Kyle King and Corrine Super's Capone I. (Flying Horse Photography© . )
Winning Sunday's feature class was extra remarkable for the birthday boy, who won the Grand Prix with the largest starting field to date at the 2011 HITS Desert Circuit. They were the top horse-and-rider combination out of the 49 horses that challenged International Course Designer Florencio Hernandez' (Mexico City, Mexico) first-round course which featured 12 obstacles and 15 efforts, including a trio of double combinations in a time allowed of 79 seconds.
Thirteen riders took a shot at Hernandez' first-round course and failed until accomplished equestrian Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum (Westlake Village, CA) and Octavia Farms' Lancaster 144 made it all the way home clear. Three trips later, Mexico's John Perez (Cruz Manca, Coajimaipa, Mexico) and his own La Cantera Catrin wowed the crowd watching the action in the Strongid C 2X Stadium with a clear round of their own to force a jump-off.
In all, 10 teams advanced to the second round. Hernandez' jump-off course consisted of nine efforts, which included a double combination down the last line in front of the Oasis VIP Club. Michaels-Beerbaum and Lancaster 144 were the first of the 10 to go in the jump-off and the decorated member of Team Germany went clear setting the Great American Time to Beat at 38.05 seconds. At the conclusion of the class, they would finish in second place.
John Perez and La Cantera Catrin were the next duo to show in the jump-off. Fresh from a second-place effort in Saturday's $50,000 HITS CSI-W Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, Perez gave it his best shot coming home clear and stopping the clocks in 41.25 to finish in fourth place.
Rich Fellers and McGuiness, owned by Harry and Mollie Chapman, were the victors in last Sunday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, and were the third pair to show in the jump-off. The pair couldn’t make it two in a row, as they dropped two rails on the track and finished in 10th place.
Canadian Olympian John Pearce had two rides in Sunday's jump-off. He was up first aboard Elizabeth Oliver's Lionel and they were looking like they would come home clear, but had heartbreak at the final hurdle, resulting in four faults and a seventh-place ribbon.
Amateur rider Joelle Froese (Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada) entered the ring in the fifth spot aboard her own Condor, and was clearly looking to break the string of bad luck that had earlier riders scattering across the course. Luck was on Froese’s side, as they made it home clear in 39.97 seconds for a third -place finish.
Kyle King and Capone I followed and made it two clear rounds in a row. They were fast and clean coming all the way home in 37.95 seconds to take the lead in the jump-off.
Show jumping legend Hap Hansen (Encinitas, CA) and Linda Smith's Archie Bunker were seventh to challenge the course. A rail midway through their trip put Hansen and Archie Bunker in the eighth place spot. Karen Cudmore and Shea were next to take a shot at the leading time, and it looked like they had achieved their goal. The final fence proved to be their nemesis and with a time of 37.11 seconds, they had to settle for fifth place. With just two rounds left in the jump-off, Pearce and Forest View Farm Inc's Son of A Gun were the next to show, but a single rail down left the duo in sixth place.
Saer Coulter (San Francisco, CA) and Springtime, owned by Copernicus Stables, held the coveted last-to-go spot. The last fence on the course had already caused grief for earlier riders, and Coulter was no exception. Ninth place was the final tally for the pair.
When all was said and done, it was King and Capone I who reigned victorious in the class.
For complete results from Sunday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, visit http://hits.showjumping.tv/thermal/display_results.php?hsn=1531&class_no=425.
Grand Prix Galore
Sunday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, was the eighth Grand Prix of the season at HITS Thermal, as some of the top equestrians continue to inch closer to becoming eligible for the second annual Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix.
Leading the way for the High-Performance riders it has been Rich Fellers, who scored a trio of Grand Prix triumphs. So far, the Wilsonville, OR, native has a pair of victories aboard Flexible and one aboard McGuiness. With four of the eight Grand Prix needed to become eligible under his belt, Fellers currently sits at the number one spot in the Pfizer Million Rider Rankings with more than $28,000 in prize money won on his leading mount, Flexible.
