Tag: CPHA Foundation Finals

Highlights From The August 28, 2010 Blenheim EquiSports Show

HOWPARK SUMMER CLASSIC & ALL SEASONS TOURNAMENT:
With September right around the corner and school starting again for many competitors, it came time to say goodbye to summer and welcome the new fall season. The outdoor grand prix events came to a close in late August at the Showpark Summer Classic as a large group of show jumpers took to the field in the $40,000 Grand Prix of Showpark, presented by California Horsetrader. Medal finals continued with the CPHA Foundation competitors going for the year-end title. The young horses took the outdoor stage as Blenheim EquiSports proudly hosted the Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF National Hunter Breeding Championships, International Hunter Futurity Classes and the $45,000 Wild Turkey Farm Young Jumper Championships.

September started off with some exciting indoor competition at the Showpark All Seasons Summer Tournament. The 2011 FEI World Cup hopefuls and more competed on Thursday in the $30,000 Showpark Jumper Classic, presented by Royal Champion, On Saturday evening the $50,000 Grand Prix of Showpark, presented by EquiFit, inc. was once again a competitive indoor World Cup qualifying class.

Saturday, August 28th, 2010: $40,000 Showpark Summer Classic Grand Prix
Sixty horse and rider couples were eager to gallop onto the grass for the $40,000 Showpark Summer Classic Grand Prix, presented by California Horsetrader. A diverse group of fourteen duos returned for the jump-off and the top six ribbon winners jumped double clean. The speedy pair of Jaime Azcarraga and Celsius bested the rest of the field for the win.

German course designer, Olaf Peterson Jr. created a challenging track consisting of sixteen efforts. With a large field of rookies and veterans alike, Peterson Jr. wanted to design an inviting course to suit the variety of entrants. “It was a difficult field to set for,” he noted. “There were young horses, young riders, and also experienced couples; they all had to be considered.”

Marking the halfway point in the lineup of sixty horses, Azcarraga and Celsius were the thirtieth to attempt the course, and the ninth team to advance to the jump-off round. “This course by Olaf was nice but also difficult,” the triumphant Azcarraga said. “I think the 14 clean says something about the quality of competitors coming to this show. [Showpark] is a beautiful place to bring the horses and compete.”

Fault-free in both rounds and crossing the timers in 37.00 in the jump-off was the gifted eight-year-old horse Bristol (Grey Fox Farm, owner) and his pilot Rusty Stewart for fifth place. Seventeen-year-old Lucy Davis qualified two mounts for the second round but was eliminated on her first ride, Nemo 911. The young hot shot from Los Angeles redeemed herself and finished fourth by turning in a double clear ride aboard Old Oak Farm’s Hannah. Rounding out the top three was the super scopey Chello Z with his partner Josephina Nor-Lantzman. Less than a second away from the winner’s circle was Joie Gatlin who piloted Camaron Hills Quick Dollar (Camaron Hills Farm, owner) to a second place finish.

While there were many vying for the top position, it was the 10-year-old German bred Celsius and Azcarraga’s well thought out plan that secured the win. “With 14 in the jump-off, I really had to go for it,” Azcarraga said. “I took the five strides to the combination and I think that paid off.”

Designer Peterson Jr. had a feeling Azcarraga would give his competitors a run for their money and was happy with the winning ride. “The jump-off was difficult because of the turns, but Jaime was the best and his horse was super careful,” he remarked. “This is a newer horse for Jaime. It was nice to see him win.”

August 28-29, 2010: CPHA Foundation Finals
During the Showpark Summer Classic, equitation riders in three divisions – 22 & over, 21 & under and 14 & under – vied for the CPHA Foundation Championship title.

Kristi Siam riding her own Krosus topped the adult group. Placing third in the first round of the final and first in the second round, Siam’s stellar trips earned her the top prize. Siam trains with Karen Healey.

In the 21 & under division, the talented Cayla Richards, trained by Archie Cox, blew the competition out of the water by winning all phases of the event aboard Presidio. Last week’s CPHA Adult Medal Final winner Adrienne Dixon rode Julie Nagler’s Vincenzo to a second place finish.

In the youngest age division, Alexandra Ladove topped the class of 24 in the tack of her partner Littlewood, clinching the win in each phase of the competition under the direction of her trainer, John French.

Highlights From The $40,000 Summer Grand Prix On August 22nd, 2009

The weekend of August 22nd, 2009 will be remembered for many years to come in the equestrian world. On Saturday we watched 56 horses start and fourteen jump-off in the last outdoor grand prix of the 2009 season. Plus we simultaneously witnessed the final rounds of the inaugural ASG Software Solutions/USHJA Hunter Derby Finals live from the Kentucky Horse Park online at equestrianlife.com. On Sunday not only did the CPHA Foundation Medal Finals come to an exciting close but the EquSport and Coapexpan Horse Shows along with a handful of fantastic sponsors hosted a fabulous cocktail party that evening. More on all the above and other outstanding stories below, so read on.

Designing a course for a large field requires the track be challenging enough to narrow the jump-off to a handful of horses and riders. Among the 56 entries were competitors at the International level, horses returning from a summer in Europe with this as their first comeback to the show ring as well as riders on young horses and new mounts. Quite a mix for course designer Olaf Petersen Jr. to contend with and successfully so with exactly one quarter of the first round attempts making it to the jump-off.

