Mill Spring, NC – July 3, 2015 – The third day of Tryon Summer 2 competition at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) was marked with a big win for top talent Victoria Colvin, of Loxahatchee, FL, as she bested the $10,000 Horseware Ireland 1.45m Open Jumpers aboard Lumiere. Sharn Wordley (NZL) and Charline 28 finished second with Schuyler Riley of Wellington, FL and Carlisco bringing home third place honors. Competition at Tryon Summer 2 will continue through Sunday, July 5. The venue will host the $127,000 Ariat® Grand Prix tomorrow night, Saturday, July 4, beginning at 8pm. Gates will open to the public at 6pm. The Tryon Summer Series, hosting four consecutive weeks of FEI competition, will conclude on Sunday, July 19.
Colvin and Lumiere, a 2004 Oldenburg gelding owned by Peacock Ridge, LLC, pulled together two fantastic rounds to take a speedy handle on the class of 32 entries, racing to a strong finish in 33.055 seconds to beat out Wordley, who finished the jump-off track in 36.238 seconds. Colvin took over the ride on Lumiere during the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) and has excelled on the feisty gelding ever since.
“He’s a very quick horse naturally so I was just planning on putting in a neat and tidy round today,” she commented. “I wanted to push for it in the jump-off, but not go too fast because that’s where we sometimes get in trouble. He felt great, and I’m really proud of his effort today.”
Originally purchased for another client at Andre Dignelli’s Heritage Farm, Lumiere proved to be a perfect fit for Colvin, who competed him in the Medium Junior Jumper division during the WEF circuit. Not sure if the gelding would be able to reach the top levels of the sport, Colvin and Dignelli have been pleasantly surprised by his willingness to step up in the bigger classes.
“He’s definitely feisty. He gets very quick after he hears the buzzer sound, and I think that can be a little frightening if you don’t expect it. We didn’t think he would be consistent at this level, but he’s completely exceeded our expectations,” she commented. “He takes more of a leg focused ride. I have to be really quiet with my hands because he can get offended if he feels you trying to take over with your hands. The forward movement has really helped him to feel comfortable in these bigger classes.”
Heading to the Adequan®/FEI North American Junior Young Rider Championships (NAJYRC) in Lexington, KY at the end of the month aboard Lumiere, Colvin is hopeful that the duo will continue their winning ways through the rest of their season together. The pair will also contest the $15,000 Under 25 Grand Prix on Sunday at TIEC, alongside Colvin’s other mount, Bettertimes, owned by Heritage Farm.
“I’m really excited for NAJYRC and am looking forward to taking him there because I think we have the potential to do really well. He’s been a great ride for me,” she remarked. “He’ll do the Under 25 Grand Prix on Sunday, which he did well in last week too. I feel like we’re hitting our stride at the right point in the season.”
Sharn Wordley and Charline 28
One of the country’s most talented young riders, Colvin continues to dominate in the hunter ring and is gaining confidence in the jumper ring as well. Her mount, Echo Von T Spieveld, owned by Take The High Road, LLC, is an exciting new partnership for Colvin, who she hopes will be a great Grand Prix horse for her this year.
“He’s just adorable. He was gelded about a year ago so he can be a little studdish when you first get on, but that’s what I like about him. He’s a fighter in the ring. We have formed a really close relationship already, and I think he’s the real deal,” she explained. “He’ll do the Grand Prix tomorrow night, and my goal is to start doing some of the bigger Grand Prix classes with him come fall and throughout the indoor season.”
Colvin has thoroughly enjoyed her stay at TIEC and is looking forward to coming back after the Heritage Farm team departs for Kentucky next week. She noted, “This is just a beautiful showground. When everything is finished, this is going to be the place to be. There is going to be some incredible stuff here in the future.”
The $127,000 Ariat® Grand Prix will begin at 8pm Saturday, July 4, with an array of family fun and entertainment beginning between 5pm-6pm. For a full list of results and weekly schedule, please visit www.tryon.com.
About Tryon International Equestrian Center
The Tryon International Equestrian Center is destined to become one of the premier centers in the equestrian world. This new facility opened in June 2014 with sanctioned horse shows and initial supporting amenities including 10 riding arenas, 850 permanent stalls, a covered riding facility and fitness center. Future expansion includes a sports complex, two hotels, sporting clay course, and an 18-hole golf course plus a full calendar of equestrian competitions and activities. It is a spring, summer and fall haven for eastern and northeastern American equestrian competitors and enthusiasts. For more information, call 828-863-1000 or visit www.tryon.com.
(c) ESI Photography. Amanda Steege and Zidane jumping at HITS Ocala in February 2015.
SAUGERTIES, New York (July 3, 2015): Beginning this fall, HITS will host four $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derbies at its circuits throughout the country as part of the 2015-2016 USHJA International Hunter Derby series.
“HITS is fully committed to the USHJA and especially this program,” said HITS President and CEO Thomas Struzzieri. “We have decided that in order to do our part to help grow the sport, we should get behind all USHJA programs. This one was particularly easy because it reinforces our previous support for the high performance hunter riders.”
USHJA International Hunter Derbies highlight the tradition of the longstanding hunter discipline. HITS will host four of these derbies – with total prize purses of $100,000 each – in affirmation of its commitment to hunters, much like its offering of four FEI CSI-5* events for jumpers.
“We believe that, as the leaders of the sport, it is our responsibility to offer prize money that raises the bar,” continued Struzzieri. “These Hunter Derbies will offer the highest prize money awarded at any qualifier for the USHJA International Hunter Derby Final in the country.”
Hunter rider and trainer Amanda Steege, owner of Ashmeadow Farm in Bedminster, New Jersey, was thrilled to hear of HITS’ plan to offer these classes. Steege said, “The USHJA Derby Final is something that we gear our whole year towards – we try to go to as many derbies as we can.”
