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SAUGERTIES, NY (September 20, 2007)--The third time was certainly a charm for Kelsey Amedeo as she secured the Marshall & Sterling Adult Medal, on Saturday, September 16 during The Marshall & Sterling League Finals held at HITS-on-the-Hudson.
Amedeo (Brighton, MA) had the ride aboard London Fog . Amedeo received a solid score of 83.5 in the first round to put her in fourth place. The top-12 riders were invited back for additional testing and that is when the 24 year old made her move. Amedeo received an 88 as she wowed judges Andrew Lustig and Christine Tauber to move up the leader board.
The numbers added up for Amedeo, who is an accountant for Stax, Inc., based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as her overall score of 171.5 would be good enough to send her to the festive awards area decorated in a fall motif where she received a host of awards from Marshall & Sterling Insurance Company's Mary Moeller.
Amedeo is no stranger to the Finals. She has been Reserve Champion in the M&S Adult Medal twice before in 2004 and 2006. But at long last, she stands alone at the top of the podium. She rides under the watchful eyes of Martha and Armand Chenelle of Windcrest Farm in Hebron, Connecticut. London Fog , owned by Holly Rebello, won the M&S Adult Medal in 2004 with another rider from Windcrest Farm also trained by the Chenelle's.
"I was very lucky to ride him," said Amedeo. "I want to thank Holly Rebello for giving me this wonderful opportunity. Between Holly, my trainers and my parents, I have all of the support in the world."
Since graduating from Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts two years ago, Amedeo has been busy working in the "real world" and only rides about once a week. However, coming to HITS-on-the-Hudson is something she looks forward to all year. "I love Saugerties," she said. "Riding in the Grand Prix ring is such a thrill. By far it is the biggest ring I have ever been in."
According to Amedeo, she is looking forward to attending more of the special events and parties that surround the Finals next year. She admits to being ready to attend the Marshall & Sterling League Finals Awards Dinner and Party on Friday, September 14, but couldn't leave her hotel room because she was watching the Red Sox game.
"I heard great things about the party," she said. "But the Red Sox were losing a big lead that night and they needed my support. Plus, I needed my rest for the M&S Adult Medal that was the next day"
When not crunching numbers at her job, riding horses and watching the her favorite baseball team, the Boston Red Sox, Amedeo enjoys watching the movie Napoleon Dynamite and the television show Desperate HouseWives .
Gretchen Ornia Pacher (Bedminster, NJ) was second in the Adult Medal aboard Sabotage . Pacher scored an 83 in each round to give her an overall total of 166. Lindsey Mohr (Long Valley, NJ) scored an 86 in the opening round to take the early lead, but her second-round score of 79.5 landed her in third place aboard Lion King . However, she was delighted to win third place in a class that featured 38 talented competitors.
The 2007 Marshall & Sterling League Finals awarded more than $30,000 in prize money. For a complete list of results, please visit http://www.hitsshows.com/marshallsterling/results07.html
During the year, more than 2,400 riders from coast to coast compete at over 800 Marshall & Sterling League member horse shows to earn a spot at the Finals. Since its inception in 1991, the Marshall & Sterling League Finals have provided the goal that has fueled the competitive spirit of child and adult riders at all levels of competition.
HITS, Inc. is a special events management company primarily focused on producing hunter/jumper horse shows. Based in upstate New York in the village of Saugerties, HITS produced its first horse show circuit in Gainesville, Florida in 1982. Since that time, HITS has grown into a nationwide company with world-class hunter-jumper circuits in California, Florida, Arizona, New York and Virginia.
For more information and a complete schedule of classes and events, visit www.HitsShows.com.
Media should contact Chris Mayone at 845.246.8833 or e-mail Media_Info@HitsShows.com
©Lili Weik Photography 07
Kelsey Amedeo clears a jump during the Marshall & Sterling League Finals to capture a long-awaited win in the M&S Adult Medal.
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