Belvoir Farm features new show jumping ring

WINDSOR -- A new show jumping ring was the center of attention Sunday at Mike and Marilyn Sharp's Belvoir Farm South Schooling Show.

"What I'm trying to do is to get people to bring their jumpers and school and get ready to move on from here," said Mike Sharp. "We really need a lot of feeder-type shows like this to get the horses ready to go other places."

Sunday's show featured both hunter and jumper classes as the shows have continued to evolve since the inaugural Belvoir Farm South schooling show in July 2009.

"We've put it (the show jumping ring) up there, and we're open to suggestions, and we're going to let everyone go around, we'll tweak it accordingly," said Sharp. "This venue provides a place where we can bring our lower level jumpers and get them ready."

Sharp said the Belvoir Farm South schooling shows are the ideal place for eventers to get their horses ready for the stadium jumping phase .

"Our shows are very affordable," said Sharp. "They can show in two jumper classes for $30. You have to be able to tune into the people."

Among the entries competing in the show jumping classes Sunday included a horse with a very famous sibling, Karen Dempsey's Tyrendarra, who was shown by Jane McDonald.

Tyrendarra is a half-brother to five-time Eclipse Award winning Steeplechase Horse of the Year, Lonesome Glory.

Dempsey exhibited former Thoroughbred racehorse In Denial.

"This horse (In Denial) by Louie Quatorze (winner of the 1996 Preakness) that I bred that Jonathan Sheppard trained was going very well his first couple of races. He came up sore and is now back home with his mom," said Demspey. "Jonathan was very fond of him, as was Danni Hodsdon. He was a little crooked when he was born, so I called him In Denial, and went on with it."