November 3-4 2007, Lexington, Ky.
There is no greater blessing in life than to be surrounded by kind and generous people. Last weekend was one of those lifetime memories that all of us who were involved in the BlueGrass Finale--North American Championship (Riders,trainers, set-up crew, assistant referees etc.) will always treasure.
Thank you to everyone who helped make last weekend an incredible adventure. We especially thank:
Chief referee Hans Kallenburger who started work on Friday setting up equipment and ended on Sunday loading the boxes in the office. Chief referee is a thankless job and you work incredibly hard at it. Thanks also to Rob Cruikshank who assistant refereed all weekend and who is as honest as he is thorough. Scorers Carol Jones and Sharon Leonard, who merit professional scorer status with their careful attention to the placings in each race. They had the coldest job at the competition with sitting through the early morning heats, and facing into the sun all weekend.
Equipment crew chief Bob Anderson and Chris Randall and Ryan Anderson and Steve Randall who worked all weekend long with equipment and kept the competition moving along so well. How they were still able to walk after the competition is a mystery. (Let us just say that they are in incredible shape and that Chris who had recent foot surgery has a high tolerance for pain.) When complimented on the work, Bob said that they had a very good team of people who showed up to help. Thanks to all of you, including Roger and Nancy Harmon and others from the Carolina's and Georgia who helped with starter equipment. It is humiliating that we do not know all the names of people who helped, but your faces are loved and familiar.
Show secretary Cathy Alger, whose tireless efforts made sure releases were signed, that paperwork was in order for the agriculture department, and that everyone who wanted to shop in the store was helped. It is due to your efforts that the competition ended in the black and not in the red. Announcer Erin Benson (assisted by Cat) who had the scores at the ready and added color to the competition as well as managing the music. Hospitality chair Betts Montgomery, assisted by Sandy Clevinger who made sure that folks were fed and that food was ready when the riders and crew were. (For those who savored the pork roast---the best that we have ever tasted--Carol Crowell cooked the bounty and brought it all the way from Ohio. She was the one working at the grill most of Saturday morning). Betts also did the shopping that produced the tea, cider, coffee and cocoa all weekend. It is a little known fact that due to her connections in very high places Betts is also in charge of the weather, which was glorious in the extreme all weekend.
Coaches Clive and Alex Jones who coached the U.S. teams in the North American Championship division and in other divisions. It is due to them that the U.S. program is making such progress with riders. Thanks also the incredible young folks who divided their time between riding and coaching younger riders. (Also to Hannah Rose Neuheuser who coached a 4-ever team as well.) Prize and Ribbon Chair Pat Neuhauser who organized the ribbons (always a nightmare with counting and putting five ribbons of each together as well as finding and assigning prizes for each division.
A special thanks also to Charlotte Woodman and Alex Jones for making sure the prizes were present and handed out on Sunday. Folks who loaned ponies so the team from Norway could come to the U.S. and to ride. Erin Benson (Hobbit), Tina Sanderson, (Maverick) Pat Neuheuser (Fida), Marian Simon (Pippin), Laura Wectawski, (the famous, beautiful and incredibly athletic Mouse who is still for sale). Thanks also to Dennis Clevinger who hauled ponies to Lexington, and Sara and Cassie Greiling who spent most of the last month riding and getting Norway ponies in condition. Thanks again to everyone who attended and helped at the North American Cup.
To see some pictures from the weekend click here.
