Show Season Stars

The Perricones: Saddleseat Sisters

July 1, 2016 by admin

With Region 14 starting this week and Youth Nationals fast approaching, two young ladies I thought of interviewing were Isabella Perricone and her younger sister, Valentina Perricone. The girls have been riding with Christy Higman Clements Training in Miami, FL for the past few years, racking up national wins in the walk/trot and 13 & under divisions and look beautiful in Show Season while doing so. Despite a busy summer schedule, Isa and Val were gracious enough to answer some questions for the blog!

Isa, their mom Malou, and Val at the 2016 Region 12 Championships

SS: How long has your family been involved with horses? Has it always been Arabians?

Isa & Val: Our mom has been involved with horses for 30 years. Besides Arabians, she has shown Saddlebreds and hunters.

SS: Besides showing, how are horses a part of your daily life?

Isa & Val: Even though we don’t get to see them everyday because of school, we always think and ask about they because our horses are our love and passion.

Isa & RA Alliza winning a Region 12 championship

SS: What is your favorite horse show memory?

Isa: My favorite memory is when I showed our pony, Minnievan, in the HA Park class at Region 12.

Val: Mine is showing Minnievan at the 2012 Youth Nationals in the HA English Walk/Trot class!

SS: Do you have any good luck rituals before showing?

Isa: I just take some deep breaths and listen to words of wisdom.

Val: My mom says words of confidence to me.

Val winning Region 12 Champion with SF Blonde Ambition

SS: What is your favorite Show Season garment?

Isa: Everything I own is my favorite! But I would have to say that my day coat is my favorite – it is a raw silk in a deep blue with a purple stripe. No one else has it!

Val: My day coat because it is my favorite color – purple.

Isa in her beautiful blue day coat at Region 12 — Isa in her beautiful blue day coat winning Region 12 champion with Bad Bad Leroy Brown

Val winning Youth National champion in her stunning purple day coat

SS: What are your plans for the rest of the show season?

Isa & Val: We will be going to Region 14 and then Youth Nationals – we couldn’t be more excited because they are our two favorite shows we look forward to all year long!

Best of luck to these sisters this summer – thank you for letting Show Season be a part of the ride!

The Vokouns – A Family Affair

June 15, 2016 by admin

There’s nothing like bonding over an activity that the whole family can do together – showing horses happens to be something that husband and wife Dan and Cori Vokoun of Buckshot Farms, along with their twins Alex and Reagan, love to do. Their passion for showing was evident at this year’s Scottsdale Show where all four of them won championships. I loved that the whole family is involved with horses and decided to ask the matriarch of the family, Cori, more about their experiences showing.

BSF Elegance and Cori Sampson Vokoun winning reserve champion at the 2016 Scottsdale Show

SS: How long has your family been involved with horses? Has it always been Arabians?

Cori: We started with Arabians in 1986, which was out of pure luck. I wanted a horse so badly, so we asked around to friends we knew with horses and they happened to be Arabian horse breeders. The rest took off from there. We started breeding our own horses in 1994 and have been breeding every year since. Currently we raise Arabians, Half Arabians, and Quarter Horses. Dan, Alex, Reagan and I show, and we share horses and a variety of disciplines. We had a great Scottsdale this year, with all of us winning championships.

SS: Besides showing, how are horses apart of your daily life?

Cori: We ride for fun, especially the kids. They love to have what we call a “free day” where they can mess around and play on their horses. In addition to showing, we love watching the babies grow up, evaluating them at different stages, planning future breedings, etc.

Alex Vokoun and Tamar Black Label winning reserve champion at Scottsdale

SS: What is your favorite horse show memory?

Cori: In 2004, we had an English Pleasure filly, BSF Electra, that we had bred and brought to U.S. Nationals. She was barely ready and we almost didn’t bring her. Peter Stachowski agreed to catch ride her for us. I remember sitting in the stands with my parents waiting for the class to start and we had no idea if she was going to be the best or the worst in the English Pleasure futurity class. She came through the gate looking fantastic. She got better and better as the class went on and won unanimously! That class was so amazing because of the amazement, surprise, and joy we experience together in the stands. It was such a huge accomplishment for our family to breed a horse of that caliber, have her win, and watch it together.

BSF Electra and Peter Stachowski winning the 2004 US Nationals in Arabian English Pleasure Futurity

SS: Do you have any good luck rituals before showing?

Cori: In reining, I have a few. If my dad is at the show, he asks me, “Do you know the pattern?” It used to frustrate me, but now it’s just part of the pre-show ritual for good luck. If Dan and I show together, we tell each other “Shake and Bake Baby!” (A reference to the movie Talladega Nights)

Buckshot Dun It and Dan Vokoun at the Scottsdale Show

SS: What is your favorite Show Season garment?

Cori: My new reining shirts are great – they are perfect for both Arabian and NRHA shows.

