Darragh Kenny and Wannahave soar over a fence on course in the $75,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, on their way to a win. (ESI Photography)
Kenny, a native of Ireland and now based out of Wellington, Florida, was one of 21 horse-and-rider combinations on a course designed by Kenny Krome of Westminster, Maryland. The first round featured plenty of action, as only five riders returned for the jump-off.
First to show in the jump-off was Kenny and his winning mount, Wannahave who wasted no time as they set the Great American Time to Beat at 40.15 seconds.
Next to show was former U.S. Olympian Peter Leone of Greenwich, Connecticut and Monica Carrera’s Lincourt Gino. The pair had rails down at both elements of the in-and-out combination for a total of eight faults on the board, and had to settle for the fifth-place ribbon.
Peter Lutz of South Salem, New York and Davenport Incorporated’s Indiana 127 challenged the course next and produced a clear effort in 42.21 seconds, which was good enough for fourth place.
Capturing the third-place ribbon was crowd-favorite Margie Engle of West Palm Beach, Florida and Royce, owned by Elm Rock Partners, LLC. They finished clear in 41.42 seconds. Engle’s newest young mount has proved to be very successful thus far, after they earned the win in last Sunday’s $50,000 EMO Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, and came back a few days later to take second place ribbon in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health.
Kenny, already with the win intact, was last to go in the jump-off on his second mount, Sandor de la Pomme and shaved a fraction of a second off Engle’s time in 41.36 seconds, to earn him the two top ribbons of the day.