1st Norway (40 pts.): (L. Akselsen, H. Bjorgo, C. Guttormsen, L. Hansen, K. Houge)
2nd The Runaway Circus (30 pts.): (L. Griffin, L. Griffin, M. Griffin, I. Johnson, A. Zeitlin)
3rd Southern Explosion (30 pts.): (M. Gardinier, J. Gates, S. Melvin, D. Phillips, J. Voss)
4th Flying Colors (26 pts.):(K. Anderson, A. Alger, L. Alger, G. Briand, J. Leonard)
5th Super Bad (24 pts.): (H. Chapman, K. Karns, S. Kickbush, J. Maddox, M. Muffley)
1st Dragons (45 pts.): (B. Couch, C. Couch, S.Cruikshanks, M. Cruikshanks, J. Durward)
2nd Quick Sliver (34 pts) : (L. Crowl, C. Greiling, S. Greiling, L. Montgomery, K. Smith)
3rd The The Flying Tigers (25 pts.): (J. Bray, L. Bray, N. Bray, S. Cole, K. Fisher)
4th The Dennis & the Blondes (23 pts.): (D. Clevenger, L. Harmon, C. Hutchison, M. Lange, H. Neuhauser)
5th Spartons (46 pts.): (K. Abbey, W. Brennan, J. Cruikshanks, S. MacDonald)
1st Norway (45 pts.): (L. Akselsen, H. Bjorgo, C. Guttormsen, L. Hansen, K. Houge)
2nd Southern Explosion (30 pts.): (M. Gardinier, J. Gates, S. Melvin, D. Phillips, J. Voss)
3rd Flying Colors (28 pts.):(K. Anderson, A. Alger, L. Alger, G. Briand, J. Leonard)
4th The Runaway Circus (26 pts.): (L. Griffin, L. Griffin, M. Griffin, I. Johnson, A. Zeitlin)
5th Super Bad (18 pts.): (H. Chapman, K. Karns, S. Kickbush, J. Maddox, M. Muffley)
1st Dragons (81 pts.): (B. Couch, C. Couch, S.Cruikshanks, M. Cruikshanks, J. Durward)
2nd Quick Sliver (65 pts) : (L. Crowl, C. Greiling, S. Greiling, L. Montgomery, K. Smith)
3rd The The Flying Tigers (57 pts.): (J. Bray, L. Bray, N. Bray, S. Cole, K. Fisher)
4th The Dennis & the Blondes (48 pts.): (D. Clevenger, L. Harmon, C. Hutchison, M. Lange, H. Neuhauser)
5th Spartons (46 pts.): (K. Abbey, W. Brennan, J. Cruikshanks, S. MacDonald)
1st Norway (33 pts.): (L. Akselsen, H. Bjorgo, C. Guttormsen, L. Hansen, K. Houge)
2nd Flying Colors (23 pts.):(K. Anderson, A. Alger, L. Alger, G. Briand, J. Leonard)
3rd Super Bad (22 pts.): (H. Chapman, K. Karns, S. Kickbush, J. Maddox, M. Muffley)
4th Southern Explosion (22 pts.): (M. Gardinier, J. Gates, S. Melvin, D. Phillips, J. Voss)
5th The Runaway Circus (20 pts.): (L. Griffin, L. Griffin, M. Griffin, I. Johnson, A. Zeitlin)
1st Dragons (33 pts.): (B. Couch, C. Couch, S.Cruikshanks, M. Cruikshanks, J. Durward)
2nd The Dennis & the Blondes (24 pts.): (D. Clevenger, L. Harmon, C. Hutchison, M. Lange, H. Neuhauser)
3rd The The Flying Tigers (22 pts.): (J. Bray, L. Bray, N. Bray, S. Cole, K. Fisher)
4th Quick Sliver (22 pts) : (L. Crowl, C. Greiling, S. Greiling, L. Montgomery, K. Smith)
5th Spartons (19 pts.): (K. Abbey, W. Brennan, J. Cruikshanks, S. MacDonald)
1st Norway (169 pts.): (L. Akselsen, H. Bjorgo, C. Guttormsen, L. Hansen, K. Houge)
2nd Southern Explosion (120 pts.): (M. Gardinier, J. Gates, S. Melvin, D. Phillips, J. Voss)
3rd The Runaway Circus (108 pts.): (L. Griffin, L. Griffin, M. Griffin, I. Johnson, A. Zeitlin)
