Skyland Farm Stars at Lexington Spring Premiere

The Skyland Farm team made their Virginia spring show season debut during the Lexington Spring Premiere, held April 26-30 at the Virginia Horse Center.It was ribbons galore from Short Stirrup to the Young Jumpers, and the result of horses and riders taking what they learned over the winter on the Winter Equestrian Festival circuit (Florida) or doing their homework at home and applying their skills to a new show season.Emma Pell continued her success from WEF by earning the High Children's Jumper championship and reserve titles aboard Ari 55 and Amelie, respectively. Emma and Amelie won the two section classes, with Ari placing second in both. Then, Ari won NAL/WIHS Children's Jumper Classic to capture the tricolor.Leslie Kopp and Dolce Vita, a newer partnership formed in Florida, showed their consistency by earning ribbons in all the Low Adult Jumper classes they contested. A highlight was their second-placed finish in the Low Children's/Adult Jumper Stake.Leslie's Gone Country didn't go unnoticed in the Hunter rings. With resident professional Chiara Carney aboard, Gone Country took top ribbons in the Green Hunter 3'9"/HP Hunters and also captured excellent ribbons in the 3'3" Amateur-Owner Hunter, 36 and over, section with Leslie.Michele Trufant's Dancing Ollie started the 2017 show seasons with a bang, sweeping the Thoroughbred Hunter section with Chiara in the irons. Ollie won all three classes and also had a nice third-placed performance in the Special Hunters.Mosie Pennington and Your Truly collected a multitude of ribbons, from the Pleasure, Equitation and Short Stirrup sections, including three blue ribbons.Trainer Denice Perry showed her 5-year-old homebred C'Ironman (Copperman--Cirena) to impressive rounds in the NAYJDP Intro to Show Jumping classes, where he jumped clear, and they also earned first- and second-placed ribbons in the .85/.90m Jumpers.