Steege, who campaigns three mounts that are exclusively derby horses, continued, “All of us at Ashmeadow Farm are thrilled that HITS is not only offering four USHJA International Hunter Derbies, but that they’re offering four classes with prize money of $100,000 each. I’m really looking forward to it and I’m so appreciative to Tom and his staff for putting this together. To have the chance to participate in derbies that are offering that much prize money is amazing. It’s great that HITS is doing them.”
HITS 2015-2016 $400,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Tour:
National Sunshine II – November 4-8, 2015
Ocala VI – February 23-28, 2016
Desert Circuit VIII – March 15-20, 2016
Saugerties VI – August 3-7, 2016
For more information on the HITS 2015-2016 $400,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Tour, click here. For more on USHJA International Hunter Derbies, click here. To request a Prize List for any HITS Series of shows, please visit HitsShows.com. Stay connected with HITS: join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
Irish Rider Wins Two in a Row; Canada’s Lamaze Also Victorious on Thursday
Calgary, AB, Canada – July 2, 2015 – It is always difficult to get a win in the International Ring at Spruce Meadows with many of the world’s top horses and riders competing. It is even harder to win back-to-back competitions in one day, but that is exactly what Ireland’s Conor Swail did on Thursday of the 2015 ‘North American’ Tournament.
Swail began the day with a win in the $50,000 Suncast Cup 1.50m riding Simba de la Roque. He continued on to claim victory in the 85,000 Progress Energy Cup 1.55m. Also competing on Thursday, Eric Lamaze (CAN) won the $50,000 Sun Life Financial ‘Reach for the Sun’ 1.50m aboard Rosana du Park.
Continuing through Sunday, July 5, the ‘North American’ Tournament boasts $1.3 million in prize money across 14 FEI events throughout the week. Highlights include the $400,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Saturday and the $210,000 Cenovus Energy Classic Derby on Sunday.
Spain’s Santiago Varela set the course for 50 starters in Thursday’s highlight $85,000 Progress Energy Cup. With 19 clear rounds, 18 chose to return for the jump-off, and only five entries were able to clear the short course without fault. It was a star-studded line-up in the second round as top riders representing eight different countries vied for the winning prize of $28,050. In the end, Conor Swail earned his second win of the day in the International Ring aboard Grand Cru vd Vijf Eiken, owned by Vanessa Mannix. The pair completed the fastest clear round in 34.10 seconds.
Pablo Barrios (VEN) and ZL Group, Inc.’s Zara Leandra finished second in 34.61 seconds. Eric Lamaze (CAN) and Artisan Farms LLC’s Coco Bongo were third in 34.70 seconds. Beezie Madden (USA) and Abigail Wexner’s Cortes ‘C’ placed fourth in 35.54 seconds, and Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) guided Pessoa Stables’ Status to fifth in 37.75 seconds. Barrios also finished sixth with his second mount, Antares. The pair had the fastest time of the jump-off in 33.48 seconds, but one rail down.
In addition to his two major wins in the International Ring, Swail was also first and second in a 1.40m competition in the All Canada Ring with mounts Dillinger and Fortis Fortuna on Thursday.
“It has been an amazing day,” the rider beamed. “I have won three classes. It has been fantastic and that was a great win with Grand Cru. He is a wonderful horse owned by the Mannix family here in Calgary.”
“He was amazing today,” Swail said of the nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion (Contact vd Heffinck x Heartbreaker). “He was good here the first two weeks and then he got a few weeks off. He was a bit green yesterday. He jumped around nicely, but then today he was just right back at it again. He really showed what sort of performer he is.”
Coming into this week’s ‘North American’ Tournament, Swail was due for a win in the big ring. He placed second in three different competitions during the ‘National’ and finished in the top five three more times that week, but a win had eluded him.
“Even yesterday, the first day back in the International Ring, I thought I had it won and then I was second again. I was like, ‘Here we go again,’” Swail laughed. “It is not easy to win, so when you do, you have to cherish it and enjoy it. I have great horses and a good team of people around me, and things are going well, so it helps the process. Today was just my day.”
Commenting on his jump-off round with Grand Cru, Swail detailed, “I think it was very smooth. My horse is an extremely big mover. Fence one to two was smooth. I went down to the double nicely and I was trying to get one less stride after the double, but I did not get it. I got a nice eight strides to the white jump that not too many people got. Then I turned to the last fence and saw a distance extremely early and thankfully the horse picked up on it. We really raced to the last and he jumped it extremely well off a very difficult distance and speed, so he was very good to do that.”
Conor Swail and Simba de la Roque
Earlier on Thursday, Swail was the winner in the first competition of the day, the $50,000 Suncast Cup 1.50m riding Susan Grange’s Simba de la Roque. In a nine-horse jump-off out of 30 starters, Swail and ‘Simba’ raced to the fastest time of 43.01 seconds out of five double clear rounds. Their time was over two seconds faster than second place finishers, Quentin Judge (USA) and Double H Farm’s HH Dark de la Hart, who stopped the clock in 45.05 seconds.
“It was great to finally get a win in the International Ring,” Swail remarked. “I have been knocking on the door for a few weeks now and finally I got the door opened. It is also nice to get a win with Simba. He is a new horse for us. We got him just before the winter in Florida and he has been really good. He went a bit green at the beginning of the summer, but he is coming up trumps this week!”
“He is much happier in this main International Ring. We can get a nice gallop, and get under the front foot and off he goes,” Swail noted. “In the jump-off, everything came up smoothly for me. He covers the ground well and he is always very careful. It was a good round. I have to say, I was delighted with it.”
