Susan Hutchison and Viedento (Phelps Media Group, Inc.)
Marina Azevedo built a track worthy of the prize money and the horse and rider combinations stepped up to the plate. Out of the field of 30, 12 would produce fault-free first rounds despite a passing thunderstorm that stopped the action. Then the class was resumed after the first storm had passed.
John Pearce from Bermuda Dunes, CA and Forest View Farm's Johnny B Good were first to go in the jump off round, but had one down. Parker, CO's own Armando Hassey and Taggert Enterprise's Eminem delivered a brilliant, fast, clear jump off round that would eventually clinch the second place prize.
"Every week it just keeps getting better and better with Eminem," said Hassey. "Finally things are starting to come together. I think last year he was clear five out of the six grand prixs, this year he has been clear five so far. He's learning to run a little bit. I'm very happy with this week's performance. That put the pressure on the other riders. He's really smart and he knows he's getting better."
Christian Heineking from Aledo, TX and his jump off round from October Hill's Cluny put the pair in tenth place.
Brandon Howard, the 17 year-old phenom from Flower Mound, TX and his MTM Balvino had an incredible faultless jump-off round in the rain that would eventually land the pair in third place. Howard and "Vinnie" came in second the $30,000 Kubota Grand Prix during Week IV of Summer in the Rockies. Howard trains with Matt Cyphert.
Then it really started to pour when Justin Resnik from Glendale, CA and Carismo Z, owned by AMA Marketing and Management, rode their jump off round, but they managed to be clean and earned the fifth place position. After Resnik's round, the completion of the class was postponed until this morning at 8 a.m.
Susan Hutchison, from Temecula, CA and the great horse Ziedento, owned by St. Bride's Farm, fresh from their win of the $15,000 Open Welcome Stake were the first to jump off on Sunday morning. No one would catch their clear, fast, round earning the pair another victory.
Chenoa Mc Elvain from Lenitar, NM and Coco Colette, owned by Guy Mc Elvain had a great clear round as well which put them in fourth place.
"I thanked the Coors family for putting in such nice footing because without it, for sure we couldn't have gone today," said Hutchison about the conditions after the night's rain.
"It was quite the class," she said. "I couldn't have been happier with Ziedento. He jumped fantastic again this morning."
Hutchison said that she bought Ziedento as a 5 year-old and he won the 7/8 year-old finals, then she sold him to Barbara Roux.
"Then Ramiro (Quintana) was riding him with the help of Joe Fargis and I was lucky enough to have them send him out to me," Hutchison said. "They really did a lot of great homework on him. They put the base on the horse, I started him and they finished him and I am lucky to have him in my barn."
After the award ceremony, the course was set for the Coors Family $20,000 High Junior/Amateur Classic, a Show Jumping Hall of Fame Event. A field of 17 talented junior and amateur riders made up the class, five of which earned their turn on the short course. All the riders chose the "a" option to come back for a jump off round.
It appeared as though Hunter Holloway from Topeka, KS and I Love Lucy, owned by Hays Investment Corp, would win the class with her clear jump off round that broke the timer beam at 33.313. But Adrienne Dixon from Hillsborough, CA and her own Ramazzotti 54 would outdo that performance by coming in fault-free with a time of 33.186.
Dixon, who trains with Hutchison earned another significant win for The Susan Hutchison Stables.
"I thought the course was technical enough," said Dixon. "I thought it was a riding course."
"I bought him three years ago at Thermal from SIG through Susie, Dixon said about Ramazzotti 54.
The pair came to Colorado and Summer in the Rockies after participating in the Gladstone Program with George Morris.
"I think it gave me confidence," she said. "It took a lot out of us, so last week wasn't our sharpest but it feels like we're back on track and hopefully ready to do it again next week."
"He does the Hunter Classics he does the equitation, he does the high amateurs, he does the grand prixs," said Hutchison of Ramazzotti 54. "But she is an amazing rider and I can't take all the credit- she's had some great instructors before me. I think I've taught her to ride fast which is one thing that was missing in her riding. She proved it today. It was a fast class and I love the chestnut that was second (I Love Lucy ridden by Hunter Holloway), it was a tough jump-off."
In the $10,000 Weathertech NAL Low Junior Amateur Jumper Classic Caitlin Creel and Da Vinci, owned by Cavallo Farms LLC, emerged from a field of 47 as the victors by delivering a blazing fast jump-off round that no competitor could touch at 29.664. Creel trains with Lynn Jayne.
"I actually had one go through and we made it to the jump off so I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do with him and what to fix," Creel said. "I'm leasing him right now, I got him in January and he has been so much fun. This is our second classic that we have won. He loves to go fast, loves to win and he has a really big heart. I love him."
558. $50,000 Kathy & Brad Coors Family Grand Prix
1 /304/Ziedento St. Bride's Farm/Susan Hutchison/15000.00
2 /791/Eminem Taggert Enterprises LLC/Armando Hassey/11000.00
3 /728/MTM Balvino Brandon Howard/Brandon Howard/6500.00
4 /370/Coco Colette Guy Mc Elvain/Chenoa Mc Elvain/4000.00
5 /592/Carismo Z AMA Marketing & Mgmt, Inc/Justin Resnik/3000.00
6 /758/Bull Run's Eternal Bull Run Jumpers One LLC/Kristen Vanderveen/2500.00
7 /396/Johnny B Good Forest View Farm/John Pearce/2000.00
8 /514/Zippo Z Messenger Hill/Freddie Vazquez/1500.00
9 /596/Copias AMA Marketing & Mgmt, Inc/Justin Resnik/1500.00
10 /247/Nkh Quanto NKH LLC/Christian Heineking/1000.00
11 /697/October Hill's Cluny October Hill Hunters and Jumpers/Christian Heineking/1000.00
12 /660/Capitano TKO Partnership/Trapp O'Neal/1000.00
555. $20,000 Coors Family SJHOF High Jr/AO II2a/b
1 /299/Ramazzotti 54 Adrienne Dixon/Adrienne Dixon/6000.00
2 /822/I Love Lucy Hays Investment Corp./Hunter Holloway/4250.00
3 /249/Chakira Isabelle Terry/Isabelle Terry/2750.00
4 /218/Cwestoreto Palmer Divide Ranch/Susan Griffis/1500.00
5 /753/Castalano Sandwillow Farm/Katharin Gualtieri/1250.00
6 /844/Shea Blair Cudmore/Brooke Cudmore/900.00
7 /943/Zamira Ariel Black/Ariel Black/800.00
8 /556/Wender R Amanda Hauser/Amanda Hauser/600.00
9 /599/Take A Chance Lucy Bradbury/Lucy Bradbury/600.00
10 /846/Lalique Blair Cudmore/Brooke Cudmore/450.00
11 /736/Commissario 6 Hannah Donald/Hannah Donald/450.00
12 /251/Quantonius Nicole Peterson/Nicole Peterson/450.00
551. $10,000 Weathertech NAL Low Jr/AO II2a/b
1 /625/Da Vinci Cavallo Farms Llc/Caitlin Creel/3000.00
2 /742/Lalique Coxe Horses LLC/Abbygale Funk/2000.00
3 /762/Bull Run's Joyous Empire State Equine Sales, LLC/Caitlin Boyle/1200.00
4 /662/Athena Hannah Newton/Hannah Newton/650.00
5 /367/Valentina RC Guy Mc Elvain/Chenoa Mc Elvain/500.00
6 /585/Lancaster Sabine Cooper/Sabine Cooper/450.00
7 /649/High Heels Graziella Martins/Graziella Martins/400.00
8 /257/Fusagers Carma Isabelle Potts/Isabelle Potts/375.00
9 /316/Al Capone Jami Jensen/Jami Jensen/375.00
10 /337/Dillinger Coralie Leslie/Helen Leslie/350.00
11 /312/Mont Blanc Bjorn Ikast/Isabel Ikast/350.00
12 /849/AireachTessa Dejong/Tessa Dejong/350.00