Equine Affaire Press Room

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA, November 17, 2022 (updated: November 21, 2022) — We are delighted to announce the winners and results of the 2022 Versatile Horse and Rider Competition! Sponsored by Nutrena, the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition took place in the US Equestrian Arena in the coliseum at the Eastern States Exposition on Friday, November 11. Twenty-four horse and riders tackled a challenging obstacle course, which included a rollback, serpentine, jumps, a feed-sack drag, and a bridge, as well as a roping obstacle and a long-lining obstacle. Every obstacle was especially designed to test communication between horse and rider as well as each competitor’s horsemanship skills and athletic prowess. The judge for the event was Scott Purdum of Advantage Horsemanship, and the emcee was the always-entertaining Steve Lantvit of Steve Lantvit Horsemanship.

With no further ado, we proudly present to you the winners: Franny Galvin-Hynes and her 6-year old Fjord-Quarter Horse cross mare, Super Nova! Franny and Super Nova took home $2,500 in cash and a champion rosette.

Pictured, L to R: Scott Purdum, Steve Lantvit, Coagi Long, Super Nova, and Franny Galvin-Hynes.

Franny Galvin-Hynes has been riding since she could walk, training horses since she was twelve, and has won multiple championships in Ontario Extreme Cowboy and at Kentucky’s Retired Racehorse Project in competitive trail, show jumper, and ranch work. She’s competed successfully in several TIP Mustang Challenges, loves to ride in local hunter/jumper shows and Western games, enjoys trail riding with friends, and this summer, started learning team penning and ranch roping.

Super Nova is a 6-year-old Fjord-Quarter Horse who came to Franny as a somewhat scruffy yearling – but Franny saw her potential and they’ve been a dynamic duo ever since. Last summer, they hit the Ontario Extreme Cowboy circuit for their first full season and finished the year as Maturity Champions. This summer, they decided to give Ranch Roping a try and found it’s a very good fit – they have wins in the open class and teamed up to win a Cowboy Relay Challenge Buckle!

Franny first made the trip from Canada to Equine Affaire over five years ago and knew immediately she had to compete in the Versatile Horse and Rider competition one day. She made that dream come true earlier this year in Ohio, placing 6th overall with her beloved Super Nova, and came back this fall to move their names up the leaderboard — all the way to 1st place!

Congratulations, Franny & Super Nova, and to all our amazing competitors. Final scores for the top ten finishers are below, plus the rest of the scores were added as of 11/21/2022:

1. Franny Galvin-Hynes & Super Nova, 66.5
2. Danelle Osinchuk & Slip Me a Dual Pep, 63.5
3. Karli Knapp & Meadowbrook’s Sir Prize, 59.5
4. Jackie Rappel & Beckett’s Hickory Doc, 58
5. Anya Emmons & High Stylin’ Bobcat, 57.5
6. Melanie Davidson & Willow, 52
7. Amanda Malone & Ironwood Turbo, 49
8. Carolyn Weeks & Mr. Spoc, 47.5
9. April Baronas & I Can’t Even, 46
10. Franny Galvin-Hynes & Aspen’s Wild Grove, 35.5
11. Danielle Gauvin & Put a Little Pep In Your Step, 32.5
12. Logan DeCourcey & Cletus, 32
13. Megan Harmon & Doc Highbrow Dually, DNP
14. Kendra Gorham & Drummers Tango, DNP
15. Olivia Giuffrida & Tiny, DNP
16. Nichole Grunet & Passing In Style, DNP
17. Rob West & Moonshine Lady, DNP
18. Lisa Doyle & Daggers L.S.F., DNP
19. Kayla O’Leary & Wildfire, DNP
20. Brittany Mayer & Copperhead Koad, DNP
21. Jessica Knapp & River of Dreams, DNP
22. Susan Johnson & NR Bada Bling, DNP
23. Jessica Hogan & Cannoli Bandit, DNP
24. Jordan White & Two Socks, DNP

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA, November 7, 2022 — The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition is coming back to Equine Affaire in Massachusetts and we can’t wait! As part of our preparations, we’re introducing you to all 25 horse and rider pairs that will be competing in this year’s competition. If you missed the first four posts, click here and check them out! Then come back to meet our final five.

