Alice Cassidy Holds the Winning Card, Copper Canyon Shows Grand Potential at Saratoga Classic II

A feature class at the Saratoga Classic II Horse Show on Thursday, June 19, 2025, was the $5,000 1.35m Welcome Stake in the Dammerman International Ring. Alice Cassidy of Shelburne, VT, drew her winning card, Ace of Spades, to take the victory. Over in the Bainbridge Hunter Ring, Copper Canyon and Jennifer Jones were presented with the Grand Hunter Championship. Held at White Hollow Farm in Stillwater, NY, the Saratoga Classic II continues through Sunday, June 22.

Cassidy and Ace of Spades were the fastest of seven double clears and eight in the jump-off with a time of 36.642 seconds to take the win in the $5,000 1.35m Welcome Stake.

“I was planning to leave a stride out in the first line, and then he turned really easy,” said Cassidy of her jump-off ride, “so I was just going to try to gallop right over and stay inside the end two jumps to angle jump number three, which I hit it on a really good spot. I could do a nice, neat roll back to jump number six and then gallop around and try to not take away, then leave out a stride to the last jump. I went near the end, so I was able to watch quite a few of them. I think my turn from jumps two to three is really where I was able to be the fastest.”

The top three were all tightly packed in time, with Kevin Mealiff and Seducteur d’Hyrencourt Z, a 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Hunter’s Scendro x Elanville) owned by Halley Barrett Sporthorses, finishing second in 36.769 seconds and Irish Olympian Darragh Kenny on Vlock Show Stables LLC’s Amsterdam 27, a 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Catoki x Acord II, third with a time of 36.862 seconds. Madison Rauschenbach and her own Gillette B were fourth in 37.408 seconds, while Mimi Gochman and Lumiere BH, owned by Mimi Snow Sport Horse LLC placed fifth with a time of 38.784 seconds out of a class of 19 entries.

“I'm excited. I always like winning,” expressed Cassidy. “I think it's a good setup for the grand prix this week. I did this class last week too, and I was not finding my pace. I feel like I'm back in my pace with him, so I'm happy about that.”

Cassidy imported “Ace” last year. “We call him ‘The Flying Squirrel’ because he is very fast and squirrely,” she said of the 11-year-old German Sport Horse gelding by Discar. “But he is super reliable in the jump-off because I can leave out strides and make inside turns, and he really keeps his balance well, and he's easy to do that with. He's got a good brain and is very sweet and easy on the ground.”

Cassidy and her team make Saratoga Horse Shows a regular stop on their horse show schedule since their home base in Vermont is only two-and-a-half hours away.

“This is one of our favorite places to come,” she noted. “Saratoga offers a lot of good options of weeks. These June shows have always fit really nicely into our schedule and offer all the classes that my clients want to do, so it's a really good spot. The footing is always good here, and the shows have the big classes for my horses, which is nice. We love the town of Saratoga. There's always so many fun spots to go to dinner, and the weather is usually nice in June.”

Cassidy and Ace of Spades will return to the Dammerman Ring on Saturday for the $25,000 Saratoga Grand Prix.

Copper Canyon Shows Grand Potential

While often seen as a national hunter derby winner, Copper Canyon has been making a name for himself in the Green Hunter 3’6” division in 2025 with championships this winter at World Equestrian Center – Ocala along with first, third, and other top placings at the Devon Horse Show. With two firsts and two seconds over fences, along with third place under saddle, Copper Canyon and rider Jennifer Jones won the division championship, and it was enough to take the Grand Hunter Championship this week.

In last week’s Saratoga Classic I, Copper Canyon, known as “Bailey” in the barn, was the reserve champion in the division and won the USHJA National Hunter Derby. Jones doesn’t regularly show Bailey two weeks in a row but knowing his easy nature and that he would have a long break after this week, she felt confident.

“He is the kind of horse that, when he's in the groove he needs zero prep, which is kind of unique for a real show horse,” she said of the eight-year-old Zangersheide gelding by Irish Wiskey Z x Nabab de Reve. “He did very minimal work this week. He felt fresh, but in a good way, and I thought he jumped really well. He's a very simple horse, and I think sometimes I've gotten in the way by overdoing it. This week I was like, ‘You know what? I’m just going to go right out of the stall to the ring,’ and it was perfect for him.

“He's so easy on himself,” she continued. “A lot of horses have to do a lot more jumping than he does. He's so mature now that he requires very little preparation. He gets in the ring, perks his ears, and he always comes to the party.”

Bystanders at the ring would be mistaken in thinking that Bailey takes a lot of encouragement and leg around the course. “He's not going fast, but he has range in his canter when he's responding to your leg,” explained Jones. “He's taking you and listening. He is so brave at the jumps that you just need to get him in range. You usually don't have to do a lot of adjustments, he doesn't pull, and he doesn't go left or right. He's pretty ideal to ride.”

Jones picked up another championship with Time Turner, owned by Snow Brook LLC, in the Green Hunter 3’ division.

Saratoga Classic II Highlights

Friday, June 20
$10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby

Saturday, June 21
$15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Regional Championship
$25,000 Saratoga Grand Prix

Sunday, June 22
$1,000 2’3”/2’6” Non-Pro Hunter Derby
$500 Pony Hunter Classic

Looking for horse show photos? Visit official photographer Jess Windhurst Photography at www.JessWindhurst.com to view all of your show proofs!

For more information on the Saratoga Horse Shows, visit www.saratogahorseshows.com.