Darragh Kenny and Prof De La Roque jump onto the tabletop in Saturday’s $34,000 Fidelity Investments Speed Derby.
North Salem, NY – September 13, 2014 – Darragh Kenny has done it again. For the third day in a row, the talented Irish athlete made headlines at the American Gold Cup CSI4*-W, this time after clinching the victory in the $34,000 Fidelity Investments Speed Derby CSI4*.
The Speed Derby victory comes amidst an unbelievable American Gold Cup winning streak for Kenny. On Thursday, he blew the competition out of the water to claim victory in the $34,000 Don Little Memorial Welcome aboard Gatsby. On Friday, the pair did it again, turning in the fastest clear jump off time to win the $100,000 Hermès American Gold Cup Qualifier. A third victory for Kenny however, would not come without a hard earned fight for the fastest finish.
Fellow Irishman Ronan McGuigan galloped into the Speed Derby course aboard Capall Zidane with guns blazing. McGuigan successfully navigated the rolling terrain and the 14 obstacles of the Alan Wade designed course set on the grass grand prix field of Old Salem Farm, to turn in a clear ride in 79.890 seconds.
Fifteen more horse and rider combinations completed the course that wound around the Old Salem Farm grand prix field. None would come close to matching or besting McGuigan’s time. But Kenny was determined to keep his phenomenal win streak alive and not even a downed rail would stop him from doing just that.
Aboard Prof De La Roque, owned by Postage Stamp Farm, LLC of Wellington, FL, Kenny flew over the course, up and down the tabletop fences and down a slight grassy embankment at an impressive clip. The speed caught up to the pair at one fence as a rail rolled out of the cups and hit the grass, but at the end, Kenny and Prof De La Roque blazed through the finish line timers in 75.850 seconds.
That time was just four-hundredths of a second fast enough to earn the victory, even with the additional four seconds added for the rail penalties, relegating McGuigan to second place. Rounding out the top three were Peter Lutz and Robin De Ponthual who finished clear in a time of 81.170 seconds.
The victory on Saturday with Prof De La Roque is not only the third major victory in the same number of days at the American Gold Cup for Kenny; it comes in the midst of what has been a year of incredible success for Kenny.
Most recently, he earned back-to-back wins at the Hampton Classic Horse Show before immediately boarding a plane to France for the World Equestrian Games where he was named 12th in the world.
“It’s been going amazing. I’ve had an incredible year,” Kenny said. “To be honest, it’s very little to do with me. It has to do with the horses that I have, the people that are behind me and the staff that work with me. The team behind all of me is all of them. That’s what makes everything go so well.”
Kenny and his team will now set their sights on the feature event of the 2014 American Gold Cup: the $200,000 American Gold Cup CSI4*-W Grand Prix. He and Gatsby will join some of the world’s top competitors on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Flo Fulton First in $10,000 Mitchell-Innes & Nash Fine Art Adult Jumper Classic
The Adult Jumpers rode to their finale today in the $10,000 Mitchell-Innes & Nash Fine Art Adult Jumper Classic. From a field of 55 horses, 23 advanced to jump-off before Flo Fulton and her mount Mirell rode away with the win.
“We got [Mirell] in February, and we really clicked from the beginning,” Fulton said of the 8-year-old Hanoverian mare. “She’s really a little winner. When we’re feeling on, we always have great rounds. She doesn’t like you to fuss with her or push and pull. Once you get the motor going, she’ll really just take you to the fence.”
Outside of riding, Fulton, who trains with Jeffery Welles, operates her own consulting firm, aiding luxury brands with strategic events. She, her husband and their dog split their time between New York, Los Angeles, CA and Colorado, but she always enjoys traveling to the American Gold Cup.
“I love this farm. I love the Morrisseys [of Stadium Jumping]. They run an amazing horse show,” Fulton said. “I also love that they have the Hermès booth here so that I can do a little shopping!”
Finishing in a close second behind Fulton were Dean Dignelli and Redefin, while Laura Faulkner and Pompadour rounded out the top three.
Top Equitation Riders Compete in the Region 2 ASPCA/NHSAA Maclay Regional Championship
While the American Gold Cup CSI4*-W is a renowned show dedicated almost strictly to show jumping, it is also home to the esteemed Region 2 ASPCA/NHSAA Maclay Regional Championships.
