Press

My name is Phoebe Weseley and I own River Run Farm, LLC. I am an amateur rider who has owned my own farm for over 20 years. I grew up in Manhattan as the daughter of two doctors. When I was a teenager, my parents were in upstate NY and saw a skinny neglected Arabian and bought him, even though they knew nothing about horses! Eventually, after many falls, everyone in my family gave up on riding except for me!

I was not born with the talent of a Tori Colvin or a Lillie Keenan, but I do work hard. I have had more success in the show ring than I ever dreamed I would; in addition to hard work, I have the support of my husband and am a perennial student of the sport! I enjoy bringing along young horses and ponies as well as helping my daughter succeed on her adult jumper.

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Featured in Her Riding Habit – September 2018

Kristin Frishman on the purchase of Bella Fiona.

Shama Alghurain on the purchase of Holland.

Kayla Walker on the purchase of Middlemarch.

Special thanks to Krista Olson and Point of View Farm, Genuine Farms and Vasile Zirnoveanu.

Colin Syquia won the $5,000 3’3” NEHJA Hunter Derby, presented by Eastern Hay, riding Sandro Rouge on Thursday, July 20, at the Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography

East Dorset, Vermont – Colin Syquia of Forest Hills, NY, won the $5,000 3’3” NEHJA Hunter Derby, presented by Eastern Hay, on Thursday, July 20, during week three of the six-week Vermont Summer Festival, running through August 13 at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT.

Course designer Gerry Briggs of Smyrna, TN, designed the derby track, which spanned two competition rings and utilized both hunter-style fences as well as traditional derby jumps. From an original starting field of 40 entries, the top 12 horse-rider combinations in the standings following the opening round judged by Marylisa Leffler of Brookeville, MD, returned for the handy round. Syquia and Sandro Rouge, owned by River Run Farm, received a score of 84 in the opening round, and returned to earn the handy round’s highest score of 86. With a total of 170, Syquia and the eight-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding sired by Couleur Rouge earned the win.

“I’m ecstatic!” said Syquia, 42, who operates Eurasia, Inc. in Millbrook, NY, and Wellington, FL. “I think this class is such a great experience. A real challenge for some of these horses that we may want to do international derbies with in the future is the length of the course. It takes a lot of concentration to do 12 obstacles and then come back an hour or two hours later and jump another ten. I think that’s something that is very difficult, and this gives them really good experience.”

Amanda Steege of Ocala, FL, qualified two horses for the handy round, placing second riding Maitre D’ with scores of 82.5 and 85 for a total of 167.5 and fifth aboard Surreal after earning 81 and 83 for a final score of 164.

Having enjoyed a second-place finish during week two, Cassandra Orpen of Westport, CT, remained consistent to place third with scores of 82 and 83.75 for a total of 165.75 riding Major Key. Jennifer Wright of Coscob, CT, rode Zapata to a fourth-place finish on scores of 81.5 and 83.5 for a 165 total, also earning the high-point amateur award.

Sydney Degrazia, 15, of Rochester, NY, was presented as the high-point junior competitor after finishing sixth with Reveille Z.

Of his winning mount Sandro Rouge, who he just began riding this spring, Syquia noted, “I was really impressed with this horse. I had never ridden him in a derby environment, but he rose to the occasion. He’s a spectacular jumper and he has proven here to be brave. I think I have a good rapport with him, so I’m looking forward to the future with him.”

Syquia won the $15,000 Hunter Derby during the final week of the 2012 Vermont Summer Festival but has rarely been seen competing in the weekly feature since.

“I haven’t had any horses in the derbies recently, so it was fun to be able get back in the ring,” said Syquia. “I really enjoy going to shows run by Billy Glass, and appreciate what he does. We go to a lot of really big shows and you can get lost in the shuffle. Here, people are friendly and want to work with you. It’s a family atmosphere and the clients enjoy that because they feel like they are part of the show rather than being number 1,269 out of 2,000.”

In addition to his share of the prize money and a monogrammed winner’s scrim from Mona’s Monograms, Syquia was presented with a Land Rover Experience Driving School off-road excursion by class sponsor, Eastern Hay.

Thursday’s $5,000 3’3” NEHJA Hunter Derby took place during World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) week at the Vermont Summer Festival. The United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) World Championship Hunter Rider Program was founded in 1992 to recognize and celebrate the hunter rider. WCHR Program Members qualify for national and regional awards by earning points at member events held across the country. The top-ranked riders come together each year to compete in the WCHR Finals at the Capital Challenge Horse Show, held this year from September 29 through October 8 in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Competition continues throughout the weekend at the Vermont Summer Festival, highlighted by the spectator-friendly $30,000 Otter Creek Grand Prix beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 22.

For over 20 years, the Vermont Summer Festival has attracted exhibitors and their families to the Manchester region in southern Vermont for great competition in an ideal summer setting. Offering more than $750,000 in prize money over the course of its six-week run, the Vermont Summer Festival is New England’s largest hunter/jumper competition as well as the state’s richest sporting event based on purse. Outside the show ring, exhibitors are immersed in the charm of Vermont’s shopping, dining, and outdoor activities.

