BURBANK, Calif., Dec. 8, 2019 – The rain could not dampen the competitive spirits of the retired racehorses at CARMA’s Thoroughbred Classic Horse Show (TCHS), hosted on December 7-8 at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. The two-day sporting event, celebrated how the love of the Thoroughbred connects the equestrian community and the racing industry – all with a fun holiday theme.
Saturday night was headlined by the Calcutta, presented by Santa Anita Park, where competitors and supporters were served a delicious dinner while watching teams of race trainers, jockeys and media personalities ride retired racehorses over a course of jumps. The members of the winning team were trainers Jeffrey Metz, Gus Headley, Matthew Chew and catch-rider Hannah Lahey. The other teams were, Female Jockeys: Julie Krone, Ferrin Peterson, Emily Ellingwood and Jessica Pyfer. Female Jockeys 2: Kayla Stra, Kate Payeras, Cathleen Gardner and Roxane Losey. TV Personalities: Megan Devine, Michelle Yu, Bing Bush and Teresa Delligata, Male Jockeys: Asa Espinoza, Iggy Puglisi, Donnie Meche and Ruben Fuentes.
“The riders, who for the most part have very little to no show jumping experience, love it. The retired racehorses are the true stars of the show. The riders are usually really nervous at first but by the end everyone leaves the arena smiling ear to ear,” said CARMA President Candace Coder-Chew. “The Calcutta is really the staple of the show. It’s great for the show riders to get to see people from the race track.”
Before the Calcutta, rider Amanda Gomez, the 16-year-old daughter of Hall of Fame Jockey Garrett Gomez, wowed the crowd with a blistering fast win in the $1,500 1.00M Jumper Stakes – Sponsored by Golden Gate Fields – aboard her gelding Snapchat (Jockey Club: Indiscreet Move). The duo has captured the title three times in previous editions of the show.
On Sunday, Joyride and Lisa Carmen bested 11 to take home the perpetual $1,500 Carol Dean-Porter Hunter Derby trophy. Braving a wet outdoor arena was Prince of Darkness and Emma De Las Salas who won the $1,000 Dressage Challenge. Winners of the prize money classes walked away with a show scrim donated by SmartPak Equine and a bucket of Horse Logic Supplements.
The TCHS offers a wide variety of classes in many competitive disciplines, such as: Hunters, Jumpers, Dressage, Western Pleasure, Western Dressage, Gymkhana, Lead Line and Showmanship. The December show has unique holiday themed contests including Best Decorated Barn, which was won by Rising Star Equestrian of Norco. The winner of the Holiday Horse Contest, was Mighty Mo, owned by nonprofit Win Place Home, who received Mrs. Pastures cookies from Racing Hall of Famer Lava Man. The Holiday Dog contested was won by Jazzy, a miniature Australian Shepherd dressed as a reindeer and received a gift basket from Wonder Dog Ranch.
“The purpose of the TCHS has always been one of inclusiveness and variety, encouraging our exhibitors to bring their Thoroughbreds to an environment that is both welcoming and accommodating to their needs and aspirations,” said Lucinda Lovitt, CARMA Executive Director. “We promote enjoyment and camaraderie above all.”
Sponsors of the show included: The Borick Foundation, Santa Anita Park, Golden Gate Fields, Little Red Feather Cares, Avanti Equestrian, Santa Anita Hot Yoga, Kristin Lee Photography, Horse Logic Professional, Smart Pak Equine, Malibu 5Star Naturals, Ziconic, Sarah Pollock Sporthorses & Templeton Farms, Bob Hess Racing, Lava Man, Wonder Dog Ranch and SleekEZ
The next TCHS event will be on March 20-21 at Galway Downs in Temecula.For more information about the TCHS and CARMA, go to ThoroughbredClassic.org or CARMA4horses.org. Results for all the divisions and disciplines from the weekend can be found at Horseshowtime.com.