunters along the way.

Riding has always been a part of Diane’s life. As a young girl she rode at Meadowbrook Stables in Rock Creek Park (Washington, D.C.) with Colonel Studler and even hunted a bit with the Potomac Hunt. “Back then things were so different,” adds Diane. “ We galloped our horses over huge fences on outside courses, there was no counting strides.”

When she went to college at William & Mary in Williamsburg, the horses went with her and she’s been on the saddle, non-stop, ever since.

When Diane married, she relocated to Virginia Beach where she trained with Pam Baker’s Hillcrest Farm for over 20 years until Pam’s relocation to north central Virginia. “Back then we all had thoroughbreds, no one had heard of a warmblood. Pam found this great little thoroughbred, Storm Watch. She was maybe 15’2 but she was a great jumper

and had a great mind.” In the early 1980’s Diane and Storm Watch became quite a pair and qualified for all the indoor shows, Harrisburg, Washington, and the National which was held in Madison Square Garden at the time. “She was a perfect mare and she’d stand by the rail and watch another horse go so that when we went in the ring she already knew

where she was going. She’d walk in the ring and acted like she owned the place, she never batted an eye at anything.”

Once Diane and Storm Watch mastered the Amateur-Owner ranks , Diane sold the small mare and she and Pam began their search for their next project, a pattern that Diane would follow through the years. In fact, she often had a young horse in training, so she’d have one ready once she sold her more seasoned horse. “I see horses as a creative process, that’s the part I love the most, buying young unproven horses, developing them into competitive horses, then moving on to the next one. That’s my thrill.”

Diane’s “program” works for her and her horses and the ensuing success is a testament to her ability to “sculpt” the right horse into an ideal amateur mount. The pattern continued with To the Max, an “off the track” thoroughbred that she and Baker found. Max followed in the steps of Storm Watch, qualifying for all the indoor shows. Diane sold Max once he reached a pinnacle of success and he is retired and living on a farm in Virginia today. Lexington was her next successful project, found by Chris Wynne, a successful Virginia Beach based trainer. Even the best laid plans can go awry as Diane discovered with Breezy, a former hunt and eventing horse. “He was too slow and lazy to be an eventer and he became an incredible hunter. He was just a great horse, “ adds Diane. “ He had a great mind and we took him almost immediately into the Amateur Owner division.” That year, in 2002, Breezy was second in the Founder’s Cup at Upperville with Diane aboard, a class for horses bred and foaled in Virginia. He was chosen by the panel of judges as the best horse at Upperville that year, quite an honor for any show hunter. But two weeks later Breezy injured his stifle and he was not able to make a full recovery and had to eventually retire.

Diane’s horse career was sidetracked the next few years as she battled injuries with her horses and just some plain bad luck. Her creative genes had to wait a few more years for her next talent to make its way into her life with trainer Chris Wynne. Wynne helped her find Legendary, her first warmblood project, a 6-year old Holsteiner who had been a dressage horse. Success is back in the air and the pair is picking up ribbons at some of the country’s best shows. The pair had a remarkable Devon this year, top ribbons in the 3’3 Amateur Owner Division including a second in the Stakes Class. “You would have thought he had lived at Devon his whole life,” says Diane, as the proud owner/rider.

Their winning ways have continued this summer as they have stepped up into the competitive 3’6 Amateur-Owner Division in Virginia. They have been in the ribbons at top shows like Keswick and won tri-colors at recent A shows in North Carolina and at Deep Run in Virginia. As a seasoned Amateur who has been showing longer than most, Diane likes what she is starting to see in the “hunter world.” “We’re returning to basics. There used to be a great joy in riding, there was a lot of horsemanship. Big business came in and we computerized the ride. The handy classes are coming back, the Hunter Derby is a step in the right direction.” As someone who has always helped care for her horses, getting to know each one, returning to real horsemanship is a positive development that she has practiced all along. Diane clearly loves her life and relishes the time she spends showing and training her horses. “I am constantly learning, there is always something you don’t know and I find I learn as much from watching someone do something wrong as I do from watching a top pro in action who rarely makes a mistake.”

