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It’s Hunter Season at the Gulf Coast Winter Classic

Sarah Young pilots Beyond Time to the win in the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby.

Week III of the Gulf Coast Winter Classic is underway! Perfect blue, sunny skies and pleasant temperatures were the backdrop to the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby, presented by Tucci, that saw a field of twenty-seven horse and rider teams take to the hunt over a course designed by Tommy McIntyre of Batavia, Illinois.

Taylor Singleton’s Riesling, ridden by Holly Shepherd of Grand Bay, Alabama, trifecta winner of last week’s $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, earned the highest Classic Round score of 85. Samantha Hall’s Beyond Time, ridden by Sarah Young of Spring Hill, Kansas, finished right behind her in the first round with a score of 84, setting the stage for an interesting Handy Round.

Durgin Park, owned by Henrietta Hall and ridden by Sarah Invicta Williams of Santa Fe, New Mexico, were behind Beyond Time with a first round score of 83.5, and Whitny, owned by Gabrielle Smoller and ridden by Young, finished fourth in the Classic Round with a score of 83.

Micaela Kennedy’s Magnus Hermes, ridden by D. Samuel Pegg of Sutton West, Missouri, sat in fifth place after the first round with a score of 82.5.

Julie Curtin of Woodstock, Georgia was first to go in the Handy Round in the irons of Enticement, owned by Charlotte Warren, after earning a first round score of 76. Their Handy Round score of 85, for an overall score of 160, moved them into a seventh place finish overall.

Whitny and Young followed Curtin in the Handy Round after earning a first round score of 83. Their second round score of 87 for a combined total of 170 which would see them finish in fourth place overall.

Carrera, owned and ridden by Melanie Jeanes of Dallas, Texas, returned for their Handy Round after earning a first round score of 77. Their Handy Round score of 75 for a combined total of 152 would see them finish in tenth place overall.

Sabina Holtzman’s Re Chiste, ridden by Pegg, stood in sixth place after the first round, earning a score of 82.5. However, their Handy Round Score of 87 and combined overall score of 170 would move the pair up to third place overall.

Molly Ben Menachem’s Abstract, ridden by Sarah Scheiring of Stockton, New Jersey, returned for the Handy Round after earning a first round score of 79. Their second round score of 48 would see them drop from eighth to a twelfth place finish overall with a combined score of 127.

In seventh position after a first round score of 80, Mia Mask-Wittman’s Qirius, ridden by Ann De Michele of Haymarket, Virginia, earned a Handy score of 80 for a total score of 160, which would see them finish in eighth place overall.

Durgin Park and Invicta Williams were sitting in third place when they entered their Handy Round, but a second round score of 89 for a total of 171.5 would move them up to second place overall.

Sue Takata of Athens, Texas, in the irons of Stoneridge Farm’s A Timely Affair, sat in tenth place before their Handy Round with a score of 77.5. Their second round score of 70 for a combined total of 147.5 awarded them the eleventh place ribbon.

Beyond Time and Young sat in second place after their Classic Round. Their second round score of 90 moved them into first place with a combined score of 174, but Shepherd and Reisling had yet to go.

Happenstance, owned by Stonebridge Farms and ridden by Lauren Takata of Athens, Texas, sat in ninth place after a Classic Round score of 78. Their Handy Round score of 76 for a combined total of 154 would see them finish in ninth place overall.

Shepherd and Riesling sat in the last to go position and had the lead going into their Handy Round; however, a second round score of 83 for a combined total of 168 would see them finish in fifth place overall and secure the win for Young and Beyond Time.

The Gulf Coast Winter Classic is open season for the Hunters. All Hunters! With the second largest amount of prize money awarded in a USHJA International Hunter Derby in the country this year, the hunters are flocking to the Gulf Coast Winter Classic. The $77,700 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by Brook Ledge Horse Transportation, is scheduled for Week V, Friday, March 11 and some of the top hunter riders in the country will be competing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

In the meantime, the Hunter divisions are heating up and entries continue to grow each week. The epic $5 Pre-Green Division offering has the rings packed with horses looking to earn valuable mileage and owners and riders looking to save some green!

The 3′ Pre-Green Division yesterday exceeded Week II entries and riders from New Jersey, Texas, West Virginia, Virginia, Missouri, Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Georgia and Canada were well represented.

Rappaport, owned by Brianna Johnson and ridden by Thomas Brennan of Charleston, West Virginia, was crowned the 3′ Pre-Green Hunter Champion and Cecilia Halsey’s Who Dat, ridden by Terry Brown of Canton, Georgia, was Reserve Champion.

Tim Maddrix and Capisce
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Tim Maddrix and Capisce

The 3’3 Pre-Green Hunter Championship was awarded to Cheryl Rubinstein, LLC’s Capisce, ridden by Tim Maddrix, and Reserve Champion went to Frances Porter’s Pappernich ridden by Jason Berry.

The Baby Green Hunter Championship was awarded to D’Artagnon, owned by Rachael Murphy and ridden by Breezy Sambola, and Reserve Champion honors went to Gambling Joy, owned and ridden by Ivy Nyberg.

The Hopeful Hunter Championship was awarded to Brazos, owned by Kathryn Luke and ridden by James Hensen. Salomon, owned by Susan Schwartz and ridden by Grace Prichard, earned the Reserve Champion honors.

For complete results, click here.

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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