Holly Shepherd and Loretta Patterson's Triompf make it look easy on their way to the winner's circle (Classic Communications)
Holly Shepherd of Grand Bay, Alabama and Loretta Patterson's Triompf celebrated the return of the grand prix Saturday night with a win in the $25,000 Juan Hernandez Grand Prix and bested 15 other horse and rider teams over a course designed by Allen Rheinheimer.
Christopher Schroeder from Andersonville, Tennessee was the first to go aboard GK Performance Horses, LLC's Enrique Van Het Vennehof and while he beat the time allowed of 90 seconds, four faults at 4B would land him in eighth place overall. Holly Shepherd of Great Bay, Alabama was next to go on Loretta Patterson's Skymiles. The pair won the open welcome Thursday and was looking for another win when they went clean in a time of 85.148 seconds.
Romeo, owned by the Romeo Group and ridden by Victor Segovia of Wellington, Florida was next to go and also turned in a clear round in a time of 83.681 seconds, insuring a jump-off to the delight of the crowd.
Whitney Owens of San Antonio, Texas followed in the irons of DS Holdings, LLC's S & L Shoe Guru and joined the jump-off after posting a clean round in a time of 87.864 seconds.
Amanda Wise of New Fairfield, Connecticut and Positive-ism Inc's Collin were next to go. The pair dropped a rail at fence 4B and their time of 88.517 would keep them out of the ribbons.
Christopher Schroeder of Andersonville, Tennessee followed Wise with his own Catungee and looked to go clean, but had a heartbreak rail at the last fence. Their time of 86.047 would leave them in ninth place overall. Danielle Grice of Northfield, Minnesota was next to go aboard Loretta Patterson's Rapid Rewards. A rail at fence 6B and a time of 84.716 left the pair in seventh overall.
Frank Owens of San Antonio, Texas riding DS Holdings, LLC's Capricello 2 had a rail at fence 3B and with a time of 85.443 seconds, would finish in eleventh place overall.
Josh Dolan of Bluffton, South Carolina was next up on his own SLF Annie Lennox. This was his mount's first grand prix and the pair turned in an impressive clean round in a time of 86.889 seconds earning them a spot in the jump-off.
Angel Karolyi of Aiken, South Carolina was next to go with Hollow Creek Farm's Amigo. The pair accumulated twelve jump faults with a time of 85.109 seconds which would keep them out of the ribbons.
Schroeder returned to the ring with his next mount, Una Bella, owned by GK Performance Horses, LLC. The pair dropped a rail at fence seven and posted a time of 86.581 seconds which would finish them in twelfth overall.
Shepherd returned to the field, this time aboard Loretta Patterson's Triompf and went clean with a time of 87.806 seconds, joining the jump-off.
Lissa TSP, owned and ridden by Christian Rogge of Spring, Texas was next to go and after accumulating eight jump faults in a time of 83.457 seconds, would not place. The next clean round to go was Grice in the irons on her own Boysterous. The pair posted the fasted first-round time in 82.724 seconds and joined the jump off line-up.
Last to go was Schroeder this time in the irons of GK Performance Horses LLC's Diamant De Ravel. The pair earned four jump faults in a time of 86.057 seconds which would place them in tenth overall.
The jump-off had a time allowed of 41 seconds and Shepherd was first to go with her first mount, Skymiles owned by Loretta Patterson. The pair was clean and set the time to beat at 38.789. Segovia and Romeo, owned by the Romeo group, was next to go and although they went clean, couldn't beat Shepherd's time and posted a 40.573 second round which would finish the in fourth overall. Whitney Owens was next up with S & L Shoe Guru, going clean and beating Shepherd's time with her own 36.755 seconds. Dolan and his own SLF Annie Lennox were next to go but their time of 42.650 seconds, earned them two time faults which placed them in fifth overall.
Shepherd was next to go, this time aboard Triompf and the pair turned in a clear effort and set the new time to beat at 35.106 seconds. But there was still one ride left. Grice was next to go on her own Boysterous and looked to take the lead, but a refusal and time faults would find her in sixth overall, putting Triompf and Shepherd in the winner's circle.
"The course was pretty straight forward and fair," said Shepherd. "I think it gave everyone a fair shot at the prize money. It was a great course for young horses