San Francisco, Calif. – Nov. 19, 2018 – Over the year, the team at Riffle Hitch LLC has amassed multiple championships and tricolor victories at some of the foremost equestrian venues in the country, and this autumn marked the culmination of an especially impressive East Coast indoor show season as Violet Lindemann Barnett took home top honors at the prestigious National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky.
At just 16 years old, Lindemann Barnett made her first time qualifying and competing at indoors a truly exceptional and memorable one. Under the tutelage of highly-respected rider and trainer Nicole (Nicki) Shahinian-Simpson, Lindemann Barnett piloted Luscious around the Alltech Arena and earned stellar marks on the judges’ scorecards to capture the championship ribbon in the ultra-competitive Small Junior 15 and Under Hunter division to ultimately earn the overall Grand Small Junior Hunter title.
On the first day of junior hunter competition, Lindemann Barnett and the 9-year-old Warmblood gelding started off on the right foot by winning the handy round. They returned on the second day and won the under saddle class and finished in second place in the stake round.
“Luscious felt amazing! I’ve had him for two years and this year is our first indoor season together,” Lindemann Barnett said. “He’s never been here before and he was just amazing. I love this horse show. It’s such a prestigious venue. To win during my first time competing here on my amazing horse is incredible. I’m so thankful.”
In addition, Lindemann Barnett also qualified for and competed in the esteemed ASPCA Maclay National Championship, which brings together the finest equitation riders from across the nation to vie for the coveted title on the final day of the event. Lindemann Barnett rode her equitation mount, Salvatore, around Bobby Murphy’s challenging course and executed a strong performance to round out her incredible debut at the National Horse Show.
Lindemann Barnett’s mother, Sloan, also shares a passion for horses and has enjoyed immense success in the show ring this season as well. Sloan took to the Alltech Arena aboard her Holsteiner gelding, Coronation, in the Amateur-Owner Over 35 3’3″ Hunter division. The duo brought home ribbons from every class in the division, including a second place over fences and a third place in the under saddle to make the team at Riffle Hitch LLC proud.
Just prior to the National Horse Show, Violet and Sloan also competed in the heart of the nation’s capital at the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) in Washington, D.C., where Violet rode Luscious and Delightful and Sloan rode Coronation to more top ribbons in their respective hunter divisions in the Capital One Arena. In addition, Violet, who led the West Coast in the WIHS Equitation standings for the majority of the year, and Salvatore competed in the Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund WIHS Equitation Final and produced solid rounds in both the hunter and jumper phases.
Earlier in the season at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Violet received multiple scores in the 80s aboard Luscious and Coronation in the Small Junior 15 and Under 3’6″ Hunter division and competed with Salvatore in the Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final.
In between shows on their East Coast tour, Riffle Hitch LLC traveled back to their home turf to compete at the Sacramento International Horse Show as well as the Del Mar International Horse Show. Proving her versatility, Violet took the jumper ring by storm aboard her mounts Cassi and Chip VA. Her results were highlighted by her victory with Chip VA in the $5,000 GGT Footing 1.30m Low Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic out of over 30 entries. Shahinian-Simpson also claimed an impressive fourth place finish in the $100,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Del Mar CSI3*-W with Carol Rosenstein and Silver Raven Farm’s Akuna Mattata.
Most recently, the team continued their action-packed fall competition schedule at the HITS National Sunshine Series in Thermal, California, where Shahinian-Simpson and Akuna Mattata earned another top 10 finish in the $100,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Thermal CSI3*-W followed by a win in the $40,000 Las Vegas National Welcome Jumper Speed Classic CSI4*-W at the Las Vegas National Horse Show.
Riffle Hitch LLC has proven time and time again that no matter which coast they are competing on, horses and riders demonstrate the fruits of their labor, resulting in top awards in all three rings. As the 2018 season winds down, the team is looking forward to improving upon the lessons learned this fall and achieve continued success in 2019.
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