Lisa Jacquin and Chapel Z
Jacquin has known Karin Flint, owner of Flintfields Horse Park, for over 25 years. They started their working relationship at the Detroit Motor City Horse Shows when Jacquin looked at one of Flint's young horses and soon after began to train and work with it. Not long after, they began buying horses with the hopes of moving into the larger classes, which is exactly what Jacquin did with Chapel Z.
The 11-year-old Zangersheide-Holsteiner stallion first came to Jacquin as a 3-year-old, and she worked to bring him up through the young jumper ranks. He has competed in several grand prix classes, as well as jumped at the 1.60m-level, but when Jacquin shattered her pelvis in 2013 during Horse Shows By The Bay, their training regimen changed.
"He is difficult in his mind, but he is very careful," Jacquin said. "I am starting him back up to get to the higher level again. Next week he will probably do the 1.40m Open Jumpers and the Welcome Stake, but this week I just wanted to compete in the 1.30m and 1.35m Open Jumpers to help build him back up."
Jacquin and Chapel navigated Keith Bollotte's 1.35m Open Jumper track as one of only three to master the first round. Their double clear effort in 32.335 seconds proved good enough for the first place finish today.
Jacquin explained, "It was really nice for Karin [Flint] to see him win both yesterday and today. She remarked after the jump-off, 'His feet are very fast.' I laughed, because it is very true. He has amazing foot speed, and rides very much like a Thoroughbred."
Caitlyn Shiels and Cavalier II finished four seconds off of Jacquin's time with a double clear ride in 36.585 seconds. Amanda Derbyshire and Lady Maria BH, owned by David Gochman, finished as the last of the clean rides, stopping the clock in a conservative 39.244 seconds.
Jacquin concluded, "We are glad to be back. It is beautiful here, and having Stadium Jumping managing the show is wonderful. I have always been a fan of Stadium Jumping. When you go to a lot of horse shows, good management makes a difference. I am glad they are here, and I think they are going to do great things."
It has been an amazing two days for Liz Atkins, of Benchmark Stables, at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival. After winning the 1.35m Open Jumpers on Wednesday with Esconial, she decided to move the 10-year-old gelding into the 1.40m Open Jumpers in preparation for the $25,000 Welcome Stake, sponsored by Amberway Equine.
"I could not be happier with that horse," Atkins smiled. "After the way he jumped today, and the way he rode today, I am feeling so good about going into the Welcome Stake tomorrow. He feels fantastic. He loves it here."
Atkins returned to the ring with Undine, a mare she has jumped in several regional grand prix events with, but is now working on consistency.
"I have been kind of going up and down with her a little bit to keep her consistent and she jumped beautiful in the 1.35m yesterday and today she jumped it easy here," Atkins said. "I am really loving Keith's courses as they are really nice to ride. They ride spot on, and they are lovely. This is my first time jumping his courses, and I am liking them, so they must be good luck. I am going to keep my eye out for when he is designing."
Atkins took the first place finish in 35.125 seconds with Esconial, and second place with 35.615 seconds aboard Undine. Third place was awarded to Lauren Bardy and Calvin Van Het Wuitenshof for their clean jump-off time of 36.565 seconds.
The outside vertical-vertical double combination with four strides to an oxer saw several rails fall, but Atkins stayed careful through the line, saying, "Everything rode beautifully."
The Great Lakes Equestrian Festival continues tomorrow with the $25,000 Welcome Stake, sponsored by Amberway Equine, the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic on Saturday, and the $50,000 Grand Prix of Michigan set to take place Sunday afternoon.
For more information or to view schedules, please visit www.stadiumjumping.com or www.greatlakesequestrianfestival.com.
Pletcher, Goguen, and Rasmussen Sweep Professional Hunters, Splitting Six Tricolors at Great Lakes Equestrian Festival
By: Elaine Wessel
Traverse City, MI - July 9, 2015 - In a mimic of the prior day's competition, three professional riders continued to dominate the hunter divisions in multiple rings at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival. Peter Pletcher, Tim Goguen and Maria Rasmussen all took turns winning, forming a near unbeatable trio that took both the champion and reserve titles in four divisions all before the afternoon. Numerous competitors tried to break into the winner's circle, many of which were able to produce high-quality performances, but none proved apt enough to take the wins away from the three frontrunners.
