Source:  News Release/Mary Adelaide Brakenridge for PMG Inc.

 

 

 

Liza Dennehy Fights Back After Cardiac Arrest to Claim 3'3" Amateur Owner
Hunter Championship at Summer in the Rockies II

 

 

Parker, CO - Liza Dennehy demonstrated that life-threatening medical conditions and a resulting hiatus from riding could not stop her from shining in the show ring as Summer in the Rockies II came to a close at the Colorado Horse Park. Dennehy rode Now You Know to the 3'3" Amateur Owner Hunter championship and also piloted Sir Topham Hat to a win, a second and a third in the 3'6" A/O division.

Liza Dennehy and Now You Know, Amateur Owner Hunter 3'3" Champions at the Colorado Horse Park's Summer in the Rockies II

Dennehy, who suffered cardiac arrest while schooling Sir Topham Hat at the Capital Challenge in September 2012 and also incurred a head injury as she fell from the horse, fought back after doctors gave her a one percent chance of survival. She used the same fighting spirit to get back in the saddle and continue doing what she loves most: riding, competing, and being around horses.

 

"It changes your life when you have sliding glass doors like that - what would my son's life have been like if I hadn't been around anymore?" she reflected. "He's six years old. I'm just really thankful I'm still here. I'm thankful to everyone I had on my side that day. I would have missed this, if I weren't still here. I would have missed this, for sure."

 

Dennehy was happy to be back in the show ring at the Colorado Horse Park, a venue that is particularly special to her because of the involvement of her father, Wilson Dennehy, in the Horse Park's earliest years. "My father was one of the original partners in starting this place and these horse shows," she said. "We were involved from the very beginning."

 

Liza Dennehy and Now You Know

Dennehy, who is an "R" judge and a licensed course designer, appreciated the questions asked by Sunday's Amateur Owner Hunter courses. "I thought the hardest thing was the single oxer on the outside because of the placement of the vertical with the barns," she said. "If you went around it, you kind of went beyond the oxer, so I wanted to turn inside. That was easy in the first class, but much harder in the second class after the in-and-out, because it was a very quick turn."

 

She said she was very happy with her horses, who are both owned by The Cottonwoods Ltd. "They were good today," she said, noting that she was especially pleased with her final round on Sir Topham Hat after miscommunications resulted in a fall the week before. "I was a little nervous, but I think we were all back together by that last class. I was very happy with the one I won. We're back on the same track."

 

"I call Sir Topham Hat my magic carpet, because that's usually what he's like to ride," Dennehy added. "He's very easy to ride and he's got a lot of scope."

Liza Dennehy and Sir Topham Hat

She rarely rides big horses since her two brothers, professional trainers Michael and Charlie Dennehy, usually end up with the rides on them. The 17.2-hand Sir Topham Hat is the exception to the rule.

 

"I love him just because he's big," she laughed. "It's like driving a big car. There's something safe about it. It's a little more luxury. You gain in stride, you gain in scope, you gain in view!"

 

Nicole Lyvere and Promo, 3'6" A/O Hunter Champions

Dennehy also enjoys the ride on the more diminutive Now You Know. "She's a fancy horse," she said. "I've been showing her since she was a Pre-Green horse. Here in the state, I believe she was Pre-Green Champion, First-Year Champion, maybe Second-Year Reserve that year."

 

Like Dennehy, Now You Know had to take some time off for medical reasons. She injured a leg by kicking at a fly, forcing a yearlong hiatus. "She was hurt last year, so this is her first year back," Dennehy explained. "It's a pretty good start! I'm very happy."

 

Dennehy and Now You Know scored two wins under saddle and over fences in the 3'3" Amateur Owner Hunters after picking up a second place over the first course of the day. Their standout performance earned them the championship over Madeleine Stover and Concierge, who took the reserve.

 

Dennehy also made a run with Sir Topham Hat to challenge the leaders in the 3'6" division but couldn't quite crack the top two spots overall. Nicole Lyvere and Promo came into Sunday with a first and a second in the 3'6" Amateur Owner Hunter classes, and they notched a win, a second and a fourth in the remaining classes to secure the championship. Despite not feeling well herself, Lyvere summoned her energy to encourage her horse through solid performances.

