San Francisco, Calif. – Sept. 13, 2018 – Throughout the summer, the team at Riffle Hitch LLC has been diligently training at home and on the road competing at some of the foremost horse shows across the country under the tutelage of renowned trainer and rider Nicole Shahinian-Simpson. Their dedication and hard work has paid off and continues to reap rewards in the form of championship ribbons and numerous winning titles.
Setting the tone for what would be an extremely rewarding summer, Riffle Hitch LLC’s talented up-and-coming junior athlete, Violet Lindemann Barnett, kicked off the show season at the HMI June Classic held at the Sonoma Horse Park. The young rider was reserve champion in the 1.30m Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper division aboard Cassi, a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding. The success continued in the hunter ring, where she piloted Delightful to the reserve championship tricolor in the Junior 3’6″ Hunter division.
Riffle Hitch LLC then ventured to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to compete at the prestigious Spruce Meadows ‘North American’ CSI5* tournament in July, where Lindemann Barnett executed double-clear rounds to finish in second place in the Coril Holdings Barrage 1.25m Jumpers riding Cassi and in the Coril Holdings Barrage 1.20m Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers with Chip VA.
Following their excellent results in Canada, the team returned to the West Coast and accumulated more winning titles at the Showpark Summer Festival in Del Mar, California. In a competitive Small Junior Hunter division, Lindemann Barnett and Luscious earned the reserve championship title, putting them on the right track heading into the USEF Junior Hunter National Championship – West, hosted by Blenheim Equisports, where the pair finished second in the under saddle and fourth over fences in the Small Junior 15 & Under Hunter division.
Sharing her passion for equestrian sports with her mother, Sloan, the duo had immense success at the HMI Equestrian Classic I next. Sloan rode to the top of the pack in the Amateur-Owner 3’3″ Hunter division with Coronation to secure the championship title, while Violet claimed the reserve championship ribbon in the Junior 15–17 Equitation division riding Salvatore.
At the Blenheim Summer Classic, Violet captured the blue ribbon in the 1.30m Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers and finished third in the $1,500 1.25m Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic riding Chip VA. Continuing with their winning momentum at the Showpark Summer Classic, Violet and Chip VA were invited back to the winner’s circle after claiming the $2,000 EquiFit 1.35m Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, besting a 13-horse jump-off.
Concluding an outstanding summer of competition, the team headed back to the Sonoma Horse Park to compete in the Sonoma International CSI2*, part of the Split Rock Jumping Tour. Violet sped to a third place finish aboard Chip VA in the one-round $1,000 1.20m Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper class out of 32 entries. The talented pair then jumped double-clear in the competitive $7,500 1.30m Medium Junior/Amateur-Owner Final to once again claim third place.
“We had a great summer,” said Shahinian-Simpson. “Violet really came into her own in the jumpers and had some great, consistent results. It was a great experience for her to compete at Spruce Meadows and Split Rock. Her riding has really matured this summer. The hunters had a little bit of time to rest so they will be ready for the fall. I’m excited to go with her to her first indoors. I think she’s going into it in a nice, confident place.”
To top it all off, the Lindemann Barnetts, along with Riffle Hitch LLC, won the popular tack room contest at the Menlo Charity Horse Show in Atherton, California, in August. Their exquisite set-up, attention to detail and consistent theme impressed the judges to help them win the coveted prize.
Whether at home in California or on the road showing at some of the finest competition venues in the United States and beyond, the team at Riffle Hitch LLC certainly made this summer one to remember. With the arrival of fall, preparations for the competitive indoor show season are underway, but first, Riffle Hitch LLC will compete at the Blenheim Fall Tournament for Maclay regionals before heading to the Capital Challenge Horse Show followed by the Washington International Horse Show, Pennsylvania National Horse Show and National Horse Show.
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