Darby Toben, road manager

Darby began her riding career at the age of ten, showing "Foxfire," her first pony, in the pony divisions. She then graduated to "Simon," a hunter, beginning a partnership that culminated in a second-place finish in Zone Finals. Next Darby found "Forties A Lark" and then switched to the equitation divisions with "Above All" and "Houston," a jumper. In 1999, she and "Houston" competed in the AHSA Finals, and she took "Above All" to the Maclay Finals in Madison Square Garden. An athlete of many talents, Darby also played basketball for three years at Pennington Prep during this same period!

Having finished the equitation finals Darby turned her full attention to amateur jumpers, and she and "Houston" won many jumper classics, including the low amateur classic at HITS, and the jumper classic at Monmouth. She and her Dutch warmblood, "Logan's Peak," jumped clean to take Reserve Champion in the six- year olds at the Hampton Classic. She and "Logan" triumphed in several other classics, among them the Sussex County Horse Show Jumper Hall of Fame Class and the Tampa Winter Equestrian Festival, and they consistently qualified for Devon and all the big indoor shows. And at the same time, Darby attended college at FDU, where she played volleyball and basketball!

Retiring "Houston" Darby acquired several other jumpers, notably: "Charlemagne", winner of several jumper classics on the Florida 2003 circuit before she was sold; "Finny," now recuperating from an injury; and "Colgate's Option." Together she and "Colgate's Option" have done well in the high amateur owner jumper division. Darby's latest addition is "Najinski," on whom she will compete in the hunter divisions.

Kenyan's Peak photos courtesy of Steve Ostrander

Emil cell 908.693.5419 - espadone @ aol.com