 

"He's lazy so the second day is always hardest," she said. "I had to work really hard to make sure he kept going. He didn't want to jog either! I had to rejog in the first round."

 

Lyvere plans to do the 3' hunter derbies as well as some A/O or Open divisions during the summer shows, though she hasn't finalized her plans. "We'll see how much energy he has," she said.

 

Susan Winston and Quite Nice also collected top ribbons in the 3'6" division, striving to challenge Lyvere for the championship but eventually settling for the reserve. They won the first over fences class and were second in the other. Winston, who purchased Quite Nice four years ago, competed with him in Junior Hunters for two years and then moved to the Amateur Owner Hunters last year.

 

"He's really adjustable, which is nice, and he jumps pretty well from anywhere," Winston said. "You can get him right to the base and he'll still snap his knees up. He's pretty clever."

 

"The courses were a lot of fun," she added. "The lines were right on."

Susan Winston and Quite Nice, Amateur Owner Hunter 3'6" Reserve Champions

Caitlin Burns rode On the Money to the top prize in the $1,000 Amateur Owner Hunter Classic on a combined score of 157.5. Madeleine Stover and Concierge finished just a notch behind them with 156. Burns purchased On the Money this winter, and the pair looks to be at the beginning of a promising partnership. Burns said she is learning more about the mare every time they compete.

 

"She's a newer horse for me, so I'm just trying to figure out how to ride each course each time to get the best out of the both of us," she said. "Each time you're learning, making mistakes, fixing mistakes and trying to better each other."

Caitlin Burns and On the Money, winners of the $1,000 A/O Hunter Class

 

When asked what she is finding out about On the Money, Burns replied, "That she's so fun!"

 

"She tries really hard and wants to be good," Burns continued. "It's just figuring out how to get that out of her consistently."

 

Burns also competes in the Low Junior/Amateur Owner Jumpers with her other horse, and she said she enjoys the challenges inherent to both disciplines. "They're both equally challenging, rewarding, frustrating - all of it," she said. "It's fun to do both. You get different ends of the spectrum."

 

She lives in Longmont, CO, about an hour away from the Horse Park. "It's a really nice place to have in your backyard, for sure," she said. "I love the new footing - my horses seem to really like it. All the improvements are great."

 

Dennehy, who grew up in Colorado, also emphasized the importance of the Horse Park to equestrians in the region. "It's like a dream come true to have these horse shows in Colorado," she said. "We always knew we had some of the best summer weather. We only had three A-rated horse shows here when I was a kid. We had to actually relocate to base out of the Midwest - where my dad's originally from, in Chicago - to qualify. It could not be done by staying home. So having these shows is truly a dream come true for anyone in Colorado who shows horses."

 

Sunday marked the end of Summer in the Rockies II. The Colorado Horse Park will next host Summer in the Rockies III, which begins on Wednesday, June 19, and runs through Sunday, June 23. Highlights include a $15,000 Welcome Stake, a $30,000 Grand Prix, a $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, and a $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby alongside a full array of hunter/jumper competition.

 

Results: Summer in the Rockies II - June 16, 2013 (Number/Horse/Owner/Rider)

 

Amateur Owner Hunter 3'3" Champions

Champion: 205/Now You Know/The Cottonwoods Ltd/Liza Dennehy

Reserve: 184/Concierge/Elizabeth Richter/Madeleine Stover

 

Amateur Owner Hunter 3'6" Champions

Champion: 285/Promo/Nicole Lyvere/Nicole Lyvere

Reserve: 787/Quite Nice/Susan Winston/Susan Winston

 

272. Amateur Owner Hunter 3'3" O/F

1. 332/Timbuktu/Elizabeth Hund/Elizabeth Hund

2. 205/Now You Know/The Cottonwoods Ltd/Liza Dennehy

3. 406/Duet/Lisa Philpott/Eliza Philpott

4. 798/Quite Cool/Page Tredennick/Page Tredennick

5. 846/On The Money/Caitlin Burns/Caitlin Burns

6. 112/Carisma/Amy McCraken/Amy McCraken

7. 184/Concierge/Elizabeth Richter/Madeleine Stover

8. 359/Tatabra Oprah/Emily Carter/Emily Carter

 