Juan Manuel Luzardo (URY) placed third aboard Mauricio Guerra Colorado’s Stan in 45.17 seconds. Emanuel Andrade (VEN) finished fourth with his own Nokia de Brekka with a time of 47.20 seconds, and Jaime Azcarraga (MEX) guided his family’s Anton to fifth place in 53.81 seconds.
Swail is taking his time to develop a good partnership with Simba de la Roque and has learned a lot about the nine-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Kannan x Allegreto) in the last several weeks.
“I think this is where we are getting to know each other as the weeks go by,” the rider detailed. “Sometimes he can be tricky enough to ride. He gets a little careful and nervous, so it is just about trying to hold his hand and make it as comfortable for him as possible. Equally, we still have to make progress moving forward, learning how to win and learning how to jump bigger jumps. It is just that fine line between over doing it and doing enough. You have to find out what is enough and maybe take a step back and then move forward again. He has been fabulous and I am looking forward to the months ahead with him.”
Swail originally purchased Simba de la Roque himself, and was thrilled when owner Susan Grange chose to add the horse to her string and secure the ride.
“I always have to thank the owners,” Swail acknowledged. “I bought the horse, and told Sue to watch him and see if he would fit into our team and she took a chance on him. He looks like he is going to be a fantastic horse, so onwards and upwards.”
The final competition on Thursday was the $50,000 Sun Life Financial ‘Reach for the Sun’ 1.50m with a win for Canada’s Eric Lamaze and Rosana du Park. Twenty-six entries contested the first round course, with six moving forward to the jump-off and four double clear rounds.
Lamaze and Artisan Farms and Torrey Pines Stable’s Rosana du Park, a ten-year-old Selle Francais mare (Kannan x Ukase), soared to the win with a clear round in 42.48 seconds, last to go.
Nicola Philippaerts (BEL) finished second in 44.57 seconds aboard Ludo Philippaerts’ H&M Quenzo de la Roque. McLain Ward (USA) and Double H Farm & Francois Mathy’s HH Azur finished third with their time of 45.04 seconds, and Brian Morton (CAN) and Grafton Farm’s Atlantis T placed fourth in 49.32 seconds.
Lamaze and Rosana finished second two days in a row during last week’s ‘Canada One’ Tournament, but this time they had the advantage of going last in the jump-off.
“You cannot complain about being second at Spruce Meadows. I would take second any day, but in the other jump-offs I did not get to go last,” Lamaze noted. “Going last is always an advantage. You know exactly what you have to do and you know you have nobody behind you that can beat that time. A lot of these jump-offs, if you go earlier, you really have to risk everything because there is so much speed behind you and great riders. Going last is a big advantage in any competition.”
While he was waiting for his turn, Lamaze heard what was happening and knew what he had to do.
“They said that McLain went quite fast and then Nicola took the lead from him,” he detailed. “Rosana is really quick across the ground, so one to two was a good opportunity to make up some time, which I felt that I did. You could only go around the playpen to go to the Sun Life oxer, but I thought I was for sure on the inside track to the double. Then I did six strides, which I’m sure most people did. I do not think anybody risked five. Then I knew I was pretty close (to Nicola’s time). If I was not ahead, I was at least close. I just needed to not knock down the second to last jump and try to secure that turn. At the end, I saw a really forward distance and Rosana was really kind to me to make the effort that she did. I ended up quite far from the last jump, but that kind of gave me a little rhythm to finish up.”
Just ten years old, Rosana du Park started showing last year with Carly Anthony, and Lamaze took up the ride at the end of the summer. He spoke of how much she has improved this year and even throughout this series.
“Last year I struggled a bit with her here. It was her first time at Spruce Meadows. One of my riders, Carly Anthony, rode her here at the beginning and then I took her on at the end and I was not sure where she fit,” he remarked. “Then we came back this year and she has been great. I am a great believer that when you leave here, you know what you have and for sure the horses you came with are going to be improved. I think I came here with good horses and I am going to leave with better horses. This really tells you where you are.”
The ‘North American’ Tournament continues on Friday featuring the $50,000 LaFarge Cup 1.50m and the $34,000 Pepsi Challenge 1.45m.
For a complete tournament schedule and full results, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.
Michael Jung (GER), pictured here with La Biosthetique Sam at last month’s CCI4* Luhmühlen, fourth leg of the FEI Classics™, has jumped back to the top of the FEI World Eventing Rankings. (EventingPhoto/FEI).
Lausanne (SUI), 3 July 2015 – Michael Jung (GER) is back as world Eventing number one after his brilliant third-place finish with La Biosthetique Sam FBW at last month’s Luhmühlen CCI4* (GER) presented by DHL, fifth leg of the FEI Classics™.
Switch back
Jung (32) jumped to the top of the FEI World Eventing Rankings in May for the first time in his career, breaking the one-year reign of William Fox-Pitt (GBR). Fox-Pitt then toppled Jung in June to take back his lead.
Now Jung, the first Eventing athlete to hold the European, world and Olympic titles simultaneously in 2012 after scoring individual and team gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and Fox-Pitt, the multiple Olympic, World and European medallist, have switched places yet again!
Jung now has a 17-point lead over Fox-Pitt (591 points), with New Zealand’s Jonelle Price up into third (520 points). Germany’s Ingrid Klimke – winner at Luhmühlen and current leader of the FEI Classics™ series – has also moved up and is now in fourth (504 points). Australia’s Stuart Tinney has leapt into the top 10 and is now in ninth from 17th in the FEI World Eventing Rankings.
