Tag Archives: Molly Ashe-Cawley

Molly Ashe Cawley and Berdien Capture the $37k CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Jumper Classic

Molly Ashe Cawley and Berdien. © Sportfot.

January 15, 2021 – Wellington, FL – Molly Ashe Cawley (USA) flew to the top of the podium aboard Berdien in the $37,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Jumper Classic on Friday, January 15, at the 2021 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), held at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

Cooper Dean and Figure of Speech Dominate the Young Hunter 2’9” Five and Under

The Young Hunter 2’9” Five and Under division came to an end on Friday morning in the Rost Arena. Cooper Dean rode Larry Glefke’s Figure of Speech to four blue ribbons and one third place to claim the tricolor ribbon.

This championship was especially exciting for Dean, of Fayette, AL, and Figure of Speech because it was the gelding’s first horse show. The pair was also reserve champion in the Pre-Green Hunters 3 and 4 Year Old earlier in the week.

“He has a bright future!” Dean said of the four-year-old Holsteiner by Casall. “He is a great jumper and a beautiful steel grey [color] with a good body type. He’s a good young horse that any professional would want to have.”

For more information and results, please visit www.PBIEC.com.

Molly Ashe Cawley and D’Arnita Fight to Win $204k FEI Jumping World Cup New York CSI4*-W

Photo: Molly Ashe Cawley and D’Arnita.

North Salem, N.Y. – Sept. 30, 2018 – The 2018 American Gold Cup at Old Salem Farm came to an end on Sunday as some of the world’s top international show jumping athletes competed for the coveted American Gold Cup trophy in the $204,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ New York CSI4*-W. The United States claimed the top prize for the third year in a row as Molly Ashe Cawley of Wellington, Florida secured the victory aboard the 10-year-old KWPN mare D’Arnita.

The top 37 athletes from Friday’s $80,000 American Gold Cup Qualifier CSI4*-W came forward to compete on the Grand Prix Field in Sunday’s grand finale over two challenging tracks designed by Irish course builder Alan Wade.

The large first round course utilized the field’s natural slopes and hills to test athletes over a series of 13 obstacles. Athletes collected rails all over the course, but seven combinations advanced to the jump-off after producing clear efforts in the first round.

Competing at her home base as the trainer of Old Salem Farm, Lucy Davis, who rode on the U.S. silver medal team at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, set the standard to beat aboard Old Oak Farm’s Caracho with the first double-clear effort in 39.30 seconds. However, her early start in the order would prove to be disadvantageous with six competitive combinations still left to come behind her. Ultimately, she would claim fourth place as the slowest double-clear finisher.

Margie Engle (USA) and her veteran partner Royce, owned by Gladewinds Partners, LLC, successfully navigated the short course next, stopping the timers in a whopping 36.85 seconds to take over the lead.

Mattias Tromp (USA) followed suit, piloting Quinta, owned by Swede Ventures LLC, to another double-clear performance in 37.95 seconds to move into second place in the standings.

It all came down to the final entry of the class: Cawley and D’Arnita. It was clear the pair came to win as they fought hard to complete the eight-fence serpentine in record time. In the end, her time of 36.76 seconds narrowly secured the victory ahead of Engle by one-tenth of a second. Sunday’s achievement at the American Gold Cup is D’Arnita’s biggest career win to date and Cawley’s first time earning the prestigious title.

Thus far this year, the pair has also claimed wins in the Kubota Cup during the ‘North American’ CSI5* Tournament at Spruce Meadows in July and at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival in August in the $35,000 Great Lakes Classic CSI3*.

Once again, Engle was forced to settle for second place, after also finishing second in Saturday’s $35,000 Hermès Sellier Classic with Indigo and in Thursday’s $35,000 Trelawny Farm Welcome Stake CSI4* with Dicas, while Tromp grabbed third place honors and Davis rounded out the top four.

