Emily Scarnechia won the Marshall & Sterling Pony Medal Finals. Photo by Andrew Ryback.

Wayne, IL – September 15, 2013 – The Showplace Fall Classic Championship Horse Show, held September 10-15 at the Lamplight Equestrian Center, came to an exciting finish today for a number of young riders. In the hunter ring, Kelsey Thatcher dominated the Amateur-Owner Hunters with Fredrick, while Paige Matthies and Emily Scarnechia earned wins in the Marshall & Sterling Midwest Regional Finals.

For Scarnechia, the win in the Marshall & Sterling Pony Medal Finals, not only marked the perfect end to the week at the Showplace Fall Classic Championship Horse Show, it also put the final exclamation point on her show career with her pony, On Angel’s Wings. Following her success with “Angel,” the 12-year-old rider from Barrington Hills, IL will now look to make the move from ponies to horses. 

“Angel was my first pony, and she’s probably the best horse I’ve ever had. I’ve had her for about three years now, and she’s the same age as me,” smiled Scarnechia. “I love her; she’s really a good girl. The course was easy today with her, and since this is my last show on her it was really nice to win.”

Scarnechia trains with Mary and Lisa Goldman at Redcoat Farm, based in Hawthorn Woods, IL. The Goldmans are continually strong supporters of the Showplace Fall Classic Championship and Showplace Productions, the popular management company behind the horse show’s success.

“Pat [Boyle] supports our team, and we support his. The Showplace Production horse shows are all about the exhibitors, and we love that,” Mary Goldman said. 

Joining Redcoat Farm as a generous sponsor at this year’s event is Michelle Durpetti. A competitive Amateur-Owner hunter rider herself, Durpetti runs Michelle Durpetti Events, a wedding and event planning company. This weekend, Durpetti sponsored the $1,000 Junior Hunter Classic and the $1,000 Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic. 

"I absolutely love supporting horse shows through being an exhibitor as well as a sponsor because for me, this is a passion, a great past time and a privilege," said Durpetti. "I think that Showplace Productions has always done a great job of offering quality shows that are easy to get to and allow us a chance to show our horses without being out of town every weekend.  This particular show has always been a favorite for me since I was riding in the Children's Hunters - all the familiar faces and opportunities to see old friends and celebrate a great year is always wonderful.”

Earning the championship tricolor and cooler in the $1,000 Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic were Kelsey Thatcher and Fredrick, owned by Pony Lane Farm of Bluffdale, UT. Thatcher and Fredrick, or “Ricky,” also earned back-to-back blue ribbons over fences and a second under saddle to be named the Amateur-Owner Hunter division champions.

Kelsey Thatcher and Fredrick won the $1,000 Amateur Owner Hunter Classic.


While Thatcher divulged that the young Belgian Warmblood can have his spooky moments, the pair has been extremely successful throughout the year, and they were definitely on their ‘a’ game today.

“He’s growing up, but he can be spooky at first. We usually do an extra courtesy circle to get him to really take a breath,” Thatcher said. “He didn’t really need that today so that was great. He rode really well today.”

The Showplace Fall Classic Championship Horse Show provided Thatcher and Fredrick the perfect opportunity to gear up for the indoor circuit, including the Capital Challenge Horse Show and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. And with the Lamplight Equestrian Center only 15 minutes away from the Jayne family’s Our Day Farm, where Thatcher trains with Alex and Maggie Jayne, the horse show and venue are a tough one to beat.

“I love Lamplight; it’s like home for us,” said Thatcher. “The footing is amazing. Plus the food around this St. Charles area is great!”

Lake Leelanau, MI native Paige Matthies also enjoys all that the Lamplight Equestrian Center and the Showplace Production horse shows have to offer relatively close to home. Today’s horse show was particularly enjoyable for Matthies thanks to her win in the $1,000 Marshall & Sterling Children’s Hunter Championship presented by Tapestry Farms.

Paige Matthies and Audience of One took home the $1,000 Marshall & Sterling Children's Hunter Championship.

“I enjoy showing her because it has such a good feel to it. It’s beautiful, and the horses really love it here,” Matthies said.

She bested a competitive field over the Skip Bailey designed course to earn the winner’s share of the prize money aboard her own Audience of One, known affectionately as “Audi.”

“I’ve been riding Audi for about a year now, and he is just super sweet. He really enjoys the equitation a lot,” said Matthies who trains with Melissa Hirt at Northern Pine Farms in Maple City, MI. “The course today was a lot of fun for us. It wasn’t too hard, but it gave enough of a challenge.”

With the Showplace Fall Classic Championship Horse Show coming to a close today at the Lamplight Equestrian Center, the Showplace Productions team will next head to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, MN for the Minnesota Harvest Horse Show. To learn more about Showplace Productions and upcoming shows visit: www.showplaceproductions.com.