Amanda Flint and Superbad (David Mullinix Photography)
Flint of Long Meadow, NJ, was riding a winning streak into Saturday’s main event, having placed first and second in Thursday’s $10,000 Open Welcome, presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, with Newlight VDL and Chester VDL respectively. However, it was yet another mount, Superbad, that stole the spotlight to win the first grand prix event of the 2014 Vermont Summer Festival.
A total of eight entries found their way to a clear round over the track set by Irish course designer Alan Wade to advance to the all-deciding jump-off. Jackie McQuade took the early lead with a clear round aboard her big grey gelding, Copilot, to set the time to beat at 41.08 seconds. It held up until Catherine Tyree shaved almost two seconds off, stopping the timers in 38.90 seconds with Sandor de la Pomme, a 12-year-old Belgian Sport Horse gelding owned by Mary and Joseph Tyree.
Tyree’s lead would be short-lived, however, as the last pair to challenge, Amanda Flint and Superbad, set off to tackle the shortened jump-off track with lightning fast foot speed. They galloped between fences and tightened up the turns, and when they flew through the timers in 36.01 seconds, the crowd roared in appreciation of their impressive winning effort.
“I just let him go!” said Flint of her key to victory with the 10-year-old German Sport Horse. “We’ve knocked on the doors a few times, been second and third a couple of times, but he’s never actually pulled through to win anything. This is the only class he did this week, so maybe he’s just fresh. He’s got a huge stride, and it was easy for him.”
Flint continued, “We’ve had him since he was six and when he was seven, he was actually second here in a grand prix.”
A regular competitor at the Vermont Summer Festival, Flint has been coming to the Vermont Summer Festival for 13 years. For her win, Flint was awarded $9,000 in prize money for first place, as well as a custom Vermont Summer Festival presentation scrim from Mona’s Monograms. Flint also qualified for the jump-off with Chester VDL, incurring eight faults in the tie-breaker to place sixth.
$30,000 Vermont Summer Special Grand Prix, presented by Johnson Horse Transportation
Rider Horse Faults Time
1. Amanda Flint Superbad 0:0 36.01
2. Catherine Tyree Sandor de la Pomme 0:0 38.90
3. Jackie McQuade Copilot 0:0 41.08
4. Bryn Sadler Bon Giorno 0:0 42.87
5. Amy Momrow Baldino de Rouet 0:4 39.34
6. Amanda Flint Chester VDL 0:8 40.53
7. Katie Tyler Kroner Z 0:12 43.59
8. Julie Welles Twan 0:elim.
9. Julie Welles Bazooka de Muze 4
10. Christi McQuaker Brisbane 4
11. Danielle Torano KT Woodstock 4
12. Wendy Ritter Peralta Cruz Z 4