Ocala, FL – During eeek VIII of the 2023 Winter Spectacular Show Series, Santiago Lambre and Chacco Blue II boldly claimed the $100,000 Hampton Green Farms Grand Prix victory on Saturday night, while Samantha Schaefer scored her second consecutive win in the $20,000 Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby aboard In The Know. Read on for additional highlights from the week!
Watch Brazil and Australia battle it out over the $100,000 Hampton Green Farms Grand Prix jump-off track during week VIII of the 2023 Winter Spectacular Show Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala.
Vicente Guillen and Cornut GP led the way in the $15,000 Taylor Harris Insurance Services 1.45m Jumper Classic on Sunday afternoon.
“Cornut GP is a very talented horse. He was a stallion about eight months ago, but we decided to geld him. He was a little full of himself as a stallion,” laughed Guillen. “He is doing much better now, and we are moving him up to the grand prix. I think he has a very promising future ahead of him and I think he will be a competitive four- and five-star horse.”
Santiago Lambre and Chacco Blue II wowed the crowd on Saturday night in the $100,000 Hampton Green Farms Grand Prix.
“Chacco Blue II is a slow mover, but has a mile long step and can turn very well. Tonight, he showed his speed. I tried to gallop everywhere I could and be tight back to the second to last vertical. Luckily for us, both tight turns were on his good side, and not blind side. If it were on his blind eye side I would’ve had to give him a touch more room, but this course was perfect for him. Then to the last line I just kept kicking, I am not even sure how many I did, but I just tried to go as fast as I could. ”
Richard Rinehart and Vincent topped the $15,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix after the pair were quick to up the ante in the jump-off and stop the clock at a blistering 30.803 seconds to secure the top position on the leaderboard.
Camille Maddrix and the small but mighty Jack Straw bested the field in the $15,000 1.40m Jumper Classic with a quick time of 36.591 seconds.
Samantha Schaefer scored back-to-back wins in the $20,000 Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby aboard In The Know.
“The course was beautiful today. The jumps were big, and I really enjoyed how they used the end of the ring to connect the track. You felt like you were riding jump to jump, rather than taking a stroll in the turns.”
Daniel Geitner landed a double victory in the $15,000 UF Veterinary Hospital 3’ Open Hunter Derby.
“It was a great way to start out the day. We have beautiful weather, a beautiful course and my horses couldn’t have gone any better. Peter Grant is a great course designer, and he asked a few questions. The one stride was only in the handy and that proved to be a bit of challenge for some. On Cadoretto I went inside to the last one stride, and I think I was the only one to do that. Story Hour is a bit more green, so I played it safe and went around. It was a nice handy track where you could make some inside turns, show off and gallop a bit.”
Isabelle Ehman and Jagerbomb were victorious in the $15,000 WEC Ocala 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby.
“I just wanted to lay down another nice round. I don’t put pressure on myself because that makes the situation worse. I tried not to think about what score I needed, I just wanted to do my best and do the turns my trainer Don Stewart told me to do. Jagerbomb was perfect and I am very proud of him.”
On Thursday in the $24,000 C. Jarvis Insurance Welcome Prix, last to go Tracy Fenney piloted MTM Apple to victory.
“I was able to watch the few go before I went. Santiago was fast, but had to wrestle with his horse to the combination. Jill was pretty quick everywhere except the last line where she did ten. It walked a ten, but we all know the horses open up so much in this ring, our plan was to do the eight. Which is insane to say. Dorrie ended up drifting a bit toward the ingate in the last line and had to really push for the eight, so I knew if I caught it direct Apple would be able to get down the line easily.”
Chandler Wilks piloted Jonna Wilks Murray’s Veikko to the $2,000 WEC Ocala Pony Hunter Derby win.
Alexander Adkins and his own Completto captured the $3,500 Junior 2’6” Non Pro Hunter Derby victory, while Linda Brill and her own Game On won the $3,500 Amateur 2’6” Non Pro Hunter Derby.
Congratulations to all entries on another thrilling week of equestrian sport!
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
Videos available at ClipMyHorse.TV