(c) ESI Photography. Kaitlin Campbell and her Rocky W win the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix.
Ocala, Florida (January 29, 2015): Kaitlin Campbell and her Rocky W jumped to victory in 38.220 seconds in a nine horse jump-off in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix in the Ocala Horse Properties Stadium on Thursday.
Campbell, of Georgetown, Kentucky, went second-to-last in the jump-off. Only two riders had jumped clear to that point. Campbell and her Holsteiner/Dutch Warmblood cross, fondly known as Rocky, finished clean to collect the winning check for $7,500.
“I’ve had Rocky nine years now. We actually bought him in Ocala in 2006 and this is our first time back. He obviously likes it here,” said Campbell, 23, who works as a trainer at Marigot Bay Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and aims to jump Rocky in the Great American $1 Million at HITS Post Time Farm on March 23. “He’s 17 years old now – I really want to jump in a big class with him.”
Wannick WH, owned by Candy Tribble and Windsor Show Stable and ridden by Christine McCrea of East Windsor, Connecticut, posted the first clear round of the jump-off. Their time of 40.598 held the lead until Campbell rode, putting them in second place to earn $5,500.
Third place went to the only other clear jump-off round, posted by Dorothy Douglas of Flower Mound, Texas on S&L Farms’ S&L Elite with a time of 40.635, over the course designed by Danny Foster of Ontario, Canada.
Mary Goldman’s Centurion B, ridden by Lisa Goldman of Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, had the fastest time of 36.542 in the jump-off but failed to clear a rail at Fence 11, dropping them to fourth place. HH Dauphin, owned by Woodrun and ridden by Laura Linback of Mundelein, Illinois, finished with four faults and a time of 40.660 to take fifth place.
Derek Petersen and Cassevel Top the Brookledge Welcome at HITS Ocala
Derek Petersen of Archer, Florida, riding his and Maddie Skimming’s Cassevel, came out on top in the $2,500 Brook Ledge Open Welcome on Wednesday at HITS Post Time Farm, after placing second in the same class during the first week.
The Brook Ledge Welcome included two combinations set in the course designed by Foster, and proved to be a challenge for the competitors. Only two, Petersen with Cassevel and Manuel Torres on Pluto, negotiated the course with no jumping faults and went on to the jump-off.
Petersen and Cassevel went first in the jump-off. Failing to clear a rail at the second fence, and a time of 42.895 seconds, left the door open for Torres of Waterford, Virginia, riding Pluto, owned by his own Santa Catalina Farm, to win it. But a refusal at a combination and resulting time faults put Torres in second place with seven total faults and a time of 57.238.
Seven had four faults in the first round. Among them, Lisa Goldman, from Hawthorne Woods, Illinois, and her Rocs to Riches, an 8-year-old who will be moving up to the Grand Prix level, were the fastest combination, but placed third at 67.816 seconds. Sam Pegg, riding Michael Pegg’s Shaia De Macheco, was fourth at 69.231, and Andrea Torres Guerreiro, riding Santa Catalina Farm’s Victoria, rounded out the top five in 72.545 seconds.
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