Competition at the 2017 Vermont Summer Festival runs weekly from Wednesday through Sunday, beginning each day at 8 a.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for children from Wednesday through Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, admission is $9 for adults and $5 for children with 100% of all gate proceeds benefiting the Manchester Community Library, Meals on Wheels of Bennington County, and the Rotary Club of Manchester.

For more information on the Vermont Summer Festival, please e-mail or visit www.vt-summerfestival.com.

$5,000 3’3″ NEHJA Hunter Derby, presented by Eastern Hay
Thursday, July 20
Rider Hometown Horse Scores
1. Colin Syquia Forest Hills, NY Sandro Rouge 84/86=170
2. Amanda Steege Ocala, FL Maitre D’ 82.5/85=167.5
3. Cassandra Orpen Westport, CT Major Key 82/83.75=165.75
4. Jennifer Wright Coscob, CT Zapata 81.5/83.5=165
5. Amanda Steege Ocala, FL Surreal 81/83=164
6. Sydney Degrazia Rochester, NY Reveille Z 79/84=163
7. Robbie Burroughs Hackensack, NJ Allure 79.5/81=160.5
8. Keirstin Johnsen North Salem, NY Hundred Acre 86/74=160
9. Kristen Bumpus Concord, MA Carington 79.75/79=158.5
10. Brooke Baldwin-Degrazia North Salem, NY Galaxy 80/78=158
11. Sarah Hyde Scituate, MA Algarve 80.5/76=156.5
12. Sarah Barge Bloomfield, NY Guess B 84.5/68=152.5

This release was originally published by Jump Media. View full press release here.

Put that altogether and what do you have? This week it’s Reserve Champion at the USEF Pony Finals, Green Medium Pony division with over 70 entries. The pony is Brighton Heartbreaker, a 6-year-old Welsh cross, and this was her ninth show ever. The rider was the talented Daisy Farish, a 13-year-old competing in her seventh and last Pony Finals. Heritage Farm trains; Patricia Griffith was on the ground this week. Phoebe Weseley of River Run Farm owns the pony. So where do the princess and the pig fit in?

Lets go back six years when Phoebe got a call from Eric Caleca of Brighton Stud. “He saw my daughter’s pony, Brighton Beam A Bit on the cover of Sidelines magazine and said I should come look at his ponies.”

And Phoebe, thinking it would be fun for she and her then 11-year-old daughter. Carson, to have a pony project, said “Ok.” So up to northern New Jersey they ventured and out in the broodmare field were a group of weanling ponies. Phoebe picked their favorite baby, a bay filly by Romany River Talisman and out of Brighton Heartbreak Run, patiently raised her for six years, and the results proved worthwhile.

A Princess in the Making
Phoebe took the new weanling to her farm and turned her out with a mare that took her in as her own. At age two the pony went to Jenny Thompson’s Pine Haven Farm in Maryland for 60 days of ‘breaking’, was turned out again and returned to Thompson’s at age three for 60 days. Then as a 4 and 5-year-old she went to HITS Ocala and hung out. Known at home as ‘Bettie’, the pony is named for Phoebe’s mother-in-law who is a southern belle. So of course she has to live up to her name.

“In the interim my daughter lost interest, found boys, and so I was riding the pony,” Phoebe explained. Luckily she is only 4’11”. “She is a bit of a princess. If she doesn’t want to do something she will ever so politely say ‘no.’ When she was younger I didn’t insist, but now I do. She is really smart, very balanced and straight forward but still a princess.”

A Pet Pig
Several years ago while Bettie was still growing up, Carson and Phoebe sited an adorable piglet for sale at a horse show. Not able to resist the little swine, ‘Fudgie’ found his way into their hearts and a home at River Run Farm.

Not tiny for long, Fudgie is now good size pot bellied pig with an opinion. He likes the nice horses and has chosen Bettie as his princess. He sleeps in her stall, when she’s home and when she’s not, and hangs out in her paddock.

Pony Finals with A Fabulous Farish
Phoebe also took Bettie to Kentucky as a young pony, and a young Daisy Farish from Lexington tried her. The Farish family wanted to bring her home, but Phoebe, the protective pony mom, thought Bettie was too young.

The very green pony made her debut at WEF this past winter with Daisy riding and was Champion her second show. Next was Old Salem in the spring where she was Reserve Champion the first week and Champion the second week. She then competed at HiTS Saugerties and Brandywine with Isabel Ryan in the irons and her final prep for Pony Finals was one week in Kentucky with Emma Kurtz riding. She kept on winning. The stage was set for Daisy Farish, who had thought last year was her final year at Pony Finals but was happy to make an exception to ride Bettie.

“She has a great rhythm,” explained the accomplished equestrian. “That’s my favorite thing about her.”

“I always thought in the back of my mind that she could go to Pony Finals so bringing her to Lexington was a premeditated move in a way,” said Phoebe smiling. “She’s learning to be a show princess. Heritage knows ponies and they’ve done a great job with her.”

Knowing that Eric Caleca is no longer breeding the Brighton line, Phoebe is determined to see the line continue. Although she expects Bettie will go on to the perfect pony home, she does want to make breeding arrangements for the future.

The smile on everyone’s faces put the icing on the Princess Pony winning at Pony Finals cake.

By Jackie McFarland for ProEquest.com.