2008 Show Season is off and running
The Whitehaven Show Team and Whitehaven/Valour Arabians Endurance Team had an incredibly successful competition season this spring. Since April, trainer Trisha Dingle Blackwell and junior rider Anna Caroline Chinnes have taken six horses to the VAHA Sport Horse Show and Shenandoah Valley Championships in Lexington, VA, the Egyptian Event/Pyramid Challenge Endurance Ride in Lexington, KY, and the Region 12 Championships in Perry, GA. Sleepy Tyme Gal (Patriot Missle +/ x Ima Tiki Ku), our veteran show horse owned by Howell & Margo Wallace of Valour Arabians, Smyrna, DE, continued her winning ways in sport horse competition. She won a Top 5 in Sport Horse Mares Open at Region 12, and was champion Sport Horse Mare Amateur to Handle (ATH) at VAHA and both Shenandoah Shows. Under saddle, Sleepy tied for Top 5 in dressage at Region 12, won two training level classes at Shenandoah, and received numerous ribbons in sport horse under saddle classes, both open and ATR/junior to ride (JTR). With her success this spring, Sleepy has earned her Legion of Honor award from the Arabian Horse Association. Sleepy’s half-sister, Ima Bustn Loose (by Scudbuster), also owned by Valour, made her debut in the show ring a successful one. At the Shenandoah show, she won all six of her Introductory Dressage classes (scoring a 70% on one test!), and won three of her sport horse in hand classes. She received a number of positive comments from the judges—we are eagerly looking forward to this talented mare’s show career. Both “Fancy” and Sleepy are available for purchase. Whitehaven showed two home-bred straight Egyptians this spring: WH Marengo (WH Bodacious x Ansata Farah), a six-year old stallion, made the jump to training level dressage, scoring well at the VAHA sport horse show. He also placed 2nd in sport horse stallions. At the Egyptian Event “Tumbler” was a big hit in the liberty class, showing off his airy suspended trot, and placed 4th in a very competitive Hunter Pleasure Novice Horse class. Tumbler will be taking the next few months off from showing, so that we can concentrate on preparing him to be presented at the American Sport Pony inspection this fall.	WH Carolina Blu (Blu Epic x Phateehah), was the epitome of a working mom this spring. After giving birth to a beautiful filly by WH Marengo this January, she went back to work with amazing results in the show ring. At VAHA she was Reserve Champion Sport Horse Mare JTH and won three of her dressage tests at Introductory Level. By Shenandoah Carolina moved back up to training level, placing third with scores in the mid-60’s. She also won a Sport Horse Under Saddle Novice Horse class, and placed 2nd in two Sport Horse Mares classes (open and JTH). She will now concentrate on learning some new “tricks”—Carolina is currently in training for western pleasure/trail, English sidesaddle, and pleasure driving. Look for her competing in her new disciplines (as well as halter) at the WCAHA fall show in Clemson—she is the epitome of a beautiful, but versatile Egyptian Arabian! Not to be outdone by the show horses, Valour’s Return Flight (Dreams of Valor x Flying Tessie +) returned to the endurance trail after recovering from a pulled muscle in January. He completed the 2008 Pyramid Challenge 25 Mile Ride with a Top 10 placing—this is only his third time competing in endurance! He will compete some this summer in limited distance rides, before returning to 50 mile rides in October, starting with the Hallelujah Benefit ride. Flight will be sharing the trailer ride with his half-sister Direct Hit (by Patriot Missle +/) until she is sold. Rounding out the show team this spring was Ali Mutazz (Imperial Baarez x Moniet Fernazz), a five-year old straight Egyptian stallion owned by Chris and Tony Natelli. Although he did not compete, Ali made the trip to the Egyptian Event to participate in the Stallion Showcase. This young, talented stallion is new to Whitehaven, and we are looking forward to competing him in dressage, sport horse, and western pleasure this fall. Whitehaven would like to thank all of our clients, as well as our blacksmith Mike Stine, massage therapist Emily Hudson, dressage instructor Mary Werning, the veterinarians at Anderson Animal Hospital, feed dealer Treehouse Nursery, and human chiropractor Dr. Jack Bryan for their help in keeping all of our horses and riders in competition shape. Our team would not be complete with their valued input and support. And a special thank-you to our webmaster Ken Maginnis, who keeps all of our information current and up-to-date. For more information on our sales horses, stallions at stud, or how you can be part of our highly successful team, please contact Trisha Dingle-Blackwell at 803-428-5656 or whitehavenarabians@hotmail.com, or continue to visit our website