The Master Of Faster!!!

Breed to Ace

18" X 24"  Autographed Poster of Richard Spooner and Robinson.

$19.99 + tax, shipping, and handling

Mike Moran first labeled Richard Spooner "The Master of Faster" 12 years ago when Richard first hit the Grand Prix scene.

It seemed as though the moment he started competing in the Grand Prix, if he was in the jump-off, he would be the fastest.

Richard has a talent for discovering the track that takes just a fraction off his competitors time. His horses are trained to stick to the plan, they trust in his judgment, and sometimes seem to defy the laws of gravity. This combination is what has kept him at the top of the Show Jumping World for over a decade.

His Story

Richard Spooner has been the Pacific Coast Horse Show Association Grand Prix Rider of the year twelve times. Not only has he dominated on the Pacific Coast during this time, he has also achieved great success abroad as well.

Richard had instant success when he entered the ranks of the Grand Prix in 1996 aboard a chestnut thoroughbred gelding named Kirk, owned by Dave and Tracy Kenly.

Soon Robinson, the horse that would become synonymous with the name Richard Spooner, and Cosino, a powerful bay gelding, joined his string, making Richard a new force to be reckoned with in the world of Show Jumping.

Here is a picture of Richard on Robinson taken by Catherine Cammett in Indio.

In this first year Richard won five Grand Prix and was named PCHA Grand Prix Rider of the year for the first time.

Over the next two years he had continued success at home winning many Grand Prix, including the top prize in the U.S. “The $150,000 Grand Prix of Indio” aboard Kirk. In addition he quickly established himself as a top international rider. Winning one Nations Cup Gold Medal in Sweden aboard Robinson, a Silver Medal in Spain also with Robinson, and placing fourth in the 1998 World Cup Finals aboard Cosino. At the close of the season Richard was voted one of the top twenty riders in the world by L’Annee Hippique.

By 1999 Richard Spooner was the man to beat on the West Coast. He began riding a spectacular young horse named Southshore in the Grand Prix. He had brought the young horse up through the ranks while catch-riding him for Jim and Pat Iverson. By the year 2000 Richard had won seven Grand Prix on the talented bay horse, including Richard's first Spruce Meadows Grand prix win in Calgary, Canada. In addition to the young horses success, Richard continued to dominate on Robinson, and Kirk remained consistently in the winner's circle.

During this time Richard undertook a project to provide west coast riders the opportunity to travel to Europe and compete. He became the founder and President of the West Coast Active Riders (WCAR). He qualified for the first WCAR tour and his team won the silver medal in Slovakia. In addition to the teams success, Richard himself won the CSI-O Grand Prix in Slovakia aboard Kirk. The year 2000 ended with Richard having 36 Grand Prix wins under his belt and a strong string of horses.

Just when it looked like it couldn’t get any better Richard Spooner once again showed us that winning is what he does best. Deciding to give up teaching and concentrate solely on riding, he started the 2001 show season by winning six of the twelve Grand Prix in Indio, including, for the third time, the coveted “$150,000 Grand Prix”. Robinson took home three of the six blue ribbons but the big one went to Southshore, and Kirks replacement Bradford, also a Kenly owned thoroughbred, took home one.

On the international front, Richard spent the summer in Germany competing against the top thirty riders in the world on the Riders Cup Tour aboard his tried and true mount Robinson, and a new addition to his string, a strong beautiful bay gelding, Incento. He was leading rider at Hackenburg and he won both Grand Prix Qualifiers in Gera. Both mounts where incredible and in the end Richard placed forth overall in the European Riders tour. 1st,2nd, and 3rd going to Ludger, Marcus, and Meridith Beerbaum.
2001 saw Richard Spooner win nine Grand Prix and prove himself a formidable adversary on any soil.

In 2002 we all got to see what Richard Spooner is made of. In Indio Richard suffered a bad fall while warming up a young mare for a futures class. The Mare fell on his leg and broke his fibula. At first it appeared that we might see a year that Richard would not be able to overcome the obstacles. But to the surprise of all, he showed up the next day for the Grand Prix, mounted Robinson and rode to a clean round with no stirrups! He then attempted the course on three other mounts, returned his stirrups (enduring the pain for added control) for the jump-off with Robinson, placed fourth, and qualified for the World Cup Finals. He later made a visit to the doctor and discovered the fibula was indeed broken.

Richard was off to a rough start. He won only one Grand Prix in Indio and the World Cup Finals had been disaster. But slowly he gained momentum and by mid-season he was back. He and Robinson secured a win in Kentucky, and then returned home to great success with his other mounts.