Sixteen-year-old Paris Sellon on her Orlando LA went fourth and were the first clean. Familiar with Olaf Jr.’s courses after competing at the 2009 NAYJRC in late July, she set the pace with one rail in the jump-off in a time of 49.25. Up against some top West Coast and Mexican riders, she held her lead for several rounds when rails dropped as riders attempted to beat the clock. Sixth to ride in the second round was another young rider who has made her mark several times in the grand prix arena, Laura Teodori on her fabulous Kasoar D’Uxelles. She also had four faults but in 47.70 to take over the lead for a brief moment.

Next in Mexican rider Eduardo Menezes on his Renoir Mercedes Benz were the first double clean setting, the time to beat at 45.38. Another top contender, Susie Hutchison and El Dorado 29’s Cantano, nipped at Menezes heels, double clean in 47.70, which would end up third best. The amazing (and young) Ashlee Bond was clean on all three of her Little Valley Farm entries, her first time back in on Chivas Z garnered her lowest prize, seventh with a rail in 49.10. Her next attempt on GZS Cassira Z ended up fastest of the four-faulters in 45.37 for fourth overall. Menezes returned on his Let’s Go Mercedes Benz, racing around in 46.80 with four for fifth place. And Ashlee Bond finished the class on her outstanding Cadett 7. The pair blazed around in their now internationally known style and stopped the clock clean in 44.73 for the win.

August 29th, 2009 – The $50,000 Grand Prix of Showpark Indoor World Cup Qualifier

Fitting that the end of our summer season and the start of the new Indoor season would include a retirement ceremony for a horse known worldwide – Wild Turkey Farm’s Summer. Discovered, trained and taken to the highest levels by Mandy Porter, this gorgeous gray mare cleared many World Cup level courses and competed in the FEI World Cup Finals. She also sailed effortlessly around many outdoor venues, including wins at Spruce Meadows and the Del Mar National. When trying the mare as a mount for Barb Ellison, both Mandy and owner Barb saw international potential. Barb purchased Summer and allowed Mandy to bring out the best in the horse. After a very successful five-year reign in the show arena, Mandy will hand the reins back to Barb, who will breed the mare to some of her fabulous Wild Turkey Farm stallions in Summer’s second career as a broodmare. Can’t wait to see those babies jump!

Of forty starters in the first World Cup qualifier of the West Coast season, six horses piloted by four riders jumped off. Last to go, Tiwistar and Francie Steinwedell Carvin were two time faults away from making it seven clean. Four faulters rounded out the top eleven and similarly to seventh, twelfth went to a team with one rail and one time fault.

“I built a legitimate course,” explained course designer Leopoldo Palacios. “What the West Coast has done having all the qualifiers indoors is the best for the sport, you can see the improvement in the riders.”

A beautiful course that started with the black and white EquiFit, inc. plank oxer, to a bending six, around a tight right turn to a liverpool vertical, blind corner to the red planks, left turn to a diagonal line down the middle of the arena with a triple combination – one stride to a two stride to three forward strides to the brick wall, another bending line that ended with a square wide oxer, to a triple bar in a tight five to a vertical – oxer combination and finishing in a bend over an airy gate. Suffice to say the most of the jumps came down at one point or another, but the middle line and the tight five were the biggest culprits.

First to go clean was none other than rock star duo Ashlee Bond and Cadett 7, seventh in the ring. She did it again on Little Valley Farm’s GZS Cassira Z later in the class. Ashlee’s coach, Richard Spooner followed suit, clean on Cristallo (Show Jumping Syndications Intl, owner) and on his wife Kaylen’s horse Pako. The other two to join the jump off included Santiago Rickard on his own Jet Star and Keri Potter on her Rockford I. Of course Bond set a blazing pace in the jump off, clean in 33.95. No other rider could catch that time. Two more went clean – Spooner and Pako in 34.30 for second place and Potter with Rockford I in 36.08. Cristallo with one rail in 34.20 ended up fourth. Cassira fifth with a rail in 38.38 and rounding out the top six was Jet Star and Rickard with four in 41.17.

Young Horses

The Showpark All Seasons Classic also crowns a good number of young horses with their first big victories. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Wheeler family sponsored the Sallie B. Wheeler/USEF Hunter Breeding Championships for yearlings, two-year-olds and three-year-olds in hand, while two-year-old, three-year-old and four-year-old hunters competed in the International Hunter Futurity classes.

The 2009 Wild Turkey Farm Young Jumper Championships Western League Finals offers competition for three age divisions, five-year-olds, six-year-olds and seven/eight-year-olds over three days. Exhibitors from northern and southern California, Mexico, Colorado and Arizona gathered to show their young prospects. The Simpsons, Nicki and Will, dominated the five year old division riding Holly Go Lightly (Ilan Ferder, owner) and Carpendale (Kimberly Thomas, owner) respectively. Mexican riders garnered the top spots in both the six-year-old and seven/eight-year-old divisions – John Perez won with his six year old Winalaris La Cantera and was second on Carla (Eduardo Leon, owner). He also battled it out with Mandy Porter for the win in the seven/eight-year-olds, with the blue going to Arezzo (Rolling Oaks West LLC, owner) and a close second to LaMarque (Wild Turkey Farm, owner) in an exciting six horse jump off.

Are these horses potential USHJA Hunter Derby winners? Grand Prix contenders? International horses? Time will tell… We wish all the best to these young horses in their future careers.