The 2011 Pfizer Million will be a culmination of 56 qualifying Grand Prix that will take place from coast to coast at all HITS horse shows. To become eligible, Grand Prix Riders will need to bank eight qualifying classes, and then the top 40 riders based on money won on their leading horse will earn a spot in the line-up for the class. Several riders at HITS Thermal are on the cusp of reaching their eighth qualifying Grand Prix, including Pearce and Brazil's Eduardo Menezes. Each rider has competed in six Grand Prix classes and both could reach the desired eight by the conclusion of Desert Circuit IV. Pearce and Son of a Gun have won more than $22,000 in prize money and sit in second place behind Fellers, while Menezes and his own Tomba have pocketed $17,550 in prize money won and enjoy a fourth-place spot in the current Rider Rankings.
The second half of the circuit will continue to be exciting for High-Performance riders, as HITS Thermal will host eight more Qualifying Grand Prix classes for the Pfizer Million, including the $200,000 Lamborghini Grand Prix of the Desert, presented by Lamborghini of Newport Beach, on Sunday, March 13. In addition, HITS Thermal also offers two more FEI World Cup Qualifiers during Weeks IV and V, which have been attracting lots of interest from international riders, including Menezes who rode his own Tomba to the blue in the $50,000 HITS CSI-W Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, during Desert Circuit III.
Top Up-and-Coming Riders Take Aim at European Youngster Cup
HITS Thermal hosted the first of three Qualifying Events for the European Youngster Cup Series during Desert Circuit III and saw four riders receive the maximum of 20 points towards qualifying for the prestigious Finals to be held in Leipzig, Germany, during the FEI World Cup Finals in April of this year.
Cayla Richards (Calabasas, California) led the way riding Ilan Ferder's Faustino to the blue ribbon as she posted the fastest double-clear round on a course set by Hernandez. In addition to Richards, Jocelyn Neff (Newport Beach, CA) aboard Donna Neff's Gaja 20, Sage Flynn (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) and her own Hot Pants and Christi Israel (Birmingham, AL) riding her own D'inzeo, each jumped double-clear rounds to earn 20 points after the first EY-Cup Qualifier.
Riders gain points based on their performance and get the maximum of 10 points for each clear round and can earn up to 20 points per qualifier with a double-clear effort. The top qualified rider from HITS Thermal will earn a chance to compete in the Super Final this April.
The next opportunity to qualify for the EY-Cup will come on Sunday, February 27, in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, with the final qualifier, the $25,000 California Horsetrader Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic High held on Sunday, March 13.
Nick Haness Hunts for a Spot in the Diamond Mills $500,000 3'3" Hunter Prix Final
For Hunter riders the stakes are higher than ever before at HITS Thermal, as the first half of the circuit offered three Devoucoux Hunter Prix Qualifiers for the all-new Diamond Mills $500,000 3’3” Hunter Prix Final, which will take place September 10-11 in Saugerties, NY, as part of the Pfizer Million Weekend.
Nick Haness (Coto de Caza, CA) has made it known that he plans to qualify and make the trip to HITS Saugerties for the largest Hunter purse in the history of the sport. With two wins under his belt, he is definitely on track to earn a coveted spot in the Finals. During Desert Circuit I, he rode Pamela Stewart's Catwalk to the top prize and to close out the first half of the Circuit during Desert Circuit III, he piloted Jessica Singer's Cruise to the title.
Haness now has participated in three of the five classes needed to become eligible and has garnered 84 points aboard his leading horse Havana for the historical Final. At the top of the current Rider Rankings is non-other than California’s Hope Glynn who has amassed 153 points and three of the five classes needed to become eligible. Another Thermal native, John French has the number four spot in the rankings. In order to become eligible for the Diamond Mills $500,000 3'3" Hunter Prix Final a rider on any horse/horses will need to compete in five or more Devoucoux Hunter Prix at any combination of HITS Shows during the qualifying period. Once a rider has competed in five Devoucoux Prix, they will become eligible and their points on their leading horse will place them in HITS Hunter Prix Final Rider Rankings. For more information on the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final, including complete qualifying specifications, please click here.
The second half of the 2011 HITS Desert Circuit offers three more Devoucoux Hunter Prix Qualifiers, including the $25,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix when HITS ups the ante during Desert Circuit VI.
ENDS