Then he went to Spruce Meadows. There Robinson proved once again to be the anchor to which Richard has secured his success. Rising to the occasion, Robinson won both the $200,00 Queen Elizebeth II Cup and the $175,000 Crysler Derby within a 24 hr. period. To top it off Richard won the $30,000 La Farge cup on Incento earlier in the week and became The North American Champion.

Back on top Richard returned to California and won the first World Cup Qualifier on the very horse he had been injured on earlier in the year “Roxy Z”. He then introduced another new mount to the winners circle at Show Park by winning the $40,000 U.S. Jumping Derby on an Irish bred gelding Hiltons Flight.

2003 turned out to be Richards most successful year yet. Winning fourteen Grand Prix in one year. Robinson held true to form winning eight, including the Las Vegas Grand Prix at the World Cup Finals. Bradford stepped up to the plate and won three, Hilton Flight showed his stuff in Spruce Meadows with two wins, and Richard's latest addition, Quirino, won the first Grand Prix he competed in at the Oaks.

Despite his busy show schedule, Richard found some private time with his close friends and family. Wedding bells were ringing in 2003 when Richard married his girlfriend of six years, Kaylen Maniscalchi on Halloween. The ceremony took place at Doug and Julie White's ranch in Yerington Nevada.  Other than the White's, the only guests were the couples parents and daughter Taylor.

The year started off hot in 2004, with Richard placing  1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the EMO $50,000 Grand Prix in Indio. Winning this class on Bradford set the pace for the rest of the year. Hilton Flight ran away with the big money class for the year, winning the coveted $150,000 Ford Grand Prix at the end of the Indio Desert Circuit, but Bradford blossomed into a top speed horse right before our eyes in Spruce Meadows

Richard and Bradford Ran Away with Three of the Six Molson Boots!!

In 2004 at Spruce Meadows, they offered a "Rider Bonus" to any rider who won more than one of the big speed classes held at the summer tournaments. So Richard and Bradford put on the afterburners and smoked the competition.

Winning the Transcanada Parcourse de Chasse by inching out Beezie Madden and Conquest II by just over a second was the first step to the remarkable showing of speed and determination. Next they raced to the finish 5 seconds ahead of Laura Kraut to win the ConocoPhillips Canada Cup and securing a $15,000 rider bonus. Then for the grand finale Richard and Bradford ran away with another $45,000 rider bonus and their third Molson glass boot mug when they edged out Laura Kraut once again in the Canada Post Cup.

In 2004 Richard was the highest placed American at the World Cup Finals in Milan Italy aboard Hilton Flight. He won 7 Grand Prix, and Jumped three clear rounds in the Olympic trials. Richard was named PCHA Rider of The Year for the ninth time in a row. And Hilton Flight was PCHA Horse of The  Year. However, when asked what Richard considers his greatest achievement to be, he said, " keeping my 17 year old best friend Robinson healthy and happy so we can spend another year together galloping around the Grand  Prix  field."

Starting in 2003 Richard took on a student. A 15 year old girl named Katherine Bardis. Katherine grew up in Pebble beach and was still living there when she and her parents made the decision to commute all the way to Burbank several times a month so that Katherine could train with Richard.

The commitment paid off. Katherine has been PCHA Junior Jumper Rider of The Year, Amateur Owner Rider of the Year, and Grand Prix Rookie of The Year.

At age 19 she joined Richard in Europe with two of her horses, Mademoiselle, and Pariska, to compete successfully in International competition in Dinard Fance, San Patrignano Italy, and Valkenswaard Holland.

In 2008 at 21 years of age, she won her first two Grand Prix while attending collage full time, and only riding at shows. Amazing!!!

While working with Katherine, Richard was also bringing along the newest addition to his never ending string of wonderful horses.

Cristallo came to be with Richard as a 5 year old, and from the first time Richard struggled to get this amazingly difficult, tough in the mouth, beast around the course, he was certain he had found the horse to step in and carry him forward as Robinson began to approach retirement.

Robinson showed in his last Grand Prix in 2007, but was still seen in the victory gallops in 2008. He still goes to the shows with Richard, and on occasion, fills in for one of his stable mates to carry Richard in the Victory lap. He also participated in a 3'6" team relay exhibition class in Thermal. He  jumped clear with the second fastest time. At home he has a grass turnout with his own private stall just outside Richards bedroom window. He will be officially retired at the Del Mar  National Horse show in May of 2009.