Sarah Chovnick Has A Grand Experience In Lexington
Submitted by: Hidden Hollow
Phone: (540) 592-7242
Email Address: hiddenhollow(at)mac.com
Date Added: 5/25/2007
Even though Sarah Chovnick collected many blue ribbons during the Lexington Spring Premiere and Lexington Spring Encore horse shows, which finished their two-week run at the Virginia Horse Center on May 13, her proudest moment in Lexington didn’t garner a ribbon.
Chovnick, 16, Middleburg, Va., made her grand prix debut in the $25,000 Lexington Encore Grand Prix on Saturday night, May 12, and finished a respectable 16 faults aboard Njordoctro.
“It was a great experience,” said Chovnick. “ I thought it was funny. I kept telling my mom that I wasn’t nervous. Then I said, ‘Why isn’t the AC on in here? It’s really hot!’
“But, really, this was so exciting. I could have had every rail down and been happy,” she continued with a smile. “I went in and jumped around and finished the course and my horse was great. This is just a start. The rest will fall into place as I gain more experience.”
Trainer Ginny Edwards of Hidden Hollow in Upperville, Va., was thrilled for her student and proud of her performance in the challenging grand prix that featured just six clear rounds in the starting field of 33 starters.
“Sarah had some rails, but she rode exceptionally well,” said Edwards. “I chose this [class] as her first grand prix hoping it would be a good preparation for the upcoming shows she’ll be doing. The size and technicality of the course will give her a very good preparation for Devon [Pa.] in a few weeks and for the North American Young Riders Championships in July.”
Edwards noted that it was particularly meaningful that Chovnick followed Mary Lisa Nicholson Leffler, the winner of the grand prix aboard Gerona 92, in the order of go. Chovnick got her show ring start with Leffler and her sister, Patty Foster, at Rolling Acres Show Stables in Brookeville, Md.
“After the class, when Mary Lisa called her parents, her mom congratulated her on the win but then asked right away, ‘How did Sarah do in her first grand prix?’ Their ongoing support is great,” said Edwards of the Rolling Acres team.
Chovnick’s stellar performances continued in the small junior, 16-17, division where she earned the championship and grand junior tricolors with Prime Time Show Stables’ Late Entry during the Lexington Premiere.
“They had solid, consistent performances,” said Edwards of the pair who’ve been together for 1 ½ years. “They know each other inside and out, and when Sarah makes a mistake, he steps up for her, and when ‘Corky’ has an off day, Sarah’s there for him.”
Hidden Hollow riders also made their presence known in the children’s hunter, 14 and under, division where Charlotte Tate and Lemieux and Charlotte Eldredge aboard Southern Comfort both earned blue ribbons, and Beverly Catlett rode Special Edition to a ribbon in all but one class.
In the jumper ring, Elise Middleton guided Oxana to ribbons in the high adult amateur jumper division during the Lexington Premiere but skipped the Lexington Encore to accept her diploma from Mary Washington University (Va.).
“She had more important things to do that weekend,” joked Edwards. “But she and Oxana earned excellent ribbons the first weekend.”
Jonathan Williams added a fifth-placed ribbon to Hidden Hollow’s collection after piloting Galaxy Of Stars to a clean performance in the NAL/WIHS Children’s Jumper Classic. “It was Jonathan’s first show with Galaxy, and they started out with a bang,” noted Edwards.
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