Jung started riding aged six and came to prominence after making his international début in 2009, when he won the Luhmühlen CCI4* on home-turf in Germany, the FEI World Cup™ Eventing final in Strzegom (POL) and an individual European bronze medal in Fontainebleau (FRA). These successes all came with La Biosthetique Sam FBW, the horse that Jung rode to individual gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Kentucky (USA) in 2010 and double gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Jung was also part of Germany’s golden team at last year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy (FRA), where he finished second behind his compatriot Sandra Auffarth in the individual rankings.
Jung has also claimed team and individual gold at the last two FEI European Championships (2011 and 2013). Now, just over three months away from the much-awaited Longines FEI European Eventing Championships 2015 at Blair Castle in the Scottish Highlands (10-13 September), he will preparing to defend his title.
Mill Spring, NC – July 2, 2015 – The second day of FEI competition continued at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) with the $34,00 Suncast® 1.45m FEI Welcome. Venezuela’s Angel Karolyi collected a big win aboard 2002 Dutch Warmblood mare, Venus, owned by Raylyn Farms. The duo bested a six-horse jump-off, tripping the timers in 40.341 seconds to secure Karolyi’s first FEI win at TIEC this season. Kaitlin Campbell (USA) aboard veteran mount Rocky W followed in second, finishing in 41.021 seconds. Liubov Kochetova (RUS) and Balou Du Reventon rounded out the top three with a time of 41.893 seconds. Tryon Summer 2 will continue through Sunday, July 5, hosting the $127,000 Ariat® Grand Prix on Saturday, July 4, with gates opening to the public at 6pm and competition beginning at 8pm.
The class saw 40 combinations test the course designed by Hector Loyola (PRI), who will continue to serve as the FEI course designer in the George H. Morris Arena in the Tryon Stadium for the remainder of Tryon Summer 2 competition. Karolyi and Venus have performed very well at TIEC and finally clinched a victory that was seemingly long overdue.
“Today’s track definitely seemed difficult when I walked it this morning. There were turns right out of the corners to the triple bar and triple combination and I thought both questions would be pretty testing,” said Karolyi. “The open water line was also tight, so overall I thought it was a great course for the class.”
“There were more clear rounds than I expected and I thought from the beginning of the class that the jump-off would be really quick and fast,” he remarked. “There were a couple turns that I didn’t see people trying and I took a big risk to the last inside turn and that helped. I saw a line that most of the people I had talked with didn’t think was there, but I found it on course and just needed to ride it very accurately to make it happen, so I went for it.”
Karolyi and Venus have had spectacular spring and summer seasons at TIEC, racking up several top five finishes and consistently qualifying for jump-off rounds in many of their classes together. The mare really tries according to Karolyi, which is what makes her so special in the ring.
“She’s a super horse. She always tries her hardest. She’s very scopey and I think we’ve gotten a little unlucky in terms of actually pulling out a win. She was really good here in the spring,” he continued. “We made some adjustments after watching my videos on her and she’s handled them really well. She placed fifth last week in the big Grand Prix and fifth in the FEI Speed last week too.”
Kaitlin Campbell and Rocky W
The mare continues to thrive under Karolyi’s guidance and the duo seems to always be in the mix during all of their classes. Venus has an impressive competition background, as both Kent Farrington and Marilyn Little were instrumental in giving the mare top international experience before Karolyi took over the ride last year.
“I’m really happy for her that we were able to win this class. She is always working so hard for me and she deserves this win. I know she’s always right there at the top and I think this win is exactly what we needed,” he noted.
A familiar face around the venue with an impressive and seemingly ever-growing string of horses competing, TIEC has provided an opportunity for Karolyi to compete at the highest levels of the sport, while also helping to bring some of his new mounts into the spotlight.
“Mark Bellissimo and the partners have done an incredible job developing this facility and I think it’s going to continue building on the success it has already seen so far this year,” he commented. “The venue is going to bring a lot of big events here in the future and I’m looking forward to watching it unfold.”
The $127,000 Ariat® Grand Prix will begin at 8pm on Saturday, July 4, with an array of family fun and entertainment beginning between 5pm-6pm. For a full list of results and weekly schedule, please visit www.tryon.com.
About Tryon International Equestrian Center
The Tryon International Equestrian Center is destined to become one of the premier centers in the equestrian world. This new facility opened in June 2014 with sanctioned horse shows and initial supporting amenities including 10 riding arenas, 850 permanent stalls, a covered riding facility and fitness center. Future expansion includes a sports complex, two hotels, sporting clay course, and an 18-hole golf course plus a full calendar of equestrian competitions and activities. It is a spring, summer and fall haven for eastern and northeastern American equestrian competitors and enthusiasts. For more information, call 828-863-1000 or visit www.tryon.com.
Mill Spring, NC – July 1, 2015 – Competition at Tryon Summer 2 began today with a strong showing by Ireland’s Tom Foley aboard 2005 Swedish Warmblood mare, Beluga, owned by Spy Coast Farm, LLC. The duo kicked off the week with a win in the $34,000 1.50m Speed Stake hosted at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), the first of three FEI classes to be held throughout the duration of the competition week. Tryon Summer 2 will continue through Sunday, July 5, with festivities beginning at 6pm for the Fourth of July holiday on Saturday. The entire four-week Tryon Summer Series will conclude on July 19.
Foley and Beluga dashed to an exciting finish as the last pair on the Hector Loyola (PRI) designed course, which saw 39 contestants. Several pairs hit the 60-second mark, but Foley’s 59.56 was just enough to top the class. Riding last in the order was an advantage for Foley, as he had watched and planned the route he knew could secure the win. Sarah Segal (USA) and Cantara 59 led for most of the class, with a time of 60.061 seconds. Fellow Irishman Lorcan Gallagher and Esquina Van Klapscheut collected third place, stopping the timers in 60.145 seconds.
