Sovereign is stepping up to the plate for Lisa Goldman.
Lisa Goldman stole the show in the Grand Prix Arena, riding away with wins in both the 1.40m and 1.35m classes. Her ride in the 1.40m atop her new horse of only two weeks, Sovereign, was especially exciting as it was one of the largest tracks she has ever jumped the stallion. Goldman and Sovereign won last week's first 1.35m class, so Goldman decided they were ready to turn it up a notch.
"He was so awesome, Goldman said. "He's really starting to settle into my program and my ride. We've done one other Grand Prix together before, but this was the second biggest course I've done on him. He's going to do one more 1.40m this week, but that's it. He really just needs to be fit."
Although the pair was riding to new heights in the 1.40m, they made it look like second nature, going double clear over Bernardo Cabral's tight course and putting in a swift jump-off time of 34.811 seconds.
Just behind Goldman was another double clear round put in by Nick Novak aboard his gelding, Cico, but their jump-off time of 37.69 seconds wasn't quite quick enough to catch Goldman's new stallion. The pair would have to settle for second position.
Novak and Cico are another new team that has only been working together since February, but have had a successful first few months together displaying Cico's newly acquired skills in the Grand Prix Ring. Novak explained that Cico competed in eventing before he purchased him but he has enjoyed successfully moving the 8-year-old gelding up through the jumper divisions.
"I've been moving him up right along pretty quickly, and he has been doing great," Novak said. "He has such a big personality, and he's learning really fast. When he gets in the ring he's just so excited to jump. We've moved right up from the 3'6" to the 1.40m, so to be jumping clear rounds is pretty awesome."
Before the 1.40m class, Goldman proved that she was no stranger to success at the 1.35m height, mimicking her top standing on the leaderboard from last week. While it was Goldman and Sovereign who rode to first place last week, today it was Memphis Belle's turn to have her moment in the spotlight. The winning mare, owned by Goldman's client Louisa Brackett, also moved up a division this week, and it proved to be an easy task.
"Belle was really great, I love her to death," Goldman said. "She won at 1.30m last week, and was third in the Low Junior Classic. She's always ready to go very fast, and she is a really great horse for Louisa to learn to jump bigger tracks on and become more competitive. We stepped her up to the 1.35m from the 1.30m and she jumped around really great."
Goldman only arrived in Traverse City last week, but already has complimentary words for the event and its new Stadium Jumping, Inc. management.
"This show has been great," she said. "After being here a week and getting a feel for it, I think they've really nailed all of the little details, like the exhibitors party with Josh Davis, and the food and beverages in the VIP. Thank you, Karen Flint; it's been really well done!"
Goldman and Memphis Belle were one of four horse-and-rider combinations to go double clear out of a field of 12 total pairs. Theo Genn and Eduardo Leone's Asirea Fortuna tagged closely behind Goldman with a jump-off round of 35.268 seconds, just 1.445 seconds away from the winning round to earn them second place.
In the 1.30m this morning, it was two-time Olympic Silver Medalist Lisa Jacquin who came out on top aboard Rolls, owned by Doublethink LLC. As the only pair to go double clear, they made Cabral's complicated course look easy, seamlessly riding through the various combinations and in-and-outs without brushing a rail. David Beisel's jump-off time of 35.862 seconds atop Harlow Investment Enterprises, LLC's Rumorosa was a whole 6.71 seconds quicker than Jacquin's winning ride, but unfortunately a knocked rail cost him the top spot.
The Great Lakes Equestrian Festival will continue tomorrow, with numerous horse-and-rider entries competing for the top spot in their respective divisions. Feature events this week include the $25,000 Welcome Stake Friday and the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by the Gochman Family, Saturday. The festival will come to a close Sunday, July 26, after the highlight event; the $50,000 Great Lakes Grand Prix, presented by The Peninsula Group at Morgan Stanley scheduled for 2 p.m.
For more information or to view schedules, please visit www.stadiumjumping.com or www.greatlakesequestrianfestival.com.
Dana Wille and Tamara Provost Sweep the First Day of Competition at Great Lakes Equestrian Festival IV
By Elaine Wessel
Traverse City, MI - July 22, 2015 - The fourth and final week of Great Lakes Equestrian Festival kicked off to a promising start for young rider Dana Wille and her horse Full Count, who rode to the win in both the jumper and hunter phases of the Washington Equitation Class for the second week in a row. While Wille and her horse are preparing for Finals in the fall, Tamara Provost and Santerno have their sights set on a goal nearer in the future: the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by the Gochman Family, that takes place this Saturday afternoon.
