ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Friday, June 21, 1996                  TAG: 9606210065
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B-8  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER 

VALE UPS HIS OWN ANTE JUMPER TAKES TOP TWO OPEN PLACES

Aaron Vale rode brawny Big Joe to a first-place finish in the Open Jumper Stakes to the apparent delight of a Thursday night audience at the Salem Civic Center.

To do so, the 27-year-old horseman withstood a challenge from a veteran horse with a rider who has shown a deft touch on the tight-as-a-banker indoor course. In short, Vale had to edge out a splendid steed with an outstanding rider.

If you said only Aaron Vale could have beaten Aaron Vale for the first-place prize, you would have been right. Vale took the top two places in the $10,000 event at the Roanoke Valley Horse Show.

Last year, Vale won first place in this event on Mafito. Vale got second with Mafito on Thursday.

Third place went to Ravel with Todd Minikus up, fourth to Symbari and Bert Mutch; fifth was Omen's Rain of Gold with Lynne C. Little riding; Big Len and Michelle Ann Harding rode to the sixth-place finish; seventh went to Baro and Roberto Gonzalez of the Colombian equestrian team; and Cindy Fuller came in eighth on Absolut.

Checks for $1,800 were issued for the blue ribbon and the haul was $1,500 for the red. Considering Vale last year also rode Alfredo to the Grand Prix of Roanoke crown, he has earned a lot of expense money here the past two years.

Success, as usual, has two sides to it.

"It just makes the pressure worse,'' said Vale, who plans to have both mounts in Saturday night's 13th Grand Prix of Roanoke. "However, knowing it here as I do does help to make me a little more comfortable.''

He was certainly comfortable enough when he took Big Joe, an 8-year-old thoroughbred, ripping through the Kenny Krome-designed layout in a brisk 57.145 seconds.

"The footing was good here, 100 percent better than the way it was here last year,'' Vale said. "He's a big horse and I was able to go from the fourth to the fifth fence in six strides instead of the seven that most everybody else was taking it in. That made the difference. I was able to gallop down there and really take a chance.''

Minikus had a solid tour aboard Ravel.

"This is mainly for gas money,'' he said. "The horse seemed like he liked it here OK.''

Symbari gave his rider, Mutch, something of a surprise.

"This is a typical Roanoke speed course with not many options on how to do it,'' Mutch said. "I have a slow horse, so I'm very pleased. That was a good cookie for this horse.''

"He's awfully tough here,'' Mutch said of Vale. "We all tried to go fast, but only Aaron was able to have a double clear.

"He comes loaded for bear here.''

But Vale gave the credit to his horse. "Big Joe is a young horse and he isn't as consistent as the older horse [Mafito], but he's capable, as he showed tonight.''

LENGTH: Medium:   63 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff. 1. Aaron Vale rides Big Joe to first 
          place in the Open Jumper Stakes during the Roanoke Valley Horse 
          Show. 2. Kylee Jo Johnson tumbles off Whatazan after crossing the 
          finish line during the Open Jumper Stakes.