Tracy Fenney and MTM Reve du Paradis won the $20,000 Welcome Stake, sponsored by Nutrena, at the Showplace Productions Spring Spectacular II.
The grey gelding, owned by MTM Farms of Flower Mound, TX, is a new addition to the talented team, only becoming part of the family a month prior. Fenney tried him on a Saturday morning, and won a grand prix that evening at the Texas Rose Horse Park in Tyler, Texas.
"We are obviously very ecstatic with him," Fenney smiled. "We are just getting to know him a little bit. He is a super cool horse. He has a great attitude, is really willing to go to the jumps and he has a lot of personality. He likes to mess around with his mouth and has a few very kinky and quirky things that are fun; I like that about a horse. I think that have to have a little something special-pizzazz-to do what we ask them to do."
Fenney and Michael McCormick have every right to be excited about the new show jumping prospect. Hector Loyala's course balanced a tight time allowed and a technical track to see only nine advance to the jump-off, an Fenney and MTM Reve Du Paradis were the only ones to master both tracks.
Lisa Goldman rode to the second and third place finishes with Centurion B and Aslan, respectively, heading the pack as the fastest of the four fault finishers. Brandon Howard and Balvino captured the fourth place, while Nick Novak and Climbus took fifth. Goldman returned to the ring with her third mount of the event, Morocco, earning the sixth place with eight faults.
Fenney commented on the day's track saying, "I think it was a very technical track. Hector did a nice job because it wasn't overly huge. It's a $20,000 class, so it isn't like you shouldn't be able to jump a couple of green horses in it, but at the same time, it was challenging enough that it tested both horse and rider."
MTM Farm is no newcomer to the winner's circle at the Spring Spectacular. They enjoyed the 2014-edition so much, from the venue, competition, and hospitality that they came back and brought their friends and fellow competitors from the Texas-region.
Fenney smiled, "We are very excited to be back here this year."
Nutrena was the proud sponsor of Thursday's $20,000 Open Welcome Stake, and Nutrena National Equine Team Sales Leader Tim Karl was onsite to see the action unfold in the Grand Prix Ring.
"We have been associated with Showplace Productions for 15 years, and at various levels of sponsorship," Karl said. "It provides a tremendous amount of value for our Nutrena-brand to have this level of exposure, not only in the Chicago-regional market, but also with the national presence that is here and helps us meet our brand goals. We have a tremendous amount of customers here who feed our feed products and nutritional supplements. It helps us meet our goals for the hunter/jumper community. "
The Showplace Productions Spring Spectacular II continues Friday with the equitation riders taking center stage early in the morning for the Washington Classic Jumper Phase, as well as the WIHS Children's and Adult Classics. In the afternoon the Open Jumper division will continue with the $5,000 1.30m Open Jumper, prepping horses for the steadily approaching $50,000 Win Vision Grand Prix, this Saturday at 3 p.m. The Junior and Amateur riders will have a chance to accrue points in the $2,5000 Accumulator Jumper classes, an exciting event that is only offered during Week II of the Showplace Spring Spectacular Series.
For more information on the Showplace Spring Spectacular Series, please visit: www.showplaceproductions.com.