Vale and Acolina R fly over a jump last night in the $35,000 Outback Steakhouse Grand Prix in the Olympic Arena.
Aaron Vale of Morriston, Florida has been unstoppable Week I of the Atlanta Summer Classic and last night’s win in the $35,000 Outback Steakhouse Grand Prix added to his earnings!
International Course Designer, Manuel Esparza of Mexico City, Mexico, former Assistant Designer for the Olympic Games in Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing in 2008, designed the course and set the first round time allowed at 92 seconds. “The jumps were max height national level and there was plenty of size to them,” commented Vale. “When we were walking the course, we all agreed they were definitely big,” he added.
Vale had four mounts in the class and the first horse to go clean was Vale’s own Bonzini S. “Bonzini is just beginning in the grand prix. He’s super talented but just ‘under-milaged’ as a nine year old. He really had a beautiful trip in the first round,” said Vale. Vale and Bonzini S went fault free in a time of 88.389 seconds.
Mauricio Guevara from Bogota, Colombia in the irons of his own Capano Z was the next horse and rider pair to turn in a fault free round in a time of 91.821 seconds, insuring a jump off to the crowd’s delight.
Haley Gassel of Lenoir, Tennessee aboard Westwind Equine Training Center’s Quite Dark 2 turned in the next clean round in a time of 86.411 seconds and was slated to join the others in the jump off.
Vale returned with Sarah Turner’s Acolina R as the last horse in the first round and the final clean round in a time of 90.010 seconds. The crowd knew it was going to be an exciting jump off round!
Vale is considered to be one of the top grand prix riders in the country. He currently holds the records for most grand prix wins in a year, most double clear rounds in a year, and most money won in a year. He has had the opportunity to represent the United State Equestrian Team on European Tours, and was the winner of the Rikstoto Grand Prix in Norway and the Queens Cup in Barcelona, Spain. He won the first Peca Elendom Trophy Drammen in Norway and was also a part of the winning Nations Cup Team at the CSIO in Drammen, Norway.
Vale and Bonzini S were first to go in the abbreviated course which included a gallop option over the Nalley Toyota Stonecrest bank.
Vale galloped Bonzini S through the first obstacles in the jump off as well as over the Nalley Toyota Stonecrest bank. “There was plenty of room; Manuel designed it like that,” said Vale. Bonzini almost went clean but took a rail at fence nine. “I must have done something wrong,” said Vale. “I couldn’t believe he had it down. Maybe I was a little far behind after that roll back, but I thought he was spot on,” he added. Vale and Bonzini finished the jump off round in 39.900 seconds and four jump faults.
Guevara and his own Capano Z were next to go. With a rail at the second fence, the pair would finish with four faults in a time of 46.451 seconds.
Gassel and Quite Dark 2 followed but also had a rail at fence nine. With four faults in a time of 38.971 seconds, they took the lead as the fastest of the four fault rounds.
Vale sat in the enviable last to go slot with Acolina R. “My strategy with her was that I hoped to be fast enough to win but when she had a stutter step across the bank, I decided to go for a slow clear,” said Vale. Vale galloped through the timers in a time of 43.376 seconds with the only clean round, winning the class.
“I’ve been riding Acolina for about a year now. She’s hot and fiery but we are working on her consistency,” said Vale. “She had some real good classes this week. She was third in the Welcome on Thursday and she won last night,” he added. “I’ve had a great week here in Atlanta,” he added.
As the fastest of the four-faulters, Haley Gassel and Westwind Equine Training Center’s Quite Dark 2 took second place and Vale returned with his own Bonzini S for third. Fourth was awarded to Guevara and his own Capano Z and Karen Dewar of Ocala, Florida and her own Spitfire W took fifth place after turning in a first round effort in 92.687 seconds with one time fault. Sixth place was awarded to Derek Petersen of Archer, Florida and his own Forgiven who finished their first round in a time of 83.341 seconds with four jump faults. Vale returned for seventh place in the irons of Troy Glaus’ Quidam’s Good Luck after posting a first round time in 88.578 seconds with four jump faults and Kyle Dewar of Ocala, Florida and his own Gomez Van De Withoeve were awarded eighth after turning in a first round time in 91.609 seconds with four jump faults.
Vale came back for ninth place with Equi-Sport, LLC’s E.S. Finou 4 after posting a time of 88.155 seconds with eight jump faults and tenth was awarded to Karl Beyer’s Blixem, ridden by Megan Wexler of Reddick, Florida, after they turned in a first round effort in 90.239 seconds with eight jump faults and two time faults. Colleen Acosta of Roanoke, Texas and Anastasia Stewart’s Diamond were awarded eleventh place and twelfth went to Ri Arm Farm’s Fair Enough, ridden by Michael Kocher of Tryon, North Carolina.
- Friday, June 19: $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby
- Saturday, June 20: $35,000 Atlanta Summer Classic Grand Prix, presented by EMO
VIP opens at 6:30 pm. Tables of 8 are $450 per week and a cash bar is available each week. Be sure to see the office and purchase your table now for the best views, meals and events at the Atlanta Summer Classic. For those on the run, feel free to call Grace at 843.786.5503 to reserve your table.
The Atlanta Summer Classic is the first stop on the Great Magnolia Show Jumping Tour which combines three show-destination circuits. The Olympic spirit of the Atlanta Summer Classic, Brownland Farm’s pastoral venue in close proximity to America’s music scene in Nashville, Tennessee and the show-cation destination of the Charleston Summer Classic on Johns Island, South Carolina make up the Tour that offers more!
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.
Stay up to date: Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter!
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