4th Flying Colors (99 pts.): (K. Anderson, A. Alger, L. Alger, G. Briand, J. Leonard)
5th Super Bad (98 pts.):(H. Chapman, K. Karns, S. Kickbush, J. Maddox, M. Muffley)
1st Dragons (163 pts.): (B. Couch, C. Couch, S.Cruikshanks, M. Cruikshanks, J. Durward)
2nd Quick Sliver (132 pts) : (L. Crowl, C. Greiling, S. Greiling, L. Montgomery, K. Smith)
3rd The Flying Tigers (111 pts.): (J. Bray, L. Bray, N. Bray, S. Cole, K. Fisher)
4th The Dennis & the Blondes (106 pts.): (D. Clevenger, L. Harmon, C. Hutchison, M. Lange, H. Neuhauser)
5th Spartons (100 pts.): (K. Abbey, W. Brennan, J. Cruikshanks, S. MacDonald))
1st Red Dragons (26 pts.): (T. Anderson, L. Englert, A. Jones, D. Leonard, P. Neuhauser)
2nd Smokin Guns (21 pts.): (M. Cruikshanks, C. Couch, L. Phillips)
3rd Crash Dummies (13 pts.): (C. Benson, M. Dumaine, M. Johnson, S. Walter)
1st Red Dragons (28 pts.): (T. Anderson, L. Englert, A. Jones, D. Leonard, P. Neuhauser)
2nd Smokin Guns (18 pts.): (M. Cruikshanks, C. Couch, L. Phillips)
3rd Crash Dummies (13 pts.): (C. Benson, M. Dumaine, M. Johnson, S. Walter)
1st Red Dragons (19 pts.): (T. Anderson, L. Englert, A. Jones, D. Leonard, P. Neuhauser)
2nd Smokin Guns (17 pts.): (M. Cruikshanks, C. Couch, L. Phillips)
3rd Crash Dummies (12 pts.): (C. Benson, M. Dumaine, M. Johnson, S. Walter)
1st Red Dragons (97 pts.): (T. Anderson, L. Englert, A. Jones, D. Leonard, P. Neuhauser)
2nd Smokin Guns (76 pts.): (M. Cruikshanks, C. Couch, L. Phillips)
3rd Crash Dummies (53 pts.): (C. Benson, M. Dumaine, M. Johnson, S. Walter)
1st Chain Reaction (27 pts.): (P. Frame, J. Morrow, M. Morrow, H. Reeser, O. Test)
2nd Wacky Racers (22 pts.): (K. Anderson, D. Clevenger, J. Miller, D. Sanderson, B. Randall)
3rd Need For Speed (19 pts.):(A. Broner, C. Burns, A. Johnson, A. Jones, M. Walter)
4th Fantastic 5 (11 pts.):(M. Camp, S. Camp, A. Carrol, D. Carrol, J. LaMastus)
1st Chain Reaction (25 pts.): (P. Frame, J. Morrow, M. Morrow, H. Reeser, O. Test)
2nd Wacky Racers (22 pts.): (K. Anderson, D. Clevenger, J. Miller, D. Sanderson, B. Randall)
3rd Fantastic 5 (18 pts.):(M. Camp, S. Camp, A. Carrol, D. Carrol, J. LaMastus)
4th Need For Speed (14 pts.):(A. Broner, C. Burns, A. Johnson, A. Jones, M. Walter)
1st Chain Reaction (70 pts.): (P. Frame, J. Morrow, M. Morrow, H. Reeser, O. Test)
2nd Wacky Racers (63 pts.): (K. Anderson, D. Clevenger, J. Miller, D. Sanderson, B. Randall)
3rd Need For Speed (45 pts.):(A. Broner, C. Burns, A. Johnson, A. Jones, M. Walter)
4th Fantastic 5 (40 pts.):(M. Camp, S. Camp, A. Carrol, D. Carrol, J. LaMastus)
1st Chain Reaction (102 pts.): (P. Frame, J. Morrow, M. Morrow, H. Reeser, O. Test)
2nd Wacky Racers (91 pts.): (K. Anderson, D. Clevenger, J. Miller, D. Sanderson, B. Randall)
3rd Fantastic 5 (66 pts.):(M. Camp, S. Camp, A. Carrol, D. Carrol, J. LaMastus)
4th Need For Speed (59 pts.):(A. Broner, C. Burns, A. Johnson, A. Jones, M. Walter)