Saturday the $25,000 Nalley Toyota Stonecrest Grand Prix, presented by EMO, galloped into the Olympic Stadium at the Georgia International Horse Park to close out the opening week of the Atlanta Spring Classics in Conyers, Georgia.
Five horse and rider teams turned in clear first rounds and advanced to the jump off phase. The time allowed was set at 47 seconds and Kris Killam and Helene Jones’ Skyfall were the first to tackle the second round and went clean in 37.990 seconds, setting the new time to beat.
Jason Berry of Staunton, Virginia and Willoughby Stables’ Varios, winners of the Week I $5,000 Horseflight Open Welcome, followed Killam and Skyfall and also turned in a clear jump off effort in a time of 37.292 seconds and took the lead.
Katie Barnette’s Catalyst, ridden by Aida Sanchez Long of Ooltewah, Tennessee, followed Berry. Although they turned in a clear round, their time of 38.535 seconds would not beat Berry and Varios’ time.
Paul Macrae of Alpharetta, Georgia and Darragh Kerrin’s Corini followed Catalyst in the order of go, but a heartbreak rail at the final fence in a time of 37.559 seconds would see them finish in fifth place overall.
Killam returned to the Olympic Arena in the enviable last to go position, this time in the irons of Mandy Killam’s Black Diamond. The pair turned in a clear jump off round in a time of 36.326 seconds and took the win.
Final placings had Berry and Varios in second place followed by Killam and Skyfall. Fourth place went to Catalyst and Sanchez Long, and fifth was awarded to Macrae and Corini. Sixth went to the fastest four fault first round, Donnatello, owned by Highridge Farm and ridden by Susan Fried of Macon, Georgia, who posted a four fault first round in a time of 79.798 seconds. Click here to see full results.
The jumper action continued in the $3,500 Elite Equine Sport Horse Medicine and Lameness Jr. A/O Jumper Classic which saw Lauren Palko of Roswell, Georgia and her own Copy Cat take the blue ribbon and first place prize money. Jacqueline Ward of Seabrook, Texas and her own Cayman took second place honors, and Isabel Harbour of Alpharetta, Georgia and her own Captivate placed third. Fourth place was awarded to McKenzie Kasper of Alpharetta, Georgia and her own Carracci Blue. Fedel, owned and ridden by Gwen Goodwin of New Boston, New Hampshire, took fifth place. Syndey Johnson of Canton, Georgia and her own Casey Jones received sixth place, and seventh was awarded to Courtney Osborne of Marietta, Georgia and her own Hibiscus. Ward returned for the eighth place ribbon, this time in the irons of her own Quinta.
All sponsorship and press inquiries should be directed to Lisa Engel at lisa@classiccompany.com.
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