Lexington, Ky. – July 24, 2020 – Equitation competition took center stage in the Stonelea Ring at the Kentucky Horse Park Friday, July 24 for the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. Showcasing junior talent, a number of medal classes and equitation divisions filled with a hefty number of entries as athletes made their efforts to garner valuable points toward the 2020 indoors season finals. Making her mark in the ASPCA Maclay, Ellie Ferrigno walked away with the blue, while Lola Head won the USHJA Hunter Seat Medal and Samantha Takacs won the Hamel Foundation NHS 3’3″ Medal.
Lucy Matz and Quetal Are Smooth and Speedy in 1.30m Jr/AO Medium Jumpers
A field of 27 junior and amateur-owner jumper competitors entered the Rolex Stadium on Friday afternoon to contest Bobby Murphy’s 1.30m Junior/ Amateur-Owner Medium Jumper course Friday afternoon at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. Despite rain showers earlier in the week, the sun was shining bright, setting a beautiful backdrop for the day’s competition lineup in the famed Rolex Stadium. Topping the large and competitive field was Lucy Matz aboard Dorothy Matz’s entry, Quetal, who delivered a quick and tidy jump-off round to secure the win.
Wellington, FL – January 11, 2020 – The first “Saturday Night Lights” of the 2020 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) featured the crowd-favorite $75,000 Battle of the Sexes, presented by Wellington Regional Medical Center, which saw the Men’s team return to the top of the podium.
After unseating the women, who were the 2019 victors, the men’s team is picking up momentum in the Battle of the Sexes with their second win in the class in three years. The men pocketed their first-ever victory in 2018, and on Saturday night, in the second-to-last match race, Ireland’s Daniel Coyle sealed a win for his team with a final score of 29 to the women’s 23.
“The one thing that you get in these classes that you don’t always get in other classes is the crowd really enjoys it because it’s very easy for them to understand: the girl beats the guy, and that’s who wins it,” said Coyle of what he enjoys about the Battle of the Sexes.
Adrienne Sternlicht Storms to Victory in $25,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Classic
Adrienne Sternlicht is kicking off her WEF season with a bang by earning a 1.45m win earlier in the week and again leading the victory gallop in the $25,000 CaptiveOne Advisors 1.50m Classic on Saturday riding Cadans Z, owned by her own Starlight Farms 1 LLC.
From a field of 31, 10 horses advanced to an Eric Hasbrouck-designed jump-off track where Sternlicht stopped the clock in an uncatchable 36.769 seconds over her trainer and two-time U.S. Olympic team gold medalist McLain Ward. He and Heavenly W, owned by Portfolio Horses LLC, stopped the clock double clear in 38.026 seconds.
“At the end of last year, McLain was riding [Cadans Z], and this is my first week back on her. She’s a great mare, has a lot of quality, and today I was able to get out of her way,” said Sternlicht of her one-year history with the 10-year-old Zangersheide mare (Carosso VDL x Navarone). “She has not been the easiest horse for me to figure out. Having the experience of watching McLain ride any horse, especially one that you’ve been working with, is always incredibly educational.”
Stella Propp and Ellie Ferrigno Ride Inquisitive to Championship in the Small Junior 16-17 Hunters
Saturday morning in the Rost Arena began with Stella Propp riding Inquisitive to the Small Junior 16-17 Hunter championship. Ellie Ferrigno, from Newtown, CT, had the ride for the first day of the division, earning two first places. On the second day, Propp, of New York, NY, took over and earned a fourth and fifth. Together, the two riders were able to pilot Inquisitive, owned by Aquitaine Equine, to the tri-color ribbon.
While Propp had to attend school on the first day of the Small Junior Hunter division, she was lucky enough to have Ferrigno step in.
“I have Ellie to thank for this weekend,” said Propp. “She is amazing and always there when we need her!”
Lexington, Ky. – Aug. 2, 2019 – The final class on Friday in the Rolex Stadium during the Kentucky Summer Classic, the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers, saw a field of nine horse-and-rider combinations vie for the blue ribbon. As the only double-clear performance over Bobby Murphy’s 1.35-40m course, Ellie Ferrigno topped the leaderboard on Discovery-O, breaking through the timers in 42.904 seconds. Mallory Vale on Elusive and Lindsey Strafuss on Calmaro 12 finished in second and third place, respectively.
Kat Fuqua and Cupido Z Earn Grand Junior Hunter Title
Junior Hunters closed out the Stonelea Ring Friday at the Kentucky Summer Classic with the presentation of the Grand Junior Hunter Championship presented by Visse Wedell. The top honor was presented to the pair that accumulated the most points over two days of competition in either the 3’3″ or 3’6″ sections of the Junior Hunter division. This week, it was Kat Fuqua and Cupido Z that reigned supreme.
