Parker, CO (July 31, 2015)– During the month of July, the jumper ring at the Colorado Horse Park saw outstanding horse and rider pairs claim blue ribbons in the Premier Equestrian 1.10m Training Jumper Division. Premier Equestrian is proud to congratulate these riders on their winning rounds during the Summer in the Rockies show series in Parker, Colorado, sponsored in part by Premier Equestrian. Premier Equestrian is dedicated to promoting successful horse and rider partnerships in and outside of the show ring, and applauds riders Bailey Tims and Charlie Dennehy for overcoming difficulties and winning the class.
Bailey Tims jumped to the win on Contino 44, who she only just acquired in March of this year. “He’s just this cute little thing I picked up in Kentucky,” laughed Tims. “He’s great. He’s a perfect little modified jumper— in fact, the first real jumper that I’ve had.”
Despite her obvious adoration of her spirited equine partner, Tims’s victory with Contino was wholly unexpected. About a month before the show, Contino became ill with a respiratory infection. He recovered the week before the show, while Tims was out of town. The Premier Equestrian 1.10m Training Jumper class was the first time the pair was able to jump together since the horse’s illness. “I didn’t have much of a strategy going into the ring. I thought, I haven’t jumped this horse in a month and a half, what are our odds,” said Tims. “But then I got in the arena and he just felt so normal. I was like okay, well obviously he’s back!
The young jumper, who hadn’t shown at Summer in the Rockies since competing in the Childrens’ division several years ago, said she is grateful to sponsors like Premier Equestrian for supporting the show series. “Now that there are more sponsors, there are more people joining the show. It feels like more of an event now, not just a competition,” she explained.
Charlie Dennehy’s victory with Acquittal in the Premier Equestrian 1.10m Training Jumper Division was another extraordinary breakthrough in the face of adversity. The homebred Westphalian-Thoroughbred gelding has overcome multiple major injuries in recent years, stunning everyone with his extraordinary resilience. Six years ago, Acquittal broke the coffin bone in his left hind foot and was sidelined for two years. Despite doubts that he would ever show again, the fifteen-year-old gelding made a full recovery and enjoyed another two years of winning success. In 2013, the horse tore a meniscus in his right stifle. He couldn’t compete for another year and a half.
“This was actually the first time I’ve shown Acquittal since that injury,” said Dennehy. “I wasn’t trying or planning to go very fast with him; my plan was just to get him back into the ring. But he went right back to doing what he does. He’s just one of those horses that loves to gallop and jump, and is happier that way — he gets into that ring and knows what his job is. He’s just a winner.”
Dennehy credits Acquittal’s amazing recovery to the meticulous care of his owner Cindy Leonis, who purchased the horse from Dennehy’s family ten years ago. “Cindy is as dedicated of an owner there is,” Dennehy said. “She has put in a huge amount of time and expense and care bringing this horse back and putting him through rehabilitation. She has done a fantastic job!”
Dennehy has shown in the Summer in the Rockies show series every year since the Colorado Horse Park opened. “This facility itself is absolutely vital to the hunter-jumper industry in Colorado,” said the professional trainer and instructor, who owns nearby Adobe Ridge Farm. “It’s so important to have a place to show on a regular basis. Without the Colorado Horse Park, there wouldn’t be anywhere near the level of competition around here that there is these days.”
Premier Equestrian is happy to sponsor the Colorado Horse Park’s Summer in the Rockies series and the 1.10m Training Jumper Division. The company is well known and loved by some of the world’s major horse show venues and by equestrians alike. Its revolutionary horse jumps, world-class arena footing, eye-pleasing dressage arenas, and accessories are just a few of the things that make Premier Equestrian a superior choice. Premier Equestrian’s strong dedication to equestrian sports shines through in everything that it creates. For more information about Premier Equestrian and the exceptional products the company has to offer, visit www.PremierEquestrian.com or call 1-800-611-6109.
