Lisa Goldman and Centurion B win the $50,000 Wells Fargo Advisors Grand Prix during the Spring Spectacular III. (Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group)
Anderson Lima tested both horse and rider alike with his 16-effort course. It was the vertical-vertical combination and the oxer-vertical-oxer triple combination that saw the most faults during the first round track. Only eight would clear the course, the precise number Lima had designed for.
"He did a brilliant job this week," Goldman said of Lima. "I thought that Anderson's courses have been great, they have worked out really well for me, and they have ridden extremely well. The jump-off was really nice as there were turns, but a forward and galloping track. He told me this morning that he wanted eight in the jump-off, and that is exactly what he got. It was an exciting jump-off that really appealed to the crowd, too."
Goldman differed from her usual tactics in the jump-off, choosing to ride Centurion B to a more conservative track in an effort to go clean. Where she normally would have left out strides to the double combination, today she chose to add and hope that her efficiency elsewhere would pay off.
"It was so good," Goldman said. "I felt a little conservative in the jump-off, I knew that there were a couple of fast people behind me, as well as in front of me. I had to be a little more conservative and not risk being the fastest four-faulter."
The ever-supersitious Goldman believes that it was the six-leaf clover she found earlier in the morning that sealed her victory. She nearly lost hope when Moshontz-Bash cleared the course, but attributes the clover to the hairline difference in times.
Moshontz-Bash and Pourkoipa Fontaine landed from the penultimate obstacle of the track only a fraction off her pace. They would ride to the second place with a double-clear round posted in 39.254 seconds. Third place was awarded to Trapp O'Neal and Capitano for the last of the faultless jump-off rides, stopping the clock in 39.717 seconds.
"The top three were really close," Goldman described. "I took a little more of a conservative ride, I added to the in-and-out, but I was very fast across the ring to the Wisconsin Equine vertical. Centurion is luckily really efficient. It was close-I thought Megan had me."
Fourth place was awarded to Charlie Jayne and Playboy, who would have won the event had it not been for an unfortunate rail. He broke the beam in 37.392 seconds as the fastest of the four-fault efforts. Tracy Fenney and MTM Grand Slam clinched the fifth place, while Martien Van Der Hoeven and Zerro Leone finished out the top six. Lina Rojas and Ramdam De Dry took the seventh place finish with eight faults, while Alliy Moyer and Chicco 337 finished in eighth.
Senior Vice President Market Manager of Wells Fargo Advisors Kevin Ortmeyer said, "The clients loved the experience that they had here today. It is a wonderful venue, a great class, and whether or not they are equestrians or accustomed to the event, they loved it. We originally began this sponsorship because of the uniqueness of this event. We wanted to find an event where they could spend some time with their financial advisors, spend some time with the horses, as well as enjoy the day and the beautiful setting. It was very exciting, and I think we will do this again."
Prior to the start of the $50,000 Wells Fargo Advisors Grand Prix, Showplace Productions dedicated a few moments to one of the most noteworthy horses of the sport, Athena. The mare took local rider Charlie Jayne to the top of the sport with international victories, and then went a step further to help Kelsey Thatcher make the next steps in her riding career.
"She owes me nothing," Thatcher said of the mare. "She has done so much, and she has given so much. It is a really tough decision, but it is time."
Thatcher and Athena took the win during the $10,000 SJHOF High Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic during week one of the Spring Spectacular, ending their career on a high note. The memories of Thatcher and Jayne were played for fellow exhibitors and spectators to see as Athena was draped with a cooler that read, "Athena, smallest horse with an Olympic-sized heart."
"It was really hard to stay concentrated at the beginning because of Athena's retirement ceremony. I could not hold myself together as she took the victory lap around and then watched the video. I couldn't remember the course to save my life, my mom had to tell me the strides like four times, and that is never me. The song, the movie, and the photos, it was all so beautifully done, but it unraveled me," Goldman concluded. "It is great that they were honored so well, and they ended on a high note."
