Week VI of the World Equestrian Center – Ocala Summer Series hunter/jumper horse show brought an exciting week of equestrian sport with wins from some familiar faces in feature classes. The week included Tracy Fenney taking home first and second place in the $75,000 E-Z-GO Grand Prix and World Cup rider, Rowan Willis taking home a win in the $12,500 WEC Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby. The week also showcased three additional hunter derbies and three other featured jumper classes.
Sunday morning kicked off with feature class action of the $15,000 WEC Ocala 1.40m Jumper Classic. A field of 15 horse-and-rider combinations challenged a course built by FEI Level IV course designer, Alan Wade of Ireland. The course presented a winding track that contained a double combination and a triple combination. Six entries managed a clean first round and three jumped double clear, but it was Olympian Sharn Wordley of New Zealand and Casper that captured the win.
New Zealand’s Sharn Wordley and Casper (Contender x Falubet) delivered a lovely first round easily clearing every fence in the ring to stop the clock at 68.617 seconds. Wordley and the 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding advanced straight to the jump-off, taking a very tidy inside turn to fly through the rest of the course, stopping the clock at 35.168 seconds for the win.
World Equestrian Center – Ocala hosted a thrilling night of equestrian sport on Saturday for the $75,000 E-Z-GO Grand Prix. Forty entries took to the WEC Grand Arena under the lights to contest a course built by FEI Level IV course designer Alan Wade. The technical track included a large triple bar to a difficult double combination that tested many riders throughout the night. Ten entries advanced to the jump-off but it was Tracy Fenney that swept the class, taking home first and second place.
Fenney’s first clear round was on MTM Reve Du Paradis (Crown Z x Kaline De Semilly). The pair yielded a lovely first round, not rubbing a single rail to stop the clock at 78.190 seconds making the pair eligible for the jump-off.
Fenney returned later in the order on her second mount, MTM Apple (Favorit Ask x Kong’s Whopsie). Fenney and MTM Apple had previous Saturday night success, placing third in Week IV’s grand prix. Fenney and MTM Apple delivered a smooth first round, walking down the lines to stop the timers at 78.658 seconds, qualifying the duo to return for the jump-off.
Fenney returned to the jump-off first on MTM Reve Du Paradis. Fenney and the 16-year-old Selle Francais gelding flew through the course taking a tidy inside turn after the chapel fence to roll back to the liver poll. Fenney and MTM Farm’s MTM Reve Du Paradis galloped to the last line to leave out a stride to the final fence stopping the clock at 38.546 seconds.
Fenney returned to the jump-off determined to beat her own time. Fenney and MTM Apple soared over the first oxer taking a tidy but quick turn back to fence two. The pair galloped to the double combination in seven strides, one less than other competitors. Fenney and MTM Apple soared to the chapel fence taking another tight inside turn to the liver pool. The pair galloped to the last line, to walk down the line in just nine strides, stopping the clock at 38.089 seconds earning herself first and second place.
Earlier Saturday afternoon, the WEC Grand Arena saw a field of 33 entries compete for the blue ribbon in the $10,000 WEC Ocala Features Prix 1.30m – 1.35m. Thirteen entries managed a first clean round and eight jumped double clear, but it weas Camille Maddrix and Apex Equestrian Center’s Miss Uno that took home the first place award. Maddrix and her fairly new mount Miss Uno (Numero Uno x Untouchable R) delivered a fast and clean first round relatively early in the order, stopping the clock at 71.046 seconds. Maddrix and the 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare advanced to the jump-off immediately, rolling through the course with a nice gallop to stop the clock at 31.269 seconds to earn first place.
Hunter Derby Friday took over the CaptiveOne Advisors Indoor Arena as more than 40 stunning hunters vied for the win in the $12,500 WEC Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby and the $10,000 WEC Ocala 3’ Hunter Derby. Tucker Williams designed the winding tracks that contained beautifully decorated obstacles allowing riders to demonstrate their horse’s brilliance. Each class saw fierce competition with scores soaring into the 90s.
Friday afternoon, Rowan Willis and Lord Don (Don VHP x Lady Hamilton) brought their A-game, delivering a gorgeous first round taking all three high options with ease to earn a score of 86. Willis has had great success during the World Equestrian Center – Ocala Summer Series earning multiple top placings in Saturday night grands prix. Willis took off his jumper hat and put on his hunter cap. Willis and Lord Don returned for the handy delivering a flawless course taking every single inside turn that was available while taking all three high options to earn the class’s highest handy score of 91, for a two-round total of 177.
Earlier Friday morning, thirty horse-and-rider combinations gathered to the CaptiveOne Advisors Indoor Arena to contest the $10,000 WEC Ocala 3’ Hunter Derby but it was Timothy Maddrix and Missy Roebuck Nolen’s Cypress that claimed the top spot. Maddrix and Cypress are familiar faces in the WEC Ocala 3’ Hunter Derby, earning first place in Week II’s hunter derby. Maddrix and the 10-year-old Warmblood gelding delivered a beautiful first round, earning a high first round score of 88.5. The pair returned for the handy taking a tidy turn to the double combination to hunt to the last fence, delivering another perfect course to receive the highest handy score of 93, for a two-round total of 181.5.
Feature classes for Week VI of the World Equestrian Center – Ocala Summer Series kicked off early Thursday morning with 29 entries vying for the win in the $15,000 WEC Ocala Welcome Prix. Alan Wade built the track that included three double combinations, along with multiple opportunities for tidy inside turns on the short course. Nine entries jumped a clear first-round and four entries jumped double clear, but it was Jordan Petersen and Derek Petersen’s Diamant’s Legacy, who captured their second $15,000 WEC Ocala Welcome Prix win this season.
Petersen and Diamant’s Legacy were on fire Thursday morning, delivering a flawless first-round, stopping the clock at 78.726 seconds, just under the time allowed. Petersen and the 12-year-old Oldenburg stallion, advanced straight to the jump-off, taking a tight roll back to fence two to gallop to the double combination. The pair walked down the last line, leaving out a stride to stop the clock at 32.319 seconds for the win.
The week also featured two additional derbies including the $5,000 WEC Pony Hunter Derby and the $7,500 Non Pro 2’6” Hunter Derby. Madison Moore and her own Watchusayin topped the $5,000 WEC Ocala Pony Hunter Derby out of a field of six entries. The large Welsh Pony Cross also had great success in the NSBA 2’ Hunter class with Grayson Moore, earning Reserve Champion.
Nicolas Ryu and Street E Moore’s Google topped the $7,500 Non Pro 2’6” Hunter Derby out of 24 other horse-and-rider combinations. Ryu and the Warmblood gelding produced two lovely rounds, earning the highest first round score of 84, and a handy score of 78 for a two-round total of 162, to earn the pair the class win.
Congratulations to all entries on another thrilling week of equestrian sport at World Equestrian Center – Ocala!
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.