Florida Foxtrotters Claim Best Breeded Champions by Tori Blankenship
Blankenship Stables traveled to The Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA to compete in the 2007 Virginia Gaited Jubilee and FOSH Regional Championship Show June 29th through July 1st. Eight gaited breeds of horses represented from 18 states took part in this Regional competition. Breeds represented at the Championship show were the Tennessee Walking Horse, Rocky Mountain Horse, Paso Fino, Kentucky Mountain Horse, Racking Horse, Spotted Saddle Horse, United Mountain Horse and the Missouri Foxtrotting Horse.
The Virginia Horse Center is an amazing Facility, a 600 acre state-of-the-art environment for horse shows and other events. There are currently eight barns to accommodate 750 horses in permanent stabling, and approximately 1200 horses indoors in permanent and temporary stabling. Two of the barns are winterized, which along with their proximity to the 4,000 seat indoor coliseum, allow their event calendar to extend throughout the year. The Center has eighteen show rings and arenas, including the 300' x 150' indoor Coliseum. There is a five-mile Olympic caliber cross-country course, and also an internationally recognized carriage driving marathon course. Attached to the property are hundreds of miles of beautiful Virginia horse trails to enjoy.
The Horse Center was hosting an Arabian show and an “A” rated Morgan show the same weekend as the Gaited show. The roadways between all of the barns had excellent footing and provided a great work out track. High stepping park style Morgans, Arabians dripping in Western Pleasure silver and our Foxtrotters created entertainment for everyone sitting outside their barns. I can’t remember how many times this conversation took place, “You have a very nice Walking horse” - “actually this is a Missouri Foxtrotter” - “A What?” - we would then go on shamelessly to talk about all of the wonderful qualities of our Foxtrotters.
This year’s Championship show had an impressive 572 entries over the 3 day competition. The Foxtrotters that represented our farm made us extremely proud every time they went into the ring. Our rider’s had done their homework and their horses worked and looked very impressive. The beautiful show outfits and sets our rider’s chose defiantly made people sit up and take notice of the Foxtrotter breed and their riders.
Along with pointed MFTHBA classes and other breed specific classes and Championships, the show had Open Gaited Classes and Best Gaited Breed Championships. The show was judged by carded breed judges for the breed specific classes and the open breed classes were judged by an Independent Judging Association (IJA) Judge. The IJA has strict requirements with mandatory seminars to ensure that all gaited breeds are judged on their individual breed standard. Judges that are carded with the IJA must exhibit this knowledge and renew their license yearly.
This is the first time in the history of the FOSH Championships that a Missouri Foxtrotter has won both of the 2-Gait and 3-Gait Championship divisions! Tori Blankenship and “Playboy’s Sampson“ claimed top honors and was named the Overall Best Gaited Horse 3-Gait Champion. Dr. Gary Shapiro and “R Lady’s Prince” claimed top honors and were named the Overall Best Gaited Horse 2-Gait Champion. Suzette Rashkin and “Pride’s Blaze Of Glory“ placed 5th in the Best Gaited Horse 2-Gait Championships. Dr. Arnold Miller and “King Of The Hill” placed 6th in the Best Gaited Horse 2-Gait Championships. 3 Foxtrotters out of 7 placings called in the Best Gaited Horse 2-Gait Championship - Outstanding! The competition was so intense it called for a series of ride- offs. The horses that made it to the final cut had been performing for 45 minutes with minimal breaks.
The FOSH organization is incorporated in the state of Delaware as a nonprofit, public benefit humane and education organization. Its purpose is to promote the exhibition of the flat shod horse at competitions designed to showcase the natural gaited pleasure horse. FOSH supports flat shod or barefoot horses, and will never endorse any event that uses mechanical, chemical or artificial training methods to modify the natural gaits of the horse. FOSH requires a USDA certified inspection to FOSH sanctioned shows to ensure compliance with the Horse Protection Act.
