from the Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of Ohio

Columbus, OH — Eleven Standardbred ambassadors will showcase the breed’s versatility in hand, under saddle and in harness at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, on Oct. 17 and 18.

The park has again invited the Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of Ohio (SPHO of Ohio) to present the “Standardbred Breed Weekend.” The club plans to present two 10-minute demonstrations each day, on Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., in the outdoor arena. This is the third year SPHO of Ohio has been invited to present this event, devoted solely to Standardbreds.

“We’re really looking forward to another trip to the Kentucky Horse Park to showcase the Standardbred,” Debbie Schiff said. Schiff is the President of SPHO of Ohio and the event chairperson of this event. “Our club has put on great demonstrations the past two years at the park, and at Equine Affaire each April in Columbus, Ohio. We’re pleased to present the breed again at the Kentucky Horse Park for all the park’s many visitors to enjoy!

“Standardbreds are great racehorses, but they also excel at so many other activities. This is a wonderful opportunity to let others see what they can do outside of racing. SPHO promotes the breed and its versatility and encourages people to appreciate the Standardbred as a family horse through second careers.”

Robin Lawson and her trotting-bred gelding by Party Party, named Mic Mac Aussie, plan to perform in pleasure driving. “Aussie” took a record of 1:58.3h at age 4 and earned $11,123 before he began his second career off the track.

Mark and Donna Masters plan to showcase fox hunting and demonstrate the smooth racking gait with their Keystone Raider mare, Fire In Her Eyes, p,3,2:00.1f ($4,777).

Paul Schiff and the lightly raced Expensive Scooter gelding Senator Sahbra will also showcase the rack while exhibiting parade attire and bearing the American flag for all four demonstrations.

T.J. and Heidi Leasure plan to show the Sonsam gelding Thank You Sam p,1:52 ($43,971). T.J. will drive the gelding in traditional racing gear, hitched to a jogcart, in two of the four demonstrations during the weekend. Heidi will show the gelding as a hunter under saddle in the other two demonstrations.

The C J Of Course trotter I Feel Lucky Today, owned, trained and raced by Donna Herriott to 10 wins and $14,500, plans showcase lead-line with her granddaughter Lilyanna astride.

The Faraway Bay mare No Homework plans to do double duty, with owner Dale Pitcock showcasing pleasure driving and Dale’s wife and co-owner Becky Pitcock exhibiting the elegant art of sidesaddle riding.

Stakes winner Jo Pa’s Shark will show off his new skills as a hunter under saddle for two demonstrations, with co-owner Trina Clouser aboard. Co-owner Brian Clouser will drive the gelding in harness for the other two exhibitions. The 7-year-old son of Cam’s Card Shark earned $355,901 from 37 races over three years before he was adopted by Trina and Brian Clouser.

SPHO of Ohio youth member Sarah Hanes will be astride the Gotta Go Now mare Trabajador p,4,2:01h ($5,770), affectionately known as “Trobby.” Sarah plans to ride the 20-year-old mare owned by Linda Shults as a hunter under saddle.

Terry Crompton will be exhibiting Western pleasure with his 3-year-old unraced Armbro MacIntosh filly Our Sugar Baby.

Jessie Spies and her mount, the 7-year-old unraced Look Sharp mare named Looks Like Flynn, will show off the speed of the Standardbred in contesting classes. The bay mare, owned by James Cargo of Morrow, Ohio, is currently in foal to Ohio sire Jackie’s Cam.

All American Legacy, a 2004 Dragon Again gelding, will exhibit saddleseat with rider Becky Pitcock and dressage with rider Heidi Leasure. The 17-hand gelding, owned by Debbie Schiff, recently started his dressage career with wins in Dressage Suitability and Intro Test A classes.

Several horses participating in the event were adopted through New Vocations, a national adoption program that places Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds in new homes for second careers in show or pleasure activities. You can go to www.horseadoption.com to learn more about New Vocations and their mission to place these wonderful horses in good homes.

“We invite Standardbred owners, trainers, breeders and horse enthusiasts to come and visit us at the horse park,” Schiff said. “We love our horses and really enjoy meeting with people to share our horses and stories with them. We’ll have information available in the Big Barn at the park on Standardbreds, S.P.H.O., and horse adoption. After all, Standardbreds really can do it all!”

For more information about the Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of Ohio, visit www.sphooh.org or call (740) 207-0852. For more information about the Kentucky Horse Park, visit www.kyhorsepark.com or call 1-800-678-8813.