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Dash for Cash King Kocher Closes Out Pensacola on Winning Streak

Andy Kocher pilots Rooney IV to the win in Saturday night’s $25,000 Nutrena Grand Prix.

The 2014 and 2015 USHJA King of Cash recipient Andy Kocher of Ocala, Florida continued his winning streak to close out the 2016 Gulf Coast Winter Classic Pensacola Circuit yesterday and won the $25,000 Nutrena Grand Prix in the irons of BTS Entertainment and Sales’ Rooney IV.

Nineteen horse and rider teams tackled the course designed by Paul Jewel of Lambertville, New Jersey and only four went clean, including two horses piloted by Kocher. The first to go clean in the first round was Helen Gilbert’s Emir D, ridden by Shannon Hicks of Lake St. Louis, Missouri in a time of 74.749 seconds, well within the 81 seconds time allowed. Four more horse and rider teams followed with faults until Tim Maddrix of Leeds, Alabama entered the ring in the irons of Missy Nolan’s Specialized. The pair went clean in a time of 75.870 seconds, ensuring a jump off round!

Rooney IV and Kocher were the next to post a clean first round effort in a time of 73.359 seconds adding themselves to the jump off roster. Kocher returned as the last to go in the irons of Eagle Valley Partners’ Ciana and added themselves to the jump off trio after posting a clear round in time of 72.779 seconds.

The jump off round was set with a time allowed of 48 seconds. Hicks and Emir D were the first to go and went clean, setting the time to beat at 40.376 seconds. Maddrix and Specialized followed with a clean round in a time of 40.714 seconds and Kocher, winner of the Week II and III Horseflight Open Welcomes and the Week II $25,000 EMO Grand Prix, had the remaining two rides to go.

Kocher and Rooney IV were next to go and finished with a clean round in a fast 37.966 seconds taking the lead and setting the new time to beat for himself with his final ride, Ciana.

Ciana and Kocher turned in the final and the last clean round in a time of 42.320 seconds which put them in fourth place after he secured the win with Rooney IV. Hicks and Emir D finished in second; Maddrix and Specialty finished in third.

Fifth place went to the fastest four-faulter, Clueless P, owned by Hester Equestrian, LLC and ridden by Lauren Hester of Lexington, Kentucky, in a first round time of 70.356 seconds. Kocher returned for a sixth place ribbon in the irons of his own Red Lady, after posting a four fault first round in a time of 72.264 seconds. Seventh was awarded to Quasi Modo, owned by Daryl Nolen and ridden by Jennie Nolen of San Antonio, Texas, after the pair posted a four fault first round in a time of 72.392 seconds. Cassuro Tsp, owned and ridden by Christian Rogge of Spring, Texas, was awarded eighth place after turning in a four fault first round in a time of 73.744 seconds. Ninth place went to Carlot, owned by Rolling Acres Farm and ridden by Marylisa Leffler of Brookeville, Maryland, after turning in a four fault first round in a time of 75.006 seconds. Francois Lemontagne of Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada and his own Chanel Du Calvaire earned tenth place honors, followed by Rolling Acres’ Bling Bling, ridden by Leffler, who was awarded eleventh place. Hailey Henderson of Lafayette, Louisiana and her own Zine Dine finished up the class in twelfth place.

Today closed out the 2016 Gulf Coast Winter Classic Pensacola Circuit, which will now move down the coast to the Gulf Coast Winter Classic Gulfport Circuit for six AA weeks of show jumping competition set to kick off on February 10th. If you haven’t sent your entries in yet, go to horseshowsonline.com and enter today. Come experience why the grass is greener on the Mississippi Gulf Coast!

The Gulf Coast Classic Company is a USHJA’s Members Choice Award winner, recognized for producing top quality show jumping events in the United States. For more information on Gulf Coast Classic Company and its exhibitor-friendly, top quality hunter jumper events, please visit them at www.gulfcoastclassiccompany.com.

All sponsorship, marketing and press inquiries should be directed to Lisa Engel, Sponsorship, Marketing and Public Relations Director, at lisa@classiccompany.com.

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See you at the ring,
Bob Bell
The Classic Company, Ltd.
www.ClassicCompany.com
Phone/FAX: (843) 768-5503
Post Office Box 1311 Johns Island SC 29457

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