Wellington, FL – April 23, 2021 – Kicking off another beautiful day of the ESP Spring Series, Erynn Ballard (CAN) and Jack Van’t Kattenheye, owned by Lindemann Barnett Sporthorses, flew to the top of the leaderboard to claim victory in the $37,000 Equine Tack and Nutritionals Qualifier CSI3* on the grass Derby Field at Equestrian Village.
A field of 55 entries contested the two-phase track set by Olympic course designer Guilherme Jorge (BRA). A total of 13 horse-and-rider combinations from the starting field qualified for the jump-off, with eight pairs electing to give it a shot. Ballard and the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Diabeau x Canadian River posted the fastest time of the day, finishing on a double-clear jumping score in 34.39 seconds.
“Jack is quite new for me,” said Ballard of her winning mount. “It’s only our fourth week showing together. So far it has been very straightforward. He is just a reliable guy; he knows the game, he does what he’s supposed to do when he’s out there, and he tries his best to give us a good effort every time. Darragh [Kenny] is hard to beat so we just ran from start to finish and it ended up in our favor, so that was pretty cool. It’s a privilege to be able to ride in these classes.”
Wrapping up an exciting Friday afternoon on the grass Derby Field, a pair of winners were crowned in Section A and Section B of the $10,000 Bainbridge Companies 1.40m Open Stake.
Sam Walker (CAN) rode Evita, owned by Marbill Hill Farm, to a victory in Section A. The 19-year-old rider completed a fault-free jump-off round in an impressive time of 38.55 seconds. Paul O’Shea (IRL) finished in the runner-up spot with his own Primo Havall, leaving the jumps in their cups in a jump-off time of 38.96 seconds. Rounding out the podium to cap off a fantastic day, Walker rode his second mount Coralissa, owned by Marbill Hill Farm, to a double clear effort in 39.76 seconds.
Enrique Gonzalez (MEX) and Filemon, owned by E2 Stables, captured the blue ribbon in Section B, finishing with a double-clear effort in 40.25 seconds. Cormac Hanley (IRL) and RMF Chacco Top, owned by Rushy Marsh Farm, LLC, finished in second, stopping the clock in a fault-free 41.36 seconds. Anna Dryden (USA) finished third aboard Carioca K, owned by Double Meadows Farm, LLC, with a clear jump-off round in a time of 42.06 seconds.
For more information and results, please visit www.PBIEC.com.
Kellogg Sadrian Makes Her Return to WEF a Winning One
Wellington, FL – January 21, 2017 – Olympian Enrique Gonzalez of Mexico was the winner in Saturday night’s $86,000 Marshall & Sterling Insurance Grand Prix CSI 2* riding Chacna at the 2017 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL. U.S. Olympians Margie Engle and Laura Kraut rounded out the top three, with Engle aboard Indigo in second, and Kraut riding Nouvelle third.
Ana Catalina Harris Cruz (MEX) set the course for 44 horse and rider combinations Saturday night at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). The track yielded eight horses for the jump-off, which featured Olympians and veteran show jumpers, alongside some top up-and-comers.
Andrew Ramsay (USA) and The Doodle Group’s Cocq a Doodle set things off over the short course, finishing with four faults in 40.55 seconds to eventually place seventh. Mavis Spencer (USA) jumped her first “Saturday Night Lights” grand prix riding Mike Collins’ Cornetiero, and dropped two rails in 46.43 seconds to place eighth.
Gonzalez was next to go, completing the first double clear round in 40.36 seconds for the win aboard Chacna. Kara Chad (CAN) and Torrey Pines Stable’s Gin Tonic vd Haagakkers, cleared the track in 44.13 seconds to place fourth. Laura Kraut and the Evita Group’s Nouvelle followed with the third place time of 41.35 seconds.
Beezie Madden (USA) had the time in 40.12 seconds on Abigail Wexner’s Breitling LS, but dropped the front rail of the final oxer to end sixth. Engle went next, racing through the timers in 41.02 seconds riding Griese, Garber, Hidden Creek, and Gladewinds’ Indigo to land the second place prize. Last to go, Daniel Coyle (IRL) knocked one rail with Ariel and Susan Grange’s Cita, but clocked the fastest round of the night in 39.49 seconds to secure fifth place honors.
“The last year has been really good. She learned a lot, and she improved a lot,” Gonzalez said of the ten-year-old Hanoverian mare (Chacco-Blue x Narew XX). “Now I think she is ready to really compete at this level. She has never shown here, and she has never shown in a night class in an open place like this. I really wanted her to go tonight to be ready for the coming weeks.”
