Kama Godek & Conny 409 Dominate the $30,000 Hagyard Grand Prix at WEC – Wilmington Midwest Indoors II
16 NOV 25 Ocala, FL
Wilmington, Ohio – Exhibitors gathered at the Standlee Sanctuary for the $30,000 Hagyard Equine Medical Institute Grand Prix at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington (WEC) Midwest Indoors II. Twenty horse-and-rider combinations attempted Bobby Murphy’s technical track, with only three jumping clear.
Kait Meggenhofen, Kama Godek, and Molly Kindness returned to vie for the win over the short course.
Meggenhofen and Windara Farms Inc’s 12-year-old Selle Français gelding, Darius Du Reel (Norton D’eole x Perle Normande), jumped the first double-clear effort, stopping the clock in 40.838 seconds.
Godek and her 11-year-old Oldenburg mare, Conny 409 (Conthargos x Cassandra), followed, crossing the timers in 40.463 seconds to take the lead and move Meggenhofen into second place.
“Conny came over at the same time as Lady [Stakkata], and she’s a very good horse. She’s really strong, so I needed some help with her. Yann Candele helped me this winter in Ocala, and after the season, we decided he should take her for a bit,” Godek shared about her mare’s development.
“He really made her his number-one priority, which helped a lot. I recently got her back, and I can definitely say Yann helped her immensely this spring and summer. I’ve been giving her the opportunity to do regional Grand Prix classes, which has been great for her confidence. Both Yann and I focused on building her confidence step by step.”
Godek and her team have made WEC – Wilmington a frequent stop on the calendar. She shared her appreciation for the facility.
“I love the WEC shows. I am now based in Ocala during the winter, but here in Wilmington it is great because we can school young horses and riders in the evening without pressure. It’s really helped me develop both horses and riders!”
On Murphy’s track, Godek noted, “I know both my horses well, and they’re brave, but presenting them to the new plank in the ring was important. After the plank came the triple combination, so you really had to be ready to react off that jump.”
Molly Kindness and Jayme Klosterman’s nine-year-old KWPN gelding, Liber T (Grand Slam VDL x Nikita), were the final pair to go, clocking the quickest time but with an unfortunate rail to round out the top three.
$30,000 Hagyard Grand Prix Results
Rebecca MacWilliams & Mr Cash Speed to Win the $7,500 1.20m Junior/Amateur Mini Prix
The $7,500 1.20m Junior/Amateur Mini Prix at Midwest Indoors II featured a competitive 21-horse field, with 12 partnerships advancing to jump double-clear efforts.
Rebecca MacWilliams ultimately claimed the top spot, securing the win by just tenths of a second.
Aboard Riverbrook Sport Horses’ 13-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding, Mr Cash (Click and Cash 1155 x Pukarla), MacWilliams stopped the clock in 36.628 seconds to clinch the victory.
Olivia Markman piloted Jean McLaren’s 10-year-old KWPN mare, Pearl of Grey VHL (Cordess 2 x D. Amelusina R17), to a close second in 36.961 seconds.
Sienna Halama rounded out the top three aboard her own 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Karolitha (Glock’s London x Farah Diba), finishing in 37.06 seconds.