Lexington, Ky. – May 11, 2018 – Friday morning at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show welcomed the $5,000 1.45m Open Jumpers to kick off jumper competition in the Rolex Stadium, where athletes were tested over Alan Wade’s (IRL) 15-effort track.
First to enter the ring, Javier Fernandez (MEX) and Diamond Dream, owned by Patricio Miguel Madero, laid down a clear round, designating the duo as the first to advance to the immediate jump-off. Fernandez and the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare galloped through the timers in a speedy 33.073 seconds, which the following 34 athletes attempted to catch, but were unable to outdo, awarding Fernandez the victory.
Out of the remaining start list, only four additional horse-and-athlete combinations produced a clear round, allowing the opportunity to continue onto the second round, with one electing to withdraw.
Savannah Talcott (USA) followed just after Fernandez with Sea Investments LLC’s 12-year-old Westphalian mare, Espatako’s Electra R, generating another double-clear round in a time of 34.113 seconds, slating her into the second place position which she managed to hold until near the end of the class. However, Anselmo Alvarado (VEN) came close to the top time aboard his own Inesse Van De Zijpe D’15 with a clear round and jump-off time of 33.437 seconds. Alvarado and the 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare finished just behind Fernandez for the second place ribbon, while Talcott ended in third place.
Immediately following, 21 riders entered the stadium for the High Amateur-Owner/Junior Jumpers speed-style class resulting in six clear rounds where Francesca Bolfo (USA) bested the competition aboard her own Jadalco in 66.101 seconds.
Sloan Hopson finished in a close second place in a time of 66.330 seconds aboard her own Dalida, while Marion Head and Carjo Z, owned by Scott Head, rode to a time of 68.690 seconds for third place.
Jennifer Speisman and Big Star Ace Ariat Adult Medal
Hunter competition commenced at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show on Friday in the Claiborne Ring with the Ariat National Adult Medal. Eight amateur athletes and their mounts vied for the top prize of the morning, but it was Jennifer Speisman and HC Sport Horses’ Big Star who put in a solid test that would give them the blue ribbon.
Riders in the Ariat National Adult Medal were first asked to compete over a course of eight fences, where they then received a numerical score that would dictate which four athletes would return to perform a specific test requested by the judge. Riders who scored 79 or higher during the first round of competition were asked to return to complete a test that involved three fences, a halt and a counter-canter.
Speisman and Big Star, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Verdi, expertly tackled both rounds of the medal class. In the first round, the team put in a score of 80, which put them in second place heading into the second round of competition. When asked to return to perform the test, they continued to work together to execute all elements of the work-off perfectly.
Second place was claimed by Lily Walton and her own Callahan, an 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding. Walton put in the highest first round score of the day with an 84. In third place was Emma Witham and Check It Out 5.
Lexington, Ky. – May 9, 2018 – The first day of competition at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show kicked off in exciting fashion at the Kentucky Horse Park where the Rolex Stadium highlighted the $35,000 Welcome Speed 1.45m CSI3* with 27 entries contesting Alan Wade’s (IRL) 15-effort track resulting in 11 clear rounds. Racing to an impressive and unbeatable clear round, Todd Minikus (USA) and the Quality Group’s Quality Girl claimed the lead by over three seconds with a time of 65.24 seconds to earn the victory.
With an extensive list of accolades to her name including the Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix in Saugerties in 2014, the Elm Rock Farm Trophy at the inaugural Global Champions Tour of Miami Beach in 2015 and a clean sweep with three FEI victories at the Kentucky Spring Classic in 2016, Quality Girl is a proven winner. After nearly a year off, Minikus took his time bringing the 15-year-old Oldenburg mare back to the show ring and it paid off.
Second place was awarded to Samuel Parot (CHI) and his own 15-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding, Couscous Van Orti, with a clear round and a time of 68.85 seconds. Hot on Parot’s heels in 69.22 seconds was Kevin Babington (IRL) and his own Mark Q, a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding.
Scott Stewart Shines with Playbook in the Green Hunter Incentive Program
Earlier in the day, the Green Hunter Incentive Program took place in the Stonelea Ring at the Kentucky Horse Park. Twenty-one horse and rider combinations competed in the 3’6” and 3’9” sections of the Green Hunters for top honors and it was Scott Stewart and Fashion Farm’s Playbook that executed a flawless round at the 3’6” fence height. Second place was claimed by another veteran hunter rider, Kelley Farmer and Exceptional, owned by Todd Minikus. Havens Schatt and Diatendro captured third place in the class.
Stewart is coming off of a successful season at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, Fla. with consistent champion titles in the High Performance Hunters and the Green Conformation Hunters. Stewart has also had great success in the Green Incentive Program, having won the championship title three times, most recently in 2017 with Playbook.
