London, OH, October 27, 2017–Do you have a favorite contestant yet for the 2017 Versatile Horse & Rider Competition? If not, don’t worry! Below are more introductions to the competitors that will compete on Friday, November 10 in the ultimate test of horsemanship!

Denise Anthony

Denise Anthony, of West Greenwich, RI, has owned her Draft/Warmblood cross for more than eight years. Denise and the 13-year-old mare regularly compete in hunter paces, schooling shows, and versatility challenges. They are also avid trail riders and have logged more than 880 miles for the West Greenwich Horsemen’s Association Mileage Program this year. This will be Denise and Angelina’s third time in Equine Affaire’s Versatile Horse and Rider Competition.

Erin Carey

Erin Cary, of Grantham, NH, has owned her Quarter Horse gelding, Time to Shine, or “Sonny”, for the past three years. Though he’s 26 years old, Sonny and Erin participate in parades and trail challenges regularly, and were named Reserve Champion at the New Hampshire Quarter Horse Association’s Trail Challenge in August 2017. Erin has long wanted to compete in the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition, and is excited to ride Sonny is what may be his last big event before retirement.

Paige Garcia

Paige Garcia, of West Paris, ME, has been partnered with her 17-year-old Quarter Horse mare, Red Fury, for fifteen years. Paige started the mare when she bought her as a green 2-year-old, and they now compete in everything from dressage to roping to versatility challenges. They placed 3^rd at last year’s Versatile Horse and Rider Competition, and are hoping to have another successful trip at this year’s event.

Peter Iannucci

Peter Iannucci, of Pleasant Valley, NY, has been riding his 13-year-old Quarter Horse gelding Cupid for seven years. Cupid came to Peter as a horse with a bad reputation for rearing and flipping over backwards. After years of training, Peter now has a trusted partner in Cupid, and even lets his grandson ride him. The pair also competes in western classes and trail/obstacle events.

Wayne Ormsbee

Wayne Ormsbee, of Plympton, MA, will be riding in this year’s Versatile Horse and Rider Competition with Cricket, an 11-year old Quarter Horse mare. Wayne has been riding Cricket for more than five years, and the pair competes in team penning, ranch sorting, and versatility classes. They recently bested 74 other entries in a versatility competition to take home first place.

Lindsey Partridge

Though this will be her first time in the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition, Lindsey Partridge, a professional trainer from Ontario, Canada, is no stranger to versatility challenges. She and her OTTB, Trivia Time, a 7-year-old gelding, made waves last year with their unprecedented winning of two championship titles at the 2016 Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover. Though their winning Freestyle round went viral, the pair also won that year’s Trail division. Since then, the pair has competed in various freestyle, extreme cowboy, and mountain trail events.

Loretta Weber

Loretta Weber, of Burlington, NJ, is hard to miss in the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition ring on her 7-year-old registered paint cremello stallion, Colonel Smoken Badger. A truly versatile pair, they compete in everything from hunter under saddle to reining classes. After a nail biting finish at last year’s Competition, they are excited to have another shot at the VHRC course this year.

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We’ll have more competitors to introduce soon in our final installment of Get to Know the 2017 Versatile Horse & Rider Competitors!

If you missed parts 1 and 2, check them out by clicking on the links below:
Part 1
Part 2