Wellington, FL – February 4, 2016 – The First Year Green Hunter division, which was presented by Equine Tack and Nutritionals, awarded Kelley Farmer and Like I Said championship honors on Thursday morning in the E.R. Mische Grand Hunter Field. Kelley Farmer and Tara Metzner had to stand out in a competitive field of 23 entries in an intense battle for the championship win. Having earned only a second-place finish over fences on Wednesday, Farmer needed wins in both jumping classes on Thursday to beat out Tara Metzner and Davlyn Farm’s Cy Young. Farmer succeeded, winning both over fences classes on Thursday.
Kelley Farmer and Like I Said. Photo: Sportfot
Farmer shined in the second over fences class, earning an impressive score of 98 and securing her championship victory by one point. Metzner and Cy Young settled for the reserve honors, after winning both over fences classes on Wednesday, placing fourth in an over fences class on Thursday, and earning a third in the under saddle.
Like I Said is an eight-year-old Mecklenburg mare owned by David Glefke and Kent Farrington. The mare is a recent import from Europe, and this was Farmer’s inaugural show with her. The cancellation of professional hunter divisions due to rain prevented them from competing last week.
“Wow,” was Farmer’s excited response to her impressive score of 98 today over fences. It was an unexpected honor that left Larry and Kelley visibly overjoyed. “This was her maiden voyage. She was great!” Farmer remarked.
Kelley Farmer and Like I Said in their championship presentation. Photo: Sportfot
“She just does it so easily, and she jumps so careful and high. You never have to pick up the reins on her,” Farmer explained about what she believes makes this horse and her round today so special. “She goes so smooth and then gets high and crisp,” she added.
“She is easy, brave, simple…she just wants to do it,” Farmer said. Like I Said also competed in the High Performance Hunter division on Wednesday, earning a second and a sixth over fences.
“I think she can do a little bit of everything. I think she has it all,” Farmer noted about her future plans with the mare, that she will continue to show throughout circuit in the First Years and the High Performance Hunters.
The fourth week of competition at the 2016 Winter Equestrian Festival continues on Friday with a busy schedule on two sides of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The $35,000 Illustrated Properties 1.45m Classic will be featured in the International Ring, and the Asheville Regional Airport Adult Amateur Hunter 36-49 Section A will award championship honors in the Rost Arena in the morning. The $25,000 Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix Team Event, presented by the McNerney Family, will be held at The Stadium at PBIEC in the evening. For more information and full results, please visit www.PBIEC.com.
Please visit www.pbiec.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information on the Winter Equestrian Festival.