Summer has officially arrived along with the WEC July shows featuring two consecutive weeks of outdoor horse showing at our beautiful Wilmington, Ohio facility. Entries are still open for week II featuring free stalls, no required braiding and a myriad of fun events both during and after show hours. The WEC July I and II shows are part of the five-show WEC Spring / Summer Series, which began in late May and conclude on August 11.
Argentina’s Patricio Rodriguez and Abby Lockwood’s Metro Lass (Metropol x Dunmor Lass) kicked off the week’s feature classes with an incredible win in today’s $5,000 Welcome Stake 1.35 m sponsored by CWD Sellier. The pair were on fire and Rodriguez was all smiles both during his awards shot and while leading the victory gallop.
This afternoon’s $5,000 Welcome Stake 1.35 m sponsored by CWD Sellier featured a course by Bobby Murphy, of Lexington, Kentucky, beautifully set up in the outdoor show complex. The course began at the top of the ring over a single oxer, then serpentined through the center of the arena over a vertical-to-oxer line and past the ingate over a single vertical. Next, the course led up a vertical on the rail that bent to an oxer, then down the diagonal over an oxer that led to a one stride combination. The course then led up an oxer on the rail and across the center of the ring over an oxer-to-vertical combination. To finish, the course led back down the rail over a vertical that bent to an oxer near the bottom of the ring.
Near the top of the order was Patricio Rodriguez aboard Abby Lockwood’s Metro Lass (Metropol x Dunmor Lass), a nine year old Irish Sport Horse mare. Though Metro Lass is not a familiar mount for Rodriguez, the mare has excelled with owner Abby Lockwood in the Junior Jumpers, taking top placings at HITS in Ocala, Florida this past Winter. This afternoon, Rodriguez and Metro Lass took to the course with confidence, easily clearing each fence and jumping the first clear round of the class in 81.475 seconds, about two and a half seconds under the time allowed of 84 seconds.
The pair continued straight to the jump off of the Table II 2(b) event. The course for the jump off began over the same two fences as the first round, then rolled back out of the line across the center of the ring to catch the vertical on the rail. The course then rolled back through the center to catch the one stride combination heading down the diagonal, then continued up the rail over an oxer. From there, the course continued up the ring to catch the vertical on the rail, now reversed, and finished by rolling back through the center of the ring to jump the out element from the first line of the first course. Rodriguez and the Irish Sport Horse mare picked up the pace, surging though the course with plenty of power, but pulled an unfortunate rail at the vertical heading up the ring. Rodriguez and Metro Lass still crossed the timers at an impressive time of 48.129 seconds.
Next in the ring was Jennifer Strickland aboard her own Kroner Z (Kannan x Lucinda Jo), a fourteen year old Zangersheide gelding. The pair regularly compete in the 1.30 m – 1.40 m Jumpers, recently taking fantastic placings at the Country Heir II show in Lexington, Kentucky. The pair were steady and rhythmic throughout the course this afternoon, leaving all of the rails up but unfortunately incurring three time faults, stopping the clock at 86.970 seconds, landing them in second place.
Last in the order, Taylor Avann and her own Charlie Brown took to the course. Avann and Charlie Brown frequent World Equestrian Center, competing in everything from the 1.25 m Jumpers to the Grand Prix. The pair delivered a fantastic performance this afternoon, jumping a clear first round in 82.409 seconds. Avann and Charlie Brown continued straight to the jump off, riding a thoughtful round, but unfortunately pulling a rail at the out of the one stride combination. The pair crossed the timers at 51.609 seconds, sliding neatly into second place, moving Strickland and Kroner Z to third place and leaving Rodriguez and Metro Lass atop the leader board for the win in the class. Rounding out the top five were Robert Mendoza aboard Bannockburn Farm’s United M (Baloubet Du Rouet x United) and Taylor Kain aboard The Gelt Group’s Shuttergold (Silvio I x Famose), both with an unlucky four faults that kept them out of the jump off but incredibly speedy rounds that ensured top finishes.
Rodriguez took a moment to chat with us ringside about his win. “Honestly Metro Lass is a mare that I haven’t shown that much, so I don’t know her that well. She belongs to a client of mine, Abby Lockwood, and I thank her a lot for letting me ride the mare,” says Rodriguez.
When asked about his ride, Rodriguez replied, “My course was good. We started a little rough but I think we got to know each other a little bit as the course went. She’s an amazing mare. I had a couple mistakes here and there, but she’s amazing.”
Rodriguez also added, “I’m from Argentina originally. I’ve been in the U.S. for the last seven years. I’m currently starting my own business, so I have a couple of horses and a couple of clients and I’m based in Lexington, Kentucky.”
$5,000 Welcome Stake 1.35 m Result
- Metro Lass, Patricio Rodriguez – 0 | 4 | 48.129
- Charlie Brown, Taylor Avann – 0 | 4 | 51.609
- Kroner Z, Jennifer Strickland – 3 | 86.970
- United M, Robert Mendoza – 4 | 75.639
- Shuttergold, Taylor Kain – 4 | 79.720
- Gilded, Taylor Kain – 4 | 80.333
- Java Van De Kleinheide, Robert Mendoza – 4 | 81.146
- Ardragh Rock Star, Harriet McCord Chang – 6 | 85.483
- Kinsella, Charlotte Clark – 8 | 81.728
- Fearless, Mark McKone – 12 | 79.515
Photos courtesy of Winslow Photography.