"Team Palomino 2002" Scores Three-peat
Pennsylvania KILE Challenge of the Breeds

Helping with Team Palomino's three-peat win of First Place Breed Team in the 2002 KILE Challenge Of the Breeds are (back row, L to R) Sunny K Jazz (8th Place Individual Horse), Mary Beth Kuznik, Hobby Horse Top Jazz, Bob Sneed, Sandy Gerhard, Kims Docs Badgerette (4th Place Individual Horse), and Youth Exhibitor Caitlyn Karaisz. In front are (L to R) Juan, Carly, Marilyn, and Robert Duran displaying the First Place Team framed trophy print. The team is pictured in the brand-new Pennsylvania Farm Show Equine Barn.

Harrisburg PA ­ In the largest-ever field of seventeen horses from seven breeds, three Pennsylvania Palominos captured the title of First Place Team for the third straight year in the Keystone International Livestock Exposition "Challenge of the Breeds" at the Farm Show Arena on Saturday evening October 5. Team Palomino edged out the three horses of Team Saddlebred for the top spot and received a framed trophy print of the 2002 Keystone International Livestock Exposition program cover, as created by artist Marcus Stone.

In addition to being part of the First Place Breed Team effort, Kims Docs Badgerette and youth exhibitor Caitlyn Karaisz placed 4th overall, and Sunny K Jazz owned by Mary Beth Kuznik placed 8th overall, representing the Palomino in the individual competition of the Challenge.

Celebrating the truly versatile all-around horse, the KILE Challenge of the Breeds consists of horses from invited breeds competing in seven widely varied events held in one evening. The seven events include English Pleasure, Hunter Hack, Pleasure Driving, Western Pleasure, Western Riding, Timed Obstacle Trail, and Barrel Race. Each horse must participate in at least six of the seven classes. An overall individual Sovereign Champion and other overall individual winners are determined, as well as the Breed Team Tournament Awards.

The 2002 KILE Challenge of the Breeds was an especially exciting evening as this year's 14th Annual competition marked the first major event in the new Equine Arena at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Building, part of a $76.2 million-dollar expansion of the state-owned facility. Indeed, construction crews were still very much present and working while the KILE show went on; as the new buildings did not 'officially' open until the Pennsylvania Farm Show in January 2003. Due to the construction, stalls were not available for Challenge of the Breeds competitors until noon the day of the show. Needless to say, this created quite a mad rush for everyone to get loaded in, set up breed displays, groom horses, tack up, and have everything and everybody ready to go by the 6:30 PM show time!

The full roster of horses, exhbitors, and owners helping with Team Palomino 2002 were Kims Docs Badgerette, 1993 mare owned by Marilyn & Juan Duran of Fairview and shown by daughter Caitlyn Karaisz; Sunny K Jazz, 1983 gelding; owned and shown by Mary Beth Kuznik of Irwin; Hobby Horse Top Jazz, 1986 Mare (and daughter of Sunny K Jazz) owned by Mary Beth and her brother Paul Kuznik. Assisting Ms. Kuznik as additional exhibitors of her horses were Robert Sneed of Harrisburg and Sandra M. Gerhard of Stevens. Other workers helping with the Team and its Palomino breed display included Robert and Carly Duran of Fairview, Rick Gerhard of Stevens, Merle Smith Kuznik of Irwin, and Beth Van Horn of Selinsgrove.

Horses competing in the KILE Challenge of the Breeds are nominated by their respective Pennsylvania State breed associations, and must be owned by a Pennsylvania resident/bonafide member of the state association. Each of the invited breeds may nominate up to three horses. A Breed Team must have three horses and at least one of those horses must be completely ridden and driven by a qualified Youth member as per each breed association's rules.

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