273. Amateur Owner Hunter 3'3" O/F

1. 205/Now You Know/The Cottonwoods Ltd/Liza Dennehy

2. 846/On The Money/Caitlin Burns/Caitlin Burns

3. 184/Concierge/Elizabeth Richter/Madeleine Stover

4. 359/Tatabra Oprah/Emily Carter/Emily Carter

5. 798/Quite Cool/Page Tredennick/Page Tredennick

6. 332/Timbuktu/Elizabeth Hund/Elizabeth Hund

7. 406/Duet/Lisa Philpott/Eliza Philpott

8. 112/Carisma/Amy McCraken/Amy McCraken

 

274. Amateur Owner Hunter 3'3" U/S

1. 205/Now You Know/The Cottonwoods Ltd/Liza Dennehy

2. 184/Concierge/Elizabeth Richter/Madeleine Stover

3. 332/Timbuktu/Elizabeth Hund/Elizabeth Hund

4. 798/Quite Cool/Page Tredennick/Page Tredennick

5. 429/In Like Fynn/NTM Enterprises/Nancy Moore

6. 406/Duet/Lisa Philpott/Eliza Philpott

7. 846/On The Money/Caitlin Burns/Caitlin Burns

8. 359/Tatabra Oprah/Emily Carter/Emily Carter

 

262. Amateur Owner Hunter 3'6" O/F

1. 787/Quite Nice/Susan Winston/Susan Winston

2. 285/Promo/Nicole Lyvere/Nicole Lyvere

3. 204/Sir Topham Hat/The Cottonwoods Ltd/Liza Dennehy

4. 858/Briscoe/Gretchen Brictson/Gretchen Brictson

5. 115/The Big Easy/Jessica Staker/Jessica Staker

 

263. Amateur Owner Hunter 3'6" O/F

1. 204/Sir Topham Hat/The Cottonwoods Ltd/Liza Dennehy

2. 787/Quite Nice/Susan Winston/Susan Winston

3. 858/Briscoe/Gretchen Brictson/Gretchen Brictson

4. 285/Promo/Nicole Lyvere/Nicole Lyvere

5. 115/The Big Easy/Jessica Staker/Jessica Staker

 

264. Amateur Owner Hunter 3'6" U/S

1. 285/Promo/Nicole Lyvere/Nicole Lyvere

2. 204/Sir Topham Hat/The Cottonwoods Ltd/Liza Dennehy

3. 858/Briscoe/Gretchen Brictson/Gretchen Brictson

4. 787/Quite Nice/Susan Winston/Susan Winston

5. 115/The Big Easy/Jessica Staker/Jessica Staker

 

705. $1,000 Amateur Owner Hunter Classic

1. 846/On The Money/Caitlin Burns/Caitlin Burns/157.5

2. 184/Concierge/Elizabeth Richter/Madeleine Stover/156

3. 285/Promo/Nicole Lyvere/Nicole Lyvere/147

4. 787/Quite Nice/Susan Winston/Susan Winston/145

5. 115/The Big Easy/Jessica Staker/Jessica Staker/129

6. 359/Tatabra Oprah/Emily Carter/Emily Carter/107

 

285. Colorado Horse Park Hunter O/F

1. 798/Quite Cool/Page Tredennick/Page Tredennick

2. 184/Concierge/Elizabeth Richter/Meghan Felts

3. 329/Rio's Firefly/Christen Tuxworth/Christen Tuxworth

4. 312/Leoncito/Lucy Hunsaker/Meredith Houx Remiger

5. 110/Rio/Chelsea Magness/Stacey Swink

6. 359/Tatabra Oprah/Emily Carter/Emily Carter

7. 115/The Big Easy/Jessica Staker/Jessica Staker

8. 112/Carisma/Amy McCraken/Amy McCraken

 

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