Thermal Closes with Richard Spooner’s Sixth Grand Prix Win
Richard Spooner continued his remarkable multi-year run of Grand Prix success in the desert as he closed the eight-week HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal with a win in the biggie: the $200,000 HITS Invitational Grand Prix on Sun. March 16. Spooner won Thermal’s first Grand Prix on Jan. 12 and closed the circuit riding Cristallo to beat the Invitational’s field of 26 contenders. All but three earned their spots in the marquee event by virtue of their standings on the circuit’s prize money rankings in the jumper division. And there were three special invitees: Will Simpson, who was fresh from a successful bid in Florida to be shortlisted for the 2008 Olympics; two-time Olympian Robert Ridland, and Grand Prix newcomer and 2007 Young Riders Championship team gold medalist Aurora Griffin.
Played out on a cool, windy day, the Invitational attracted a nice crowd. Flags from Argentina, Canada, Puerto Rico and Ireland flapped in the breeze, representing competitors from those countries, while the American flag represented contenders from Arizona, Washington, Oregon and, of course, California.
Going toward the end of the pack with his big, beautiful bay, Spooner logged the third of six clear rounds over Guilherme Jorge’s course. Cristallo’s long stride came in handy in a jump-off with plenty of places to step on the gas. The pair took a full four seconds off the time of Keri Potter and Rockford I, who, as the only other clear go in the jump-off, finished second. With the win, Spooner added $60,000 to his Thermal winnings, bringing his circuit total to close to $200,000. Fellow jump-offers Jill Henselwood of Canada, Ireland’s Eddie Macken, Will Simpson and Argentina’s Guillermo Obligado finished in the third though sixth slots, respectively.
Jumper riders continued to give the highest praise for the many improvements to the Thermal venue. Because he was contesting the Olympic Selection Trials, Will Simpson took his first competitive ride there during the Invitational. “I was very impressed when I saw all of the improvements,” he said. “The Grand Prix ring looks phenomenal and the footing is great.”
A Hat Trick for Fellers and Flexible
Rich Fellers and his mount Flexible had the competition seeing triple as the pair won their third $50,000 Tourneau FEI World Cup Qualifier presented by Adequan on March 7 at HITS Thermal.
“We pulled off the Oregon Hat Trick,” said Fellers. “He loves to jump. He is a smart horse but sometimes he jumps so high I think he is borderline crazy.” The pair won three out of four FEI World Cup Qualifiers at HITS Thermal and, as of press time, the pair are sitting pretty atop FEI U.S. West Coast League Standings.
Harry and Molle Chapman have owned the Irish stallion for eight years. He had some medical problems and was out of action for a while. “It’s an incredible feeling,” said Fellers. “This horse is for real. I am very thankful that Mr. and Mrs. Chapman stuck with him.”
Fellers got the best of five combinations in the jump-off to secure $15,000 in first-place prize money. First to go in the jump-off were Macella O’Neill and her mount Incandescent. The pair had an unlucky rail midway through the round to finish in fourth place for owner Melanie Rapp. Fellers and Flexible were next to compete and went clear setting the time to beat at 40.71.
Richard Spooner and his mount Apache were third in the order and they had the time beat, but a light rub on the final hurdle of the jump-off resulted in four faults and a second-place finish. Fourth in the jump-off order were Chris Pratt and Lou Bega. Pratt had the ride for Jill Humphrey who is nursing a sore back. The pair had eight faults and finished fifth place.
Spooner returned aboard Ace, his second mount of the jump-off. On the jump-off’s final trip, he knocked a rail down on the round’s second obstacle to land in third place. He was also eighth aboard Cristallo.
The last West Coast World Cup Qualifier will be held at the Oaks Blenheim Spring I in San Juan Capistrano on March 29.
Press release provided by HITS Thermal.
Summertime at Thermal
Canadian Olympian John Pearce had a hunch right before the $50,000 STRONGID® C Grand Prix at HITS Thermal. Pearce told Mandy Porter that he knew she was going to win the featured class as she was congratulated by a slew of supporters for her blue-ribbon effort aboard her trusty mount Summer.
Porter certainly wasn’t joking around during the class as she outlasted a field of 34 pairs in the opening round and three combinations in the jump-off to secure $15,000 in first-place prize money for Wild Turkey Farm.
Summer is a 13-year-old and won the Pacific Coast Grand Prix Horse of the Year in 2006. Porter was born in California where she was a successful junior rider. She moved to Europe for seven years and now is putting her stamp back on the West Coast.
“Experience paid off for me today,” said Porter. “We have known each other for so long and she wasn’t distracted by some of the more difficult tests on the course.”
“A lot of horses didn’t pass the scope test in the triple combination,” said Canadian course designer David Ballard. “The line from 9 to 10B was also tough. It had a difficult angle to it. Plus, the soft yellow and white color of the jump was hard for the horses.”
Ladies Night at the Third World Cup Qualifier
Friday evening was ladies night at HITS Thermal when Joie Gatlin and her mount Camaron Hills Shan Roe secured the top prize during the third $50,000 Tourneau FEI World Cup Qualifier presented by Adequan.
