Riding G&C Lepanto, Larrazabal, a native of Venezuela, stopped the clock in 73.38 seconds. Ronan McGuigan, an Irish native, stepped on the gas to try to win his second class of the week on Capall Zidane, but he fell just fractions short (73.42 seconds). Two-time Olympic gold medalist Beezie Madden guided Zhivago to an efficiently fast time of 75.05 seconds to claim third.
Larrazabal said the key to victory was keeping a steady pace. “You had to be smooth, to let them run. You had to go from the first to the last,” he said.
For the first time this week, course designer Guilherme Jorge of Brazil utilized all of the natural jumps in the Grand Prix Ring—the open water, the double liverpools, the double bank and the live hedges. “He doesn’t look at anything. He just goes, but he jumps the natural jumps better,” said Larrazabal. “This ring is a little bit spooky, so it’s a good ring for horses like him, because it makes them be more careful.”
Larrazabal moved to Wellington, Fla., three years ago to advance his show jumping career.
In the class prior to the Speed Derby, Colvin, of Loxahatchee, Fla., stopped the timers in 70.05 seconds to win the $10,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Welcome Stake on Monsieur De Reverdy. Abigail McCardle, of Barrington Heights, Ill., sped to a close second place on Cosma 20 (70.49 seconds), and Taylor Land, of Alpharetta, Ga., claimed third on Nepal (71.25).
Moments after accepting her first-placed prizes in the Grand Prix Ring, Colvin ran to the next-door Anne Aspinall Ring to collect the championship and reserve championship in the large junior hunter, 15 & under, division, with Way Cool and Inclusive, both owned by Dr. Betsee Parker.
“It’s really fun for me to go back and forth between the two rings and the two classes,” said Colvin. “It’s really not hard. I just sing my way around the ring. I sing the last song I heard, on the radio or on the loudspeakers here at the show.”
Colvin is riding seven horses at the Hampton Classic, but Monsieur De Reverdy is the only horse that she owns. She purchased him from her trainer, Scott Stewart, two years ago. “He’s a good old soul. He’s only 12, but he’s like a grandpa until he gets in the ring. Then he says, ‘I’m ready—let’s go,’” said Colvin.
This class served as the qualifying competition for Sunday’s $25,000 David Yurman Show Jumping Derby. “I’m ready to go for it now,” said Colvin.
The 37th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show runs through Sunday, Sept. 2, and features world-class show jumping competition, as well as magnificent shopping and a variety of entertainment attractions. The Classic features six show rings with more than 100 classes of competition for horses and riders of all ages. A wide range of jumper, hunter, equitation, short stirrup and leadline classes are all part of the Classic’s schedule, as well as competitions for riders with disabilities.
The highlight of the Hampton Classic is the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix and FEI World Cup™ Qualifier on Sunday, September 2. The Grand Prix, open to horses that successfully complete Friday's $50,000 Spy Coast Farm/Young Horse Show Series Grand Prix Qualifier, features Olympians, World Champions and other show jumping veterans such as defending champion and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist McLain Ward. This year, the Grand Prix is part of the new Taylor Harris Triple Crown Challenge which awards a $200,000 bonus should the same horse-and-rider combination win the $100,000 Wells Fargo Grand Prix of Devon, $250,000 FTI Grand Prix at the Hampton Classic, and $250,000 Alltech Grand Prix at the Alltech National Horse Show. Ward won the Wells Fargo Grand Prix of Devon on Antares F in May and now stands to win the $200,000 bonus should he ride Antares F to wins in the remaining two events in the Taylor Harris Triple Crown Challenge.
For those who can’t make it to the show grounds, WVVH-TV, the official Long Island television station of the Hampton Classic, broadcasts up to five hours of competition and highlights each day during the Classic. These broadcasts can also be seen on line at www.wvvh.tv.
All classes held in the Grand Prix Ring will also be available live throughout the horse show on webcasts provided by ShowNet. Access to this pay-per-view stream may be found on the Hampton Classic website at www.HamptonClassic.com, or via ShowNet membership at www.ShowNet.biz. In addition, most of the Classic’s jumper and hunter classes from all other rings will also be available, many live, through ShowNet at www.ShowNet.biz.
USEF Network.com, Presented by SmartPak, will offer a free live webcast of the Classic’s featured event, the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix and FEI World Cup™ Qualifier on Sunday, September 2 starting at 2:00 p.m. EDT. This free live webcasts is available at www.USEFNetwork.com.
Further information on the Hampton Classic Horse Show is available at the Hampton Classic website at www.HamptonClassic.com or by calling 631-537-3177. Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation.