• Save

Aiken Summer Classic Week I Wrap Up

Kim Farlinger of Wellington, Florida had the jumper competition “shakin’” in Aiken Week I of the inaugural Aiken Summer Classics winning both first and second place in the $7,500 Aiken Classic Welcome and the $25,000 Purina Animal Nutrition Grand Prix, presented by Aiken Saddlery.

Farlinger rode into the winner’s circle Saturday night with both the first and second place rides in the $25,000 Purina Animal Nutrition Grand Prix, presented by Aiken Saddlery, besting a field of 31 horse and rider teams. She earned the blue ribbon aboard Keren Halperin’s Free Style and second place with Kindle Hill Affiliates’ Maharees Rock.

“My horses were spectacular, obviously, and you can’t ask them to do any better than they did,” said Farlinger. “They tried their hearts out for me and I was blessed,” she commented.

“This was Freestyle’s first Grand Prix. He’s done a few Welcomes and did a $15,000 1.40 m last winter at The Ridge, but this is the first won he won,” commented Farlinger.

“I’ve been riding him [Free Style] for about six to seven months. He’s done really well. He’s interesting, very scopey, careful and deceivingly fast. He has all three ingredients going for him,” said Farlinger. “I always thought he could be a winner and he has proved me right,” she added.

“I’ve ridden Saly Glasman’s horse Rocky [Maharees Rock] for about a year and we’ve done some grand prix. She has a lot of blood and she really pulled it all together. She couldn’t catch Freestyle, but maybe if she had been my first ride, who knows? Maybe she would have won,” said Farlinger.

The course was designed by Steve Stephens and the first round was set with a time allowed of 84 seconds. Only eleven advanced to the jump off round where the time was set at 47 seconds.

First to go, Jenna Friedman of Morriston, Florida aboard her own Glorix Van De Mispelaere, had a rail in a time of 34.958 seconds which would finish them in sixth overall. She was followed by Farlinger and Free Style who turned in the first clear round in a time of 34.662 seconds and set the time to beat.

Doug Payne of Aiken, South Carolina and Jane Dudinsky’s Quintessence were next in the order, but their time of 35.132 seconds and four jump faults would finish them in seventh overall.

Genevieve Edwards of Guyton, Georgia in the irons of her own Vantablack De Muze followed Payne but four faults in in 36.517 seconds would see them in eighth place.

Adrian Jones of Shamong, New Jersey and Santa Catalina Farm’s Cruising Altitude followed with an eight fault jump of round in 37.891 seconds, finishing them in eleventh overall.

Payne returned to the grand prix arena, this time in the irons of Wendy Luce’s Marshal M. Dillon. Eight jump faults in a time of 36.243 seconds would place them tenth overall.

Farlinger returned with her second mount, Kindle Hill Affiliates’ Maharees Rock. Although clear, their time of 37.497 seconds put them in second behind Free Style.

Kris Killam of Naples, Florida and Empire Show Stables’ Boreale De Talma followed in the order, turning in a four fault round with a time of 33.905 seconds which would see them finish in fourth place.

Friedman returned to tackle the course, this time in the irons of her own Zidoctro. Four jump faults in a time of 38.780 seconds saw them finish in ninth overall.

Daniel Geitner of Aiken, South Carolina and Oak Ledge Farm’s Fazous followed Friedman with a four fault round in 33.994 seconds put them in fifth overall.

Michael Kearins of Wellington, Florida aboard his own Sligo Balou Boy sat in the enviable last to go position. Although the pair turned in a fault free round, their time of 37.705 seconds would finish them in second place.

“I am so appreciative of the support I receive from my owners, riders, and sponsors. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. And I love my sponsors, Antares, Fabbri Boots, and Ride Every Stride — they are wonderful and make us ready for the show ring,” she added.

Farlinger Takes Top Two in $7,500 Welcome Class

The jumper action kicked off Week I with the $7,500 Aiken Classic Welcome, which saw 34 horse and rider teams compete for the blue over a course designed by Steve Stephens.

Kim Farlinger did a bit of foreshadowing when she won both the first and second placings in the Welcome with Keren Halperin-Guy’s Free Style and Kindle Hill Affiliates’ Maharee’s Rock, respectively.

Of the nineteen horse and rider teams to advance to a second round opportunity, only twelve went clear over the course with a time allowed of 50 seconds.

Jenna Friedman and Zidoctro were first to go in the second round and set the new time to beat at 41.810 seconds. The Welcome became a horse race, with most every horse and rider beating Friedman’s time. It was only until Farlinger and Free Style’s clear second round in a time of 35.615 seconds that set the time no one could beat. Only Farlinger herself and Maharee’s Rock came close with their clear second round time in 36.561 seconds.

“Rocky [Maharee’s Rock] is really learning how to be a winner and she really pulled it together this week in both classes,” commented Farlinger.