In the lead-up to Sunday’s main event, McLain Ward’s beloved and legendary partner, Rothchild, owned by Sagamore Farms, was retired in a special ceremony honoring his incredible career with Ward, including winning individual gold and team bronze for Team USA at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.

In addition, Engle was awarded the M. Michael Meller Style of Riding Award for exhibiting an outstanding combination of horsemanship, skill and presentation while competing at the 2018 American Gold Cup. Ralph Caristo also received the Old Salem Farm Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, which was created by Old Salem Farm head trainer Frank Madden as a way to recognize members of the U.S. hunter/jumper community for their selfless contributions to the sport they love.

Re-live all of the action from Sunday’s grand prix at the American Gold Cup with NBC Sports Network’s broadcast of the $204,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ New York CSI4*-W on Sunday, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m.

For more information, visit theamericangoldcup.com.

Kennzo and Molly Ashe Cawley Claim Top Spot in $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby

Molly Ashe Cawley and Kristen Abbatiello-Neff’s Kennzo in the handy round of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby.

Wellington, FL – March 31, 2014 – As a top show jumper, Molly Ashe Cawley has ridden in her fair share of jump offs. Yesterday however, she rode in a jump-off that was strikingly different than any of the others – it took place in a hunter derby.

After an unusual finish, Ashe and Kristen Abbatiello-Neff’s Kennzo earned the exciting victory in the Winter Equestrian Festival $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

From a starting field of 50 in Saturday’s classic hunter round, the top 25 returned to the E. R. Mische Grand Hunter Ring on Sunday afternoon for the handy hunter round where it all came down to two – Ashe and Kennzo and Kate Ross and Friday Night.

Following the classic hunter phase, Ashe and Kennzo came into the handy round in third place with a combined score from the two judging panels of 178. Ross and Friday Night sat six points behind in seventh place, but when Ross and Friday Night earned scores of 90 from both judging panels, along with handy bonus points of eight and nine, they shot straight to the top of the leaderboard. Those scores would hold up as the best handy round scores all day and gave her a cumulative overall total of 371.

No one came within reach of Ross and Friday Night’s scores until Ashe and Kennzo cantered over the final oxer toward the in-gate, closing out a seamless round that earned them scores from the judges of 89.5 plus eight handy bonus points and 84.5 plus five handy bonus points. Those scores, coupled with points for three high option fences, would give Ashe and Kennzo a two round total of 371 – the same score as Ross.

In the rare event of a tie after the second round (something that has only happened one other time in hunter derby competition), it comes down to a third, jump-off round. With no third round course pre-designed, Ross and Ashe were asked to jump fences one through eight of the Kenneth Krome designed course again, with handy bonus and high option points still in play.

Ross was the first to return, and as a rail hit the ground Ashe knew the class was hers to win or lose. Kennzo rose to the occasion and turned in another beautiful trip, securing the victory for Ashe and for the team at Norfield Stables LLC.

Molly Ashe Cawley and Kennzo
Molly Ashe Cawley and Kennzo

“I thought Kennzo was good in the handy. He was right there with me the whole time,” Ashe said. “He did everything perfectly.”

Ashe continued, “Kennzo was on his game. I haven’t shown him much recently. This is his third hunter derby this season. He comes out and his great every time. I was sort of sad that we didn’t get to go in the field [at The Stadium] today, to be honest with you. He likes things like that. He seems a little bored sometimes in the Grand Hunter Ring, but they made a very exciting course today that sort of had us all quaking in our boots.”

The win for Kennzo and Ashe comes as the final exclamation point on a successful Winter Equestrian Festival season for Norfield Stables LLC. The team will now return home to their two bases at the beautiful Red Gate Farm in Newtown, CT and Sleepy Hollow Stables in Scarborough, NY.

Norfield Stables LLC is a full service riding and training facility run by Molly Ashe Cawley, Chris Cawley, Timmy Kees and Emanuel Camilli. With all four talented riders and trainers at the helm, Norfield Stables LLC is able to cater to riders across the equitation, hunter and jumper divisions. Norfield Stables expanded to Sleepy Hollow Stables in 2013, and with its ideal location just 30 miles from New York City, Norfield is easily accessible to riders coming from the city.

