On October 19, Alex Trolli of SBS Farms, Inc., brought home tricolor honors to Buffalo, New York, when she captured the USHJA Zone 2 Hunter Finals Children’s Hunter Horse, 15-17, Reserve Championship. Aboard Hey Sailor, owned by the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, the talented young rider made her presence known.
Alex now sits second in the year-end standings with Hey Sailor and sixth with Del Piero, owned by Doreen Toben.
SBS trainer Alicia Heberle was on the road with Alex throughout the summer, helping her collect points at top shows across the nation. Alex only competed in 12 shows to qualify for the USHJA Zone 2 Hunter Finals, but with the SBS Farms powerhouse team, it came as no surprise that she rode to top performances. During the summer months, Alex competed at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York, consistently placing well in classes with more than 40 competitors.
“I was definitely very nervous, but I think I handled it well. I just rode and did my best,” Alex said. “Alicia really helped me with my nerves. She stays so calm, so in turn, it made me stay calm.”
“I went in first with Hey Sailor, and she was perfect," continued Alex. "She didn’t look at anything. When I rode Del Piero, he looked around a little more, and he was great, but Hey Sailor really showed off.”
Together, Alex and her mounts have been unstoppable throughout the 2014 show season, and they didn’t lose any momentum at the Zone 2 Finals. Alex rode Hey Sailor to second place over fences and third place under saddle, and she also guided Del Piero to fifth and sixth. She will close out the end of the year in second place for her efforts.
“I wasn’t expecting to get reserve champion, but I was very happy about it,” said Alex. “I was really surprised because my nerves were a little higher during our second round over fences, but Hey Sailor and Del Piero were both great. Sitting in second for the end of the year is such a wonderful honor and means more to me than I can say because we've come such a long way in a short time.”
Alex will now move up to the Junior Hunters and is looking at colleges with competitive equestrian programs. She wants to continue on the pipeline for as long as possible, and she admitted that she could not have done it without the spectacular team at SBS Farms.
Susie Schoellkopf said, “Alex is a hard worker and a very good rider. She has a great support team with her family, especially her parents. She and Alicia have been quite a team with two top horses."
Based out of Buffalo, New York, SBS Farms' Susie Schoellkopf and Jennifer Alfano run one of the foremost show hunter training operations in the country and travel nationwide to compete in the nation's most prestigious horse shows.
Press release by Phelps Media Group International.