Third place finisher, Maryann Charles of Southern Pines, North Carolina and Tyler Bunn’s Callione, rode a fault free second round in a time of 37.109 seconds. Adrian Jones and Jamie Stryker’s Cavello earned a fourth place ribbon for their fault free second round in a time of 37.775. Genevieve Edwards and Vantablack De Muze finished in fifth place with their fault free second round in 37.775 seconds. Sixth was awarded to Michael Kearins and his own Sligo Balou Boy for their fault-free second round in a time of 38.037 seconds.

Dash for the Cash!

Friday night the exciting $5,000 Fabbri Boots Dash for Cash Non Pro 1.15 m Jumper Classic took place, welcoming a field of twenty horse and rider teams to the grand prix arena.

Erin Mcguire of Cornelius, North Carolina and her own Kasarr rode away with the blue after turning in the fastest clear round in a time of 62.094 seconds.

Isabel Harbour of Alpharetta, Georgia and her own Ramiro Cruise took second place, and Ryleigh Threatt of Mooresville, North Carolina and Crown Sage/Vartech Systems’ All In earned third place.

Fourth place was awarded to Tori Bilas of Charlotte, North Carolina and her own Brisbane, and Chelo, owned and ridden by Quorine Harwood of Napa, California, finished in fifth place.

Arianna Tucker of Kannapolis, North Carolina and her won Polly Pocket placed sixth, and Austin Cumming of Madison, Georgia rode Lily Bennett’s Westpoint Baros to a seventh place finish.

Alexandra Doyle of Canton, Georgia and her own Wrozbita were awarded eighth place honors, and Christina Webb of Bahama, North Carolina rode Fox View Farm’s Lalainy to a ninth place ribbon.

Tinita Hughes of Athens, Georgia and her own Proxio placed tenth, and Celeste Kohl of Alpharetta, Georgia rode Maarten Huygens’ Une Etoile De L’Eclypse to an eleventh place finish. Shelby Sapienza of Ocala, Florida wrapped up the class with a twelfth place ribbon in the irons of Paige Moose’s Flint.

Killam Pilots Ayla to the Win in $5,000 Marshall & Sterling Classic Hunter Derby

The $5,000 Marshall & Sterling Classic Hunter Derby saw 34 horse and rider teams compete for the blue ribbon and Ayla, owned by Empire Show Stables, piloted by Kris Killam of Naples, Florida, bested all of them with their leading score of 85.

Second place with a score of 84.5 was awarded to True Enough, owned by Kelly Sims and ridden by Michael Leon-Britt of Marietta, Georgia.

Ravello, ridden by Elizabeth Boyd of Camden, South Carolina and owned by Micaela Kennedy, placed third for their overall score of 82.5.

Fourth place honors for their score of 81.125 went to Fitz, owned and ridden by Isabel Harbour of Alpharetta, Georgia. The pair also won the Marshall & Sterling Classic Hunter Derby 3’3” $500 Non Pro Rider Bonus.

Absolu De Bloye, owned by Kyle Dewar and ridden by Elizabeth Boyd, earned a fifth place finish, and To-Kalon Z, owned by Quorine Harwood, ridden by Kim Farlinger of Wellington, Florida, placed sixth.

Helen Byrd’s SLF Bellarena, ridden by Daniel Geitner of Aiken, South Carolina, earned seventh, and Eleventh Hour, owned by Kelly Sims and ridden by Michael Britt-Leon, took eighth place honors.

Kelly Sims of Alpharetta, Georgia and her own Private I earned a ninth place ribbon as well as the Marshall & Sterling Classic Hunter Derby 3’ $500 Non Pro Rider Bonus.

Basalt, owned by Allison Mills and ridden by Cathy Geitner of Aiken, South Carolina, earned a tenth place ribbon, and Jerez Mail, owned by Micaela Kennedy and ridden by Holly Shepherd of Grand Bay, Alabama, placed eleventh. Wrapping up the class with a twelfth place finish was Empty Nest, owned by Linda Gavit and ridden by Stephanie Von Bidder of Aiken, South Carolina.

Carnaval Elite, owned and ridden by Whitney Lind of Bethesda, Maryland, won the Marshall & Sterling Hunter Classic Hunter Derby 3’ $300 Non Pro Rider Bonus, and Cake Walk, owned and ridden by Lily Hiller of Statesboro, Georgia, was awarded the Marshall & Sterling Classic Hunter Derby 3’ $200 Non Pro Rider Bonus.

Dress Balou, owned by Donald Stewart and ridden by Tyler Bunn of Cary, North Carolina, won the Marshall & Sterling Classic Hunter Derby 3’3” $300 Non Pro Rider Bonus, and Remington, owned and ridden by Mary Antonini of New Orleans, Louisiana, was awarded the Marshall & Sterling Classic Hunter Derby 3’3” $200 Non Pro Rider Bonus.

“This was a magnificent class and we couldn’t be happier with the turn out,” commented Bob Bell, Classic Company President. “We’re looking forward to another exciting Marshall & Sterling Classic Hunter Derby next week,” he said.

For more results, please visit horseshowsonline.com

ClassicCompany.com
GulfCoastClassicCompany.com
Phone/Fax: (843) 768-5503
Post Office Box 1311, Johns Island, SC 29457

Leave a Reply