Kristin Smith & Ophelia (Tricia Booker Photography)
With 20 of the 35 starters qualifying for the jump-off in the $10,000 North Face Farm Children's/Adult Jumper Prix on July 27, there was no doubt the winner would need to chart a course that combined speed with precision and careful jumping.
Designer Scott Starnes' challenging tie-breaker included a daring inside turn to a substantial oxer that riders negotiated after an oxer-vertical in-and-out, as well as a long gallop to the final Walgreens vertical.
Smith, began riding with Provost when she was 13 and then went off to college. "She then came back riding a year ago after getting married and having three children," said Provost. "She's ridden since she was a kid so she can go as fast as she wants. And, she's got the most careful horse, so we just told her to absolutely go for it."
While Smith may have been out of the ring for a while, her partner, Ophelia, 18, a Dutch Warmblood mare (by Concorde), has abundant recent experience. "She's an old grand prix mare, and I did her in some 1.40m classes," said Provost. "She's a great horse."
Smith and Ophelia have also had their share of recent success, including the $7,500 NAL Adult Jumper Classic victory and Adult Amateur Jumper championship at the Showplace Spring Spectacular in June. In Traverse City, the pair earned the Adult Jumper Reserve Championship during Series III. Smith said Ophelia was a little spooky in the first round, but she was all business when it came time for the jump-off. "We were just going to go for in," said Smith. "With 20 clean, you have to go as fast as you can and leave it all out there in the ring.
"I went seventh, so I watched two and went," she continued. "I was hoping the time would hold. There were a couple of places where I thought I could have been faster, but it all went great."
Boucanier and Taylor Reid broke their string of second-placed finishes with an exclamation point as they captured the $10,000 SJHOF Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Prix with a clear jump-off performance more than 2 seconds faster than second-placed Lincourt Gino and Monica Carrera.
Madison Billings and Stonestreet made it two-in-row as they captured the $7,500 NAL Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Eight of the 24 starters qualified for the tiebreaker, with Billings edging Noel Fauntleroy and No Fear by .42 seconds for the blue ribbon. The Big Boy and Jackie Wood placed third with a clear round in 46.08 seconds.