My husband, Dan, loves his sand suede chaps. There’s a funny story about those. Patti called me one day and said “Dan’s chaps are ready.” I had no idea what she was talking about – apparently he ordered them and didn’t want me to know. I was so happy to learn the new boundaries in our marriage about Show Season… Just order whatever you want, no need to discuss it! They are really cool chaps, and look great. So, I ordered some for myself shortly after. We both get compliments on our chaps, especially at NRHA events.

I love my daughter Reagan’s new hunt coat. It is stunning.

BSF Savannah and Reagan Vokoun at the Scottsdale Show — BSF Savannah and Reagan Vokoun at Scottsdale

SS: What are your plans for the rest of this show season?

Cori: The kids will be in full force at Youth Nationals with a string of walk/trot horses. Dan and I will show in the fall at the High Roller Reining Classic, U.S. Nationals, and the NRHA Futurity. We will focus on pleasure horses at the Arabian shows and lots of Quarter Horse reining this year.

Thank you for letting Show Season be a part of your family’s journey and best of luck to Cori, Dan, Alex and Reagan the rest of 2016!

Kiira Harkins – Born in the Saddle

June 2, 2016 by admin

Adult amateur Kiira Harkins was destined to be apart of the Arabian horse industry, even before she was born. She likes to joke that she was practically born in the saddle since her mother was riding while pregnant with her. The rest has been history as Harkins has shown since she was a young girl and garnered many national titles across different disciplines. We decided to catch up with her and feature her on the Show Season blog!

Kiira and Voulez Vu winning Top Ten in HA Country English Pleasure at the 2015 US Nationals

SS: How did you get involved with horses? Have you always been involved with Arabians?

Kiira: My mother and grandmother, Kristin Harkins and Jan Colwell, have been involved with Arabians for over 40 years and my mom was riding while pregnant with me. I have been blessed to grow up with Arabians and to spend the last 23 years (plus nine months in utero) with these beautiful and intelligent animals.

3 generations of the Harkins family at Youth Nationals with homebred national champion, Windabrae

SS: Besides showing, are horses a part of your daily life?

Kiira: My family owns Windabrae Farm, a breeding farm in Chillicothe, OH and most of the horses that we have ridden and shown over the years are homegrown. Breeding holds endless interest for me and I enjoy researching different bloodlines and crosses to inform decisions we make with our broodmares. Since graduating college last year, I work full time at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry and no longer live at home, but I always look forward to weekends when I am able to visit with the babies and my old retired show horses, Thank Ghaz, Forty Second Street, and Windabrae.

SS: What is your favorite horse show memory?

Kiira: It is so difficult to pick just one from a lifetime of wonderful show memories, and most of them are simply the varied bonding moments that happen spontaneously with family, friends and trainers. Today, my favorite is my 2006 win with Forty Second Street at Youth Nationals in the 13 & under Half-Arabian English Pleasure. Two years previous, this horse had sent me to the ICU with serious chest trauma after flipping over backwards and stepping on me to right himself. He had a temper and was notoriously difficult to ride, but I was up for the challenge and we kept pushing forward. I remember almost falling off of him when Tony announced our reserve championship. My whole family was there and we were all so emotional. There were no dry eyes.

Kiira and Forty Second Street winning Youth National Reserve Champion HA English Pleasure 13 & under in 2006

SS: Do you have any good luck rituals before showing?

Kiira: I hold that hard work and careful preparation is the best formula for good luck, however my sister and I have a route we run through whenever we show. We both loved the Dinotopia novels and film growing up, and the characters in that universe have a distinctive way of greeting, reassuring, and saying farewell to one another. One of us will place a fist over our heart and say, “fly high.” Whichever of us is about to show we will reciprocate the hand gesture and say, “breathe deep.” This will be followed by an emphatic, “seek peace.” We don’t necessarily do it for good luck. It is more of a statement to go ride your ride and come what may!

Kiira and sister Kinkela at Youth Nationals

SS: What is your favorite Show Season garment?

Kiira: The contrasting coat I wear when I show Voulez Vu is my easy favorite. It has a silver base with an overlaying navy blue floral design and the pants are a sheeny, light navy with a windowpane pattern. The vest is a plain navy sequin fabric and the shirt is a subtle blue and white herringbone print. A navy tie with a light blue, royal blue, and yellow floral paisley design completes the look. This suit is eye-catching, beautiful, impeccably tailored, and blends as to compliment my horse perfectly. Thank you, Melissa!

Kiira and Voulez Vu at the 2015 US Nationals

SS: What are your plans for the rest of this year?

Kiira: I am looking forward to showing at Region 14 in a few weeks and then US Nationals in October. I might give the whole hunter business another go as well!

We want to wish Kiira and her family the best of luck the rest of this Show Season – thank you for letting us be apart of the ride!