Gatlin and her 13 year old mount had the sole clear round on Canadian course designer, David Ballard’s route and secured $15,000 in prize money for Camaron Hills Farm.
It was only Gatlin’s seventh class aboard Camaron Hills Shan Roe as she had the ride in place of rider Molly Talla who is expecting her second child. “I am very fortunate to have this ride,” said Gatlin. “We might go Sunday but he was so good today I am not sure. We are going to take next week off and come back strong for week six and the championship week.”
“Having the class indoors was a lot of fun,” said Gatlin. “Every time you step into the ring there is such a great vibe. It’s a great thing for the riders on the West Coast.”
Mandy Porter and Summer took home $11,000 in prize money by securing second place in the qualifier, Richard Spooner and his ride Apache finished in third place.
A Sweet 15 for Karen Healey Stables
The riders of Karen Healey Stables won 15 equitation classes in the fifth show of the HITS Desert Circuit and took top ribbons in the jumpers and tricolors in the hunters.
The winning started with the USEF Junior Medal class where Tina DiLandri took the blue ribbon and Carly Anthony of Redmond, WA was second. DiLandri also won the CPHA Foundation Medal. Her third blue ribbon came in the Washington International Horse Show Equitation class overall, while Shelby Wakeman of Westlake Village was fourth. Another win for DiLandri was in the Equitation 16-17 under saddle. Anthony won all three over fences classes in the Equitation 16-17 division and was the champion.
Kristi Siam, winner of the Equitation 51 & Over championship at HITS Desert Circuit V.
Photo: Jennifer Wood
Wakeman took two blue ribbons in the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search class and the ASPCA Maclay class. Hannah Selleck of Thousand Oaks was second in the Talent Search and Michelle Morris of La Canada was third. Holly Dickinson of Los Angeles was first and fourth in the Equitation 14-15 division and was awarded the reserve championship.
The adult riders won their fair share of ribbons as well. Tammy Chipko of Westlake Village was second in the Foxfield Medal and Elizabeth Dickinson was fourth. Dickinson finished second in the WCE Junior/Amateur Medal class. Chipko and her top hunter, All That, finished as reserve champions in the Amateur/Owner Over 35 Hunters and they finished third in the Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic.
Yvette Lang-Einczig finished fourth in the USEF Adult Medal and won a class in the Equitation 36-50 division. Hannah Selleck and Katie Gardner each won a class in the Equitation 18-35.
Kristi Siam of Chatsworth kept her winning streak alive in the Equitation 51 and Over division. She took the championship again after winning two classes and placing second in the remaining two classes.
Moving over the jumper ring, Elizabeth Dickinson took the reserve championship tricolor with her horse Corrada. On her new horse Luccio, Dickinson picked up a fourth place.
Michelle Morris and her new mount Lichtenstein 7 moved up to the Low Junior Jumpers and placed second in the competitive division. Lauren Kay and Chip Chap finished second in the High Amateur-Owner Jumpers. Jocelyn Neff and Golden Flip won fourth place in the $10,000 Low Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper Classic. Assistant trainer Kasey Ament went double clean and took eighth place in the Future Jumpers with Zico, owned by Fred Bauer.
Press release provided by Phelps Media Group, Inc.
Team USA Purina Mills Wins 2008 Challenge of the Americas
The bright lights of the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL showcased three teams in two rounds of competition on a very chilly Saturday night, March 8. In the end, it was Team USA Purina Mills that emerged as the winner of the 2008 Challenge of the Americas. The USA team claimed second place in the High Jump and first place in the Musical Quadrille, which counted 40 percent and 60 percent respectively, giving the eight-member squad the victory after a spectacular dressage performance to a “Blue Angels” themed soundtrack.
Betsy Steiner of Team USA, who has participated in this event every year since its inception seven years ago as a Pas de Trois, exclaimed, “I can’t believe it’s seven times already! We were so excited to win it because though we’ve won the overall team, this is the first time we’ve actually won the quadrille. We were very committed this year to do the very, very best we could, so it’s a thrill to really come out winning this one. It’s a good feeling.”
Team USA Purina Mills’ show jumpers Todd Minikus and Emily Williams notched the team’s first set of scores in the High Jump, placing second, which translated to a value of four points. Steiner, along with teammates Lynda Alicki, Pamela Goodrich, Chris Hickey, Susan Jaccoma, and Bent Jensen earned an additional 10 points for the team with their quadrille victory. George Williams was the quadrille team coach and Terry Gallo of Klassic Kur, created the choreography and soundtrack.
Adding the totals of the two phases: Team USA scored four for high jump, plus ten for the quadrille, totaling 14 points for the win; three points ahead of Team Canada.
The spectacular evening of sport and entertainment kicked off with opening ceremonies featuring two solo dressage exhibitions setting the scene before a sold-out crowd in the International Club and a cheering section of General Admission fans in the blue seats. Olympian Steffen Peters riding Fantasma owned by Deborah and Rex Howe, a Selle Francais stallion shown in Grand Prix by Rick Silvia, performed one of his award-winning freestyles as a “Salute to America.”
This condensed press release was provided courtesy of Phelps Media Group, Inc.
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