Local Horsemen Win Big at U.P. Equifest Shows" October 9th

ESCANABA, MI - Friday, October 03, 2008 - Four Gogebic County equestrians and their horses competed at the 1st Annual U.P. Championship Horse Show in Escanaba, MI on September 27th. The Championship Show was held in conjunction with the U.P. Equifest horse fair, held September 26th – 28th, at the U.P. State Fairgrounds.

Though she didn't receive a first place in any of her classes, 15 year old Vanessa Anderson of Ironwood, with her 12 year old Quarter Horse mare Luke N Listen, ended up the big winners for the day. They were awarded the `Yooper' Super Horse Award as the high point winners of the entire show! On their way to winning this Super Horse award , including trophy and trophy saddle, Vanessa and Lucy placed in all of her classes, including: Showmanship, 8th: English Pleasure, 9th; English Equitation, 4th; Hunter Hack, 3rd; Hunter over Fences, 2nd; Western Pleasure, 4th; Western Horsemanship, 3rd; Trail, 6th; Pole Bending, 8th; and Barrel Racing, 6th .

Bridgett Holtz, 21, of Ironwood, showing her 5 year old Quarter Horse mare, Peace Rules, placed in the following classes: 3rd in Showmanship, 8th in English Pleasure, 4th in English Equitation, Grand Champion in Western Pleasure, 3rd in Western Horsemanship, 4th in Trail, 4th in Pole Bending, and 5th in Barrel Racing.

Nine year old Easton Hamel of Wakefield, showed his 10 year old Quarter Horse gelding Good Resource in 4 classes. He was Reserve Champion in Showmanship, 8th in Western Pleasure, 7th in Western Horsemanship and 6th in Trail.

Miah Marchello, 12, of Bessemer, rode her 2 year old Quarter Horse Filly, Im Two Soxy, to a 7th place finish in Trial Class.

The 1st Annual U.P. Championship Show was a `qualifying' show, meaning entrants had to qualify in each class by winning or placing high enough at their local county fair or the U.P. State Fair or open horse show associations in the U.P. or pay a substantially higher entry fee per class. Classes were split into Youth 18 & under and Adult 19 & over except for the Hunter Hack and Working Hunter classes which were all age.

Champion, Reserve Champion, and top ten ribbons were awarded in each of the 18 classes held at the Championship Show. Over $2000 in cash and prizes was awarded during the show, including payback cash of over $700, split for the top ten places in each class. Prizes were completely funded through class sponsorships and entry fees. Area businesses sponsoring classes included: Range Animal Hospital, Extreme Tool & Design, Stoffel's Country Store, Rebbeca Lynch of Edward Jones, Dan and Theresa Anderson of Hidden Acres, and Pisco's Tack & Supplies.

On Sunday, September 27th, the U.P. Equifest Committee held a nationally sanctioned Breyer Model Horse Show. This was the third year Equifest included the Breyer Model Show in their activities and the second year it was nationally sanctioned. Entries in the Breyer Show were up nearly 400% over the 2007 show, with over 300 entries shown this year.

Diane Maccani, Bessemer, along with her grand-daughters Haley Nezworski, Ironwood, and Madi Maccani, Bessemer, were winners in several halter and performance classes at the Breyer Show. And Diane and grandson Cody Maccani, Bessemer, walked off with the Grand Champion Performance Horse Award. They won this award with their natural trail class scene titled `BEAR!', shown in picture below. The scene realistically depicted a bear walking into a trail side camp and scaring the horses on a picket line.

Doreen Passuello of Ironwood was the Reserve Champion in Performance at the Breyer Show with her show trail class winner, Ima Flashy Success. Doreen's entry consisted of a show trail scene with horse and rider working over trot over logs with a gate obstacle to come next. The scene depicted a real life show scene from the past, as Ima Flashy Success is a real horse, bred and foaled on Passuello's farm and then sold to one of Doreen's students, Jennifer Angus of Ironwood. `Flash' was shown in AQHA trail classes by both Jennifer and Doreen.

Vanessa Anderson and her Quarter Horse mare Luke N Listen pose with their‘Yooper’ Super Horse Trophy, saddle and ribbons.

‘Bear!’, the Grand Champion Model Horse show entry, shown by Diane and Cody Maccani of Bessemer. The bear can be seen walking to camp behind one of the trees.

Doreen Passuello’s Reserve Champion Model Entry,‘Ima Flashy Success’, as shown in a showring trail class.