Darragh Kenny and Picolo (SportFot)
Guilherme Jorge (BRA) set the track for Friday's 1.45m with 51 competitors and 23 clear rounds. Tiffany Foster (CAN) and Artisan Farms LLC's Melody des Hayettes Z set the leading pace at 60.31 seconds to eventually finish sixth. Alvaro de Miranda (BRA) upped the time in 59.49 seconds with his own and Victory Equestrian Sport BV's AD Amigo B, but was later pushed to fifth place. Darragh Kenny jumped into the lead with Gatsby in a time of 57.87 seconds, but soon topped himself to put Gastby in second. Jessica Springsteen (USA) followed with a clear round in 58.20 seconds to take third place honors riding Stone Hill Farm's Davendy S. The only person who could beat Darragh Kenny was Kenny himself as the rider topped his own time in the winning round with Picolo in 57.13 seconds. Conor Swail (IRL) jumped into fourth place in the end in 59.26 seconds aboard Vanessa Mannix's Grand Cru vd Jijf Eiken.
"I just said to somebody that for these classes with those two horses, it is difficult not to be in the top six," Kenny said of Picolo and Gatsby after his top-two finish. "They are two incredible horses. They are so careful, they are really fast, and you can do whatever you want with them."
Kenny's winning mount, Picolo, is a 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding by Diamant de Semilly x Alme. With Kenny in the irons, Picolo jumped to an impressive eight FEI victories in 2014 alone. The horse had a four-month break and started back last week with a couple of 1.40m classes. He stepped right up to the 1.45m this week and never missed a beat.
"Honestly, this horse is just amazing. Every time I ride him he is unbelievable. I have never, ever had a horse like this," Kenny proclaimed. "He just wants to win so much, and he tries so hard. He is so competitive, and he is just an incredible horse."
Second place finisher, Gatsby, is an 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse stallion (Simba x Cruise On) that normally competes with amateur rider Allison Toffolon.
"Ali usually shows him, and she is coming in two weeks. I thought I'd show him this week just to give him a round, and it is just easy," Kenny stated. "Their styles are a little bit different. I know Picolo so well. I know Gatsby quite well, but not as well. I went fast with Gatsby. I did four strides along one line, and I think Conor (Swail) was the only other person that did four there. Gatsby has such a big stride, so that is where you can be faster with him."
"I saw Jessie (Springsteen) go and she was really fast and really good and that made me a little bit nervous," Kenny admitted of his hold on the lead. "Then Eric (Lamaze) was really fast. He was actually faster than Gatsby, so I was a little more nervous. When I went with Picolo, I just wanted to make sure that I went as fast as I could possibly be. He is just incredible when you go against the clock. He is so easy. You just gallop at the jumps, and you never really worry that he is going to knock them down."
Now that Picolo is off to a great start for his 2015 season, Kenny plans to move the horse up to some bigger classes.
"I am just starting to build him up," the rider explained. "This is his second week back showing. He will probably jump the 1.50m this week. My goal is to jump him on the Nations Cup team here in week eight. Then he might jump one of the under the lights grand prixs after that. He has just been such a great horse. You can do whatever you want with him, so it is great to have him."
Gatsby will continue to show in the High Amateur-Owner Jumpers with Toffolon, and they also have plans to compete in the Artisan Farms Under 25 Grand Prix Series throughout the circuit.
Also showing in the International Arena on Friday, the $6,000 Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Speed Challenge was held in a California Split with 95 total rounds. Laura Chapot (USA) was the fastest clear aboard Mary Chapot's Zealous to win Section A. Roberto Teran, Jr. (ARG) won Section B aboard ARK Partners LLC's Farina.
A $500 Shapley's Groom's Class was also held in the afternoon. The winner was Miguel Barrera with Revelation, owned by Lori Harvey from Laura Stern Stables. Second place went to Fernando (Uno) Mendoza with Parlay, owned by Laura Stern of Laura Stern Stables.