October 2, 2015–Fall show jumping competition at HITS Commonwealth Park came to a close with the HITS Culpeper Finals but not without one last week of exceptional competition boasting over $86,000 in prize money.
$15,000 Brook Ledge Open Jumper Prix
Friday’s final $15,000 Brook Ledge Open Jumper Prix of HITS Culpeper went to Dorothy Douglas, of Flower Mound, Texas, and S&L Elite, owned by MTM Farm. Besting a field of 22 hopefuls, over a course designed by Manual Esparza, of Mexico City, Mexico, Douglas left the Old Dominion State with a blue ribbon and a $4,350 check in hand.
Second Place was Ian Silitch, and Cordovo, owned by Gaston Family Investments. Silitch began the week in second place in the Brook Ledge Leading Rider standings, but his second-place finish in the class was not enough to unseat Aaron Vale atop the standings. Vale will receive a $1,500 shipping Credit from Brook Ledge Horse Transportation as the high point rider for the series.
Mary Lisa Leffler rode Carlot, owned by Rolling Acres to a third place finish, followed by Matthias Hollberg and Child Z, owned by The Party Girl Group LLC, in fourth place. Fifth place was presented to Cornet’s Gold 2, owned by Apex Equestrian Center and piloted by Kyle Timm.
Full results are available here.
$5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix
It didn’t take long for Melissa Feller, of Lincoln Park, New Jersey, and Serafino, owned by Elisabeth McFadden, to set the tone for a win in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix, putting themselves ahead of the pack in the qualifying for next year’s Diamond Mills Hunter Prix Final. Third in the first round order, Fellers and her mount sailed to a round high of 85 to best her fellow competitors and secure her place in the round two.
The second round began with a slow start and the first three competitors receiving scores of 77 and under but that all changed when Ian Silltch and Lion, owned by Sarah Jo Scott took their turn at the course. They had received a round one score of 84, and navigated their way to a cool 80 for the lead with a total of 164. Cassandra Kahle and Corinna RS, owned by Redfield Farm, followed and received a score of 80.5, which added to her round one score of 82, gave her a 162.5 to settle in just behind Silltch.
Feller and her second entry of the day, Mahoney, owned by Elizabeth Van Nostrand, were seventh in the order and next to shake things up. With a score of 81.5, plus 83 from round one for a total of 164.5, they found themselves at the top of the leaderboard.
Next to challenge the leader was the tenth entry, Morgan Ward and Brook Run Farm’s Reliance. Together they cruised to a cool 165 total by way of 84 in round one and 81 in round two and claimed the top spot for now.
Last to reenter the ring, Fellers and Serafino impressed the judges and received another round high score of 85 for a total of 171 and the win. After Fellers took the top spot, Ward moved to second, Fellers and Mahoney to third, Silltch to fourth and Kahle rounded out the top five.
Full results are available here.
$1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix
Connie McRill, of Woodbine, Maryland, and her own Sgt. Pepper came out on top winning the final $1,500 Platinum Performance Hunter Prix of the HITS Culpeper season, and the first qualifier for the 2016 season. After making a comeback from a round one score of 68, McRill piloted her mount to a round two score of 77 for a total of 175 and the blue ribbon.
The round one course proved to be challenging for a number of the competitors with many receiving scores in the sixties and seventies to move into round two. McRill was fourth in the round two order and completed the course with a round high score of 77.
Sixth in the order Ana Bertozzi and Make It Rain, owned by Edward Lane, reached for the top spot but finished with a score of 73, which added to their round one score of 69, gave them a total of 142, currently the next highest after McRill.
Last in the order and coming off a round one high of 81 points, Jody Ruth and Indulgence, owned by Powerstone Farm LLC, were ready to battle it out for first. Alas, it was not their day, finishing with a round two score of 63 for a total of 144 and second place, bumping Bertozzi to third.
Fourth place was awarded to Caitlin Lane and Promised Land. Kimberly Beattie aboard Con Coeur, owned by Redfield Farm, received the firth place ribbon.
Full results are available here.