The Green Hunter Incentive Program was created by the USHJA in the hopes of increasing participation at the Green level. This year, the program introduced the option for athletes to compete at the 3’6” and 3’9” height in order to attract even more entries. At the end of the year, the top placing horse and rider combinations will be invited to return to the Kentucky Horse Park to compete at the Green Hunter Incentive Championships in August at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show, which will include four fence height options upon adding the 3’6″ and 3’9″ to the existing 3′ and 3’3″ fence heights.
Sancento, ridden by Todd Minikus, goes clear in his very first Grand Prix. (Photo courtesy of Shawn McMillen Photography)
Lexington, KY (May 16, 2017) — Todd Minikus’ feet barely hit the ground between stirrup irons at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show in Lexington, May 10-14. Minikus competed on a dozen horses over the weekend making a lot of owners happy with top finishes on several horses. Alex Verlooy’s Carvelo Z took the blue in the 135m leading the Minikus jumper charge. Minikus also finished in the money with eight others including Alice Lawaetz’s handsome bay gelding, Incitatus and her fiery chestnut, Sancento, along with four horses owned by The Coverboy Group — Coverboy, VDL Excel, Eldorado VDL, and Elarina — and Chablis S owned by Los Establos Sport Horses.
As he did at the 2017 Winter Equestrian Festival this year, Minikus found a few spare minutes to campaign in the hunter rings, as well. Minikus’ own bay gelding Exceptional lived up to his name by earning first place in the Young Hunter 3” & 3’3 class.
Always quick to credit his team, Minikus shared, “I’ve got 12 horses up here and I’m just riding all day. I’ve got my staff with me and they are doing a great job. They are all hustling.”
Though Minikus is a seasoned competitor with well over 100 Grand Prix wins under his belt, his equine partners were a bit newer to the scene. “The highlight of the week was when Alice Lawaetz’s horse, Sancento, jumped clear in his very first Grand Prix. We were very excited about that,” said Minikus. “Hopefully this weather cooperates so we can just keep on moving these young horses up,” commented Minikus.
Minikus is now focusing on the upcoming Kentucky Spring Classic, which runs May 17-24 at the Kentucky Horse Park. Team Minikus will then get the jump on summer competition at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina.
When not competing nationally and internationally, Todd Minikus offers sales and training services in Wellington, Florida. Minikus, a FEI Nations Cup veteran, is also a U.S. Pan American Games Team Bronze Medalist. Follow the excitement of Team Minikus on Facebook and Instagram @Todd_Minikus, or visit www.ToddMinikusShowJumping.com.
Lexington, KY – May 14, 2017 – The Kentucky Spring Horse Show concluded a week of action packed hunter and jumper competition at the Kentucky Horse Park. There was no shortage of excitement in Rolex Stadium. Under perfect blue skies, Sarah Segal and Cantara 59 won the $40,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix presented by Audi of Lexington, while Lacey Gilbertson and Baloppi topped the Under 25 Grand Prix presented by Hollow Creek Farm.
Cantara 59 has been part of Segal’s string of show horses for two years but Segal has been taking her time with the 11-year-old Hanoverian mare. Segal made the decision to only compete Cantara 59 in select CSI2* Grand Prix classes at the end of the Winter Equestrian Festival and chose to come to the Kentucky Spring Horse Show as her first show of the 2017 summer competition season. The pair went towards the midpoint of the class which featured 43 horses and riders. After jumping a tidy clear round, they returned as part of a field of 12 in the jump off on Sunday afternoon.
While there were many fast riders in the jump-off round, including Todd Minikus, Aaron Vale, Samuel Parot and Amanda Derbyshire, just to name a few, Segal stuck to her plan with Cantara 59 and put in a blistering pace of 44.705. Aaron Vale achieved a faultless round but came up short with a time of 45.946. Ramio Quintana and Iluna finished third in a time of 46.783.
Just before the $40,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix, another lady rider, Lacey Gilbertson, stole the show in the $25,000 Under 25 Grand Prix, sponsored by Hollow Creek Farm. Gilbertson did not have the opportunity to watch many of her peers rounds in the class of twenty-eight as she went early in the long course and first in the jump-off. Gilbertson knew that with six other riders vying for the blue ribbon she would need to ride Baloppi smart and fast. The ten-year-old Danish Warmblood mare did not miss step and jumped an impressive clear round in 38.457 that proved impossible to beat. Hollow Creek Farm’s own Emanuel Andrade was second on Jenni’s Chance in 39.76 and Kaley Tomue placed third with Gentille in 40.211.
Although Aaron Vale did not win a class, he did earn the title of Envisian Products Leading Jumper Rider for this week’s competition. Envisian Products sponsor the weekly Leading Jumper Rider Award, which will be presented following the Sunday Grand Prix, each week of the 2017 Kentucky Horse Shows series. Brian and Visse Wedell are partners in Envisian Products, which offers several products and services, but is presenting this award with a focus on Polylast Rubberized Flooring.
Lexington, KY – May 13, 2017 – The French flag was flying proudly over the Rolex Arena on Saturday night as Eric Navet and Catypso were victorious in the $130,000 CSI3* Grand Prix presented by Hollow Creek Farm. The pair, who has traveled to Kentucky from their home in California, bested a field of 51 athletes to take home the top prize after a double clear effort. Hollow Creek Farm’s own Emanuel Andrade came in a very close second place with Bon Jovi, while Sharn Wordley and Casper rounded out the top three placings.
Navet has been waiting for the perfect course and right venue to let his mount put all the lessons he has learned over the past few years to work. The Rolex Arena provided that perfect platform for the 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding to show his competitiveness at the Grand Prix level. The pair went early in the order of go and posted the first clear round of the night over a course designed by Marina Azevedo.
The French National Champion and Olympic medalist has been working with Catypso since he was acquired by the Cook family as a six-year-old. Even though 2016 was the first year that Navet began regularly competing Catypso in Grand Prix classes in California, the pair qualified to compete in the 2017 World Cup Finals in Omaha, Nebraska with positive results.
The spring Kentucky Horse Shows offered Navet with the perfect venue for his first show back since World Cup Finals. After competing in Kentucky for the first-time last year, the Kentucky Horse Park has become an ideal destination for Navet and his students because of the professional atmosphere and outstanding footing.
The $130,000 Hollow Creek Farm CSI3* Grand Prix was a truly international event, as can be demonstrated by the various countries that occupied the top three placings in the class: Navet of France, Andrade of Venezuela, and Wordley of New Zealand. In all, there were twelve different countries represented by the equestrian athletes.
Sam Walker Speeds to the Win in the High Junior/Amateur Owner Speed Class
Lexington, KY – May 12, 2017 – Sam Walker sped to the top of the High Junior and Amateur Owner Jumper class on Friday morning at the Kentucky Horse Park during the Kentucky Spring Horse Show. Walker was aboard Missy Clark’s Twan and completed the speed course in the fastest clear time of 61.198 seconds. Addison Gierkink rode Wisconsin III to a second place finish one second slower in a clear time of 62.484 seconds, and Noel Fauntleroy took home the third and fourth place ribbons with Arbitrage and Mae, respectively.
Thirty-four entries competed in the Rolex Arena over a course that was designed by Maria Azevedo and was very similar to the track that was featured in the first round of the $35,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic CSI3* from Thursday evening.
Walker, a Canadian junior rider from Ontario, completed the speed course on the 16-year-old bay gelding who is owned by Missy Clark of North Run Farm. Walker and Twan have been competing together since March and had multiple top place finishes in the Junior Jumper and 1.30m divisions at the Winter Equestrian Festival.
No stranger to the show ring, Walker was raised on his families Forest Hill Farm and began riding at the age of four. Once his parents placed him on top of a horse, he has never looked back and has excelled at hunter, equation and jumpers.
Sara Santisi Scores Ariat National Adult Medal Win
Competing in her first show of the year, Ohio State University student Sara Santisi of Dublin, Ohio was on form, winning the Ariat National Adult Medal Friday morning at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show. Exhibitors were asked to navigate a course of eight fences designed by Bobby Murphy in the Claiborne Ring for the first round, and the top four to place returned for additional testing.
Returning in the reverse order of preference, riders were instructed to enter the ring at a walk, canter directly to fence two, halt, canter to fence eight, trot fence one, and exit the ring at a walk. Santisi was aboard her own Swedish Warmblood, Jackson, and scored an 83 in round one to come into the test in second place behind Emily Kowalchik who had an 88 in the first round.
The test played to Jackson’s strengths, and Santisi took over the lead to win the class. The duo executed a beautiful, consistent round, where Jackson immediately picked up the left lead after the halt.
Santisi purchased Jackson, a 12-year-old gelding, five years ago and the duo showed together in the junior hunters in 2016 before she aged out. Having also competed in the jumpers for a year, Santisi enjoys watching the professional jumper classes while at Kentucky Horse Park. Lyriss Jaeger of Georgetown, Kentucky rose from a score of 78 in round one to claim second place aboard her own Catanova while Lindsey Tomeu piloted Red Drum, owned by Elm Creek Holdings, LLC, to the third place honors.
On Saturday, the hunters will take center stage in the Stonelea Ring where the Grand Champion Amateur-Owner Hunter will be named. The Kentucky Spring Horse Show will come to a close on Sunday after the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby and the $5,000 World Equestrian Center/Kentucky Horse Shows USHJA National Hunter Derby.
Lexington, KY – May 11, 2017 – California’s Eve Jobs put in two near flawless rounds to best a field of 66 horses and riders to capture the victory in the $35,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic CSI3* with a time of 34.71 seconds. The 18-year-old athlete and her talented mount Charleville sped past riders that were her senior not only in age but also in experience as she bested the 15-horse jump-off with a blazing time. Sharn Wordley of New Zealand and Rye Val De Mai were hot on Jobs’ heels finishing a close second in a time of 34.85 seconds. Rounding out the top three spots on Thursday night at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show was Abigail McArdle on Cade, finishing with a time of 34.94 seconds.
The $35,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic CSI3* was the first class in the Hagyard Series Challenge. The series consists of seven grand prix classes to be held during the 2017 show series at the Kentucky Horse Park. Following the final event, a cash prize of $50,000 will be awarded to the rider accumulating the most points throughout the series.
Although Charleville, a 10-year-old KWPN gelding, is one of the more recent additions to Job’s string of talented show jumpers, the pair has had several top placings together at the Winter Equestrian Festival, including winning the $15,000 SJHOF High Amateur-Owner Classic presented by Engle & Völkers. Despite her age, Jobs has wasted no time moving up the ranks and competing in more challenging classes.
For more information on the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, please visit www.hagyard.com.
Eve Jobs, on Charleville: “I just got Charleville in March and I was a little slow yesterday with him through the turns, so I was planning to keep a good rhythm and have a nice trip. He’s pretty fast so I wasn’t worried about the time. He’s really fast and he’s a fighter. He always wants to win.”
On showing in Lexington: “This is one of my favorite facilities. The footing is amazing and it has a really nice feel to it being in the stadium.”
Scott Stewart Secures Grand Hunter Championship with Private Life and Fun
As hunter competition continued into day two at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show, Scott Stewart proved to be his biggest competition, tying with two mounts scoring 56 for the Grand Open Hunter Championship. Stewart expertly guided both Fun, a 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood, and Private Life to win their respective division championships and shared Grand Hunter Champion title, sponsored by Visse Wedell of Wedell Real Estate.
Scott Stewart and Private Life. Shawn McMillen Photography.
Fun, owned by David Gochman, ruled the over fences classes in the High Performance Conformation Hunter division both days with scores in the 80s before going on to win the under saddle class. Earlier in the day, Stewart was aboard Dr. Betsee Parker’s Private Life to secure a division championship in the Green Conformation Hunters. The 6-year-old KWPN gelding was first in both rounds during day one with scores of 88 and 90. Stewart is planning to show later this month at the prestigious Devon Horse Show and Country Fair in Devon, Pennsylvania.
Scott Stewart, on the Kentucky Spring Horse Show: “We always come here as the show before Devon because it’s a good place to get ready for that event. The horses feel great because they’ve had a little break since Florida. The Kentucky Spring Horse Show is great, the facility is wonderful, but it’s also the town of Lexington. We’re done early enough and the whole area is pretty so I really like it.”
Lexington, KY – May 10, 2017 – Chilean athlete Samuel Parot rode Quick De Pottier to a blue-ribbon finish in the $35,000 FEI Welcome Speed 1.45m to kick off the first week of the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows at the Kentucky Horse Park. Parot blazed through the timers in a time of 58.590 to beat 38 other competitors who joined him in the Rolex Arena. Bull Run’s Faustino, ridden by Kristen Vanderveen, was a close second to Parot, finishing the course in a speedy 59.180.
Parot, who is known internationally as a fast and fearless rider, proved yet again that he is a force to be reckoned with and has a string of very competitive horses. The Kentucky Spring Horse Show is the first show back for Parot, who had a successful winter season at the Winter Equestrian Festival which included winning the $86,000 Suncast 1.50m Grand Prix with Quick Du Pottier. The 13-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Hurlevent De Breka x Cuba) was the second mount for Parot in the opening speed class and they were in perfect sync over the 14-obstacle course, designed by Marina Azevedo.
The top five spots were rounded out by Aaron Vale on his horses, Quidam’s Good Luck and Carlo, followed by Andrew Welles on Boo Van Het Kastanjehof.
Samuel Parot, on the difference between his two rounds: “This horse is very fast. The other horse I went fast too but made a mistake in the last line. I tried to go in 6 but I decided to do 7 at the last minute. The second time I decided to do the 7 early and it worked out perfectly.”
On showing in Lexington: “I love showing in Kentucky. It is a nice city, nice place, with nice people – just that easy.”
Goguen and Stewart Come Out on Top in the High Performance Working Hunter
As the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows begins at the Kentucky Horse Park, Hunter competitors are eager to secure a division championship. Tim Goguen aboard Clever, a 7-year-old Warmblood gelding, claimed the blue ribbon during the first round of the High Performance Working Hunter class with a score of 84. The country’s top hunters took their turn in the beautiful Stonelea Ring over courses designed by Bobby Murphy. Kelley Farmer finished just two points behind Goguen to secure second place aboard True Enough, owned by Kent Farrington & Derby Lane, LLC. Meagan Murray-Tenuta and Becky Price’s Editorial picked up third place with a score of 81.
Scott Stewart and Catch Me
Scott Stewart and Catch Me, winners of the 2017 World Champion Hunter Spectacular at the Winter Equestrian Festival, dominated round two with a score of 87. Stewart has shown the 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding since he debuted in the First Year Green Hunters. Farmer and True Enough were again not far behind and scored 84 to secure second place. Meagan Murray-Tenuta and Editorial received an 81 to round out the top three once again.
Tim Goguen, on the round: “My strategy with Clever was to keep it smooth throughout the entire round. He was a little bit nervous, but he just needed to take a breath and jump around a couple times and then he was good. I was happy with him; he tried and it went well.”
On Lexington: “The restaurants in downtown Lexington are great. It’s a great town to hang out in for the summer and Kentucky Horse Park is a great facility; it’s fantastic.”
Kelley Farmer Wins $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby
Lexington, Ky. – May 15, 2016 – The Kentucky Spring Horse Show wrapped up on Sunday in the Rolex Stadium with the featured national classes: the $25,000 Under 25 Grand Prix followed by the $50,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix. Kristen Vanderveen and Bull Run’s Eternal outpaced a 15-horse jump-off to grab the win in the $50,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix, presented by Audi of Lexington, which also counted towards valuable points earned in the Rolex/USEF Show Jumping Ranking List.
After consistently producing clear rounds all week, Vanderveen and Bull Run Jumpers’ Bull Run’s Eternal proved to be a force to be reckoned with after beating Aaron Vale and Carlo’s early jump-off lead of 42.001 seconds by three full seconds.
“It was so nice to finally get it all together,” said Vanderveen. “He’s actually the horse I’ve owned the longest. I’ve had him for three years so we really know each other quite well, and that really helped today in the jump-off because it was pretty fast.”
47 exhibitors navigated the Bernardo Costa Cabral-designed first round course, consisting of 13 obstacles, which challenged riders with a double and triple combination, a triple bar fence and multiple tight rollbacks in a time allowed of 81 seconds. The jump-off revealed a seven-fence serpentine with many large oxers that resulted in faults for five of the 15 second round challengers.
Vanderveen and the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding were third in the jump-off order-of-go and broke the beam in 39.091 seconds, which set the pace for the rest of the 12 horse and rider combinations that would prove to be unbeatable.
“My strategy was to basically start with a gallop and be able to hold it the whole way,” said Vanderveen. “There were a lot of hard left turns right at the beginning in the jump-off, and he’s really handy to the left, so I was able to not worry too much about making the turn because he’ll cut left fast anyways. So I tried to start before jump one with a really good gallop and never take away from him. He did quite well with that.”
It did not look like anyone would come close to Vanderveen’s time until five rounds later when Andrew Ramsay and Cocq A Doodle, owned by The Doodle Group, entered the ring. They raced around the shortened track to catch Vanderveen’s time but only made it within 9/10th of a second, after laying down a solid double-clear effort, finishing in 39.942 seconds and taking second place honors.
Even as the second to last jump-off contenders were unable to catch Vanderveen’s time, she had already secured her win for the class by returning to the ring as the last entry to go in the jump-off round on her second mount, Bull Run’s Holy Smokes.
“Bull Run’s Holy Smokes is actually a little bit greener than [Bull Run’s Eternal] is,” said Vanderveen. “It was a really nice feeling to be able to come in and know that she doesn’t need to really run like crazy so I was going to go for a nice slow, clean round and then she hit the last jump down, but I’m still really pleased with her. She hasn’t done nearly as much as he’s done.”
Rounding out the top three in the Sunday finale of the Kentucky Spring Horse Show was Ramiro Quintana and Whitney, owned by St. Bride’s Farm. They tripped the timers in 40.215 seconds.
After a successful finish to the Kentucky Spring Horse Show, Vanderveen will be returning to Tryon next week to train clients, but always enjoys visiting and competing at the Kentucky Horse Shows.
“After this week, I think I should never leave Kentucky,” laughed Vanderveen. “I jumped clean in every single FEI class – it just hasn’t come to a win until today. I’m going back to Tryon next week. I have all of my clients in Tryon and they got this week off, so I’ll be back to help train them.
“I love the area here,” continued Vanderveen. “I love that the horses can graze and can go out on the trail rides. I think it’s so great for their minds. The stadium’s great as well. I love riding in a big ring. I have a lot of big horses with big steps so to be able to just open up and gallop around the course is how my horses jump best and go best, and I like to ride that.”
Earlier in the day, the Under 25 Grand Prix was held in the Rolex Stadium and the blue ribbon went to Noel Fauntleroy and her own Cabras, who bested a starting field of 26 and a jump-off field of 13.
“I started riding [Cabras] a little over a year ago in Florida last year,” said Fauntleroy. “She was part of the gold medal team and won an individual bronze medal at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships last year. She is very comfortable. She might look a little hot, but she’s actually kind of cold. I have to get her going, but once I do she’s all game and will jump anything. She’s really brave.”
Fauntleroy and the 12-year-old Holsteiner mare were among six to produce double-clear rounds, finishing the fastest by one second in 30.003 seconds.
“My plan today was to just stick with the numbers,” said Fauntleroy. “The jump-off I thought was a really good test for the riders. From one to two there was an option for seven or eight strides, and I trust her a lot so I went with seven and knew that she would jump that. I made sure to go inside the gazebo after the two because I didn’t think anyone else had done that, and I think that might have been where I made up a little bit of time.”
Eve Jobs and her own Sandor De La Pomme were close behind Fauntleroy stopping the timers in 31.242 seconds to take second place, while Hunter Holloway and VDL Bravo S, owned by Hays Investment Corp., took the third place spot finishing in 32.489 seconds.
Having shown in the U25 series multiple times, Fauntleroy really appreciates the bridge the series provides for young riders to develop experience at competing their horses on an international level.
“I think it’s an awesome stepping-stone for young riders,” said Fauntleroy. “If you feel like you’re over-qualified for the highs but aren’t ready to go into the Saturday night classes yet, the U25 series is a perfect stepping-stone for that.”
In addition, Fauntleroy shared similar sentiments as Vanderveen in regards to competing at the Kentucky Horse Shows.
“Kentucky always has a really good atmosphere,” said Fauntleroy. “There’s lots of open space for the horses. The footing is always amazing. It’s been pouring rain and you can’t even tell. It’s really an awesome place to come!”
The Kentucky Spring Classic held May 18-22 will also feature a FEI CSI3* rating. The $35,000 Welcome Speed will be held on Wednesday, followed by the $35,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic on Thursday, as riders try to accumulate valuable points for the Hagyard Leading Rider Bonus. On Saturday, May 21, riders will compete under the lights in the Rolex Stadium during the $130,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix. Once again all three FEI classes will count for the Longines Ranking List and the Thursday and Saturday classes will also count for the Rolex/USEF Show Jumping Ranking List. In addition, the featured national classes will be the $50,000 Bluegrass Grand Prix, which counts towards the Rolex/USEF Show Jumping Ranking List, and the $25,000 Under 25 Grand Prix to be held on Sunday, May 22, in the Rolex Stadium.
Kelley Farmer Wins $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby
Sunday was ‘Derby Day’ in the Claiborne Ring at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show with the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby as well as the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby. The International Hunter Derby was dominated by Kelley Farmer who took the top two spots on Baltimore and Point Being and had a total of five horses in the class. The third spot went to Peter Wylde and Quax.
Kelley Farmer and Baltimore
Farmer took the lead in the first round on Baltimore, an 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding with a score of 189, taking all four high options on the Bobby Murphy-designed course. “When you jump the high options, he can jump careful and it doesn’t matter what you get,” said Farmer. “Long or deep, he doesn’t really care. He is that dependable, that careful, that brave – that’s him. No matter what I ask him he tries.”
With five horses in the class, Farmer was able to use each round to improve her plan for the next. “When we walked the handy and we saw the inside turns I thought they were ugly to be totally honest,” Farmer explained. “I did them on Need I Say because he is handy. I thought if he can do them then at least I know how hard or not hard they are. I kind of knew what I was going to do on Need I Say and was a little bit play-it-by-ear on the rest depending on what everyone else did and how it was going.”
Farmer and Baltimore excelled in the handy, pulling in scores of 89 and 90 from the judges. Adding on four points for taking the high options, and seven and five handy points, respectively, bringing their total score to 388. She was full of praise for Baltimore’s performance in the handy round.
“Baltimore can get so high and so careful,” said Farmer. “He can land and turn. He is so catty and his front end is so automatic. He’s a fantastic horse.”
Farmer also impressed the judges on Point Being bringing in a score of 369 and taking all of the high options in both rounds. Peter Wylde and Quax were right behind her in third place with a score of 368.5.
Earlier in the day, Geoffery Hesslink excelled in the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby winning aboard Rookie, an 8-year-old Warmblood gelding, and taking third place with Esco. Douglas Boyd took second place with Calido’s Son.
The $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby is part of the $40,0000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby series which is returning for the fifth year in a row at the Kentucky Horse Park. The five-part series awards a $15,000 Hallway Feeds Leading Rider Bonus presented at the conclusion of the series.
Hesslink started off the first round with a score of 90, taking all four high options. “My first round was a little conservative,” Hesslink said. “I was a little nervous with how the class was going, but I decided to do all the high options and I think that really paid off because not many other people did.”
Hesslink returned in the handy round taking three of the high options to a score of 89 and a total score of 179. “I liked my handy round a lot better,” Hesslink admitted. “I went all out and tried to do all the inside turns. I tend to be better at those and I thought both horses were amazing.”
Hesslink praised the course design for its ability to play to each horse’s strengths. “I thought the course was great. It was a lot of singles and long approaches,” Hesslink explained. “You were able to show your horse’s stride and ride the course out of a rhythm.”
Douglas Boyd and Calido’s Son were right behind Hesslink in second place with a score of 178. Hesslink rounded out the top three with a score of 176 aboard his second mount Esco.
Hesslink was enthusiastic about his experience here in Kentucky. “I came here last summer for the first time,” Hesslink said. “I really liked it and that’s why I’m back this year. I think the Kentucky Horse Park is an amazing facility and they do a great job here with everything from the jumps to the events and the prestige – they make it really nice for the spectators and riders.”
The Kentucky Spring Classic will continue May 18-22 with the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby in the Stonelea Ring on Saturday, May 21. The Kentucky Spring Classic will also offer WIHS and NAL qualifiers plus $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Classics.
EQSportsNet will be streaming live webcasts of the $130,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI3* during the Kentucky Spring Classic on Saturday, May 21. EQSportsNet Full Access subscribers can also watch all rounds of the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows series on demand at www.eqsports.net.
For more information on Kentucky Horse Shows LLC and the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.
Media Contact: Rebecca Walton
Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
phone 561.753.3389 fax 561.753.3386 PhelpsMediaGroup.com
Danhakl and Gochman Claim Championships in Amateur-Owner Hunter Divisions
Lexington, Ky. – May 14, 2016 – The Kentucky Spring Horse Show concluded on Saturday with the day’s highlight event: the $130,000 Hollow Creek Farm Grand Prix CSI3*. Eugenio Garza (MEX) and Bariano bested a field of 41 competitors to claim the top prize with a blazing jump-off round in 39.160 seconds.
“I’ve had [Bariano] for almost four years,” said Garza. “He’s been my horse for everything. He’s taken me from Children’s Jumpers to the grand prix, so I owe him pretty much everything. He feels better than ever. He really gave it his all tonight and I couldn’t be more proud of him.”
Nine horse and rider combinations were able to master the Bernardo Costa Cabral opening course, moving into a jump-off that six would go on to produce double-clear efforts from.
“The course was really nice, [Bernado] did an extremely good job,” said Garza. “It was definitely a challenge – something to think about while going around the course, but it was not crazy. I think it was overall a really nice track. His tracks have been amazing all week and I think it was perfect for tonight.”
Aaron Vale (USA) and Quidam’s Good Luck, owned by Troy Gaus, were hoping to claim their second consecutive Hollow Creek Farm Grand Prix after winning the event in 2015. They were the early clear pathfinders in the first round and set the pace for the jump-off as the first to take on the shortened track in a speedy 39.920 seconds.
“[Bernardo] does a great job every time,” said Vale. “He gives a tight time allowed, but gives you different ways to get it. You can leave some strides out; you can make a short turn to the left or a short turn to the right. You kind of ride your horse and figure out a way to make the time allowed. Tight times allowed with these big fields are popular these days, but he does it fairly. If your horse has a weakness or a strength you can kind of pick and choose and still make the time.
“Quidam’s Good Luck wins a lot all year long, but he especially goes well in this ring,” continued Vale. “He won both FEI grand prix last spring, and he’s won some other grand prix here as well. This horse just loves this ring. He goes super here. Kentucky is a great place; it’s one of the premier facilities in the country, if not the premier facility.”
Shane Sweetnam (IRL) and Chaqui Z, owned by Spy Coast Farm, entered the Rolex Stadium one round later and attempted to catch Vale’s time, but felt short by one second in 40.540 seconds. The pair would go on to take third place honors.
It was looking like Vale would take the title once again until Garza, who placed second behind Vale last year, and the 15-year-old Belgium Warmblood gelding, owned by El Milagro, returned to the ring to challenge Vale’s time as seventh in the jump-off order-of-go.
The two horse and rider combinations battled it out for the second year in a row, but this year it was Garza who was able push ahead Vale’s time by 8/10th’s of a second to take the lead in the victory gallop.
