GLENMOORE, Pa--Young trainer and versatile competitor Willemena Horzepa and veteran trainer Doug King placed first and second in the $7,500 Mini Prix at the Ludwig's Corner Horse Show over Labor Day weekend.

Willemena Horzepa and Doug King (Photo by Alix Coleman)Horzepa, who has been a trainer with her own facility for six years, rode Quincey, an 11 year-old that she has had for almost four years, to win the Mini Prix in a nine horse jump-off.

From a starting field of 19, nine were clear, and Horzepa jumped clean in 32.01 to just edge out King on Zino, who finished in 32.09.

"Willemena is a young pro that I've known for years," said King. "I remember her when she was showing pony jumpers against my daughter Gillian."

"She's put together her own business now," said King. "She not only won the Mini Prix, she competed in barrel racing at Cowtown Saturday night before the Mini Prix."

 

HORZEPA started her career as a professional trainer nine years ago, when she was 19, spending the first three years working in Willemena Horzepa on Quincey (Photo by Alix Coleman)conjunction with Stacia Madden at her Beacon Hill in Colts Neck, N.J.

She now works out of her own facility in Allentown, N.J.

'I teach about 30 lessons a week," said Horzepa. "About three-quarters of those lessons are for clients who board with me, and the others are ones who ship in for a lesson."

"Most of my students show jumpers, but some of the younger ones do hunters and equitation," said Horzepa.

Horzepa placed fifth in the $1,500 Invitational Hunter Derby as well as winning the Mini Prix, also riding Quincey.

"I just did the Hunter Derby for fun," said Horzepa. "We pulled off a fifth place finish with a jumper."

"Saturday night, I was second in barrel racing at Cowtown," said Horzepa. "I compete on the Women's Professional Rodeo Circuit. I try to stay pretty well rounded."

"I have about five students that just do barrel racing, and a handful of students that do both barrel racing and jumping," said Horzepa.

"Doug has been very kind," said Horzepa. "He helps me with different opinions on how to ride a course."

Doug King on Zino (Photo by Alix Coleman)King also won the Style Award in the Mini Prix.

"I bought Zino seven years ago in Holland," said King. "He's 14, but he's won a couple of mini prix this year."

A few years after King bought Zino, he began to concentrate on training race horses instead of training young horses and students for horse showing.

"I leased out Zino, but then he got hurt, so I got him back," said King. "I was going to lease him out again, but then I decided to keep. him, and he's been having a good year."

King said that after concentrating completely on traing race horses for thepast few years that he's thinking about adding back into his schedule training some for horse showing.

He works out of his beautiful facility in Malvern, Pa.