Vivian Yowan and Vornado van den Hoendrik win the High Amateur-Owner/Junior Jumpers at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show (Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group)
Twenty-eight contenders took their try at Richard Jeffery's High Amateur-Owner/Junior Jumper course. Only three would make it through to the jump-off, but as the trailblazer of the class, Yowan set the pace at 34.049 seconds with a faultless round., which would be good enough to take home the victory.
"I was actually the first one to go in to the jump-off, so I didn't know if anybody else would have a rail. I kind of just went for it, and obviously it paid off. I rode the jump-off like there would have been more double clears; it just kind of worked in my favor," Yowan said.
Where many of the riders saw the rails fall during the double and triple combinations, Yowan kept confidence in her 17-year-old mount, Vornado van den Hoendrik. During the jump-off, she caught the first jump and moved forward utilizing his large stride to cover the ground in seven strides instead of eight, which she had previously walked.
"He has a really big stride; that probably helped out because he's kind of a slower mover, but he has such a big stride that the jump-off is kind of where you catch the time, taking out a stride where you can," Yowan explained. "He's so scopey; this was nothing for him, but it was a good warm-up for the spring and summer series, as well as Devon and Young Riders."
Noel Fauntleroy of Manakin Sabot, Virginia, and her mount Cabras rode to the second place finish with four faults in 36.210 seconds. Canada's Veronica Bot and Calato's Charles scooped up third place with their conservative effort of 38.950 seconds and four faults.
Earlier in the day, the $5,000 1.45m Open Jumper division took center stage in the Rolex Stadium. Thirty horse-and-rider combinations attempted the same course as the High Amateur-Owner/Junior Jumpers, and only one pair would clear the opening track to score the victory-native Australian Scott Keach and Fedor.
Scott Keach captured the $5,000 1.45m Open Jumper victory with Fedor at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show (Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group)
"It's a schooling class for next week for me, and I just put him in there to jump the water a couple times before the Grand Prix next week," Keach said. "I assumed there would be quite a few that would go okay, so it's a bit of a surprise that I was the only clear. I think that the combinations, for some of the greener horses, was just enough to get some out."
Second place was awarded to Juan Andres Rodriguez and Bugatti for their careful first round effort. The pair only earned two time faults, but it was enough room for Keach to take the victory.
Keach said, "I've had Fedor for two years, and he's a 10-year-old Belgian, and he's actually quite straightforward. He's come a long way in his first year. We'll see what happens. He's got some big classes this summer, and it's a bit of an open book, but we'll see how it goes. At the moment I think he's ready to go."
Keach has made Kentucky his summer home, returning for his third consecutive year. Now, with Tryon only five hours down the road, Lexington makes the perfect pit stop on his summer tour. The addition of the FEI competition to the spring shows has opened new doors for many of the riders, Keach admitted.
"It's good isn't it?" Keach smiled. "It's crazy! I think with Tryon down the road, it adds a lot more ground to the area. I think that's helped contribute to all these horses being here, I really do. Most of the people are going to Tryon, which is great because it means this show is winning as well, which I hope it does. I hope in the long term this show continues to do well, and both of shows complement one another."
The jumper action at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show will continue tomorrow with the $85,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI2*, set to start at 6:30 p.m. in the Rolex Stadium. The $25,000 Bluegrass Classic and the $25,000 Under 25 Grand Prix will wrap up the first week of the Kentucky Spring Horse Show on Sunday.
For more information on Kentucky Horse Shows LLC and the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.
Class : 480 JR/A-O JUMPER HIGH 1.40m II 2b
First Round Jump Off
Pl Nbr Horse Rider Faults Time Faults Time
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1 1035VORNADO VAN DEN VIVIAN YOWAN 76.468 34.049
2 801 CABRAS NOEL FAUNTLEROY 76.425 4 36.210
3 624 CALATO'S CHARLESVERONICA BOT 78.287 4 38.950
4 211 ZIDANTE KELLI CRUCIOTTI 4 73.250
5 413 CAYA ALI WOLFF 4 74.616
6 911 CATOLINA MB TARA CORR 4 74.783
7 872 ATHENE Z VIGGO BJORKLUND 4 75.236
8 551 WINDOCTRO KATE MORRISON 4 75.699
9 808 BALLOON JX LIAM DUMONT-WALKER 4 76.728
10 85 AMI DU HOUSSOIT ALEXA LOWE-WISEMAN 4 78.421
11 1311CYRANEYKI JUAN PABLO GENEKO 4 79.131
12 798 GANJANA 2 NOEL FAUNTLEROY 5 80.006
Class : 438 OPEN JUMPER 1.45m II 2b
First Round Jump Off
Pl Nbr Horse Rider Faults Time Faults Time
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1 1002FEDOR SCOTT KEACH 78.982 4 35.752
2 916 BUGATTI JUAN ANDRES RODRIGUEZ 2 81.990
3 136 G AND C CLOSE UPLUIFER LARRAZABAL 4 72.432
4 113 TOPAZE BLUE ABIGAIL MCARDLE 4 73.937
5 126 HARRIRI ABIGAIL MCARDLE 4 75.891
6 308 BEST WISHES BRIAN WALKER 4 76.084
7 935 CYKLON 1083 SHANE SWEETNAM 4 76.142
8 962 FARINA ROBERTO TERAN 4 76.419
9 933 BELUGA SHANE SWEETNAM 4 76.519
10 26 WANNICK WH CHRISTINE MCCREA 4 76.795
11 836 BONZINI S AARON VALE 4 77.220
12 202 ARENA DU PACHIS ALEJANDRO KAROLYI 4 78.735