$15,000 Jr/A-O Jumper High Classic, presented by Vetera® XP Vaccines
Laura Linback, of Mundelein, Illinois, and Attention Please, owned by Woodrun, added a $15,000 Jr/A-O Jumper High Classic, presented by Vetera® XP Vaccines to the books on Sunday, taking home the blue ribbon and a $4,350 check.
Five competitors cleared the round one course set by Manual Esparza, of Mexico City, Mexico, to move to a jump-off. Linback, who played it safe in round one, going slow and steady over the course, knew she had to pick up the speed in round two to make magic. She did just that, cruising through the course clear in a time of 36.407.
Morgan Ward and her own Conquillas were next to reenter the ring and made it all the way through the abbreviated course but a rail at the last fence would cost them four faults in a time of 37.884. Melissa Rudershausen and her own Gunner followed in the order and although fast, they had a rail at the second to last jump for four time faults in a time of 35.531.
Things seemed to be in Linback’s favor until the fourth entry Thaisa Erwin and her own Matilda chased her for the top stop. Erwin was clear and clocked in just behind the current leader with a time of 36.430 for second.
The last entry of the jump-off was Linback’s second mount of the day, Carmina, owned by Woodrun. Knowing what to do, she led her partner to a fault-free round in a time of 36.970, which was just enough to finish in third place. Rudershausen moved into fourth place and Ward finished in fifth place.
Full results available here.
$10,000 Pyranha Junior/A-O Jumper Low Classic
Sunday was a good day for Ann Gardner of Charlotte, North Carolina, and her own, After Eight, who strutted out of the Grand Prix ring with a $10,000 Pyranha Junior/A-O Jumper Low Classic win in her hat.
Competitors hailing from across the East Coast attempted the Low Classic course set at 1.30m by Esparza but only eight would go clear to secure a jump-off round. The first two entries to attempt the round two course retired so when the third entry, Laura Linback and Clooney, owned by Woodrun, appeared at the in-gate, spectators knew it was game on. Speeding through the timers with an undisturbed course behind them, they finished in a time of 37.584 for the lead.
Ginny Gale and her own Evensong were next in the order. The chase was on as they were swift to complete the course clean and in a time of 38.877 just a second slower than Linback, placing them in second for now.
Fifth in the jump-off order, Darby Toben riding Doreen Toben’s Kistler, sailed to a cool, clean finish in a time of 42.646 to place her just behind Gale in the rankings. Gardner was next and without hesitation or a rail down, she and her mount clocked in with a time of 37.156 for the lead.
The final two entries had four faults each resulting in Gardner in first, Linback in second, Gale in third and Toben in fourth. Michael Mahoney and his own Remonta Haron received fifth place.
Full results available here.
$40,000 HITS Grand Prix
After an impressive season in the North East, between HITS Saugerties and HITS Culpeper, it’s only fitting that Tracey Fenney and MTM Reve Du Paradis, owned by MTM Farm, went out with bang and clutched a final $40,000 HITS Grand Prix.
Competitors were quick to learn that the 13 effort course designed by Manual Esparza, of Mexico City, Mexico, was a challenging one. The first few entries ranged from four to twenty-one faults and two retiring from the class. It wasn’t until the eleventh entry that onlookers saw a clear round when Kyle Timm rode Cornet’s Gold 2, owned by Apex Equestrian Center, to a time of 83.092. Timm clocked in one second over the 82 second time allowed to leave him with a total of 2 faults and the lead.
Fifteenth in the order, Matthias Hollberg piloted Child Z, owned by The Party Girl Group LLC, to a clear ride until the tenth fence when a rail came down for four faults but with a quick time to put him just behind Timm.
Eighteenth in the order, Fenney knew what she had to do to win without a jump-off – go clean. She and her mount did just that as they rode through the timers with zero faults and a time of 81.080, just inside the time allowed, for the win bumping Timm to second and Hollberg to third.
Fourth place was awarded to David Matisz and Charles Pinckney, owned by David Matisz LLC & Margaret O’Neill. Tiffany Cambria and Amanda Hood’s Vavoom completed the top five.
Full results available here.