Gonzalez last competed at the Winter Equestrian Festival in 2011, and this was his first grand prix win at PBIEC.
“We are here for the whole season, so it is definitely a very nice way to start, and hopefully we can keep it up for the rest of the season,” he stated.
Following the WEF circuit, Chacna may have a trip to the FEI World Cup Finals in her future, as Gonzalez is currently leading the West Coast standings and qualified to compete in April.
For Engle, Saturday night was a great result with longtime partner Indigo, a 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Indoctro.
“He doesn’t know he’s any older,” Engle remarked. “He acts younger than most of my young horses. He gave it a shot (in the jump-off), and I went as fast as I could at the beginning. I may have gone a little wide to the last fence, but he is always ready to go. He is very enthusiastic, and he always wants to go forward. He is still young at heart.”
Indigo jumped the first two weeks at WEF and will now have a few weeks off. Engle said, “He doesn’t owe me anything. He probably won’t show a lot the rest of the season. It gets bigger and bigger as it goes on, and now that he’s older I pick my spots with him. He’s been a great horse for me.”
Kraut was going for the win Saturday night, but was happy with her finish aboard Nouvelle to start the circuit. This was the first week jumping since the beginning of November for the 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Solitair x Contango).
Commenting on her jump-off, Kraut detailed, “I knew Enrique was fast. I went as fast as I could. I just messed up that last turn; I started to turn too early. She made a heroic effort over that jump to not knock it down, because I did everything in my power to knock it down. I think I probably lost it there.”
Beezie Madden was presented the award for Leading Lady Rider for week two, presented by Martha Jolicoeur of Douglas Elliman Real Estate in memory of Dale Lawler.
Also competing in the International Arena on Saturday, the Hollow Creek Farm Under 25 Grand Prix Series got underway with its first of ten events offering a total of $215,000 in prize money for the WEF circuit.
The $10,000 Hollow Creek Farm Under 25 Welcome was held as a one round speed class, with 62 entries and 22 clear rounds. The win went to USA’s Lillie Keenan riding Chansonette Farm LLC’s Be Gentle through the timers in 60.84 seconds. Richard Neal (USA) and Ida Gold placed second in 62.00 seconds, and Emanuel Andrade (VEN) finished third with a time of 62.15 seconds aboard Cortina 186.
In the morning, Emily Moffitt and Poden Farms’ Don Vito won the $15,000 Engel & Völkers SJHOF High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Anna Beth Athey and Samoa topped the $10,000 Sleepy P Ranch SJHOF High Junior Jumper Classic for week two.
Kellogg Sadrian Makes Her Return to WEF a Winning One
On Saturday, Lee Kellogg Sadrian, of New York, NY, returned to WEF for the first time in five years to claim championship honors in the Osphos® Amateur-Owner 3’3″ 36 & Over division. Aboard her own Sochi, Kellogg Sadrian won three over fences classes with impressive scores of 90, 89, and 87, while also placing third in the final jumping class and eighth under saddle. What made Kellogg Sadrian’s success even more special though, was that this was only her third show with Sochi.
Sochi and Lee Kellogg Sadrian
Kellogg Sadrian purchased the coming eight-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Quirado two years ago, while living in California. John French competed Sochi in the First Year Green Working Hunters during the 2015 season and was champion of the division at the 2015 Washington International Horse Show. Unfortunately, Sochi injured himself while turned out later that fall. It was not until December of 2016 that Sochi returned to the show ring.
“He loves to show,” Kellogg Sadrian said. “He’s perfect in the ring, but he can be a little funny outside the ring. He’s sweet and kind, but when schooling his attitude is more like, ‘Why are you making me do this?’ In the ring though, he’s all business. It’s so fun because you can jump the first fence, any fence, every single fence, and he’s amazing. I’ve never had a horse that’s so amazing in the air. He’s just so much fun.
“I’m excited to be back and this is a great way to start,” Kellogg Sadrian said.
Becky Gochman, of Palm Beach, FL, and Last Man Darling earned reserve honors. The pair placed first, third, sixth, and seventh over fences, and first under saddle. Last Man Darling is an 11-year-old Mecklenburg mare that Scott Stewart and Sophie Gochman previously campaigned.
The second week of WEF ends on Sunday with the $35,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic and the $25,000 Hollow Creek Farm U25 Grand Prix, both in the International Arena. The Adequan® Amateur-Owner Hunter 18-35 3’3″ will award championship and reserve honors in the E. R. Mische Grand Hunter Ring. For full results, please visit www.PBIEC.com.