Sponsored by Nutrena, the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition will take place in the US Equestrian Arena in the coliseum at the Eastern States Exposition on Friday, November 11, from 1 to 5 pm. Riders will traverse our obstacle course and race the clock to see who will win the title of the 2022 Massachusetts Versatile Horse & Rider champions.

Every obstacle is designed to test communication between horse and rider as well as each competitor’s horsemanship skills and athletic prowess. Their efforts will be evaluated by our celebrity judge, Scott Purdum; narrated by our emcee, Steve Lantvit; and applauded by an audience of excited fans.

The champions will win $2,500 in cash and a champion rosette, while reserve, third, and fourth will take home rosettes and cash prizes of $1,500, $1,000, and $500, respectively. Fifth through tenth will take home rosettes.

Ready to meet the final five competitors for this year?

Jessica Knapp and River of Dreams, 11 year old Holsteiner/Welsh gelding

Jessica and “Riv” have won champion awards in both hunter and equitation divisions of their local show circuit. Recently, they switched over to jumpers and have had many great rounds this season at both A and C rated shows. They also love to participate in obstacle and versatility classes. Jessica intentionally changes things up with Riv in order to maintain his focus and sharpen his interest. The pair competed in the 2019 and 2021 Massachusetts VHRCs and are hoping to have another go at the course to improve upon their previous rides.

“Riv is a brave and curious horse who likes new challenges and different venues. He definitely has a mind of his own but the trust between us grows in leaps and bounds with every new experience that we have together,” Jessica says.

Susan Johnson and NR Bada Bling, 8 year old Morgan gelding

Susan began riding when she was just nine years old. At twelve, she fell in love with trail riding. She purchased “Bling” in early 2020 after falling in love with his goofy personality. Although her original intention was to turn him into her new trail partner, she quickly realized that he lacked a few important things, like brakes and steering.  When COVID hit in March 2020 and Susan found herself confined to the ring, she began to focus on dressage to give Bling a solid foundation before venturing out on trail rides.  To keep ring riding interesting and fun, she started incorporating some versatility obstacles into their riding routine.  In 2021, she began trail riding with Bling. They now split their time between the woods and the ring, with occasional trips to the beach!

Jessica Hogan and Cannoli Bandit, 18 year old Pinto gelding

Jessica inherited her love of horses from her mother, who has been her best friend and support throughout her horse journey. Jessi and “Bandit” have been together for about two years, ever since her grandparents gave him to Jessi’s family as a gift. Jessi quickly learned that Bandit was like an anxious toddler who needed lots of attention to help overcome his trust issues. By working with him and learning his likes and dislikes, Jessi helped Bandit and now the pair are a great team. Bandit is Jessi’s gymkhana and English equitation partner. He also loves trail courses and his favorite treat is Gatorade. Jessi says that competing at Equine Affaire has always been a dream of hers, and she’s excited for the chance to bring Bandit with her to the VHRC.

“It is important for me to set an example for my equestrian students and to encourage them to work hard, take chances, and believe in yourself! So here I am, giving this a shot, knowing I will always be proud of my boy and no matter what, I’ll always have the people who love me behind me,” Jessi says.

Danelle Osinchuk and Slip Me A Dual Pep, 22 year old American Quarter Horse gelding

Danelle and Magic are VHRC veterans with multiple wins and second place finishes under their belts. They’ve spent the last two years competing in extreme cowboy racing and have become quite fond of the sport because it helps them improve and enhance their horsemanship and communication. Magic and Danelle reside in Vermont with Danelle’s husband and three children, two other horses, and a handful of cows. Danelle works as a business partner for a large animal veterinary practice and handles domestic and international Wagyu cattle registrations for Vermont Wagyu. Magic is the “everything” horse for the Osinchuks. In addition to being Danelle’s competition partner, he helps children learn to ride at a local summer AirBnB and serves as a heading horse for Danelle’s 13 year old son, who wants to be a team roper.

