ESI Photography. ( McLain Ward and Rothchild in the $30,000 FEI HITS Welcome Classic. )
At the end of the class, it was two-time Olympic Gold-medal winner Mclain Ward that stood tall aboard Sagamore Farm's Rothchild winning the class in preparation for the highly-anticipated Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix.
Ward has been a a hot streak of late. The Brewster, NY, native won the $30,000 FEI HITS Welcome Classic aboard Sagamore Farm's Rothchild on Thursday. He also won the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix at the Hampton Classic last week aboard his top mount Sapphire. Ward and Sapphire were part of the U.S. Team that captured the Gold medal in 2008 in Hong Kong, and he plans to show his mare during the Pfizer Million.
"I am excited for tomorrow," said Ward. "It's certainly an unprecedented event and is a great thing for the sport. I am thrilled that the class has drawn some top entries."
Saturday's feature class offered one final spot in the star-studded order of go for the Pfizer Million. However, Ward is already qualified for the big-ticket event and the class will feature 44 horse-and-rider teams. The top riders in the sport will participate, including Canadian Olympians Jill Henselwood and John Pearce.
During Saturday's $50,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier, 21 starters challenged Olympic course designer Steve Stephens' track and five pairs reappeared to go against the clock in the jump-off.
First to show on Stevens' jump-off track was Ward riding his other mount in the class, Grant Road Partners' Antares F. The pair had four faults in 41.25 and finished the afternoon in fourth place. "He is a new horse that has been fantastic for me," said Ward. "He won the Grand Prix at Dublin earlier this year and seems to be right there every class. I am happy with what he has done."
Canadian Olympian John Pearce showed second aboard Forest View Farm's Son of a Gun. Pearce and Son of a Gun put the pressure on the rest of the riders in the jump-off when they went clear and set the Great American Time to beat at 42.49. When the class was complete, the HITS Desert Circuit Veteran finished in second place and collected $11,000 in prize money.
"Today was the biggest course that he has ever jumped," said Pearce of Son of a Gun. "I am proud of him. Tomorrow I will be showing my top horse Chianto. He was great this week in the Level 7 Jumpers. We are going to make a run at all the money."
Third in the jump-off order was another decorated rider, Todd Minikus riding his own Little Annie. The horse-and-rider combination had an unlucky rail down midway through the course and finished in fifth place.
California's Saer Coulter and Chalan were fourth to go in the jump-off and made it all the way home clean in 42.81 to finish in third place. "Today was pretty big," said Coulter, who is entering her sophomore year at Stanford University. "I am looking forward to being a part of the biggest event in the history of United States show jumping tomorrow. The enviable last-to-go spot belonged to Ward and Rothchild. They made the dash for the cash sprinting across the timers in 40.52 to capture the blue ribbon and set the tone for tomorrow's mega show jumping event.
ENDS