The group of eager Juniors took to the jumper ring first this morning, hoping to take the early lead in the two-phase WIHS competition. Wille and Shaunnah Anderson's Full Count, the defending champions in Traverse City, were quick to prove that they had no intention of losing the title with a first round score of 85. The next closest pair, Nealie Boschma and Jenny Schutzler's Campari, sat a full 12 points behind with their score of 73.
"I like that this course made us think. With the times they had set, we had to choose which turns we were going to take in order to stay within the time allowed," Wille said. "It made us really think ahead, like 'If I take this turn, what will be the outcome? Will this work out well and be smooth or should I think of something else?' The time was very challenging, even when they upped the time allowed. It was nice, though, that the course forced us to think and be a rider instead of a passenger."
Trailing behind the two leaders was Jordan Allen and Cornelius, owned by Patrice Schreiber, in the third spot, followed by Hannah Satterland and Ashley Scheich's Zandro in fourth place with the hunter phase still remaining.
Course designer Thomas Hern Jr., from Massachusetts, provided 10 efforts for the exhibitors to showcase their abilities. Perhaps one of the more telling components of the track was the long bending line, measured at 124', that required riders to make a decision regarding their track. While some elected for the forward or direct nine strides, others opted to take a more bending and collected track in 10 strides. Wille and her mount effectively rode the entirety of the course to the tune of an 85 score from the judges, which solidified her spot as the overall victor with a cumulative tally of 170. Boschma and Campari garnered an 85 to claim the reserve honors.
"Full Count is an amazing, amazing horse with tons of scope," she said. "He is wonderful in every way and gives me everything I ask for." Wille only recently picked up the ride on the horse, as her normal equitation mount is out of commission with an injury. The new pair have meshed well though, and have demonstrated accuracy in the ring as proven by their multiple consecutive wins
Wille and Full Count are currently in the middle of the pack of qualifiers for the Washington Equitation Finals taking place during the Washington International Horse Show in the nation's capital this October. With only 40 riders from across the country invited, each competition offers an opportunity to climb in the standings and earn one of the coveted spots.
Allen and Cornelius maintained their third position, followed by Jessica Stone and Amber Hill Farm's Cyrus in fourth place. Owner-rider Michelle Raue and Carat claimed fifth, while Madison Mitchell and her own Gentlemen improved upon their position after the jumper phase to land the sixth position.
Earlier in the day in the Polk Family Main Hunter Ring, a field of 18 horses and riders took their turns vying for the lead in the Performance Working Hunters. After two over fences trips and a hack, Provost and Brenda Christenson's Santerno accumulated the most points, and will hold the lead headed into the second and final day of divisional competition tomorrow. Although Provost and her mount chose not to compete in the under saddle portion, the pair impressively navigated their way to two blue ribbons over fences, which was still enough to put them atop the leaderboard.
"Santerno is a really simple horse, we can always count on him. He has an adult rider who took him in the 2'6" all last week, so we kind of alternate. She got him last week, and now that it's Derby week she handed the reins over to me," Provost commented.
Provost and Santerno will not be completing the final classes of the Performance Hunter division tomorrow, but instead used today's classes as preparation for the true test this Saturday.
"I just take one day to prepare him for the big classes, but he makes the transition easily from the 2'6" to the 3'9" fences. He's very versatile. He loves the Derbies and his owner loves watching him, so it works out nicely," Provost said.
Provost has been riding the horse, who lives and trains at her Meadow View Farm in Sheridan, Indiana, for nearly three years, and has been attending the Traverse City shows for five years. The pair will try their hand in the USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by the Gochman Family, this weekend in the hopes of earning the lion's share of the $25,000 pot.
Of the remaining 17 competitors, three horse and rider duos will have the best shot at overtaking the early leaders tomorrow. Jennifer Murray and Amanda Foard's Julian look to be the closest contenders after staying consistent with two second place finishes and a fourth spot. Ehrin Rittmueller aboard Come What May, owned by Dawn Kelly, as well as Hillary Johnson and Altair Farms' Eclipse, both also earned high placings to keep them in contention for the champion tricolors.
Although Johnson will be chasing the leader in the Performance division tomorrow, she will aim to retain the lead in the First Year Green Working Hunters with another of her mounts, Copper Fox LLC's Moonwalk. Johnson and the grey gelding rode to first and second place finishes over fences to begin the first part of the competition. Caroline Weeden and Piper Benjamin's Oak Grove are close behind in the ranks after first and third place finishes.
Great Lakes Equestrian Festival continues tomorrow and the rest of the week to close out the four-week series. Hunter action will be highlighted Saturday afternoon as the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by the Gochman family, brings top-tier horses and riders to Traverse City to compete for the main claim of the purse.
For more information or to view schedules, please visit www.stadiumjumping.com or www.greatlakesequestrianfestival.com.