“We cherish every minute we get together, and it has been an absolute honor to call Magic my horse,” Danelle says.

Jordan White and Two Socks, 19 year old American Quarter Horse mare

Jordan and her former reiner, “Socks,” are excited to compete this fall in the VHRC. Socks is a happy trail horse who also dabbles in dressage and jumping. He shares a special bond with Jordan. The duo has been together for seven years. Jordan is dedicating their ride to Kathy, her “second mom” and Socks’ former owner, who passed away in 2021 after a long hard battle with cancer. Jordan says she’s thankful for all that Kathy did and all that Kathy’s husband, Robert Tobey, continues to do for Jordan and Socks.

Now that you’ve met all the competitors in this year’s competition, it’s time to make your plans to attend the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition in West Springfield, Massachusetts, on November 11^th, from 1-5 pm in the US Equestrian Arena in the coliseum, to see who will win.

 

 

 

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA, November 5, 2022 — Within the past few weeks, we asked our Facebook audience to submit their favorite tips and tricks for making the most out of a visit to Equine Affaire. Whether this is your first visit or your fifth visit, you’ll want to check out this list of tips about shopping, learning, eating, attending Fantasia, and lots more! You might just learn something new that you can put to good use in just a few days when Equine Affaire returns to the Eastern States Exposition, November 10-13th, 2022!

1. Plan to come multiple days, especially Thursday! Thursdays are typically less crowded and vendors are fully stocked because it’s the start of the trade show. Many vendors are also happy to hold purchases for later pickup; just ask.

2. Make a list of your must-gets, your wants, and your wish-list before you start shopping.

3. Study the program. You’ll get a paper copy at the event, and a digital copy is available here!

4. Talk to the exhibitors and vendors. Ask questions! Find out what people have to offer and learn their stories.

5. Look at the schedule, plan your educational experiences, and take notes.

6. Ask the clinicians and presenters lots of questions. This is your chance to gain insights and knowledge from the best in the industry.

7. Look for the distribution tables at the entrances to the trade show buildings. The materials are free to take home.

8. Dress warmly and in layers. The buildings can be warm, but it may be cold, snowy, or rainy outside and you’ll need to go from building to building outdoors.

9. If you stay for Fantasia, take handwarmers and extra layers to keep from getting too chilly.

10. Bring a wheelie bag or an empty rolling suitcase and pack it with your souvenirs and purchases as you go.

11. Want to enter raffles or sign up for email lists? Bring address labels with your information already pre-printed. Easy peasy raffle entry! (And don’t forget to enter the free Equine Affaire raffle — online!)

12. Eat at “non-peak” times to avoid long lines at the food booths. Pick easy grab-and-go snacks and meals so you can walk and eat, or so you can carry it to a clinic and eat while you watch. You can also pack your lunch and eat in your car.

13. Use the event map to mark what booths you liked or want to return to later.

14. Hate carrying a purse? Use a zippered pocket to stash your wallet on your person.

15. Pack hand sanitizer, Kleenex, chapstick, and other necessities in a backpack or fanny pack so you always have what you need close at hand!

16. Want a delicious breakfast? Try Memo’s Restaurant.

17. Planning to purchase a pitchfork, salt block, or other heavy or awkward item? Buy your bulky items at the end of your visit.

18. Bring a raincoat or poncho in case of rain.

19. Make multiple passes through the trade shows – you never know what you might have missed the first time around.

20. Shop with family and friends so you can help each other look for items on everyone’s list.

21. Don’t miss the Consignment Shop. The Marketplace Consignment Shop is located in the Mallary South this year. Look for great deals on gently used horsey tack and items and check back throughout the weekend – people can drop off new items at any time.

22. Lose something or find something you think someone else lost? Stop by the Equine Affaire Information Booth in the Better Living Center and ask to check the Lost and Found log. And if you’ve got questions, our friendly EA staff will be in the booth all weekend and happy to help you. While you’re there, buy your Affaire Wear and rep your love for the event all weekend long.

Got a hot Equine Affaire tip you want to submit? Email arehnborg@equineaffaire.com!

 

 

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA, November 4, 2022 — The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition happens one week from today! We are so thrilled for another round of this fabulous competition. As part of our preparations, we’re introducing you to all 25 horse and rider pairs that will be competing in this year’s competition. If you missed the first three posts, click here and check them out! Then come back to meet our last five riders.

Sponsored by Nutrena, the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition will take place in the US Equestrian Arena in the coliseum at the Eastern States Exposition on Friday, November 11, from 1 to 5 pm. Riders will traverse our obstacle course and race the clock to see who will win the title of the 2022 Massachusetts Versatile Horse & Rider champions.

Every obstacle is designed to test communication between horse and rider as well as each competitor’s horsemanship skills and athletic prowess. Their efforts will be evaluated by our celebrity judge, Scott Purdum; narrated by our emcee, Steve Lantvit; and applauded by an audience of excited fans.

The champions will win $2,500 in cash and a champion rosette, while reserve, third, and fourth will take home rosettes and cash prizes of $1,500, $1,000, and $500, respectively. Fifth through tenth will take home rosettes.

Ready to meet the next five competitors for this year?

Jackie Rappel and Beckett’s Hickory Doc, 20 year old American Quarter Horse gelding

Jackie and “Roanie” are VHRC veterans and have competed six times. It’s safe to say they love versatility work! Jackie, now a practicing attorney, first met Roanie seven years ago when she was between jobs and earning money riding horses. She started riding Roanie, who was a sale horse at the time, and fell in love. She has taught the senior gelding to perform flying lead changes. They’ve also competed in reined cow horse. These days, Roanie is semi-retired, but Jackie says that as long as he has the ability and desire to compete, she’s going to keep chasing a top 3 finish in the VHRC.

Kayla O’Leary and Wildfire, 12 year old Mustang mare

Together for seven years, Kayla and Wildfire are jills-of-all-trades. They’ve competed in local Western and ranch pleasure shows as well as English shows. They’ve done mounted shooting and cow work, revolutionary war re-enactments, and trail riding. They’ve even performed in multiple parades as members of Teddy Roosevelt’s rough riders from the Spanish American wars, demonstrating various cavalry techniques such as mounted shooting, drill formations, saber work, and other skills. This year marks their fourth time competing in the VHRC.

Brittany Mayer and Copperhead Road, 7 year old Mustang mare

Brittany is a trainer and riding instructor from Cumberland, Rhode Island, and has competed in the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition twice before. This is the first year she will be competing with “Copper”. Brittany and Copper have known each other for just over two years, but have been a consistent team for about 6 months — ever since Copper officially joined the family this summer. In the last several months, they’ve gotten to know each other quite well in a variety of ways including trail riding, ranch sorting, showing, and plenty of obstacles. They have lots of showing goals for next year in the ranch horse events and are hoping to become an even stronger team as they continue to learn about each other.

Amanda Malone and Ironwood Turbo, 17 year old Fjord gelding

Amanda and “Turbo” have been partners for four years. Amanda says, “This little horse has made me proud of who [he is] and what he has accomplished. Turbo is a one-of-a-kind horse.” Hailing from Mathias, West Virginia, Amanda and Turbo have competed in eventing, trail, games, parades, jousting, and lots more, plus many expos and demos as representatives of the Fjord breed. They also participated in the Apple Blossom Parade in Winchester, Virginia, this year. Turbo loves people and learning new things. Turbo has been helping train young horses and being a solid horse for new people to experience the Fjord horse. This will be Amanda and Turbo’s third time competing in the VHRC.

Karli Knapp and Meadowbrook’s Sir Prize, 14 year old Gypsy Vanner gelding

Karli and Meadowbrook’s Sir Prize competed in the VHRC last year for the first time and took eleventh place. Karli and her Gypsy Vanner compete in English, Western, dressage, reining, and driving. This year, they entered many more obstacle clinics and competitions in order to improve their skills in time for this year’s competition. Karli is excited for the chance to be back and work on her precision over obstacles.

Are you excited yet? We’ve got five more competitors to introduce to you before November 11^th gets here. Watch this page for all the updates, then plan on attending the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition in West Springfield, Massachusetts, on November 11^th, from 1-5 pm in the US Equestrian Arena in the coliseum, to see who will win!

 

 

 

WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA, November 2, 2022 – The Versatile Horse & Rider Competition is coming back to Equine Affaire in Massachusetts and we can’t wait! As part of our preparations, we’re introducing you to all 25 horse and rider pairs that will be competing in this year’s competition. If you missed the first two posts, click here and check them out! Then come back to meet our next fabulous few contenders.

Sponsored by Nutrena, the Versatile Horse & Rider Competition will take place in the US Equestrian Arena in the coliseum at the Eastern States Exposition on Friday, November 11, from 1 to 5 pm. Riders will traverse our obstacle course and race the clock to see who will win the title of the 2022 Massachusetts Versatile Horse & Rider champions.

Every obstacle is designed to test communication between horse and rider as well as each competitor’s horsemanship skills and athletic prowess. Their efforts will be evaluated by our celebrity judge, Scott Purdum; narrated by our emcee, Steve Lantvit; and applauded by an audience of excited fans.

The champions will win $2,500 in cash and a champion rosette, while reserve, third, and fourth will take home rosettes and cash prizes of $1,500, $1,000, and $500, respectively. Fifth through tenth will take home rosettes.

Ready to meet the next four competitors for this year?

Rob West and Moonshine Lady, 11 year old Mustang mare

Moonshine and Rob have been together since 2016, ever since the mare was gathered from the wild and the pair competed in the Extreme Mustang Makeover in Virginia. They placed fifth. After that, they embarked on a great adventure (#MissionMoonshine)! Rob and Moonshine have competed in many events, encountered many trails, swum in the ocean, and represented Mustangs at the famous Hampton Classic Horse Show. Rob says, “Moonshine is truly my best friend, and she will be with me my whole life or hers.”

Anya Emmons and High Stylin’ Bobcat, 3 year old American Quarter Horse mare

Anya and “Peep” first met in October of 2021 and fell in love at first sight. Anya had been searching for a young horse to begin her training career, and when she met Peep, she knew he would be perfect. Almost a year later, they’ve developed a strong bond and trust in each other and are looking forward to competing together in the VHRC.

Although she’s just beginning her career as a performance horse trainer, Anya has been riding since she was 6 years old and enjoys riding in reined cow horse.

Lisa Doyle and Dagger L.S.F, 13 year old Friesian gelding

Lisa and “Harry” are a dynamic duo that bring plenty of flash and style to the VHRC. They’ve competed multiple times since 2019, including earning eighth place in the 2022 Ohio event. In addition to versatility, the pair participate in team penning and sorting, ranch riding, trail competitions, and parades.

“Our goal has been to show that Friesian horses are not just beautiful, but are adaptable and versatile enough to do much more than just dressage and showing,” Lisa says. “We love bringing the Friesian horse experience to everyone. Our goal for this year is to hopefully hit the top 5 in the competition. We have been told by other competitors every year that we are their favorites to watch compete, and as we always hear that we get style points!”

Logan DeCourcey and Cletus, 14 year old American Quarter Horse gelding

Logan and Cletus are new to the competition world and to each other – they’ve only been together for six months! Cletus is an ex-roping horse and Logan has been teaching him “the ropes” of flat work and versatility. The pair hail from Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Are you excited yet? We’ve got ten more competitors to introduce to you before November 11^th gets here. Watch this page for all the updates, then plan on attending the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition in West Springfield, Massachusetts, on November 11^th, from 1-5 pm in the US Equestrian Arena in the coliseum, to see who will win!