$7,500 NAL Children's Jumper Classic, sponsored by Old Barrington Farm
Isabella Roman and Moraleja captured the win during the $7,500 NAL Children's Jumper Classic, sponsored by Old Barrington Farm, today, marking their first win as a new horse and rider combination in the division.
"We gave her the day off yesterday, knowing that today was such an important class," 16-year-old Roman said. "I went in the schooling ring knowing that she was on her game. I didn't want to fight with her at all; she made her decisions at some points, and we just stuck with it and she raced to the finish line."
They tripped the timers in 31.055 seconds, setting an untouchable pace for her fellow contenders. Amanda Roche and Riamo's First rode to the time of 33.388 seconds for the second place, while Noa Leibson and Blackhawk finished just a hair shy in the third place position with a time of 33.847 seconds.
Roman said, "She needs a very forward ride. She needs the leg to back her up a lot, and she needs a pretty solid distance, but she normally sets herself up pretty well and tries her hardest every time."
"I was so excited, this is my second show with her, and my first win with her. I have only been riding her for about a year, so winning this meant a lot," Roman concluded.
$7,5000 NAL Adult Jumper Classic, Sponsored by Marshall & Sterling
Hayley Banas and Limelight have been a formidable pair in the jumper ring for eight years, but when Banas left for college last year, she had to leave her mount behind. The Showplace Spring Spectacular Series marked their first competition back in the ring together, and to top it off, they captured the win during the $7,5000 NAL Adult Jumper Classic, sponsored by Marshall & Sterling, with the speedy jump-off time of 32.915 seconds.
Banas began riding Limelight when she was in middle school, taking on the tracks in the Low Children's Jumpers and eventually the Low Junior Jumpers. She knows the mare like the back of her hand.
"She is the best, I love her," Banas said. "She's hot, but she needs a lot of leg. She likes when I hold her, and I cannot push her at the jump. She's kind of funny, she likes to have her space, and she does her own thing."
Halle Kutsche and Bente rode to the second place finish in 35.538 seconds, while Holly Yeterian and Zero Point rounded out the top three with a time of 36.351 seconds.
Banas said, "I haven't won on her in a while, since I haven't been showing her, so to go in there for our first show back and do so well felt amazing. I go to SMU and I am on the equestrian team there. It is beautiful, and the program is wonderful, but I miss riding my horses when I am at school, and it is good to be back here."
$2,500 Puddle Jumper Classic, Sponsored by Littlewood Farm and the Stoeckel Family
Kicking off the morning in the Grand Prix Ring, 27 horses and riders set their sights on claiming the largest stake of the prize money in the $2,500 Puddle Jumper Classic, sponsored by Littlewood Farm and the Stoeckel Family. It was a close race, with the top three pairs separated by less than half of a second.
Elizabeth Chapel and Caelinn Leahy's Victor jumped a clear round with a time of 54.452 seconds, which would prove fast enough to hold steady against all other competitors and earn them the lead spot in the victory gallop. Just a few milliseconds behind Chapel with a time of 54.789 seconds and no faults, rider-owner Meigan Pollack and her red roan mare Winstone took up second position. Lily Deer and Lance Williamson's Fun Size rounded out the top three with a clear round time of 54.867 seconds.
$2,500 Modified Children's Classic, Sponsored by Sunset View Farm and the Hamel Family
Next on the card was the $2,500 Modified Children's Classic, which Sunset View Farm and the Hamel Family graciously sponsored. With a quick time of 53.533 seconds, Erin Cummins with the ride aboard Stefanie Collier's bay mare Lucky navigated the course the most efficiently to grasp the tricolors. Alison Albelda and David MacNeil's Verdicchio, with a time of 53.717 seconds, took the reserve honors, while Lilah Jones-Roach and her grey 9-year-old Marvel Us finished in the third position with a time of 55.744 seconds.
$2,500 Modified Adult Classic, Sponsored by Wholesome Goodness
Another close contest, the Wholesome Goodness sponsored $2,500 Modified Adult Classic resulted with the name of Caitlyn Epperson lit up on the leaderboard. Epperson and her own Au Girl laid down the speediest clean-and-clear round time of 55.527 seconds, followed by returners Meigan Pollack and Winstone in second place with a 54.861-time. Kailyn Calamos and Tuxedo, owned by Kim Calamos, beat out the rest of the field of 25 contenders across stopping the timers at 54.946 seconds.
