Matt Cyphert and Lochnivar.
Lenkart and Emilios Win the $7,770 Hester Equestrian Jumper Classic
The $10,000 Horseflight Open Welcome Week II of the Gulf Coast Winter Classic saw twenty-six horse and rider teams compete over a course designed by Olympic Medalist and Pan American Course Designer Michel Vaillancort of Tryon, North Carolina. The course was set on the world class grass grand prix field at the Harrison County Fairgrounds which is considered to be the one of the best in North America.
While a majority of the class went clean in their first rounds, the real challenge came with the abbreviated second round when only five of the twenty six would finish double clean.
The first round time allowed was set at 82 seconds. The first to go and the first to post a double clean effort was Francois LaMontagne of Saint Eustache, Quebec, Canada in the irons of his own Dalton. The pair finished a fault-free first round in a time of 81.376 seconds and finished their second round effort in a time of 40.956 seconds, well within the 47 seconds time allowed and set the new time to beat.
Holly Shepherd of Grand Bay, Alabama, who earlier in the day took the top three placings in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, transitioned into the jumper arena in the irons of Loretta Patterson’s Skymiles. The pair posted double clean rounds in times of 79.666 and 40.096 seconds, respectively, which would take the lead from Dalton and LaMontagne and set the new time to beat.
Specialized, owned by Missy Nolan and ridden by Tim Maddrix of Birmingham, Alabama, also posted double clean rounds in times of 78.029 and 38.751 seconds and took the lead from Skymiles and Shepherd.
Penny Brennan of Buhl, Alabama and Meco Equestrian, LLC’s Cord II followed Maddrix with double clear rounds in times of 76.322 and 38.162 seconds and set the new time to beat.
Helen Gilbert’s Emir D, ridden by Shannon Hicks of Lake St. Louis, Missouri, posted double clean rounds and looked to challenge Brennan and Cord II’s time, but the pair finished their second round in a time of 43.174 seconds which would see them finish in sixth place overall.
Matt Cyphert of Northlake, Texas and his own Lochinvar followed with the next double clean round in times of 76.139 and 36.999 seconds which would take the lead and set the new time to beat. But Tim Maddrix had yet to go so the win was not one for the books quite yet.
Maddrix returned in the enviable last to go position in the irons of Baily Martin’s Contador De Bornival Z, but eight jump faults and one time fault would keep the pair out of the ribbons and secure the win for Cyphert and Lochinvar.
Brennan and Cord II took second place, Maddrix and Specialized were awarded third, Skymiles and Shepherd received fourth, LaMontagne and Dalton were fifth, and sixth place went to Emir D and Hicks. Chanel du Calvaire and LaMontagne finished in seventh place as the fastest of the four-faulters in a time of 38.947 seconds, while eighth place was awarded to Bull Run’s T-Mac, owned and ridden by Konstanze Wachholtz, who posted a four fault second round in a time of 41.627 seconds. Ninth place went to Hester and Lorstakov; tenth was awarded to Hannah Donald of Highland Village, Texas and her own Commissario 6. Wender and Hester took eleventh place, while Hicks wrapped it up with twelfth place in the irons of Helen Gilbert’s Caritz Donz.
Emilios Wins the $7,770 Hester Equestrian LLC Jumper Classic
The $7,770 Hester Equestrian Jumper Classic was held Saturday and welcomed twenty-one horse and rider teams to a course designed by Michel Vaillancort. The class is geared toward horses not competing in the grand prix.
One third of the class had the opportunity to advance to the second round, but only two went double clean. Lauren Hester and Hester Equestrian’s Daister L posted double clear round in times of 77.941 and 40.128 seconds, respectively. The pair looked to win the Jumper Classic until last to go Scott Lenkart of Argyle, Texas and La Primera Hacienda’s Emilios posted double clear rounds in times of 73.844 and 38.209 seconds, respectively, taking the lead and putting Hester and Daister L in second place overall.
The fastest of the four faulters, Baritone 40, owned and ridden by Isabelle Potts of Aledo, Texas, posted a fault free first round in a time of 81.761 seconds and a four fault second round in time of 42.393 seconds. Fourth place was awarded to Loretta Patterson’s Silverstone, ridden by Holly Shepherd, who finished their clean first round in a time of 82.082 seconds and their four fault second round in a time of 49.319 seconds.
Thomas Welsh of New York, New York, in the irons of his own Prosper, placed fifth overall; sixth was awarded to Abby Maxwell of Cedar Rapids, Iowa in the irons of her own Kidogo. Lenkart returned for seventh place, this time aboard Fleur De Lis Farm’s Valina Du Cuirassier, and Welsh returned for the eighth place ribbon, this time in the irons of his own Newtown Jumping Jack. Jason Berry of Verona, Virginia and Willoughby Stables’ Varios placed ninth overall, and Francois LaMontagne was awarded tenth place in the irons of his own Vigo Massuere. Cerulean Stables’ Downton Abbey, ridden by Amanda Forte of Glenmoore, Pennsylvania, placed eleventh overall, and Shepherd, riding Dejan Krunic’s Belle Clara DKS, wrapped up the class in twelfth place.
The Gulf Coast 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 Gulf Coast Classic Company and its exhibitor-friendly, top quality hunter jumper events, please visit them at www.gulfcoastclassiccompany.com.
All sponsorship, marketing and press inquiries should be directed to Lisa Engel, Sponsorship, Marketing and Public Relations Director, at lisa@classiccompany.com.
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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