Saddleseat Equitation – Practice, Precision & Passion

April 1, 2016 by admin

Saddleseat equitation has always been one of my favorite classes to watch at horse shows – especially at the national level. I often find myself tearing up when the national champion is announced and half of the time I don’t even know them! Equitation riders at the highest level of competition make it look like a piece of cake, when behind the scenes it has taken years of diligent practice and hard work to get there. This is an intense discipline and when done correctly, is poetry in motion.

Elaina Roeder, Isabella Templeton and Raven Gropp, all of Vicki Humphrey Training Center, had tremendous success in their classes at the 2016 Scottsdale Show and looked beautiful in Show Season while they were at it. I decided to ask these ladies about their love of the sport and if they have any secrets to their success.

ElainaandIzzy — Isabella Templeton and Elaina Roeder congratulate each other after winning Reserve Champion and Champion at the Scottsdale Show

SS: What is your favorite thing about equitation?

Elaina: Equitation is incredibly intense and challenging. It is the most rewarding when all of your hard work and practice has paid off with a good ride.

Isabella: I like the challenge of equitation and the precision that it takes to really nail a pattern. Plus, you establish a great bond with your horse.

Raven: My favorite thing about equitation would have to be getting dressed up in a formal after 6 o’clock. I also enjoy getting to pick your own music for your pattern. Since I compete in four different styles of equitation I have a lot of music to pick for each horse.

Izzy — Isabella Templeton & Carrie Bradshaw at the Scottsdale Show

SS: Do you have any pre-class rituals for good luck?

Elaina: I like to be by myself and focus on my pattern. I visualize my ideal ride and what I feel will be most difficult for my horse and me.

Isabella: My pre-class ritual consists of listening to music. I start with some classical music to chill and relax. When we are getting close to heading up to the ring, I change it to something that pumps me up.

Raven: No. The more I can keep my mind off of the class the better. I’m not one to get dressed 2 hours before my class. When my horse is getting ready is when I start, that way we finish at the same time and head up to the ring together.

RavenGropp — Raven Gropp & Blazn Time winning a Saddleseat Eq class at Scottsdale

SS: What has equitation taught you that you can apply to real life?

Elaina: Equitation is a team sport between the rider and the horse. It is unpredictable and sometimes things don’t happen as you expect. As a person you have to keep pushing through your struggles and enjoy your successes.

Isabella: It has taught me so many things. Especially how to think quickly on my feet. Patterns will rarely go as perfectly as you planned them in your head, but you can’t just quit when it doesn’t go your way. You have to keep going, and that is exactly what you have to do in real life.

Raven: Equitation has taught me that if you work hard, you will be rewarded. It just takes a lot of hard work and patience.

ElainaChampion — Elaina Roeder and Danse All Night winning the Saddleseat Equitation 15-18 Championship at Scottsdale

It was great to get to know these ladies and learn more about their preparation for success in the show ring. We wish you all the best of luck in 2016!

The Schimmels – It Runs in the Family

March 17, 2016 by admin

When someone mentions Prestige Farms LLC, you most likely think of the countless national winners they have bred, shown and sold. Aside from breeding some of the finest English horses, the Schimmel family has been a fixture in the Arabian horse industry for the past forty years. Each generation of the family is involved as this tight-knit clan is all about supporting each other inside and out of the show ring.

The youngest member of the Schimmels, Patience, learned how to ride when her grandpa Irwin started taking her to the family farm in Hillsboro, Oregon. It came naturally to her as she started riding on her own at just 3.5 years old. She began riding on a lunge line in a bullpen on one of the horses that her older cousins had shown, Cohiba Baby, and has learned a lot from that special mare. Just this last fall, Patience got her own horse, In Search of Diamonds (affectionately known as Rocky) to show in walk/jog.

Patience and her Grandpa at the 2015 Region 4 Championships — Patience and her grandpa at the 2015 Region 4 Championships

The 2016 Scottsdale Show was Patience’s debut into walk/jog from leadline at only 5 years old. Patience’s aunt, Theresa Schimmel-Spencer was thrilled at how the show went for her niece and how her wonderful horse, Rocky, took care of her.

“Patience improved so much by the end of the show! With the big arena full of people in the stands, it was easy for her to get distracted with all that was going on. Rocky was so well-behaved and did his thing – he is really special. By her last class, she was an old pro and had come so far,” Spencer said.

As for her Patience’s western outfit, Schimmel-Spencer loved how the contrast to Rocky’s pinto coat. “I loved how the bright red popped against Rocky – after we chose red, we gave Melissa free reign on the rest of the design,” Spencer explained. They were so excited about the end result.

Patience getting ready to show at Scottsdale

For the rest of 2016, Patience will show at the local shows around Oregon and Washington, Region 4, and hopefully Youth Nationals. They also hope for her to show saddleseat in the future. We wish Patience and the rest of the Schimmels the best of luck – thank you for letting Show Season be apart of the ride!