Kelli Cruciotti Wins $25,000 Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix; Boneparte Z and Ellie Ferrigno Finish as Champions of the Echo Junior Hunter 3’3″
Wellington, FL – January 18, 2015 – The 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) concluded its second week of competition, sponsored by Wellington Equestrian Realty, on Sunday with a win for Ireland’s Conor Swail and Martha Louise in the $34,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic. Earlier in the day, Kelli Cruciotti and Chamonix H were victorious in the $25,000 Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix, presented by Equine Couture/TuffRider. Ellie Ferrigno and Boneparte Z won the championship in the Echo Junior Hunter 3’3″ division.
Course designer Luc Musette finished the week with 34 rounds in the 1.50m competition with six to jump-off. Swail and Ariel and Susan Grange’s Martha Louise cleared the short course in 37.23 seconds for the win over Brianne Goutal (USA) and Remarkable Farms LP’s Wirma in 38.49 seconds. Kelsey Thatcher (USA) and Pony Lane Farm’s Everything finished third in 39.26 seconds. Eric Lamaze (CAN) was fourth in 39.47 seconds with Artisan Farms LLC’s Coco Bongo.
Following a successful year with several wins at Spruce Meadows, Martha Louise had a long break and came back fresh and in top form last week after not jumping since September. The 11-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare (Maloubet de Pleville 1039 x Wolfgang) is known for her speed and put it to the test with an excellent round on Sunday.
“We started her off last week, and she jumped very well,” Swail said after the class. “She probably should have been second in the grand prix last week, but I made a little mistake on her. Then she jumped a good first half of the WEF (Challenge Cup) on Thursday. It was a little bit disappointing in the second half of it, but then you go away and you think about what could be better. I think I rode her a little better and gave her a little more confidence and today she was totally amazing. I thought she was great.”
Commenting on his jump-of, Swail explained, “There were a few options and I had an early draw and there were a few quick ones behind me, so I think you had to just have a good, tight round. From jumps one to two, I got a good shot. I went wide in the seven-stride. Maybe six was an option there, but I decided to go seven. She was very good back to the liverpool and the vertical, left one out to the next one, and got a very good turn back to the double of verticals. Then I thought she was quite good coming home. I knew it was going to be close. Brianne jumped very well there. I would say if she had gotten a good shot to the last fence there she would have been close to beating me.”
Swail was especially happy to earn the win on Sunday to cap off an excellent week for owners Susan and Ariel Grange. Their horse, Dixson, was second in the $34,000 Ruby et Violette WEF Challenge Cup Round 2 on Thursday and stepped up to win Saturday night’s $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix CSI 2* with Canada’s Ian Millar.
“This a great win. My owners, Sue and Ariel Grange, have had a great week,” Swail acknowledged. “They were second in the WEF, they won the grand prix, they have now won the 1.50m, so they could not really ask for much of a better week. We have great horses and we have a good team of people, so it is great that we have started off so well.”
Seventeen-Year-Old Kelli Cruciotti Wins $25,000 Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix, Presented by Equine Couture/TuffRider
Kelli Cruciotti hasn’t graduated from high school yet, but has already asserted herself as one of the most competitive young riders at the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival and a contender in the Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix Series, presented by the Dutta Corp. in association with Guido Klatte. From an original order capped at 68, Cruciotti and Chamonix H, owned by Serenity Equestrian Ventures, joined an 18-horse jump-off before taking an early-season win in the $25,000 Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix, presented by Equine Couture/TuffRider. The class is one phase of 2015 Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix Series, which kicked off with Saturday’s Welcome and will offer $170,000 in prize money in seven featured events throughout the circuit.
Kelli Cruciotti and Chamonix H
Returning 13th in the jump-off, Cruciotti chose an inside turn option to the final two fences that shaved vital seconds off her time and stopped the clock at 38.47. The effort bumped Under 25 Grand Prix Series veteran Nicole Bellissimo and Bellissimo, LLC’s VDL Bellefleur to second with a time of 39 seconds flat. Just fractions slower, Sydney Shulman aboard Jill Shulman’s Venice crossed the timers in 39.70 seconds for third place.
“I wanted to have a nice, forward round and was originally going to do the inside turn,” said Cruciotti. “Then I went back and forth and finally thought I might as well try.” The gamble worked out perfectly for the young rider who is a senior at K12 International Academy and trains with her mother Cindy Cruciotti at Serenity Farm Show Stables in Elizabeth, Colorado.