We can all take a page from Diane’s playbook – her hands on, no nonsense approach is clearly a winning strategy that many would like to emulate. It’s refreshing to see an individual who has been horse showing her entire life, still loves it, has avoided burn out and hasn’t allowed a bit of bad luck to derail her passion of finding, riding and developing young horses. Look for Diane on the rail in Virginia. She’s likely to be a fixture for a long time

Congratulations to our 2011 Harrisburg Qualifiers!

Crown Royal

Owner – Carolyn DeVan

Pre-Green Hunter 3-3

Gameface

Owner – Karen Robinson

Pre-Green Hunter 3-3

Gratitude

Owner - Emily Langhorne

Green Conformation Hunter

Keep The Faith

Rider – Holly Shearin

$10,000 North American League Children’s Hunter Finals

Rider – Taylor Shearin

$10,000 North American League Adult Hunter Finals

Legendary

Owner / Rider - Diane Monroe

Amateur Owner Hunter Over 35

Petunia Mae

Owner - Kathy Buhrer

Medium Pony Hunter

Piper

Owner - Kim Shuler

Green Conformation Hunter

Sobriety

Owner / Rider - Christine Ryan

Amateur Owner 3-3

Rider - Savannah Jenkins

USEF/Pessoa National Hunter Seat Equitation Medal Final

The Breckenridge Manor Team made a great showing in the 2011 Medal Finals at the Lexington National Horse Show. 

Pony Medal Finals

1st Place - Taylor St. Jacques riding Katherine Buhrer's pony Pentuia Mae

Hunt Seat Medal Finals

3rd Place - Savannah Jenkins

Childrens Medal Finals

8th Place - Leigh Anne Kline riding Aspen

Congratulations to all!

Jenkins Goes From Horseless To Happy At Deep Run

She wins the Bryan Trophy equitation feature on her catch-ride Castleton.

(Article by Juliana Hutchings in the July 11, 2011 issue of The Chronicle of the Horse)

Savannah Jenkins found herself helplessly horseless just 24 hours before the featured Bryan Trophy equitation class at Deep Run Horse Show, June 22-26 in Manakin-Sabot, Va.

     When Claiborne Bishop of The Barracks, a farm in Charlottesville, Va., offered the ride on the 12-year-old Hanoverian Castleton (Corismo--Hauptstutbuch Wirginia), Jenkins couldn't believe her good fortune.

     Although she can usually be found in the junior hunter ring, Jenkins, of Virginia Beach, was excited to show in the prestigious equitation class founded in 1962.  "it was such an amazing opportunity and so thoughtful of them.  Castleton is an unbelievable horse," said Jenkins.

     Jenkins, 16, began training with Chris Wynne, also of Virginia Beach, when she was 6.  But her family moved away, and she didn't return to train with him until she was 14.

     "He's like my dad, and amazing part of my life, and I couldn't ask for a better trainer," she said.

     Since Deep run isn't far from home for Jenkins, she had plenty of support at the show.  In fact, the other three riders in the final test are close friends of hers.  "It's really fun, and a lot of my friends were there," she said.  "It was great because we're all supportive of each other.  We definitely want to beat one another, but when one of us wins we're equally excited."

     As the runner-up for the Bryan Trophy last year, Jenkins hoped that "Castle" could help her seal the deal this year.  To get to know him before the Bryan Trophy, Jenkins showed Castle in the Pessoa/USEF Medal the afternoon before and placed third.

     "I wasn't all that confident going into the jumping round, but the course rode really well.  Castle was perfect; he was right with me the whole time," said Jenkins.

     Castle's trainer, Bishop, said, "[Jenkins] rode him beautifully; she did a great job of catch-riding.  She needed a horse, and she's a hard-working kid, so we were happy to help."

     After moving into first during the flat portion, Jenkins said, "The other riders---Hannah Spiegler, Adele Norton and Anna Rossi---are all very strong in the flat, so I was a little nervous going into the final test."