“When we walked the course I thought it looked very good. It was a nice course. I knew it was going to be a fast and hard test. There were a lot of people going in front of me in the class that were going to go fast,” commented Foley. “I have a great horse. I have to thank Shane Sweetnam for giving me the ride and to Lisa Lourie, the owner of Spy Coast Farm, for supporting me. It’s been great to have these kinds of opportunities and I’m so grateful.”
Foley and Sweetnam have both been competitive aboard Beluga, with Foley campaigning the mare through the fall season and at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL this past winter. Sweetnam competed Beluga at TIEC during the Tryon Spring Series, where the duo collected several top three finishes, including a third place finish in the 1.45m Challenge at Tryon Spring 7 and a first place in the $3,000 1.40m Open Jumper at Tryon Spring 8.
“I rode her last fall and into the winter before one of our clients began competing her at WEF. Shane took on the ride after and when he was here at Tryon a few weeks ago, he asked me to compete her again when he headed to Spruce Meadows,” explained Foley of the mare’s experienced background. “I was delighted and it’s worked out great. She’s a phenomenal mare and I’m excited to see where we can go from here.”
Sarah Segal and Cantara 59
The athletic mare excels in the larger speed classes, which Foley will continue to contest throughout the week. With a strong line-up of horses slated to compete at TIEC in the coming weeks, Foley is hoping to translate the momentum from his win today into a week of top results.
“After today, I’d like to piece together some good wins throughout the rest of the week. Right now, that type of consistency is exactly what we’re looking for,” said Foley. “My ultimate goal is to get out there and start winning the big Grand Prix classes, like ones here on a Saturday night. I’m focused on working hard to get to that point and wins like today are a big motivation.”
Foley’s first time at TIEC marked a win in his first ever class at the venue. With strong start in hand, Foley is looking forward to continuing his season at TIEC and what the venue will bring to the sport in the years to come.
“This is my first time here and it’s just a fantastic facility. I think when everything is completed it’s going to be one of the best facilities in the world. I’m really glad that we are spending time here and will make sure to take advantage of everything this place has to offer,” he remarked.
FEI competition at TIEC continues tomorrow with the $34,000 Suncast®1.45m Welcome in the George H. Morris Arena at Tryon Stadium. The $127,000 Ariat® Grand Prix will begin at 8pm on Saturday, July 4, with an array of family fun and entertainment beginning at 6pm. For a full list of results and weekly schedule, please visit www.tryon.com.
About Tryon International Equestrian Center
The Tryon International Equestrian Center is destined to become one of the premier centers in the equestrian world. This new facility opened in June 2014 with sanctioned horse shows and initial supporting amenities including 10 riding arenas, 850 permanent stalls, a covered riding facility and fitness center. Future expansion includes a sports complex, two hotels, sporting clay course, and an 18-hole golf course plus a full calendar of equestrian competitions and activities. It is a spring, summer and fall haven for eastern and northeastern American equestrian competitors and enthusiasts. For more information, call 828-863-1000 or visit www.tryon.com.
Samuel Parot Victorious in $34,000 ATCO Energy Solutions Cup; Andres Rodriguez Wins $34,000 PwC Cup
Calgary, AB, Canada – July 1, 2015 – The 2015 ‘North American’ Tournament CSI 5* at Spruce Meadows featured an impressive line-up of show jumping on Wednesday. USA’s Quentin Judge and HH Whisky Royale began the day with a win in the $50,000 Aon Cup 1.55m, Chile’s Samuel Parot and Couscous van Orti jumped to victory in the $34,000 ATCO Energy Solutions Cup 1.50m, and Venezuela’s Andres Rodriguez and Fifty Fifty 111 were victorious in the $34,000 PwC Cup 1.50m.
Continuing through Sunday, July 5, the ‘North American’ Tournament boasts $1.3 million in prize money across 14 FEI events throughout the week. Highlights include the $400,000 ATCO Power Queen Elizabeth II Cup on Saturday and the $210,000 Cenovus Energy Classic Derby on Sunday.
Spain’s Santiago Varela is the course designer in the International Ring for ‘North American’ competition. Varela began Wednesday morning with 55 entries in the $50,000 Aon Cup 1.55m and a win for Quentin Judge aboard Double H Farm’s HH Whisky Royale, a ten-year-old Zangersheide gelding (Wonderful van’t Beugelhof x Kannan). The pair topped a ten-horse jump-off with the fastest of four double clear rounds.
Reed Kessler (USA) was the first rider to clear the short course, finishing in a time of 42.36 seconds riding Kessler Show Stables’ Cylana to eventually place third. Meagan Nusz (USA) jumped the fourth place round with Amalaya Investments’ SRI Aladdin in 42.85 seconds. Judge then jumped into the lead aboard HH Whisky Royale in 41.41 seconds. Last to go, Hardin Towell (USA) took the second place prize with his time of 41.69 seconds riding Jennifer Gates’ Emilie de Diamant AS.
Wednesday’s win marks the second time that Judge has won the first competition in a CSI 5* tournament this summer. He also topped the first 1.55m competition of June’s ‘National’ Tournament aboard HH Copin van de Broy.
“I have been really lucky to win the first classes at these two tournaments,” Judge noted. “My horses really like this ring, so I just try to make a good plan for each week and put the right horses in the right competitions.”
Wednesday’s win also marks a significant moment in Judge’s partnership with HH Whisky Royale, who he has been riding for several years.
“This is definitely his biggest win,” Judge remarked. “This is only his third 1.55m. He was really good the first week here, finishing clear and with four faults in two 1.55m competitions. Now after two weeks off, he came right in and jumped this. It is really special for us because this is a horse that we have had a long time. He is a horse that maybe some people did not believe in when he was young because he was so big and so gawky, but he has really come a long way.”
