Melissa Orlick-Zbierski and Viekie (Flashpoint Photography)
Mid-morning the spectators were treated to an exciting show jumping competition. Traders Point Hunt Charity Horse Show presented the annual $15,000 PNC Bank Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers Classic in the Russell Fortune Grand Prix Arena.
Again the winding course designed by Phil DeVita presented a challenge to the juniors and amateurs and tested their ability to keep their horses in control, carve their turns, stay on track and finding the right distances.
The first round produced only three clean rounds out of 20 from Melissa Orlick-Zbierski and Viekie, Katie Hope and Total Touch and Mallory Vale and Mi Phone.
Vale had an unfortunate 4 faults in the jump-off round, landing her in third place. Katie Hope skillfully piloted Total Touch, stopping the timer at 34.221 with all the rails in place. Orlick-Zbierski's round was also fast and clean-but just a bit faster than Hope's coming in at 33.585, which earned her the victory gallop.
"The course was very difficult. It was a good 1.45 track with the open water- meaning no rail-judging the tape. I was very pleased to see Phil DeVita's course. He did for the Show Jumping Hall of Fame and here at Traders Point," said Diane Carney of Telluride Farm who trains Hope and Total Touch.
"Also, I thought that the course was very careful, they were good solid jumps, but dead square and the distances to the jumps were very fair and the riders had to balance their horses. The three that made it to the jump off had exceptional first rounds. The time has been a bit of a deal this week-not a big deal, but there have been a few that have had time faults. We were very glad to be under the time allowed today."
"It's a fabulous horse and rider team. Mrs. Hope's horse and her daughter has been with me a long time," said Carney about the Hopes. "I was really glad to see that our plan came together and Katie executed it perfectly."
"I knew it was very similar to yesterday's course and the Friday Grand Prix. I knew that time allowed was very tight for them," explained Katie Hope. "I knew it was going to be tight for me because I tend to take a little more time in the turns. That was what I was mostly focusing on. My horse was going to jump as clean as possible, I just needed to be tidy everywhere."
"He's an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood," said Hope about Total Touch. "We got him from Blair and Karen Cudmore about three years ago. I go off to college at Lafayette College and he stays with Diane, who keeps him trained up. Richard Rinehart comes up and jumps him once a month. He's my kind of ride, because I did a lot of hunters in my junior days. He's kind of thoroughbred-y so he has his own motor. He knows what to do".
"I think staying consistent, transition work, sticking to your plan throughout the whole course," explained Orlick-Zbierski of what made the difference in mastering the course today. "I think the open water-that they were judging the tape caused the most issues. Because there wasn't a rail, people either over-rode it or under-rode it and ended up with four faults there."
"Viekie is 10 years old; she's a Dutch Warmblood. She has a lot of blood[SW1] bred into her-which is great- it can make her excited sometimes, though. Managing that is always a trick. She has a great jump, super brave, she loves jumping, she loves her job," she said.
"I love Traders Point. I've been coming here for quite a while. It's always enjoyable. It's nice that it is a charity horse show. There are very few of those left," she added.
$15000 PNC BANK JUNIOR/AMATEUR-OWNER HIGH JUMPER CLASSIC
1 575 VIEKIE MELISSA ORLICK-ZBIERSKI 0 84.214 33.585 0
2 195 TOTAL TOUCH KATIE HOPE 0 82.493 34.221 0
3 110 MI PHONE MALLORY VALE 0 79.810 29.610 4
4 502 RECOVER SAVANNAH TALCOTT 4 82.316
5 36 WINDE KALVIN DOBBS 4 84.320
6 240 MAXIMUS HANNAH OLSON 4 85.159
7 124 ZIDOCTRO JENNA FRIEDMAN 4 85.340
8 241 CLEOPATRA HANNAH OLSON 5 86.340