FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jennifer Wood for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

Karen Healey Stables Begins HITS Desert Circuit with Wins and Awards

Thermal, CA - January 28, 2009
Karen Healey Stables started out their 2009 show season at the first week of the HITS Desert Circuit on January 20-25. The talented riders won classes, took home tricolor ribbons, and won best rider awards.

One of the most successful riders of the week was Addy Graves, who took home the reserve championship in the Children's 13 & Under Hunters on Dante, owned by Alexandra Block. They won two classes and added two seconds and a third to their ribbon count. In the equitation, Graves won the Marshall & Sterling Children's Medal, was second in the PCHA 14 & Under Medal, was fourth in the Onondarka Medal, and fifth in the THIS National Children's Medal. For her great success this week, Graves was named the Best Children's Rider for the first week of the HITS Desert Circuit.

Tina DiLandri of La Jolla, CA, continued her winning streak in the equitation classes in her opening show of the year. She and her horse RSVP won the USEF Medal and the ASPCA Maclay classes and were first and second over fences in the Equitation 16-17 division. She was also third in the WIHS Jumper phase.

On Stephanie Danhakl's Capone, DiLandri was sixth in the $1,000 Small Junior Hunter Classic and received top ribbons in the Small Junior 16-17 Hunter division. Riding Paladijn for Maria Bruggere, she took second and third place ribbons in the Large Junior 16-17 Hunters. DiLandri was also competitive in the High Junior/Amateur Jumpers with Chanel 292 and received second place.

Hannah Selleck, a resident of Thousand Oaks, CA, won her 17th class this past week in the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search. This puts her only three wins away from a "gold medal" ranking in the history of the class.

Grace Shelton took up the ride this past week on Eventual, owned by Michelle Morris, and did very well in the equitation classes. They were second in the Central Equine Junior Medal, the THIS National Children's Medal, and the OCHSA Equitation Medal. She also won third, fourth, and fifth place ribbons in the Equitation 14-15 division. On Lanos, Shelton was seventh in the CPHA Foundation Equitation Medal.

Demi Stiegler and Vigo had a good week in the equitation classes. They picked up second place ribbons in the WIHS jumper phase, the USEF Medal, and the CPHA Foundation Medal. They also placed third in the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search, fourth in the WCE Junior/Amateur Medal, fifth in the WIHS Hunter phase, and seventh in the CPHA Junior Medal.

Makensie Baker piloted Corelejo to fourth place in the $2,500 Marshall & Sterling Children's Jumper Classic. In the Children's Jumper 16-17 division, the pair was first and fifth. Dylan Kornbluth and The Jackal, owned by Carlos Valenzuela, finished first and seventh in the Low Junior Jumpers. Ament took over the ride on The Jackal in the Level 4 Jumpers and finished second. Ament then rode Karen Healey's Safira 9 to ribbons in the Level 5 Jumpers. Tammy Chipko of Westlake Village rode her new mount Enrique to ribbons in the High Junior/Amateur Jumpers.

Alex Block and her horse Kool Shoes had a solid showing in the $4,000 Modified Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic and outlasted almost everyone in the class to finish second. Block then made the switch to the hunter ring when she rode Tammy Chipko's All That to third place in the $1,000 Large Junior Hunter Classic. She was also 10th in the classic with Walk the Line and received ribbons with both horses in the Large Junior 16-17 Hunter division.

Karen Healey Stables will compete next at the second week of the HITS Desert Circuit on January 27 to February 1, 2009.