Maintaining his position as leader after yesterday's first and second place finishes, Peter Pletcher continued to rally with Susan Baker's Q today, claiming three more blue ribbons in the Second Year Green Working Hunters, coincidentally sponsored by Pletcher's own PJP Farm.
"We have been taking this horse up the ranks, and I'm definitely impressed with him. He is coming along very well," the rider observed of the bay gelding, that was recently imported from overseas. The horse can also be seen competing in the Amateur-Owners with Baker, who just purchased him during the winter Florida show circuit.
Rounding out the top two in the runner-up position was Saddle Ridge LLC's Ransom, ridden throughout the division by Tim Goguen of Lexington-based Boggs Hill Farm.
Off to a great start to the week in only the second day of competition, Pletcher added another win to his name in the Green Conformation Hunters with Rancho De Los Arboles LLC's Thanks For The Gold. Coming off a strong showing yesterday, Pletcher solidified the pair's top rank with two firsts and the second Thursday morning.
The winning rider described his mount as the farm's "pretty horse," and continued on to attribute his steady nature as a main component of their consistent top placings.
Although the reserve champion did not compete in the under saddle portion of the division, Goguen and Anytime, owned by Boggs Hill Farm, accumulated enough points in the first four classes of the division to earn the second-highest number of points behind Pletcher and 'Hank.'
Next door in the secondary hunter ring, Pletcher mounted aboard another horse, this time Sue Lightner's Sandriano as an entrant in the $1,000 Pre-Green Hunter Incentive Stake. The pair bested a field of 20 competitors to walk away with the champion honors, followed by MTM Friend Request, owned by Ashley Netzky and ridden by Rasmussen, claiming the second place honors.
"We are staying here in Michigan for the next couple of weeks before a short break at home followed by the Medal Finals and Pre-Green Finals in Kentucky," Pletcher noted of the farm's upcoming summer plans. "Anything to escape the Texas heat," he laughed.
The First Year Green Working Hunters, generously sponsored by Wrenwood Farm and Jenny Sutton, got underway in the Polk Family Main Hunter Ring, once again with a number of heavy hitters in the mix. Rasmussen and Corporate started the day with a slight advantage, having been awarded the blue and red ribbons by the judges yesterday, but fell victim to a downed rail, losing the lead to one of Goguen's two mounts. Taking advantage of their window of opportunity, Goguen and Capella produced two quality rounds and a strong flat performance to clinch the champion title. Capella is a repeat winner as the champion in the same division last week.
Just recently purchased at the end of the Florida circuit, Capella has been carrying momentum in the First Year Green division, having earned numerous champion and reserve rosettes at premier events in both Florida and Kentucky.
"We haven't had him very long, but he has proven himself over these past shows," Goguen said of the horse. "We wanted to take him to Devon, but he wasn't able to get enough points in the short time we had him before the show."
Rasmussen was able to regain ground in the flat portion, winning the class to help her and Corporate to the reserve tricolors. Always hot on the tails of the two leaders, Hillary Johnson and Copper Fox LLC's Moonwalk also earned high marks throughout the division, only ever placing below the third position in the under saddle.
Looking back at the books for the day, it was clear that the three forces of Pletcher, Goguen, and Rasmussen proved themselves as formidable contenders for the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival. Together they accumulated a combined 10 first place finishes, six seconds, seven third place positions, as well as all six tricolors in the three divisions. With both Pletcher and Rasmussen returning for weeks three and four of the GLEF series, exhibitors have a difficult task ahead of them if they intend to break into the higher ranks of the professional hunter classes.
Hunter action continues tomorrow at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival with the Junior and Amateur-Owner Hunters claiming the spotlight. Sunday will be the showcase day of the week, with horses and riders competing for a stake in the $5,000 USHJA National Derby and the two-round $10,000 Great Lakes 3'6" Hunter Classic.
For more information, please visit www.greatlakesequestrian.com or www.stadiumjumping.com.