Cruciotti has been partnered with 14-year-old Swedish Warmblood Chamonix H for two years and is eager to showcase the mare’s talent. “She had a lot of experience before I got her. She has done some 5* classes and I don’t have that much experience, so it’s a nice combination to know my horse has plenty of scope and I can trust her throughout the course,” she said. “I am really looking forward to seeing her do the different classes offered [in the series] from the speed to the team event. It’s a fantastic series, and I have to thank Equine Couture/Tuff Rider, (Dutta Corp.), and Artisan Farms. ”
Riders concurred that Musette’s course was a true test of horse and rider with lines built on the half stride and big, wide oxers. But 21-year-old Bellissimo maintains it was an even bigger test of familiarity. “He set a course where you had to know your horse and whether they could handle the options that were there,” she said. “Walking it I didn’t think 18 would go clear, but there were a lot of exceptionally nice horses and talented riders and you saw that come out over this course.”
Bellissimo also opted for an inside turn and gallop to the final fences of the course, but couldn’t make the win. “I was a little slow from one to two and I got stopped doing the inside turn,” she said. “I didn’t think I was going to do it when I went into the ring. My trainer Candice [King] said to see what happened when I landed. VDL Bellefleur is a really brave horse and I thought that I’d do it and luckily it ended up being okay.”
Bellissimo plans to compete in all classes offered in the Series while juggling a course load at Harvard University where she is currently a Sophomore.
While Cruciotti and Bellissimo have found a rhythm with their horses, it was Shulman’s maiden voyage in the irons of Venice. “I bought this horse a week ago and this is my first horse show on her, so this is very exciting for me. It’s a good start with her,” said 19-year-old Shulman about the nine-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare. “I knew her in Sweden as a seven-year-old, loved her and I got her. She just started at 1.60m this fall, so it’s all new for her.”
Sunday’s Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix sponsors and equestrian apparel brands Equine Couture and TuffRider were represented by the company’s founders who have returned to the horse show scene after previous involvement at WEF several years ago.
“We feel that being part of something at such a high level really catapults our brands into the limelight,” said Laurie Sharma. “We love and enjoy every second, especially being involved in a grand prix with young, talented riders and to be seen by so many people. This is the equestrian capital of the world, so for us it’s a pure honor.”
Besides sponsoring classes in the Series, Equine Couture/TuffRider truly appreciate the input of up-and-coming riders. “We are happy to continue the association with young rising stars,” said Varun “Timmy” Sharma. “We have an ambassador program starting, and we will be electing from winners of the Series. From the ambassadors, we look forward to getting product ideas and input as to how we can improve.”
While the horizon is bright for the top finishers in this week’s Grand Prix, the future is also promising for the series as a whole. “I’m so pleased about the success of the Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix Series,” said Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions. “I want to thank the Ziegler family of Artisan Farms, as well as The Dutta Corp. with Guido Klatte and the other sponsors that have joined us for the Series this year. We created this program four years go to provide a path for talented young riders. With 70 horses jogging for the classes this week. With the level of participation increased this year, the enthusiasm for the Series is outstanding.”
The Series gives young riders a valuable stepping-stone from the junior and amateur ranks to the grand prix level and culminates with the $50,000 Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix Series Final. The Final will take place Sunday, March 22 on the grass derby field at The Stadium at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center during WEF 11.
Boneparte Z and Ellie Ferrigno Finish as Champions of the Echo Junior Hunter 3’3″
Ellie Ferrigno guided Kristi C Siam’s horse, Boneparte Z, to three firsts and a second over fences to finish the final day of hunter competition as the Echo Junior Hunter 3’3″ champion. Only working together for a month, Ferrigno and Boneparte Z looked like seasoned partners. “He’s [Boneparte Z] a really sweet horse. We match really well, and he’s really fun!” Ferrigno exclaimed.
The reserve champion was awarded to Molly Zisook and her horse C’est Si Bon. Over the two days of competition the pair finished first and fourth over fences and second in the under saddle.
Even though Ferrigno is new to Boneparte Z, she is used to being on a horse. Only 12 years old, Ferrigno has been riding almost her whole life and started taking the sport seriously about four years ago. With a home base in Newtown, CT, Ferrigno is able to travel to Florida during the winter to compete at WEF.
After the division champion was announced, Ferrigno was very happy about how Boneparte Z performed over the two days. “I couldn’t believe that I won both trips yesterday and that he [Boneparte Z] was first and second today,” Ferrigno smiled.
Trainer Val Renihan was also excited to see Boneparte Z and Ferrigno top a field of 25 competitors. Renihan commented, “I thought the horse went beautifully for her [Ferrigno], and she found all the jumps so smoothly.”
Along with competing in the Junior Hunters, Ferrigno also competes in the 3’6″ Equitation classes. Despite having five years left as a junior, Ferrigno looks forward to riding as an amateur in the future.
The 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival continues with week three CSI 3* competition, sponsored by Adequan® i.m. (polysulfated glycosaminoglycan), on January 21-25, 2015. The week will feature the $127,000 Adequan® Grand Prix CSI 3* on Saturday, January 24. For full results and more information, please visit www.pbiec.com.