     But Castleton helped her make the trot fence, the eight-jump course without stirrups and the halt at the end all feel easy.

     "They were a great pair. [Jenkins] is a great rider, pretty much fearless and very determined," said Wynne.

     Jenkins participated in the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association's emerging Athlete Program Level 1 Training Session earlier this year at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington.

     "EAP is a really good opportunity for young riders, and it's a jumper thing as well so I'm trying to get myself more familiar with that because jumpers is what I'm really leaning to," said Jenkins, who hopes to one day be a grand prix rider.

     In order to pursue a career in horses, Jenkins, a rising junior at Cape Henry Collegiate School (Va.), takes classes online to leave time for riding and showing.  "I'm actually thinking of going to college online too," she said.

     Jenkins' parents are supportive of her riding and try to watch her when time allows.  "It's hard for them to always come because my twin brothers, Tristan and Tanner, are competitive surfers, so sometimes they go to watch them," she said.  At Deep Run, her mother made it just in time to see the awards ceremony for the Bryan Trophy class.

     Jenkins' plans for the rest of the year include the USEF Medal Finals as well as the ASPCA Maclay Reginals and, hopefully, the ASPCA Maclay Finals.

Savannah Jenkins jumped without stirrups to capture the Bryan Trophy equitation win aboard Castleton at the Deep Run Horse Show.

(James Leigh Teti Photography Photo)

A Winn-Wynne For Pam Baker

(Article from the July 11, 2011 issue of The Chronicle of the Horse)

     Pam Baker had an extra reason to smile after the Bryan Horsemanship class on June 26 at Deep Run in Manakin-Sabot, VA.

     Baker trained the third-placed finisher in the class, Adele Norton, but she also "grand trained" the first- and second-placed winners.  The winner Savannah Jenkins, trains with Chris Wynne, and the second-placed finisher, Anna Rossi, trains with Winn Alden.  Baker trained both Wynne and Alden when those riders were juniors.

     "It's the way it's supposed to happen," said Baker, Bealeton, VA.  "Your students become pros, then start to best you, and you know your job is done!"

     Pam Baker (standing, center) trained the third-placed winner in the Bryan Horsemanship Class at Deep Run, Adele Norton (left) while her former students Winn Alden (standing left) and Chris Wynne (standing right) coached the second- and first-placed winners in the class, Anna Rossi (center) and Savannah Jenkins (right).

2011 Devon Ribbon Winners!

Gratitude

Owner - Emily Langhorne

Rider - Chris Wynne

6th Place - Green Conformation Hunter - Model

7th Place - Green Conformation Hunter - Over Fences

5th Place - Green Conformation Hunter - Over Fences

5th Place - First Year Green Hunter - Over Fences

Legend

Rider - Savannah Jenkins

9th Place - Large Junior Hunter 16-17 - Over Fences

6th Place - Large Junior Hunter 16-17 - Over Fences

6th Place - Large Junior Hunter 16-17 - Over Fences

Petunia Mae

Owner - Kathy Buhrer

Rider - Annalise Barton

Handler - Chris Wynne

3rd Place - Lead Line 4 & 5 Year Olds

Piper

Owner - Kim Shuler

Rider - Chris Wynne

4th Place - Green Conformation Hunter - Model

8th Place - Green Conformation Hunter - Under Saddle

3rd Place - Green Conformation Hunter - Over Fences

8th Place - Green Conformation Hunter - Over Fences

Upshot

Rider - Amanda Miles

8th Place - Small Junior Hunter 16-17 - Over Fences

6th Place - Small Junior Hunter 16-17 - Stake

Congratulations to our 2011 Devon Qualifiers!