Speaking of Whisky Royale’s powerful jumping style, Judge noted, “He is a huge horse and he has such a big stride. He kicks really hard over the jumps and it definitely took me a while to get used to that, but he gives you a very good feeling as a rider because you know you will pretty much never have a back rail down.”
HH Whisky Royale will jump again in Thursday’s $85,000 Progress Energy Cup 1.55m as Judge looks to continue his success throughout the ‘North American’ Tournament.
Parot Earns First Win at Spruce Meadows
Continuing Wednesday’s competition at Spruce Meadows, the $34,000 ATCO Energy Solutions Cup saw 38 entries compete over a 1.50m speed track set by course designer Santiago Varela. In his first trip ever to Spruce Meadows, Chile’s Samuel Parot jumped to victory aboard his own Couscous van Orti, a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding (Nabab de Reve x Cash).
Samuel Parot and Couscous van Orti
The course saw twelve clear rounds in total, and the times got faster and faster. Shane Sweetnam (IRL) jumped an early clear round in 66.10 seconds with Sweet Oak Farm’s Easy Contact Humlan to eventually place third. Several rounds later, Conor Swail (IRL) upped the pace in 65.62 seconds with Ilan Ferder’s Viva Colombia to ultimately finish second. Richard Spooner (USA) was fast and clear with Show Jumping Syndication Intl’s Cristallo in 66.39 seconds to jump into fourth. Quentin Judge and Double H Farm’s HH Quator had a great round in 68.51 seconds to take fifth place. Parot immediately followed, speeding through the timers in 63.92 seconds for the win aboard Couscous van Orti.
“This is the first time I have come to Spruce Meadows and my first victory here,” Parot smiled after his win. “The first week (of the Summer Series) I had third place, fourth place, fifth place, and then I broke my clavicle on the last day of the first week. The second week I tried to jump, but it was not possible, the pain was too much. I waited two weeks and began again last week. It still hurt a little bit last week, but this week it was better.”
“It is super to win here. This is an unbelievable place – the people, the organization. I think Spruce Meadows and Aachen are the most important shows in the world and a win here is important,” Parot continued. “Here, you have the top riders in the world. A win is a win, but here it is very important.”
Parot is based in Wellington, FL for six months of the year and normally spends the rest of the year competing in Europe, but with the Pan American Games coming up in Toronto in July, he chose to make his first trip to Calgary. Parot has been named to the team that will compete for Chile in the Games, and Couscous is a horse that he bought as a possible mount just one month ago. Belgium’s Pieter Devos previously rode the gelding to great success and Parot looks forward to getting to know his new mount further in the coming weeks.
Rodriguez Races to Win PwC Cup
The final competition on Wednesday was the $34,000 PwC Cup 1.50m with a speedy win for Andres Rodriguez (VAN) and Arao Enterprises LLC’s Fifty Fifty 111. Juan Pablo Gaspar Albanez (MEX) and Felipe Gaspar’s Puertas So What were first to go and laid down a blazing fast time of 66.215 seconds that held on through 33 competitors for second place. Halfway through the order, Rodriguez and Fifty Fifty 111 stole the show with their winning time of 66.096 seconds.
Andres Rodriguez and Fifty Fifty 111
Rodriguez and the ten-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare (Action Breaker x Major de la Cour) also won on opening day of week one’s ‘National’ Tournament and the rider was thrilled with his horse’s consistency.
“It is amazing (to win again),” Rodriguez smiled. “This is the first day of one of the biggest competitions of the summer and it is amazing to win the same competition that I won four weeks ago. This is the third time the mare has been out this summer, and she has won two competitions and she also got a good ribbon in the derby, so it feels great.”
“She is getting a bit more accurate,” Rodriguez said of Fifty’s development this summer. “To have a horse that can come in the ring and win two out of three times, it is a great horse.”
“There were a lot of great horses in that competition today,” Rodriguez continued. “We had HH Carlos Z, we had Rosana du Park, some amazing horses and riders. When Juan Pablo Gaspar went in the beginning, I thought that he had won the class. We needed to take some risks to try to get his time. Then after I saw McLain (Ward) and Eric (Lamaze) going after Juan Pablo, and not being able to catch him, I knew we had to go all in. I missed one distance to the coin jump. I was thinking of doing eight strides, but I landed on the outside, so I did nine strides. Then I was trying towards the end to get the time back. I got a little bit of a flying distance to the one oxer at the end. That was a big risk, but I think that is where I got the time.”
“I knew coming in that if someone beat Juan Pablo, it was not going to be by much,” Rodriguez said of his narrow margin of victory. “He did not leave much in the ring. He did all of the distances the right way and he was in the right rhythm. It is very impressive for a kid to come here and just lay something down like that. For him to go first, not really knowing how the class was going to turn up, and put in a round like that was really good.”
Santiago Varela set some excellent tracks on Wednesday that were not only great for the horses and riders, but also great for the crowds that turned up to watch the competition while celebrating Canada Day.
“The courses today were really good,” Rodriguez acknowledged. “I thought the 1.55m was an amazing course. There were some big jumps, but everything rode very smooth, and I think both 1.50m courses were very good. I think the crowd liked it. The rounds were fast, and people were really trying. That is what a course designer is always trying to get: they want to entertain the crowd and get a good competition, and I think he achieved that today.”
The ‘North American’ Tournament continues on Thursday featuring the $85,000 Progress Energy Cup 1.55m, $34,000 Sun Life Financial ‘Reach for the Sun’ 1.50m, and the $34,000 Suncast Cup 1.50m.
For a complete tournament schedule and full results, please visit www.sprucemeadows.com.
