Tag Archives: Victoria Press

Benjamin Meredith Brings Home the Blue in $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic

Benjamin Meredith and Anabelle 28.

Victoria Press Triumphs in Junior Hunter 16-17 Divisions

Lexington, KY – Aug. 4, 2016 – Following an intense jump-off race during Thursday’s $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, it was Benjamin Meredith who bested the field of horses and riders to celebrate the win aboard Shader Sporthorses LLC’s Anabelle 28.

“She did a fantastic job tonight,” Meredith said. “I was very impressed. I started riding her again at the end of Florida this season so it’s only been about five months. This is only the third time I’ve sat on her, and she’s been great.”

In the first round, Marina Azevedo’s course saw 58 entries. Rails dropped often at a difficult triple combination and the final fence, dashing many riders’ hopes for a clear round. Only nine horse-and-rider combinations were able to clear the challenging track to advance to the jump-off.

Among those nine was Shane Sweetnam, who piloted Saturday’s grand prix winner, the Blue Buckle Group LLC’s Cobolt, to the night’s first clear. Sweetnam and Cobolt were the first to return for the jump-off and delivered a quick, clear round to set the time to beat at 40.048 seconds.

“We jumped the first clear round, and I did everything exactly as planned,” Sweetnam said. “He jumped really nice, and I knew there was a strong group after me so I wanted to try to put as much of a target there as I could. I don’t think I could have been much faster. I thought he handled it great.”

Meredith and Anabelle 28 returned to the ring after several jump-off rounds fell short of taking over Sweetnam’s lead. Meredith saved valuable fractions of a second by taking a stride out, doing eight where Sweetnam had done nine to blaze past the timers in 39.423 seconds – just sixth-tenths of a second faster to take the lead.

“To the two last oxers, I just flew and it came up right,” Meredith said. “It was great. It was pretty much an all-around gallop in the jump-off, so we took the hackamore off and she was so solid.”

Meredith, who is based in Wellington, Florida, said his client, Meghan Shader, and her parents, Anna and Scott Shader, purchased the mare in 2014 as an 8-year-old.

“She’s done some young rider classes with Meghan,” Meredith explained. “We decided she has too much quality, and she’s too careful, so we put her in the grand prix. She needs to focus and listen; she likes to take over a little, which is why we bought her for her owner. We’re figuring out a happy medium, and it’s all coming together this year.”

Pablo Barrios also returned to challenge the leaders aboard his own A S D Farfala, finishing clear in 41.195 seconds to finish in third place, thereby regaining his lead in the Hagyard Challenge Series standings.

Finishing in fourth place was Lorcan Gallagher, who rode Spy Coast Farm LLC’s Venturo 9 to double clear rounds, finishing with a jump-off time of 41.929 seconds – just fractions behind Barrios.

Fifth place went home with Rebecca Conway and Blue Hill Farm LLC’s Tahiti Island, who turned in the final double clear round of the night in 46.722 seconds. The sixth place finishers were Francisco Zamudio and St. Bride’s Farm’s Caramello Z, who turned in a fast round at 39.904 seconds, but picked up an unlucky four faults for dropping a rail.

The title sponsor, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, is one of the oldest and largest equine veterinary practices in the world. Founded in 1876, the institute offers a staff with qualifications unparalleled by any single non-university veterinary group in the equine industry. Hagyard veterinarians have dedicated themselves to the health and well-being of the horse.

The facility at Hagyard Equine Medical Institute offers 13 digital radiology systems, 1.5 Tesla Siemens MRI, nuclear scintigraphy, an on-site laboratory, an on-site pharmacy, full medical and surgical services, 24-hour emergency services and hyperbaric medicine. The practice has performed veterinary medicine for more than 137 years and is currently composed of over 50 experienced veterinarians, with 13 board certifications in specialty areas of medicine, surgery and theriogenology. For more information on the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, please visit www.hagyard.com.

Victoria Press Triumphs in Junior Hunter 16-17 Divisions

Victoria Press’s rides impressed the judges in the Stonelea Ring on Thursday at the Kentucky Summer Classic Horse Show. She had wins on Eclypse in the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 division, as well as earning blue ribbons in the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 division on Café Noir.

Press and Holly Orlando’s 8-year-old mare Eclypse kicked off the morning with solid rounds in the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 division and the pair earned two blue ribbons in the over fences classes.

Victoria Press and Eclypse
Victoria Press and Eclypse

“It was an amazing feeling; she’s incredibly fun,” Press said. “I knew I was getting on a really special horse, so I trusted that she would figure out the jumps herself. I had fun with her.

“She has a huge stride and her jump is so nice it feels like you spend five seconds in the air every time,” Press continued. “I thought the courses rode nicely and I am still working on making sure the pace is even the entire time.”

Press, 18, of New York City, New York, has had recent success in the equitation and jumper ring, including clear rounds in various grand prix events. Though she is currently showing more jumpers, she is enjoying her last year as a junior by catch riding several hunters. Thursday morning was the first time she had ridden Eclipse before going in to win the over fences classes.

It’s an incredible opportunity and I am so thankful for every ride that I get,” Press explained. “I have not had my own hunter in a few years, so it’s nice to still be able to get into the hunter ring. I’ve been focusing on the jumpers recently, but I love coming to the hunter ring with a lot of nice people who support me.”

After the first junior division of the day, Press mounted her second horse of the day, Lily Gottwald’s Café Noir for the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 division. The duo won one of the over fences rounds and placed sixth in the other over fences class.

“I thought he was excellent today,” Press said. “I thought my ride improved immensely from the first round to the second round. He is small, but he has a huge stride and is incredibly scopey. He’s another horse who can find the jumps and it works really well.”

Press was more familiar with the ride on the 12-year-old Oldenburg gelding since she competed him once last year in Kentucky. She explained that she competes in Kentucky every year “because she loves the show’s nice relaxed atmosphere.”

For the under saddle class, Press had to dash to compete in the jumper ring so Adam Edgar of Leesburg, Virginia hopped aboard Café Noir.

“He hacked super well!” Edgar said. “He has a nice floating trot and he is beautiful. I walked into the arena and I felt like a winner on him. He was great!”

Emma Kurtz found success in the Small Junior Hunter 15 & Under division by winning one over fences class with David Gochman’s Dominik and won the second over fences class with Rose Hill Farm’s William Hill.

In the Large Junior Hunter 15 & Under division Emma Kurtz won an over fences class with Dr. Betsee Park’s Dedication, and Sloan Hopson won the second over fences class with her own Coachella.

Feature events of the Kentucky Summer Classic Horse Show include the $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix presented by GGT Footing and the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby.

To learn more about the Kentucky Summer Horse Show, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.

Media Contact: Rebecca Walton
Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
phone 561.753.3389 fax 561.753.3386
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