Devon, PA – July 7, 2011 – Bright, sunny skies kicked off the day at the Brandywine Valley Summer Series, presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services, but as the jumpers took to the Dixon Oval at the Devon Show Grounds scattered thunderstorms moved into the area. The riders prevailed through the wet weather, with Patricia Griffith and Wieminka B taking the top spot in the 1.40m Open Jumpers, while Jennifer Brennan and Ducky scored the winning title in the $1,500 NAL/WIHS Child/Adult Jumper Classic.
The $1,500 NAL/WIHS Child/Adult Jumper Classic was the last class of the day in the Dixon Oval, where riders showed over a technical course by Kenny Krome. The first round featured a triple bar, three double combinations, and a liverpool. Eight from the original starting order advanced to the short course, where riders had to start over the triple bar and make a bending line to a single vertical. They then made a sharp right turn to a single oxer and turned to a single vertical, before making their way through a vertical-oxer double combination, a related vertical, and a final wide oxer.
Jennifer Brennan and Ducky, owned by Shannon Dell, were the fastest of the fast, completing a double clear effort in just 31.890 seconds to take home the winning ribbon. “Today I just wanted to be fast and clean,” she explained after the victory gallop. “There weren’t any sneaky inside turns, I just had to keep him straight and point him at the jumps. Ducky is awesome, very easy to ride. He knows his job and he’s as competitive as you are. If you want to win, he wants to win more!”
The second place prize went to Olivia Fry Weeks and H. J. El Divino, who stopped the clock just one second short of the leading time in 32.803 seconds. The first to tackle the track was Isabelle Caccamise and Qrocus Landais, who broke the beam at 35.135 seconds for third. Rounding out the top four was yesterday’s winner, Patrick McGinnia and JET Show Stables’ Conn, who tripped the timers in 35.387 seconds with all the rails intact.