MCHS 2019 TUESDAY 080619

The opening day of the 49th Menlo Charity Horse

Show Grass Hunter Field began in earnest with a day

of classes in which Professional riders held the reins.

It was clear in talking to seasoned trainers husband

and wife team Harley and Olivia Brown of Harley

Brown Equestrian, and Philip Cillis of Westwood

Showjumping Stables that a win at MCHS is a special

moment.

Harley Brown competed in the 1.30m Jumper class

with the goal of preparing Absolute Du Mio (aka

Vodka) for owner Alessandra Volpi to ride in classes

later in the week. Of the ve horses that Brown showed

in this event, Vodka was the horse of the moment and

took home the blue ribbon.

“We bought this horse for Alessandra (Alex) Volpi

who rides with us. Alex has just competed in the Young

Riders and gained a Silver Medal. We purchased this

horse a month ago for her. Vodka is only 9 years old

and has competed in a couple of bigger classes in

Europe….a very special horse. Alex will probably do

her rst Grand Prix here later this week, that is the plan

at this moment.” Brown explained.

18 year-old Alex has been in training with Harley

Brown Equestrian for two years and is an experienced

Grand Prix rider, but this team has more than one

horse competing in Saturday’s $40,000 Stephen Silver

Grand Prix. This jet set barn of young equestrian talent

Making

Memories

Happen At

Menlo Charity

Horse Show

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#MENLO2019

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Photo Credit ©Alden Corrigan Media

Winner of the 1.30m Jumper class Harley Brown & Absolute Du Mio

©Alden Corrigan Media

also has a group of riders ying in from New York “

Their horses will not compete at MCHS, but we have

fresh horses on the grounds ready to compete. So in

total three or four riders will compete in the Grand Prix

and others will enter Hunters and Equitation Classes”.

“We really have a great bunch of kids, supported by a

great bunch of parents, it makes it very rewarding. We

have been here for over seven years and I am lucky to

have grown a large equestrian program. We are very

blessed” said Brown.

Olivia Brown, Harley’s wife and business partner had

the ride on Chacco D’accord, and was over the moon

with her rst blue ribbon in a Hunter class at Menlo

winning one of the 3’6” Performance Hunter classes.

“Chacco D’accord is a 6 year-old that we bought as a 4

year-old in Europe, so we have produced him. He was

purchased for Emma Riechow who rides him in the

3’6” Juniors, so it is pretty special to win on a horse

that we have made. Last year he did the 5 year-olds

here at MCHS and he was very green and spooky, so

to come back here and have him march right around

was wonderful.”

Harley and Olivia Brown work as a great team and

when asked about the family dynamics Olivia Brown

said with a laugh “It really works well. He is very loud

and vocal and I am very stubborn. I put him back in

his place every once in a while and we carry on. We

Olivia Brown & Chacco D’accord ©Alden Corrigan Media

really do work well together. We have two children,

Zoe who is 14 years old is a rider and our son Dexter

is eight. Dexter enjoys martial arts and likes computers

and has not found his true passion yet. He understands

our work and comes to the barn on occasion and

causes havoc. Zoe enjoys both Hunters and j\Jumpers,

and is doing 1.40m Jumpers and 3’6” Junior Hunters

and Equitation, she really likes it all and is pretty on a

horse so could really go anywhere.”

The nal of the three winners that shared their story

was Philip Cillis of Westwood Showjumping Stables.

Cillis had the ride on Bayou owned by Michelle Filanc

in the 3’6” Performance Hunter and was winner of the

rst class “Bayou (aka Cricket) was purchased from

Meridith Herman last spring, she had started him in

the 7 year-old Young Hunters and he ended up being

Horse of the Year. I bought him for Michelle Filanc

who is an Amateur Owner rider and she does a great

job on him. She has had great success with him and

he is just fun and nice to ride, a great horse to have

in the barn.

I have ten here this week…. mostly Amateur

ladies, but I do have one Junior with me. I am very

much focused on my clients, so there are very few

rides for me. Today the horses I rode in the 3’6”

Performance were all being prepared for their real

job, which is to be good for their ladies. I am now

done for the rest of the week.

We really have a great team at Westwood; Jenn

Marun is my assistant and I could not do it without

her, Jesus Chewy López is my head groom and I

have two of his brothers that work with me Manuel

López and Lioba López. Between them and the

clients I have I am a pretty lucky guy.

I look forward to coming to Menlo every year. It is

really special, and one of my favorite shows. Winning

here is so wonderful, I remember being Champion in

1988 and I came the show long before that with Hap

Hansen. Today I hoped that I had a score to win and I

did!”

The Menlo Charity Horse Show, a 501(C)(3) organization

recognized as a USEF Heritage Competition, benets

Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired by

producing a premiere equestrian event while educating

the community on the issues of the visually impaired.

Links and Information:

facebook.com/MenloCharityHorseShow

instagram.com/menlocharityhorseshow

twitter.com/MenloCharity

#MENLO2019

Winners of the 1st & 2nd 3’6” Performance Hunter classes Philip Cillis with Bayou & Olivia Brown with Chacco D’accord ©Alden Corrigan Media