To learn more about Norfield Stables LLC, find them on Facebook here.

Emily Riden for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International

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Molly Ashe-Cawley and Kennzo Take All in $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at FTI WEF

Molly Ashe-Cawley and Kennzo. Photos © Sportfot.

Sara Ballinger Wins Beval Palm Beach Adult Medal Final; Rachel Boggus Takes Overall Series Prize

Wellington, FL – March 30, 2014 – Molly Ashe-Cawley of Newtown, CT rode Kennzo to the top of the $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby on the final Sunday afternoon at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. Kennzo and Ashe-Cawley’s win wrapped up the last week of the FTI WEF, presented by FTI Consulting, after 12 weeks of top-notch competition.

The hunter derby consisted of two rounds over fences over two days of competition, with the top 25 being called back for the final handy round in the E. R. Mische Grand Hunter Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). Ashe-Cawley and Kennzo sat in third place after round one after earning a total score of 178 from the judges. She and Kennzo laid down a round worthy of a second round score of 193, totaling 371.

In a highly unusual scenario for the hunter ring, Ashe-Cawley’s second round score tied her with eventual second place finisher Kate Ross, who earned scores of 172 in round one and a high score of 199 in the handy round with Friday Night. The tie resulted in a jump-off round, but after an unfortunate rail, Ross had to settle for second. Christopher Payne rounded out the top three aboard Walk This Way with a total score of 369 points.

Ashe-Cawley was quite pleased with both of her rounds with Kennzo, a 12-year-old Finnish Warmblood gelding (Anita x Coriano) owned by Kristen Abbatiello-Neff.

“Yesterday he was super,” Ashe-Cawley said. “They made a very exciting course today that had us all quaking in our boots today. I thought he was good in the handy. I didn’t get the inside turn after the one line that I wanted to get to the trunk jump. He was great; he was with me the whole time, did his part perfectly.”

A tricky course designed by Maryland’s Ken Krome led to competitors taking on several variations of the course. A tight inside turn to one of three high options for the course had many opting for the lower height. Sandy Ferrell tried a longer approach to the high option with Mayfair in the round before Ashe-Cawley, but after Ferrell lowered a rail, she decided to go for the lower option with Kennzo.

“I don’t know if it helped me or hindered me, but I definitely took the low option. Not that Kennzo usually knocks a jump down, but the way our week has been going, it could have happened,” Ashe-Cawley acknowledged. “I wanted to do the inside turn to the trot jump; I even got up in the (nine strides) easy, but there was no chance. I would have become one with the standards of that number two jump! So I figured rather than be a bug on the windshield, I would go around.”

Second place finisher Ross was thrilled to be in the company of two highly-regarded professional riders. The junior rider admitted to being a little bit nervous going into round two being in seventh place, but Ross and Friday Night, owned by KAR LLC, excelled under pressure to jump into the top three with a win in the handy round.

“I was so happy! I was really nervous going in because I did better than anticipated yesterday, so I was feeling a little bit of pressure. But coming out I was so excited, I just felt a huge relief. My horse is amazing,” Ross beamed.

Sandy Ferrell had the ride on Friday Night for the first year of his derby career, which set him on the path to success with Ross. Ross took over the reins at last year’s hunter derby at FTI WEF as well as the hunter derby at the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Show.

“Sandy did an amazing job getting him set and getting me comfortable with it. I’ve been doing them sporadically, but he’s so good at it that he doesn’t need to practice much,” Ross described.

Ross had to go first in the jump-off round, which she admitted caught her a bit off guard after breathing a sigh of relief after her handy round, but she did her best to replicate their success on the second time over the course.

“I was planning to just take the exact same track because everything kind of magically turned up the first time, and he went so nicely, so I was just hoping I could do the same thing again and just put in a solid round,” Ross explained.