Amateur-Owners Own the Spotlight During the Penultimate Day of the Showplace Spring Spectacular III
By: Elaine Wessel
Wayne, IL - June 20, 2015 - The Windy City lived up to its name this morning, with high winds eventually leading to a timely portion of sunshine, quickly thwarted by a thunderstorm nearing the conclusion of the day's events. Fortunately, horses and riders were able to conquer the unpredictable weather and produce a multitude of high-quality trips in the hunter ring, with some select pairs directing their ways to a promising lead for the end of their respective divisions during the ultimate day of the Showplace Spring Spectacular Series tomorrow. With all the points tabulated, three-week awards were presented to the stand-out horses and riders of the Series to commence the morning's activities.
The hunter accolades were bestowed on the winners in the Grand Prix Ring to begin the day, with the Jayne horses and riders obviously stealing the show over the three weeks of the Spring Series. Bugsy Malone, owned by Kelsey and Margaret Thatcher's Pony Lane Farm and ridden throughout the weeks mostly by Thatcher as well as Maggie Jayne, carried his weight in the hunter ring to earn the Jeff Katz Grand Hunter Challenge Perpetual Trophy. The trophy is given to the horse who accumulated the most points in the rated professional divisions during the entirety of the Series.
All Wrapped Up, owned by Alex Jayne, won the High Point Junior Hunter Trophy, awarded to the Junior Hunter horse with the most points to his, or in this case her, name over the three weeks of competition. Not stopping there, Giavanni Rinaldi, who trains with Alex Jayne and is often seem top his mounts in the show ring, navigated her way to the Overall High Point Junior Hunter Rider Perpetual Trophy.
"Our horses came into these three weeks after a long rest, which I think really helped them to perform," noted Maggie Jayne. "The jumps and courses here are beautiful, and our horses do a great job handling them. They are lovely animals."
The Jayne horses and riders are unsure of the summer's schedule, but plan to enter a few competitions in order to prepare for Indoors in the fall and winter.
The last trophy of the morning, the Monica Fowler Memorial Equitation Perpetual Trophy, had Rebecca Kozma's name on it. Kozma earned the accolade due to her strong and consistent performances in her age group Equitation division, the ASPCA Maclay, the Washington Equitation class, the USEF Pessoa/Randolph College Hunt Seat Medal, as well as a number of Junior Medals.
It was the cherry on top of a successful week at Showplace for Sloan Hopson and her 9-year-old grey gelding Abercrombie, who came away with the win in the $2,500 Junior Hunter Classic this afternoon. The Classic, sponsored by Meadowview Farm, attracted 26 promising entries, all of which tried to contend with Hopson's cumulative points of 173 but were unable to overcome the high score. Competing in the Junior 3'3" Hunters, the pair earned Classic scores of 85 and 88 to best all the competition.
The duo, who train with Martien Van Der Hoeven, are coming off an impressive number of top placings throughout the week, including today's Junior Hunter Championship at the 3'3" height, which the pair nearly swept with four wins out of the five divisional classes.
"We have been riding together for about a year. He has a great jump and a big stride, which really helps us in the hunter ring," Hopson praised of her horse.
The two will be travelling to Kentucky later in the season, as well as Junior Hunter Finals in Pennsylvania this July.
Paige Matthies and her own Roc Paper Scissors, who competed in the Large Junior Hunters for the 15 and under age section, snagged the reserve placing ahead of the rest of the pack. Olivia Lawton navigated Natalie Jayne's Outlook to the third position.
Off to a strong, and perhaps unbeatable, start in the first day of competition for the Amateur-Owner 3'3" Hunters for the 18-35 age division, Reid Patton with the ride on her mount Sincere took a commanding lead by sweeping all three classes of the division.
