Two Hunterdon County teenagers who drew inspiration from their parents’ equestrian involvement have parlayed that example into impressive achievements in statewide, year-end high score awards.
Elizabeth Benson of Whitehouse Station and Elizabeth Berman of Oldwick will be accepting trophies Saturday at the N.J. Horse Shows Association banquet in Morristown and Jan. 31 at the N.J. Professional Horsem*n’s Association dinner in Freehold.
Benson’s mother, Katie Benson, is president of the NJHSA and works with her husband, Jack Benson, running horse shows and their Briarwood Farm in Readington. A Hunterdon Central High School sophom*ore, the couple’s 16-year-old daughter won the NJHSA equitation Gold Medal by more than 100 points, and took the NJPHA’s Gold Medal as well on several horses, including Splendid, who has switched jobs and is now a jumper.
Benson, who also won the Marshall & Sterling Central Equine Junior Medal earlier in the year, hopes to follow her parents’ path and become a professional.
Her 2009 victories are the most recent in a series of year-end triumphs up the ranks for Benson. The most special for the young woman was taking the Vic Goines Memorial award for the association’s high score jumper, because her father’s name is engraved on the trophy from his days as a rider several decades ago.
“I’ve always wanted to do what my parents do,” she said. Although she has never seen them compete, their interest in horses sparked hers, and being the daughter of professionals has plenty of perks.
“It opens a whole bunch of doors,” Katie said. Benson often catch-rides for other trainers and they offer help. For instance, Stacia Madden of Beacon Hill in Colts Neck appreciated the look of Benson and her new equitation mount, San Remo.
“I like that match; perhaps I could coach her a bit,” Madden said.
“It was a great opportunity for Elizabeth and her horse,” Katie Benson said, noting it also was a big help when Jack Benson, sidelined by illness, couldn’t work with his daughter at the Pessoa/USEF Medal Finals in the fall and Madden pitched in.
Berman won both associations’ Children’s Hunter titles for younger riders with Handor F, better known as Moose, taking a more than 100-point lead in the NJHSA standings. A 15-year-old sophom*ore at Voorhees High School, she got the horse as a hand-me-down from her mother, who showed the Dutchbred successfully in the adult amateur hunter ranks. Berman’s father, William, a Morristown attorney, also rode and is involved in the sport as secretary of the National Horse Show.
Next up for Berman is the 3-foot equitation division and she hopes eventually to ride in the ‘‘big eq’’ classes, including the Pessoa/USEF Medal and ASPCA Maclay, which are run at 3-feet, 6-inches. She plans to do it all on her special horse.
‘‘I can learn a lot from him,’’ said Berman, who notes he cheerfully covers for her when she fumbles.
‘‘If I miss a distance, he won’t ever stop. He’s very forgiving,’’ said Berman, who trains with Kathy Kusnman at Glen Eden in Oldwick and balances her riding with playing soccer. But the horses have a special place in her heart.
‘‘I think I like showing so much because my parents were so into it, and I love animals,’’ she said. That’s particularly true when it comes to Moose, who logged time as a jumper with Amanda Forte of Pennsylvania before coming to the Bermans.
‘‘It’s cool, knowing my mom once rode him,’’ she said.
Julie Berman’s involvement with Moose now is limited to managing her daughter’s show schedule and being a cheerleader at competitions.
"I miss being in the saddle,’’ she notes, adding ‘‘If Elizabeth didn’t have him, I’d be terribly devastated. But sharing him with her is like having two babies.’’
Others who have the distinction of taking 2009 championships in both organizations include Kendall Fately, tops in the NJHSA's Mini-Maclay and Bronze Medal, as well as the NJPHA's Mini-Medals with her horse, Magnetic; Clare Halsey on Sandy Rose's Lucky Charm, Short Stirrup Equitation, while Zoe Kirsch won the NJPHA Mini-Stirrup on her Beach Bunny and took an Achievement Award in the NJHSA's comparable division
Other 2009 winners: Sydney Gever's Short Notice, Pre-Children's Hunter Pony; Brandilyn Wall's Blackberry, Children's Hunter Pony Small/Medium; Hannah Rothberg's Mapleside Magic Wish, Pleasure Horse or Pony and NJPHA Beginner Hunter; George Alala's Skunk, ridden by Irene Sanchez-Bang, Schooling Jumpers Level ½ NJHSA, Level 1 NJPHA; Anastasia Lipani on Briarwood Farm's Dancing Doll, Pre-Children's Equitation Pony; Kelly Champion's Mistletoe, Older Adult Amateur Hunter and Bonnie Jarvis' Flight of the Conchord, Children's/Adult Jumper.
ON THE RAIL
Registration continues through Thursday for intermediate-level riders who want to brave the cold and take next Sunday’s Jack Frost Trail Ride, set for noon to 1 p.m. at Lord Stirling Stable, 256 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge. The fee is $28 for Somerset County residents and $36 for non-residents. For additional information, call (908) 766-5955.
ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE
Sunday: CJL Farm and Hunter's Crossing Farm Host Snowbird Acres Show, Hunter's Crossing Farm, 121 E. Valley Brook Rd., Long Valley; Palermo Winter Festival, 1555A Burnt Mills Rd., Bedminster; Woodedge at the Park Show, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown (through next Sunday).
Saturday: Duncraven Winter Show Series, 1300 Trenton-Harbourton Rd.,Titusville (through next Sunday); Black River Farm Winter Show Tour, 20 Boss Rd., Ringoes (through next Sunday); Baymar Farm C-Rated Series Show, 28 Harbor Rd., Morganville.
Next Sunday: CJL Farm C-Rated Series Show, Baymar Farm, 28 Harbor Rd., Morganville.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.
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