Jordan Gilchrist pilots Laura Hightower’s Lucie De Brecey to the win in the Week II Open Welcome Stake.
The Great Magnolia Show Jumping Tour just wrapped up Week I of its second leg at Brownland Farms in Franklin, Tennessee and the standings are in! With one more week to go at beautiful Brownland Farms, get your points now! The Grand Finale of the Great Magnolia Show Jumping Tour will head to the show-cation destination of the Charleston Summer Classic July 7 for two weeks of memory-making competitions that include weekly grand prix, hunter derbies, breeding classes include the beach, daily exhibitor parties and the best sunsets with friends on the dock at Bohicket Marina.
Feel the LOVE! Besides the best southern hospitality you could ever experience, the Charleston Summer Classic will be awarding silver loving cup trophies to the Great Magnolia Show Jumping Tour Circuit Champions, presented by Practical Horseman, on Saturday, July 18th. The following are the standings after Week I at Brownland Farms which also include the Atlanta Summer Classics.
The Adult 2’6″ Hunters have Halle Brandt’s Mainstrasse in the lead with 32 points, followed by Heather Geller’s Pommegranate with 26 points. Not far behind is Susan Zscherer’s Vanquish with 23 points.
The 2’6″ Children’s Hunter standings to date show Lucky Ventures’ Remway in the lead with a total of 53 points while Carson Grisham’s Dominick is in second with 27 points.
The standings for the Adult Amateur Hunters 18-35 have Elizabeth de Golian’s Amnesty in the lead with 56.5 points while Lizabeth Fisher’s Enchanted Evening has a total of 41 points. Adult Amateur Hunters 36-50 have Overseas, owned by Mindy Wurzburg LLC, in the lead with 58.5 points, while Katherine Steenberg’s Bayou is following in second with 37.5 points. Emily Week’s Jackson is not far behind Bayou with a total of 36.5 points. Adult Amateur Hunters 51 and over have Vantage, owned by Hallie Ferguson-Smith, in the lead with 46 points while Donald Stewart’s Hutton follows with a close 45 points.
The Amateur Owner 3’3″ Hunters have Holly Labry’s Ruby in the lead with 64.5 points, while Lee Cesery’s Comanche follows closely behind with a total of 62 points. The Amateur Owner 3’6″ Division has Cymplify owned by Hasbrouk Donovan, in the lead with 67 points and Pony Lane Farm’s Summer Place following behind in second with a total of 52 points.
The Child Jumper Division has Captivate, owned by Charity Durgin, in the lead with 25 points, while Montoga, Inc.’s Darnit follows with 22 points. The Adult Jumpers have Brownland Farm’s own Honor Guard in the lead with 24 points while Camera Ready, owned by Fit to Print Farm, follows with 20 points.
The Children’s Hunter Division 14 and under has Equanimity, owned by Black Ankle LLC, in the lead with 45 points, followed by Abbe Humphries’ Chaperone with 26 points. The Children’s Hunter 15-17 has Rock A Bye, owned by Kelly Sims, with 44 points, while Lee Cesery’s Swagger is in second place with 26.5 points. The Children’s Hunter Pony division has Paige Moose’s Artwork K in the lead with 78 points while Pumpkin Patch Farm’s Highlands Percival sits in second place with 24.5 points.
Julie Curtin and Blackmail won the Week II $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby last year
The Green Working Hunters looks to be hotly contested with Charlotte Warren’s Enticement in the lead with 52 points, while Tracy London’s Smil follows with a close 51 points. Right behind Smil is Deborah Perkins’ Kaepernick with 50 points.
The Jr./AO Jumper is another hotly contested division and has Ashwey Calesto, owned by Thinks Like a Horse Farm, with 34 points, while Dolce Vita, owned by Pony Lane Farm, stands in second with 32 points. Close behind is WEC Quidam-Quidam, owned by Wm Upton, with 31 points.
Too Cool, owned by Addison Byrd, currently sits in the lead in the Junior Hunter Division with 50 points, while Lily Bennett’s Maraschino follows in second with 33.5 points. The Large Junior Hunter Division has Don Stewart’s Lilly Wood in the lead with 44 points, while Howe Equine’s Playoff is currently in second place with 44 points. The Small Junior Hunters have Cold Case, owned by Don Stewart, with 55 points, while Celebration, owned by Anna Claire Smith, is in second place with 52.5 points. Confidential, owned by Bergen Sanderford, currently sits in third with 50 points.
The Performance Hunters are currently led by Shutterbug, owned by Allison Ventura, with 46.5 points and Breaking News, owned by Isabel Harbour, sits in third place with 36 points.
The Large Pony Hunters are led by Abigail Dubose’s Northwind Marin with 56.5 points and Woodlands Misty Rain, owned by Isabelle Aldridge, in second place with 40 points. Medium Pony Hunters have Heaven’s Sake, owned by Mary Farmer, in the lead with 55.5 points and KMW Ponies, LLC’s Pride Rock in second place with 55 points. Bibby Hill’s Baby Blue currently holds the lead in the Small Pony Hunters with 79 points, while Jessie Marie Spade’s With Applause sits in second place with 36.5 points. Bibby Hill also holds the current lead with 87.5 points in the Green Pony Hunters with Woodland’s Polar Bear, while Garavani, owned by Ashley Vail Aycox, sits in second place with 76.5 points.
And finally, the Pre-Green Hunters have the Wheeler family’s Valhalla in the lead with a total of 91 points, followed by Jane Pittman’s The Closer with 70 points.
For full Great Magnolia Show Jumping Tour Circuit Standings, click here. There are still a few stalls open at the Charleston Summer Classic, so click here to enter online for free or call the Classic Company show office at 843.768.5503.