Christopher Payne was incredibly happy with Susan Moriconi’s Walk This Way in both rounds of the derby. The horse was sidelined with an injury over the last couple of years, but has triumphantly returned to the show ring with Payne.

“He’s just kind of started getting back in the game,” Payne said. “I thought today with the crowds, everybody being so good, the horses and the team, you had to do the high options. He was game for it, very confident. I’m very pleased to see this happening.”

Walk This Way returned to the show ring during World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) week at the FTI WEF, where he finished fifth in the $100,000 Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular.

“The night class really made me think: he’s a contender for the pressure classes. Then when I did a derby [last week], I saw how he was good with the handys and things like that. I thought I’d try it, and I could change the plan at any time,” Payne shared.

Of their course on Sunday, Payne concluded, “I kind of tried to do some high options to get definite points, but then I tried to tidy up turns which weren’t necessarily inside turns, but keeping it a little tighter to get some handy points. I was really happy with him.”

Sara Ballinger and Wanderprinz
Sara Ballinger and Wanderprinz

Sara Ballinger Wins Beval Palm Beach Adult Medal Final; Rachel Boggus Takes Overall Series Prize

Sara Ballinger of Marion, OH won the Beval Palm Beach Adult Medal Final on Sunday morning at FTI WEF. It was the second equitation win this weekend for Ballinger and Wanderprinz, a 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Wanderkoenig. The pair also won the Ariat National Adult Medal on Friday morning. Second place in the class went to Victoria Birdsall and RMF Voka D.N. Rachel Boggus of Indianapolis, IN, took home the overall series championship after placing third in the class on Sunday with Papillon 136.

Boggus and Papillon 136, her 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Lundy x Guidam de Dartay), topped the series standings with 92 overall points, while Ballinger was second with 60 points aboard Wanderprinz. Nicole Lyvere was third overall with 36 points on her horses Fabrege and Bonaire.

For her winning ride, Ballinger was presented with a bridle and picture frame by Kris Livengood of Beval Saddlery. Ballinger was thrilled to end her FTI WEF circuit on a high note, especially since she had never won the Beval Palm Beach Adult Medal Final before.

“It was great; I’ll take it! It’s a tough class, and it’s a tough show. It’s a long show, and it’s a lot of work,” Ballinger smiled. “We feel good. We paced ourselves throughout the circuit.”

Ballinger will head back home to Ohio with Wanderprinz and her other horse, Pizarro, where she juggles taking care of her horses herself with her full-time job as an appraiser. Fortunately, her hours are flexible and she can schedule her work around horse shows, where she meets her trainer Lourdes De Guardiola.

Of Wanderprinz, Ballinger added, “He’s really smooth. He’s pretty straight-forward on the flat. He’s always had a good flatwork ethic and a good base. He’s a sweet guy. He’s straight-forward, really fun on the flat. The fences worked out really well today. I had a plan from the beginning and just stuck with it.”

Boggus, who trains with Abby Blankenship, was equally excited with her results on Sunday morning. After coming up short in the overall standings in 2013, she had her eye on the overall prize. Kris Livengood of Beval Saddlery presented Boggus with a custom Butet saddle for her winning ways throughout the circuit.

Rachel Boggus and Papillon 136
Rachel Boggus and Papillon 136

Since 2013, Boggus has made one major change in her riding program: she’s no longer catch-riding a different horse each week of the show. Boggus still managed a number of top finishes last year with mounts that she had met that day in the schooling ring, but after making equitation superstar Papillon 136 her own this past fall, she was relieved to get into a routine.

“We’re in the same program every week. We can work on stuff and move forward, not just trying to figure out how to ride the horse,” Boggus explained.

She continued, “Last year, it was really hard. It gets very costly having to lease horses every single week. And you don’t know them; you don’t get to practice on them. You’re just jumping in the schooling area and then winging it in the ring. This horse, even though I’ve only had him since November, he’s so good and experienced. I can just focus on my equitation and know he’s going to be there for me.”

