Jay Land and Nepal (Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group)
Richard Jeffery designed the tracks for the High Junior Jumpers and High Amateur-Owner Jumpers in the Rolex Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park, which the Amateurs tackled first. Three were able to complete the course without fault, but with speed as the main goal of the evening, it was Jay leading the victory gallop. He set the original time to beat at 63.725 seconds as only the fourth rider on course. Jay was focused on making tight, neat turns with Nepal, and it paid off.
Keely McIntosh was the next in the ring aboard Accordance, but their conservative clear round in 68.911 seconds would only be good enough for third place. Last week's winners of the Classic, Haley Gassel and Quite Dark 2, managed to slip into the second place position when they stopped the clock at 66.934 seconds, but a three second margin gave Jay the victory.
"I didn't get a chance to really watch anyone else go because I went early," explained Jay. "I made my plan and went according to that. It's the first class that I've ridden in a couple months. I just tried to be forward, making tight turns but not going crazy fast. I knew it was going to be a hard course to leave the jumps up and jump clean, so I didn't go as fast as possible. I just tried to make sure that I went quickly but left the jumps up."
Nepal has been a part of the family for seven years, and this summer, Jay's oldest daughter Taylor was showing him at Spruce Meadows. "He's a lot of fun to ride. He's quite quick and careful at the jumps," said Jay. "I'll ride him again here in the Classic tomorrow, and our goal is that I'll ride him in a few weeks up at Saugerties in the $250,000 class."
Jay, Taylor and Frances Land all compete in the Amateur-Owner Jumper division throughout the year. "We had a class in Palm Beach a year ago in the Highs that all of us were clear and facing each other in the jump off," said Jay. "It was a lot of fun, but of course they beat me soundly."
The Junior Jumpers were next where Texas native Alexis Bowen showed the other riders that great things come in small packages. Although her 9-year-old mount Oley is only 15.3 hands, his quick gallop and careful precision left the other combinations in the dust. Bowen and Oley were only the second duo to attempt the course, and they set the pace at 61.200 seconds, a feat which one else could catch without a rail. Maria Brugal came the closest with Diablo Van Cadzandhoeve, but as they tried to beat the clock with a time of 61.386 seconds, they lowered the height of the third obstacle to place third. The only other rider to leave the fences intact was Jackson Brittan with Garcia, and their slower pace of 69.620 seconds would capture the second place award.
"My horse already has a big stride, and he's a bit of a hot horse, so speed classes are our strong suit," expressed Bowen after her win. "I left a stride out in one of the lines. I have a small horse, so he turns a lot faster as well; other than that I rode the gallop, and everything came up nicely."
Bowen has been competing with Oley for two years and just finished showing on the Zone 7 team during the North American Junior and Young Riders Championships. "He's 15.3 so he's on the smaller side, but he's hot and spunky and has a big personality," she laughed. "He thinks he's a lot bigger than he actually is. He needs a confident ride, but he's very brave and will jump from anywhere. He's a little sensitive and technical, but he definitely knows when it's a speed class or a jump-off."
Bowen is happy to make the trip from Texas to compete at the Kentucky Horse Park each year and show in the Rolex Stadium. "It's a lovely facility," she commented. "I love the ring because it's bigger, and you have a lot more open space. My horse likes the outdoor arenas better; he's a little more awake and excited. There's a lot more competition than I have at home, so it's more challenging, and I really like that."