A top finish in one of the ASPCA/NHSAA Maclay Regional Finals is necessary to advance to the prestigious ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay National Championship at the National Horse Show in Kentucky on Nov. 2, 2014.
Taking the top three spots in today’s Region 2 Finals were Michael Hughes, Ailish Cunniffe and Lucy Deslauriers, respectively.
Tune in to the exciting conclusion of the 2014 American Gold Cup Sunday at 2 p.m. with the live streaming of the $200,000 American Gold Cup CSI4*-W Grand Prix available here!
More information can be found by visiting the www.theamericangoldcup.com or www.stadiumjumping.com.
45th Annual American Gold Cup Fast Facts
What:
The $200,000 American Gold Cup, an FEI World Cup Qualifying Competition CSI4*-W
When:
September 10-14, 2014
Where:
Old Salem Farm, 190 June Road, North Salem, NY
Hours:
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday with the ASPCA Regional Championships on Saturday afternoon.
Facility: Old Salem Farm is New York State’s Westchester County’s premier equestrian facility, offering 26 annual competitions, boarding, top-level training and sales. It offers state-of-the-art facilities surrounded by 120 gorgeous acres.
Stabling:
Stalls are 10 x 10 and housed under canvas. The FEI stalls are 10 x 12 and stabling area will be secured by fencing with 24/7 security. FEI horses will be scheduled to school separately from non-FEI horses. Schedules will be posted and riders will be given notification of times during the horse inspection.
Parking:
Available on the grounds
Directions:
From Interstate 84 or Interstate 287: Take interstate 684 to exit 8 (Hardscrabble Road), turn right. Old Salem Farm is on the right.
Information:
Before Show – before 9/6/14: 941-744-5465/800-237-8924
During Show – 914-669-5610 ext 201
Stable office – 941-744-5465
Prize List Advertising – 941-744-5465
Vendors – Matt Morrissey 941-915-3457
Website – www.theamericangoldcup.com
Televised Broadcast:
The 2014 American Gold Cup Grand Prix will be broadcast on NBC Sports Sunday, September 21 at 4:00 p.m. EST.
Tickets:
Weekdays: Admission is free to the public.
Saturday and Sunday: Admission is $20 per person, $15 per child 4-12 years and seniors 65+, children 3 and under are free.
Gates open at:
Wednesday – Saturday: 8 a.m.
Sunday: 12 noon
Tickets are on sale now and are available online at www.theamericangoldcup.com and at the gate. (Online ticket sales will be available June 1 – Sept. 1.)
Charity Partners:
JustWorld International
http://www.justworldinternational.org/
ASPCA
http://aspca.org/
Sponsorship Opportunities:
Matt Morrissey
941.915.3457
matt.morrissey@stadiumjumping.com
Connie Sawyer
518.461.6288
sawyer.equestrianevents@gmail.com
Advertising Opportunities:
Mary Silcox 800-237-8924
mary.silcox@stadiumjumping.com
Ring dimensions and footing:
Grand Prix Field 350′x450′, footing bluegrass mix turf. Grand Prix Annex 200′x250′, Schooling 130′x170′. Jumper Annex 146′x307′, Schooling 155′x173′. Indoor 115′x195′, Schooling 74′x135′. Hunter 138′x243′, Schooling 108′x158′. Footing in all arenas is all-weather German-designed fiber and sand.
Hotels:
Official Hotel of the American Gold Cup
Danbury Crown Plaza
(877) 270 1393
Ridgefield, CT
West Lane Inn (203) 438-7323
Brewster, NY 5 – 10 min
Heidi’s Motel (845) 279-8011
Mt. Kisco, NY 5 – 10 min
Holiday Inn (914) 241-2600
Danbury, CT 10-20 min from grounds
Hilton Gardens (203) 205-2000
Comfort Inn (203) 205-0800
Danbury Plaza (203) 795-0600
Ethan Allen (203) 774-1776
Spring Hill Suites (203) 744-7333
Residence Inn (203) 797-1256
Management:
Stadium Jumping, Inc.
1301 Sixth Ave. West, Suite 406
Bradenton, FL 34205
Tel: (941) 744-5465 Fax: (941) 744-0874
Media Contact:
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
12012 South Shore Boulevard, Suite 105 Wellington, FL 33414
Tel: 561.753.3389 Fax: 561.753.3386
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
www.phelpsmediagroup.com