Emanuel Andrade and Clouwni (Kendall Bierer)
Out of a start list of 33 horse and rider combinations, only 13 were able to master Allen Rheinheimer’s opening track and continue onto the speed round. Andrade was the first to break the beam with one of three horses qualified for the jump-off. Using his own Boy IV to feel out the eight-obstacle track, riding to a four-fault score, Andrade planned his strategy for his following mounts.
Luke Dee (AUS) was the next to tackle the track, riding Auckland de l’Enclos, owned by Ashland Stables. Trained by Sharn Wordley, Dee has worked with the grand prix rider to hone his skills in the jumping ring. Today, his hard work paid off, as he set the first of the clear rounds in 41.525 seconds. With several fast contenders hot on his heels, Dee wore a target on his back, yet he eventually earned the third place finish.
“My plan today was to go clear. There were 13 in the jump-off, so I knew that there were a lot of fast people out there, and I am not as fast as everyone else,” Dee said. “I was second out, and I knew that if I could get a clear round and be efficient, then I would have a chance at a top six placing. Top three works as well [laughs]. I think I got a bit lucky there today.”
“He [Auckland de l’Enclos] is a fairly green horse, I have been riding him since beginning of April. He had a year off as an 8-year-old, but now as a 9-year-old he is still fairly green. We had a plan to just keep it smooth and not go crazy. We wanted to build his confidence and get him some speed over some more rounds. That was our plan, but we weren’t expecting to come in the top three,” Dee stated.
Although each consecutive rider attempted to clear the course, the rails continued to tumble. It was not until Emanuel Andrade and Clouwni returned for their attempt that a second clear jump-off round seemed in the cards. The pair jumped clean on Friday night during the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, riding their way into 12-horse foot race, but the pair went through one of the obstacles, resulting in elimination from the jump-off round that night.
“I was very scared in the first round with Clouwni because I got into a horrible fall the other day during the Hagyard Lexington Classic,” Andrade explained. “He is such a great horse, he tried so hard out there for me.”
Andrade did not let his nerves stand in the way of his chance for the lion’s share of the earnings. He picked up an open gallop to the first obstacle and kept a consistent pace through the rollbacks and serpentine of obstacles. Dee left the door open with his conservative effort aboard Auckland de l’Enclos, and Andrade took his shot at the final fence. He made an inside turn with Clouwni that would break the beam four seconds faster than Dee, finishing in 36.964 seconds.
Andrade smiled, “I knew that he could go fast out there, and I knew that we could go for it to the last fence. The last fence literally was so long, but he tried very hard for me today.”
Andrade purchased Clouwni in December of 2014, and has been working to form a better partnership with the 12-year-old chestnut. The flashy gelding aided Brazil in finishing fifth at the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Caen, France, and jumped double-clear at the 2013 FEI Furrisyya Nations Cup Finals in Barcelona. Sunday, Clouwni proved he is ready to take Andrade to the top of the sport.
Shane Sweetnam (IRL) gave Andrade a run for his money, stopping the clock in 36.810 seconds, just a tick faster than Andrade’s time with Clouwni. An unfortunate rail in the double combination pushed him into fourth place though with Eregast Van’T Kishane, owned by Spy Coast Farm. He also picked up the fifth place award with Easy Contact Humlan, owned by Sweet Oak Farm, tripping the timers in 37.218 seconds and finishing with his second four-fault effort.
With three horses qualified for the speed track, Andrade still had one play left in his hand—his first grand prix horse, ZZ – Top VH Schaarbroek Z. Although they did not aim to beat Clouwni’s speed, Andrade knew that if he went clear he could take the second place, as well.
“He doesn’t show every week, he is 14 years old, so we try to save him,” Andrade said. “I pick his classes and try to do well. He was very good. I was planning to go for the second place, because he is not that fast. We were lucky today because we had a couple of rubs, but it was a great way to end the Kentucky Summer series for us.”
Andrade is now aiming his string of top mounts towards the big money classes at the Hampton Classic Horse Show, HITS Saugerties, as well as gearing up for several European competitions.
The sixth place of the class was awarded to Juan Ortiz and Dulien van de Smeets, owned by the Synchronicity Group, for their four-fault effort in 37.315 seconds. Denise Wilson and Catuso, owned by Blue Gate Farm, captured the seventh place, while Pablo Barrios and Chaco 34 took the eighth place finish.
Although the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show concluded Sunday, the competition at the Kentucky Horse Park will continue next week with the KHJA Horse Show. For more information, please visit www.KentuckyHorseShows.com.
$40,000 BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL GRAND PRIX RESULTS
Pl Nbr Horse Rider Faults Time Faults Time
1 1905CLOUWNI EMANUEL ANDRADE 81.008 36.964
2 1915ZZ - TOP VH SCHAEMANUEL ANDRADE 79.224 38.294
3 1849AUCKLAND DE L'ENLUKE DEE 79.923 41.525
4 1686EREGAST VAN'T KISHANE SWEETNAM 77.760 4 36.810
5 1847EASY CONTACT HUMSHANE SWEETNAM 80.102 4 37.218
6 1738DULIEN VAN DE SMJUAN ORTIZ 75.470 4 37.315
7 988 CATUSO DENISE WILSON 76.717 4 37.795
8 1909BOY IV EMANUEL ANDRADE 77.156 4 37.970
9 1748CHACO 34 PABLO BARRIOS 80.017 4 38.206
10 965 SHIVER LIZA FINSNESS 76.084 4 38.995
11 1255BASJE HAROLD CHOPPING 77.771 4 41.316
12 1233LUMIERE VICTORIA COLVIN 75.872 8 37.001