Gratitude

Owner - Emily Langhorne

1st Year Working Hunter

Green Conformation Hunter

Legend

Rider - Savannah Jenkins

Large Junior Hunter

Legendary

Owner / Rider - Diane Monroe

Amateur Owner

Petunia Mae

Owner - Kathy Buhrer

Medium Pony Hunter

Piper

Owner - Kim Shuler

Green Conformation Hunter

Sobriety

Owner / Rider - Christine Ryan

Amateur Owner 3-3

2010 Season Awards

Icon

Owner / Rider - Dabney Napolitano

VHSA Reserve Champion - Adult Amateur Hunter 47 & over

Langhorne

Owner / Rider - Holly Shearin

VHSA Reserve Champion - Large Green Pony 

Legend

Rider - Savannah Jenkins

USEF Zone 3 Champion - Large Junior Hunter 15 and under

Lorenzo

Owner / Rider - Caroline Buckley

USEF Zone 3 Champion - Small Junior Hunter 16-17

VHSA - Grand Junior Hunter Champion

Parramatta

Owner / Rider - Andrew Kline

American Hanoverian Society Champion - Amateur Owner 3'3"

Petunia Mae

Owner - Kathy Buhrer

USEF Zone 3 Champion - Medium Pony Hunter

VHSA - Grand Champion Pony Hunter

Piper

Owner - Kim Shuler

USEF Zone 3 Reserve Champion - 3ft Pre-Green Hunter 

VHSA Reserve Champion - 3ft Pre-Green Hunter 

Smallwood's Lickity Split

Owner - Chris Wynne

USEF National Champion - Green Medium Pony Hunter

VHSA - Grand Champion Green Pony Hunter

Sobriety

Owner / Rider - Christine Ryan

VHSA - Reserve Champion Amateur Owner Hunter 3' 3"

Starstruck

Owner / Rider - Savannah Jenkins

USEF Zone 3 Champion - Small Junior Hunter 15 and under

January 31, 2010 article in the Virginian-Pilot newspaper.

Where champion horse riders are groomed

There is calm in Chris Wynne's voice as he guides a young rider through her paces.  There is urgency, too.  Wynne sees a potential issue and wants to get it corrected before it turns into a bad habit. "Slow it down a little, Jessie," he shouts to Jessie Suttle, who is riding Burberry around the training facility at Breckenridge Manor in rural Virginia Beach. "See how she's racking? "Don't let the reins slide through your hands. Try to put her nose down a little." Suttle acknowledges the instructions with a nod and pats her horse on the side of the neck before continuing the workout. Suttle is focused on Wynne's every word, trying her best to do exactly what he tells her. Like the other girls at Breckenridge, she wants to be a champion one day. She's at the right place.

Wynne, 45, grew up with horses, learning to ride early and competing throughout his high school years.  He was successful in both equitation and hunter classes and quickly realized that horses had become his life. He graduated from James Madison with a business degree and started training riders and horses. He began judging and is nationally rated - traveling the country throughout the season. By doing so, he stays on top of the industry and has a way to gauge how well his students are doing.

"Horses are my business," he said, talking about how he uses his degree. "My passion is horses. So this has all worked out pretty well." Wynne's dedication is reflected by his students. "To compete at this level, there has to be a lot of dedication," he said. "The horses have to be taken care of and exercised. There are lots of hours practicing. Parents - like Suttle's, who bring her from Newport News to train - need to be equally dedicated, Wynne said. "This is a huge investment... time, money, emotion," he said. "I know it's often tough on the parents, but the kids see real benefits in the rest of their lives. They're responsible for a horse. They're out here when its freezing. They develop good time management. "Or it doesn't work out."

Wynne has been involved in the business and training side of horses for more than 20 years. Since he, wife Jenna and parents Pat and Werdna Wynne opened Breckenridge in 1988, Wynne has trained more state champions in the Hunter class than he can count.

But 2009 was special. Breckenridge produced five state champions and two U.S. Horse Federation Zone 3 champions. The two zone (Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, West Virginia and Delaware) champs also finished the season ranked in the national top 10 in their respective divisions. "We have always had a bunch of really good kids here," Wynne said. "The talent level comes in cycles, and right now the talent level is very, very high. "This has been a very good year. My best."

Lee Tolliver, (757) 222-5844, lee.tolliver@pilotonline.com