The 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 Classic Company and its exhibitor-friendly, top quality hunter jumper events, please visit them at classiccompany.com or call them at 843-768-5503.
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
Todd Minikus and Con Capilot (Photo courtesy of Spruce Meadows Media)
Calgary, AB, Canada (July 1, 2015) – The exceptional chemistry that is building between one of America’s top grand prix jumpers, Todd Minikus, and Plum Creek Hollow Farm’s twelve-year-old Westphalian (Con Capitol x Pilot) stallion, Con Capilot, has proved unbeatable once again. The pair topped a field of 77 international entries to win the $34,000 WestJet Cup 1.45m on Friday, June 26, during the ‘Canada One’ Tournament FEI series at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Minikus, a 2007 Pan American Games Team Gold Medalist at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, proudly states, “He is a gorgeous horse. He has great technique over the jumps and is quick in the air. There’s no wasted energy, and that’s what it takes to win,” Minikus said of Con Capilot shortly after their victory gallop around the Meadows on the Green.
The blaze-faced stallion delivered one of only 22 clear efforts out of the 77 horse-and-rider pairs. Minikus and Con Capilot were among eight finalists who left the rails in their cups in the jump-off, but were the only ones to blaze cleanly through the timers in just 35.48 seconds. Finishing second (and nearly a second off the winning pace with a time of 36.71), was Spruce Meadows’ all-time prize money winner, Canada’s Eric Lamaze on Rosana du Park.
Minikus and Con Capilot have proven to be a notable combination since this number one rider on the FEI World Cup Jumping 2014/2015 North America East Coast League started riding Con Capilot six months ago. The stallion was originally sent to Minikus’s Wellington, Florida facility as a sales prospect, and had previously been competed for several years by California rider Mandy Porter.
Minikus and the stallion made their debut together this past spring in Kentucky, and took their first two weeks together at Spruce Meadows to get to better know each other: “It seemed like it took a while for my horses to get going on the grass, or maybe it took me a while to get going on the grass, I don’t know which,” Minikus joked. “Yesterday he was fifth in a nice competition and then today he obviously went great.”
“I watched the first couple of riders go and there were some fast jump-off rounds,” Minikus said. He added how, while flatting the stallion in the warm-up ring, he saw all the “likely suspects” begin to make the Cup’s competitive cut. “When Eric took the lead, I knew it was fast – so I just tried to ‘cheat’ everywhere I could and somehow it was good enough.”
Minikus’s successes throughout the week at Spruce Meadows also included a fourth place finish with Babalou 41 in the June 26 $34,000 Duncan Ross Cup 1.50m out of 50 total entries. He took third and fifth places with Cordonas and Con Capilot respectively in the June 25 Friends of the Meadows Cup 1.45m.
Earlier this summer at Spruce Meadows, Minikus and his Pan American Games Traveling Reserve partner Babalou 41 placed second in the coveted $210,000 CP Grand Prix during the Continental’ CSI 5* Tournament at Spruce Meadows on June 14. Minikus and Babalou 41 will soon be heading to Toronto, Canada as Traveling Reserve to the U.S. Pan American Games Jumping Team for the 2015 Games, which will be held July 10-26.
When he’s not proving his talent in the show ring, Todd Minikus bases his sales and training services just minutes from Wellington, Florida’s Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) show grounds. Follow Team Minikus on Facebook, or visit www.toddminikus.com for more information as he continues to soar in the show jumping world.
Tryon, NC – June 30, 2015 – After several top finishes during Tryon Spring, the horses and riders of Wyndmont Inc. remained a staple on the leader board during the Tryon Summer I CSI3*.
On Thursday, Michael Dorman with Zephyr and Candice King aboard Cuchica went head-to-head in the 1.45m Open Jumpers, delivering clear rounds to advance to the jump-off. At the wire, it was Dorman and Zephyr who claimed the blue ribbon, with King and Cuchica just tenths of a second behind to finish second.
“We were thrilled with both horses,” smiled Dorman. “I am just coming back from an injury, so it was nice to get that win with Zephyr under our belts. He felt really good. Zephyr is naturally a very fast horse, and there was a left turn to the last jump that we took advantage of.”
“Cuchica is an exciting 8-year-old and that was his first 1.45m class,” noted King. “I went before Michael and wanted to have smooth clear round. He jumped really well and rode nicely. Michael and Zephyr have a long, great history, so I felt good even being second behind him knowing that we just moved up. Michael had a great win”
Dorman, Ronnie Beard’s partner at Wyndmont Inc., was back in the irons Friday on Cas in the 1.30m Open Jumpers. The pair went clear and was just behind the time to beat, earning the second-place spot.
“Cas is a young horse and this is his first year showing,” explained Dorman. “He started in the Schooling Jumpers. That class was a milestone for him because he went really fast. He felt very comfortable with that kind of speed, and it was the first time I had gone that quickly with him. He handled it really well and is maturing quickly.”
In the $34,000 FEI 1.50m Speed Stake, proven winning combination King and Valinski S returned to face off against a field of 29 horses. The duo went clear, but fell behind the leading times by a mere second, settling for a respectable seventh-place finish.
“I went early in the class,” said King. “I tried to just put in a quick clear to try and be at the top. It was just fractions separating the leaders, so I was very pleased. He had just come off two weeks of not showing and it was our first class in the ring, so I just wanted to get a good prize and have a quick clear. We stuck to our plan and had a nice result.”
Founded by legendary horseman Ronnie Beard with Michael Dorman, Wyndmont Farm provides classical horsemanship to annual and seasonal equestrian clientele. They will continue to compete at the Tryon Summer Series in North Carolina during the summer months. To find out more about Wyndmont Inc., please visit http://wyndmont.com.
Rebecca Walton for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