Patton purchased Sincere, known to his barn mates as "Steve," roughly four years ago, and the pair have experienced considerable success during their partnership together. Just recently at the Devon Horse Show in Pennsylvania, the first show of the season after a long break for the horse, the two won a fences class and performed highly in the hack, ultimately leading them to the reserve championship honors. Even more impressive is the fact that they were unable to compete the second day of the division due to rider injury. A championship at Tryon International Equestrian Center followed suit.
"I always forget how great he is when I can't ride him, but as soon as I get back on I know I have an amazing horse," Patton gushed of Steve. Unfortunately for the rider, she is unable to ride and compete much during the winter and spring months a she is a full-time student, but gives all credit to trainer Cara Cheska and Sarah Barrett for all their hard work with Steve during the off-season.
Look for the successful team during their return to Lamplight at the end of July for more Showplace Productions competition.
Earning two second place finishes and a fifth, the tag-team of Lizzie Stickney and Tamara Provost's Compliment will head into tomorrow's competition behind Patton and Sincere, definitely hoping to overtake them in the second half of the action.
The elder age group of the division, the 36 and over section of the Amateur-Owner 3'3" Hunters, took the stage next. Beth Harrison Meyer and her mount Everafter will enter tomorrow's competition with a slight advantage over the rest, having earned two first place ribbons in the fences and hack, as well as a fourth in the handy this afternoon.
"He's a super fun, super easy horse. I haven't shown since February, and he has handled my rustiness well," Meyer joked.
The pair has been together for four years, and the rider claims that her horse's great jump and strong movement has aided in putting them at the head of the judge's cards. Everafter is actually for sale, and Meyer hopes to showcase his talents in front of prospective buyers back at Lamplight and possibly in Kentucky throughout the summer circuit.
Raising the obstacle height a few inches for the 3'6" section of the Amateur Owners, twelve entries hoped to capture the attention of the judges and head into tomorrow's contest ahead of the bunch. In order to make the class a bit more competitive, the two age sections were combined into one, producing more riders in the overall class instead of two miniature groups. Nicole Hiehle and her Lovely Charity proved to be the horse and rider pair who were able to get it done today, winning the fences and handy portions of the first day of competition.
Bethany Bolen and Viceroy, claiming a second and third place finish today, are hot on their tail and will hope to rack up more points when the division concludes.
The Junior Hunter Classic wasn't the only one of the day, with a smattering of other Classics run throughout the property, each trying to beat the impending storm looming at the end of the show day. In Ring IV, the David Waimon sponsored $500 Marshall & Sterling Adult Hunter Classic produced 16 entrants, but in the end it was repeat winner Bailey Andrews and Margaret Papka's Langdon Street who clinched the title. The pair won the class last week also.
Kendall Meijer and Copper Fox LLC's Honey Creek took up the reserve position, while Andrea Ramirez and her own Carlano claimed third prize.
Also in Ring IV, the $2,500 NAL Children's Classic, sponsored by Littlewood Farm and the Stoeckel family, closed out the ring in the afternoon. Out of 24 entries, Ashley Vogel and her personal horse Bayberry were able to produce the winning round. Following closely behind, the pair of Elizabeth Woods and KNW Farms LLC's Peroni, who performed strongly in yesterday's classics, earned the second-best placing, with Czech Mate, ridden and owned by Carly Martin, rounding out the top three.
Down the hill, the $1,000 Novice Children's Hunter Classic got underway in Ring VI. The class, sponsored by the Broderfen Family, brought 18 teams to the helm, each hoping the largest claim of the pot would go home with them. Katherine Idleman and her horse Peace were able to ward off the other hopefuls, earning the rosettes and title of champion. Behind her was Vivienne Sleigh and Joanne Kurinsky's Fischer, then followed by Claire Stockard and John Pappas' Bombardier in the final podium spot.
The Showplace Spring Series concludes its third and final week tomorrow. The Hunter divisions will wrap up as well as a number of Classics, but the showcases of the day will be the Showplace Equitation Championships and the $20,000 High Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic, both in the Grand Prix Ring. For more information on Showplace Productions or the Spring Spectacular Series, please visit www.showplaceproductions.com.