“Leading off the jump-off, you never want to go first, but better to go first in the jump-off than not at all,” laughed Vale. “I was quite fast to the fourth jump. I did check up a little to the combination and again to the last, and that was the difference. If I could have found one of those strides to leave out I don’t think Eugenio would have got me.”
“I saw Aaron go first – and you know Aaron, he’s very fast – and I honestly didn’t think anyone could catch him, including me,” admitted Garza. “My trainer, Eddie Macken, just told me to feel how it goes, and just give it my all and that’s what we did. Bariano just helped me out and was amazing and everything just came up really nice in the jump-off. I think I was able to gain a little bit more time to the last one. I took one stride less than Aaron, but it was really close and I don’t think I could asked anything more from Bariano.”
The young rider from Mexico enjoys returning to the Kentucky Horse Shows each spring and competing at the world-renowned Kentucky Horse Park.
“Kentucky always treats us well,” said Garza. “I love it here. It’s an amazing facility, the footing is perfect, the organization is amazing – we just love it here. Fortunately, we’ve been doing well and it’s just an amazing show to come to. It’s really relaxed and it’s great for the horses. The weather has been great all weekend and the horses love it here.
“A big thank you to all of my team,” continued Garza. “They have been amazing and I’m just so happy to have such a great team behind me.”
The Kentucky Spring Horse Show will come to an end on Sunday with the $25,000 Under 25 Grand Prix and the $50,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix, which will count toward valuable points earned in the Rolex/USEF Show Jumping Ranking List.
Danhakl and Gochman Claim Championships in Amateur-Owner Hunter Divisions
It was all about the stallions on a cold and blustery day Saturday at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show in the Stonelea Ring. Championships in the Amateur-Owner 18-35 and Amateur-Owner 36 and Over Hunter divisions both went to stallions. In the younger division, Stephanie Danhakl took home the top prize on her 7-year-old Hanoverian stallion First Light. The reserve championship went to Alliy Moyer and Carlson. In the older division that followed, Becky Gochman won the championship aboard the 14-year-old Warmblood stallion Empire with the reserve going to John Ingram and Airport 48.
Stephanie Danhakl and First Light
First Light was back in the tricolors today having won the Regular Conformation Hunter championship on day two with trainer Scott Stewart.
“First Light is definitely my greenest horse,” Danhakl explained. “He’s only 7 years old this year and he’s a stallion, so he’s a little bit trickier for me. I feel like I started to get the hang of him this year. He’s a little different ride than what I’m used to. He really requires you to direct him and be very accurate in your turns and balanced. He keeps me on my toes.”
The drastic change in the weather was certainly a factor for riders on Saturday.
“When I got on him today he was very fresh because of all the wind,” Danhakl said. “He was still a little fresh in the ring, but he gives you such a great feeling and is very well mannered. He whinnied a few times going around, but I’m sort of used to that so he really was great.”
Gochman also commented on the cooler weather Saturday.
“It was a very brisk day in Lexington, Kentucky, so I had a little bit of a different horse in Empire today,” Gochman said. “He was feeling a little frisky. Yesterday we really clicked. I feel like he’s in a really great frame of mind and he’s just such a special horse.”
Another generation of winning hunters may be on the way for Gochman as well.
“We’re excited because we recently purchased his son Evermore,” Gochman explained. “We hope he can take after his dad in his ways too.”
Danhakl and Gochman were both full of praise for the Kentucky Spring Horse Show and the city of Lexington.
“It’s a great tradition for us to come here,” Gochman said. “It breaks up the ride back home for the horses and it gives us a chance to compete somewhere where the fences are really put together in a lovely manner.”
Gochman was also enthusiastic about all that Lexington has to offer.
“We have always enjoyed the town of Lexington,” Gochman continued. “The whole Gochman family can’t get enough of it. We really enjoy the restaurants and the horse themed artwork throughout the town. It always holds a special place in our hearts so we are always excited to come back to Kentucky.”
Danhakl was also appreciative of the environment at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show.
“It’s such a beautiful place,” said Danhakl. “I love all of the greenery, the grass, the rolling hills and the trees everywhere. I like to be able to escape the heat at this time of year in Florida. All of the horses just left and came straight here so they’ve had a nice time getting to enjoy the cooler weather.”
Sunday is “Derby Day” with the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby and the $5,000 Hallway Feeds USHJA National Hunter Derby taking place.
EQSportsNet will be streaming live webcasts of the $130,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI3* during the Kentucky Spring Classic on Saturday, May 21. EQSportsNet Full Access subscribers can also watch all rounds of the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows series on demand at www.eqsports.net.
For more information on Kentucky Horse Shows LLC and the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.
Media Contact: Rebecca Walton
Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
phone 561.753.3389 fax 561.753.3386 PhelpsMediaGroup.com