Mexico’s Enrique Gonzalez and Chacna. (FEI/Julia Borysewicz)
Del Mar, Ca. (USA), 22 October 2016 – Three Olympic riders advanced to the jump-off in the third leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2016/2017 North American League Western Sub-League. Last to go in the jump-off order, Enrique Gonzalez (MEX) rode the most efficient track to claim victory aboard 9-year-old mare Chacna.
Under the indoor lights at the Del Mar International Horse Show in California (USA), a starting field of 28 attempted the track designed by Frank Rothenberger (GER). Knowledge proved to be the defining factor as the 52-year-old veteran rider delivered one of the rare clear first round performances before recording a clear jump-off round with the fastest time by over two seconds.
France’s Eric Navet, riding Catypso, finished in the runner-up position while Brazil’s Eduardo Menezes rounded out the top-three placings with Catalina. Egypt’s Nayel Nassar narrowly missed out on the final round with an unfortunate rail at the first round’s fence no. 1, but with the fastest, four-fault round, he and Lordan finished fourth. The highest placing U.S. rider was Karl Cook who ended the evening in fifth with Tembla.
The first round track was technical and challenging, with the most difficult question coming in the final line of a triple-bar fence to a forward four stride to a short, vertical-oxer double combination. Menezes, who rode 15th in the order, was the first to fit in a very short five strides to ride clear through the line. After seeing his success, many of the following riders replicated the decision, including his business partner and the evening’s victor, Gonzalez.
“When I walked the course, I thought only about the four stride,” Gonzalez said. “But fortunately, I went late and everyone had problems jumping that line. I saw Eduardo in the warm-up, after he did it in five, and he told me, ‘You have to do it in five.’
“My mare has a big stride and I’ve been working with her for the last month in making her stride shorter and more compact so this was a big question. But I know her very well now, and I was sure she was capable of doing it. When you make a decision like that, you have to have the partnership with your horse and really know and trust you can do it – there can be no doubt that you can do it.”
Rothenberger accurately predicted only three would ride his course clear, after setting a demanding track that emphasized adjustability in an indoor setting, where jumps come up quickly. In the jump-off, a long gallop between the first and second fence set the lead rider, Menezes, up for a rail when he allowed his horse to get too flat in an effort to save time. He eventually finished on an eight-fault score. Navet made a more measured, yet clear, effort that ultimately left the door open for Gonzalez. The Mexican rider cut a tighter rollback turn to the final fence, and despite a hard rub that forced the plank into the air, it landed back into the cups and Gonzalez emerged the victor.
“I think Chacna likes jumping indoors, and she’s definitely a contender for FEI World Cup™ Finals,” Gonzalez said, who will next show at Thermal CSI4* in November before the Western Sub-League event in Las Vegas on November 19. “By the time it comes in April, if we are lucky to make the points, she will have the mileage and experience to do it.”
Following the event, Karl Cook currently holds the top position in the Western Sub-League standings while Audrey Coulter (USA) stands atop the leaderboard for the Eastern Sub-League standings going into the next events for both Western and Eastern Sub-Leagues on October 29.
Enrique Gonzalez and Katina Gallop to Victory in $31,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumpers
Wellington, FL – February 25, 2011 – Meg O’Mara and Sinatra IV jumped to victory in the $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Riders Grand Prix on Friday night at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Showing under the lights in the International Arena of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, O’Mara and Sinatra IV were the only pair to jump double clear in the evening’s class to earn top honors over a field of 54 starters.
The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival’s seventh week of competition continues through Sunday, February 27. Week seven, sponsored by Fidelity Investments, will feature the $78,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix, CSI 2* on Saturday at 7 p.m. and the Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic on Sunday at 1 p.m. The 2011 WEF will continue through April 3 and award more than $6 million in prize money.
Today’s class was the second of four qualifiers for the EY Cup Finals, held at the FEI World Cup Finals in Leipzig, Germany. The top three riders at the conclusion of the series will have the opportunity to travel to Germany to compete. The third event, which is a Team Event, will be held on Thursday, March 10 in the International Arena. The final $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix will be held on the grass derby field at The Stadium on Sunday, March 20, 2011. Through their sponsorship, The Dutta Corporation & International Horse Transport will be shipping the winning horse to the Finals and covering travel expenses for the highest scoring rider in this series.
