Special to the Dispatch

Entries representing Gatewood Farms at Lake Blackshear brought home division championships in the 2008 AA Winter Show Circuit that included competition at Jacksonville, Gulfport, Miss., Ocala, Fla., and Conyers.

Amy Brown and her pony, Amy’s Chocolate Kiss, competed in the short stirrup clash and won the title in Gulfport, Miss.

Kathryn Leigh Buford and her horse, Southern Sugar Boy, competed in the low child/adult jumper division - 3’3” and captured the crown in Conyers.

Buford also competed on the circuit with her new horse, Starlight Wishes, and brought home numerous top placings in the children’s hunter and equitation divisions.

Hunter/jumper trainer Sherry Hill competed her horse, Ivy league, in the low junior amateur division- 4’3” and earned 12th place in the Classic at Conyers.

She also received top placings on Rock Star, Space Cowboy and Commodore in the jumper divisions,

Dressage trainer Trae LaPorte competed his horses Royal Midnight and Frederick Sterne in the Greater Atlanta Dressage Show and won three of his four classes.

Horse and rider combinations are still in training for the spring and summer circuits. They train 5-6 days a week and the trainers are on the road for weeks at a time.

This summer, Team Gatewood’s schedule includes two weeks in Traverse City, Mich., and the finals in Saugerties, N.Y.

Gatewood Farms is a full service boarding and training facility for the competing horse and rider, They offer lessons for all ages and levels of riding.

Additional information is available at 229-322-3766.