Rainmaker and Caroline Weeden Win Second Year Green Hunters at Winter Equestrian Festival
Equestrian News Release

Wellington, FL – March 1, 2007 – The sixth week of the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club began yesterday, but the majority of the professional hunter divisions finished up their competition today. In this week’s Zada Enterprises LLC Wellington Masters, there were repeat winners once again in two of the four rated professional divisions, with Popeye K extending his incredible winning streak in the Regular Conformation Hunters, and West Point continuing his reign in the Green Conformation Hunter division.

In the Second Year Green Working Hunters, Rainmaker and Caroline Weeden of Lake Forest, IL, brought home the championship tricolor. Rainmaker jumped to two firsts and two fourths. Reserve champion in the division was Castle Rock, ridden by Holly Orlando for Danielle Giorgio.

Weeden has ridden Rainmaker for two and a half years. They bought the now seven-year-old Warmblood gelding from trainer Tammy Provost for their longtime owner, Jamee Field. “I’ve gotten some great horses from Tammy,” Weeden acknowledged. “Jamee Field has been with us for probably 20 years. She a fabulous owner and I’ve had some great horses that she’s owned over the years.”

When Weeden started with Rainmaker, he had only been broke under tack 60 days earlier. “We kind of got him from the very beginning. We’ve just gone slow with him. The first year, we didn’t start him until Kentucky in the Pre-Greens. Last year, he did the First Years down here and was a little green,” she recalled. “We did indoors and were consistent. This year, he’s come out really solid, so I’ve been very pleased with him. He’s been doing well all circuit.”

The tall Rainmaker does not have to slow down too much to fit the strides in the lines. “He’s got just enough look where you don’t have to worry about that. He just holds himself off the jump enough without it being too much,” Weeden affirmed. “He’s a very nice, big-going horse. He’s very scopey jumper and very consistent and fun to ride.”

The champion in the Green Conformation Hunters, sponsored by Equestrian Properties, was West Point, a seven year old Bavarian Warmblood gelding ridden and owned by Krista Weisman and ridden by Scott Stewart. West Point was first and second over fences yesterday, won the model and hack and was first over fences today. West Point has shown promise, and he was last year’s WEF circuit champion in the Pre-Green Hunters. “He was excellent yesterday,” Stewart said.

Stewart was reserve champion on Trousseau, who is only six years old. “I thought about just doing the Pre-Greens with him,” Stewart acknowledged. “He’s green, but he’s such a good jumper that it's easy for him.”

Stewart found Trousseau inadvertently on a vacation. “I went to a horse show on the way to Vienna. It was not specifically a horse-shopping trip; it was supposed to be a regular vacation! We stopped and I saw him, and I had to buy him. He’s beautiful, and he jumped amazing.”

Stewart took home the Regular Working Hunter championship, sponsored by Farnam Companies Inc., on his horse, Good Life. The talented bay gelding has been consistently in the top ribbons and recently finished seventh in the AHJF Hunter Classic Spectacular of Palm Beach. Good Life finished with two firsts and two seconds over fences and won the under saddle this week. The Regular Working reserve champion was Game On, ridden by Tommy Serio for Cherry Knoll Farm.

Popeye K, owned by Elizabeth Spencer and ridden by Tommy Serio, has kept his winning streak going with a fifth straight championship in the Regular Conformation Hunters. Popeye K won the model, was second in the under saddle, and he picked up two firsts, a second and a fourth over fences. They won over the reserve champion, Carpaccio, ridden and owned by Chris Brown.

The Zada Enterprises LLC Wellington Masters continues tomorrow with championships for the First Year Green Hunters and the Adult Amateur 3’3” Hunters sponsored by Kilkenny Insurance Agency.


Photo Credit: Rainmaker and Caroline Weeden, Second Year Green Hunter champions at the Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo © 2007 Randi Muster.