Of Papillon 136, Boggus said, “He’s amazing. He obviously has all the experience in the world; he won the [Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat] Medal and [ASPCA] Maclay finals with Jessica Springsteen. He knows all the tricks, so I just try to stay out of the way and let him do his thing!”

Competition for the 2014 FTI WEF concluded on Sunday afternoon. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.

About FTI Consulting, Inc.

FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations protect and enhance enterprise value in an increasingly complex legal, regulatory and economic environment. With more than 4,000 employees located in 24 countries, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges in areas such as investigations, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory issues, reputation management, strategic communications and restructuring. The company generated $1.58 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2012. For more information, visit www.fticonsulting.com.

About the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival

The 2014 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of top competition running from January 8 through March 30. The FTI WEF is run by Equestrian Sport Productions, LLC, and Wellington Equestrian Partners and held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. All 12 shows are “AA” rated and Jumper Rated 6, and more than $7 million in prize money will be awarded.

Please visit www.equestriansport.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

Laura Cardon for Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.
Equestrian Public Relations
info@jenniferwoodmedia.com

Molly Ashe-Cawley and Carissimo Pave the Way to Victory in $32,000 Tampa Bay Welcome Stake

Molly Ashe-Cawley raced across the finish line with Carissimo after scoring the quickest of only three double-clear rounds during the $32,000 Tampa Bay Welcome Stake. Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG

Tampa, FL – Friday, March 30, 2012 – The crowd was alive with anticipation as 10 riders moved into the Tampa Bay Welcome Stake jump-off this evening. The nation’s top riders joined the series tonight, attempting to garner the championship prize in the $32,000 Tampa Bay Welcome Stake CSI 2* at the Tampa Equestrian Series. Molly Ashe-Cawley and Carissimo were the top finishers, leading the way as only one of three double-clear efforts. Today marked the third day of competition during the Tampa Bay Classic, held at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, FL, and riders are only beginning to gear up as the intensity of the competition progresses.

A field of 18 riders showed in the Covered Arena over Michel Vaillancourt’s first round course. It began with a large oxer to a vertical and a sharp right turn to a triple bar leading to a vertical, followed by an oxer-vertical-vertical triple combination. Riders then bended over the oxer-liverpool before making another right turn to the inside vertical-oxer line and continuing over a skinny vertical set on the outside. The course came to a close after a vertical to a vertical-oxer double combination, followed by a large final oxer.

Continue reading Molly Ashe-Cawley and Carissimo Pave the Way to Victory in $32,000 Tampa Bay Welcome Stake

Molly Ashe-Cawley Is Back in the Game in $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby

Molly Ashe-Cawley and Back in the Game won the $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Holiday & Horses Show. Photos © Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Wellington, FL – December 5, 2010 – The Holiday & Horses Show, held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, concluded competition today with the feature event for the hunters, the $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. Molly Ashe-Cawley of Newton, CT, rode Olivia Jack’s Back in the Game to the win in the $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. Kelley Farmer of Keswick, VA, was second on Mr. and Mrs. Ernest M. Oare’s Rosalynn, while Victoria Colvin of Loxahatchee, FL, rode Sanzibar for Barbara Ridder Irwin and Karen Long Dwight to third place.

The Holiday & Horses Show is the first competition in the Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) Holiday Series, which consists of seven shows through the beginning of January.

The course designer for today’s derby was Skip Bailey, who set a beautiful track with bright new jumps and interesting options. Farmer described, “They did a beautiful course. The jumps were gorgeous and it all looked great. Skip does a beautiful job. The horses jump well, you’re not in their mouths, they flow beautifully, and there’s not a lot of related distances. It’s never a trap to make the horses nervous. Even if it’s hard, they jump well. I thought it was great.”

Continue reading Molly Ashe-Cawley Is Back in the Game in $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby