Argento, ridden by Greg Kuti for owner Chor-be Farm, won the Seven and Eight-Year-Old Division of the Jump Canada Young Horse Series at the Summerfest horse show held July 14-17 in Milton, ON. Photo by ShootPhoto.ca

July 21, 2011 – Milton, ON – Greg Kuti stood in the winner’s circle when the third event in the central region of the 2011 Jump Canada Young Horse Series was held July 14 to 17 at the Summerfest horse show at Iron Horse Equestrian Complex in Milton, ON.
 
Kuti and Argento, a horse he has been riding for the past two years, claimed victory in the Seven and Eight-Year-Old Division.  The pair was clear in the jump-off in a time of 37.57 seconds to take the win.
 
“In the first round, he gave me exactly what I wanted,” said Kuti of Argento.  “In the second round, I just needed to let him find his own stride.  He doesn’t really know how to go fast yet.  We’re still figuring each other out at this point.”
 
Argento is an eight-year-old grey Canadian Sport Horse gelding owned by Kuti’s Chor-be Farm.  A product of the breeding program at KingRidge Stables in King City, ON, Argento is by Jamestown and out of an Aerobic Z mare.
 
“I bought him as a six-year-old,” said Kuti, who has also been competing with Argento in the Jump Canada Talent Squad Series.  “I was looking for a grand prix prospect, and he possesses the kind of jump I was looking for.  He kind of looked at me and I knew right then that he was the one I wanted.”
 
Kuti plans to continue campaigning Argento in both the Jump Canada Young Horses Series and the Jump Canada Talent Squad Series and hopes to qualify for the national finals in each.
 
Lino, owned and ridden by Allie Zlepnig of Bradford, ON, finished second.  A seven-year-old Oldenburg stallion, Lino was bred in Germany and is by Lordanos and out of a Pablo mare.
   
Scott McKay of Limehouse, ON, guided Anton to a first place finish in the Six-Year-Old Division with two clear rounds and a jump-off time of 36.05 seconds.  The Dutch Warmblood gelding by Nassau and out of an Ekstein mare is owned by Betty Robertson of Campbellville, ON, and was bred in the Netherlands.
 
Miguel Elicagaray of Aurora, ON, and ADC Chef Z claimed second place with the only other double clear performance.  The Argentinean-bred gelding is owned by Bob Suriwka of King City, ON and is by Chester Z.
 
Morrison, ridden by Hyde Moffatt for owner Burmonds & Wetmore of Brampton, ON, finished third with four faults in the opening round.  The Irish Sport Horse gelding is by Desert Knight and out of a Cavalier Royale mare.
 
 Topping the Five-Year-Old Division was Robert Krcmar aboard La Fleur, owned by Jacqueline Wickens of Port Credit, ON.  With a time of 41.80 seconds, the pair posted the only clear jump-off performance.  The Holsteiner gelding, bred in Germany, is by Nekton and out of a Lorentin I mare.
 
Stopping the clock in 50.66 seconds, Sarah Croft of Barrie, ON, and Galilao B finished in second with a total of eight faults in the jump-off.  Owned and bred by Sylvia Dixon of Schomberg, ON, the Swedish Warmblood gelding is by Gulliver’s Travels and out of a Quartz du Vallon mare.
 
Rounding out the top three was Beam P, ridden by Natasha Smith-Avery, who had eight faults in the opening round.  Bred by Prima Equestrian in Mount Albert, ON, and owned by Susan Perreault-Parker of Tottenham, ON, the Dutch Warmblood gelding is by Indoctro and out of an Emilion mare.
 
Canadian-bred horses dominated the Four-Year-Old Division.  Taking the win was EWSZ’s Cabamba, ridden by Stephanie Dubois-Emond for owner and breeder European Warmblood Stallion Zentrum Inc. of Arva, ON.  With a perfect jumping score of 50 points, the style judge awarded the mare a 38 out of a possible 50 style points for an overall score of 88 points.  The Rheinland Pfalz-Saar mare has already had two other top finishes in the Four-Year-Old Division this season.  EWSZ’s Cabamba is by Corrido de Chattillon and out of a La Comte II mare.
 
Dubois-Emond, who resides in Gurnee, IL, also finished second aboard EWSZ’s Justine, another horse bred by European Warmblood Stallion Zentrum Inc.  With 45 jumping points and 38 style points, the Rheinland Pfalz-Saar mare, by Daimler d’Adrier and out of a Salut mare, finished with a score of 83 points.
 
Just one point behind with a total of 82 points was third place finisher Prestige Empire, ridden by John Teijgeman of Osgoode, ON.  Owned by Empire Stables in King City, ON, the Dutch Warmblood stallion earned the maximum 50 jumping points following a clear round and 32 style points.  Bred by Madia McDonnell, Prestige Empire is by Prestige VDL and out of a Flirt mare.
   
The purpose of the Jump Canada Young Horse Series is to encourage the development of young show jumping talent and to give Canadian breeders additional incentives to breed superior show jumping prospects.  Competing on a level playing field, the horses are divided according to age and jump at a level suited to their development.  This careful development allows the horses to gain valuable experience and advance to the higher levels of show jumping competition with confidence.  The Jump Canada Young Horse Series also gives prospective buyers for the hunter and jumper markets an opportunity to view a large group of prospects in a competition setting.
 
The 2011 Jump Canada Young Horse Series is truly national in scope with competitions being held from coast to coast.  The National Young Horse Finals will take place at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament held from September 21-25 in Palgrave, ON.
 
For more information on the Jump Canada Young Horse Series, please visit http://equinecanada.ca/jumpcanada/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=88&Itemid=3&lang=en