Week VII of the 2022 Winter Spectacular Show Series wrapped after a slate of top equestrian sport including the $75,000 Florida Coast Equipment Grand Prix and the $10,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix. Other feature class action included three hunter derbies in the WEC stadium, two jumper classics and the $20,000 C. Jarvis Insurance Welcome Prix.
Lisa Goldman-Smolen and Barbara Disko’s Sovereign conquered Sunday’s $15,000 WEC Ocala 1.45m Jumper Classic.
“The course rode hard enough. It was the end of a long week, we had two night classes this week and there were a lot of trips to go ahead of us. Leopoldo set amazing tracks, that were difficult and challenging. It was just technical enough to have rails in different spots.”
Santiago Lambre and his own Chacco Blue II emerged victorious in the $75,000 Florida Coast Equipment Grand Prix, besting 41 other competitors.
“[Chacco Blue II] is an incredible horse. He is actually blind in one eye. He wouldn’t know it because he has been blind in that eye since he was two,” said Lambre. “He just left quarantine. He was in quarantine for 40 days, where I rode him and jumped him. I just showed him in three classes, then we came to do the Grand Prix and won!”
Richard Spooner and his own Chatinus reunited for a victory in the $10,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix.
“This class means a lot to me because Chatinus has had four years off due to an injury. We have been bringing him back very slowly. He’s 15-years-old, so it’s kind of a resurrection with a very sweet victory. He’s an incredible horse. He went to the World Cup Finals. I only had him for seven months before he got injured, where we won a World Cup Grand Prix or two, then went to the World Cup Finals in Paris.”
Jared Petersen and Centolino Clasico landed the $12,500 WEC Ocala 1.40m Jumper Classic Win on Friday afternoon.
“The jump-off rode really well. I tried to be as fast as I could and got a little bit of a long one into the double combination, but I think if I would have pulled, I would have had a rail. In the last line, my plan was to do seven, but I decided to stay on the safter side and ask for the eight.”
Morgan Ward earned her second 2022 Winter Spectacular $20,000 WEC Ocala 3’6”-3’9” Hunter Derby win aboard her own Comissario.
“I know Comissario so well at this point and he is so handy, that I took the risk for that turn. It rode beautifully because he landed on the right lead. I think if we were to go around, there was a greater chance that he would have to swap after the fence. Comissario made it easy.”
Belyenda Bond and Gesture LLC’s Santana secured the $15,000 WEC Ocala 3’ Open Hunter Derby victory.
“Santana is great. He’s been with us for six or seven years now. He usually does the adult hunters with his rider, but when his rider isn’t here, I get to do him in the derbies.”
Jamie Auletto and her own Idolize were stars in the $15,000 WEC Ocala 3’ Jr/Am Hunter Derby, besting 34 other horse-and-rider combinations.
“Idolize has such a big, beautiful stride, he can just lope down the lines. When I walked this morning, there was a nine and an eight, but then I saw some riders do a nine and ten. So, the course was very adjustable.”
Sharn Wordley and his own Gatsby prevailed on Thursday afternoon in the $20,000 C. Jarvis Insurance Welcome Prix.
“Gatsby is particularly good at those types of turns. He can come up inside and turn up to a vertical in one stride. It’s his specialty, actually. I felt confident I could make up time in that turn. It walked a nine but, in the bend, I had to add one extra so he knew where he was going, and it worked out perfectly.”
Susannah Morrell and Maureen Edelson’s Arnaby Bocelli captured the $2,500 WEC Ocala Pony Derby.
The $2,500 WEC Ocala Non Pro Derby saw a large pool of entries, where there the class was split into two sections, Adult and Childrens.
The $2,500 WEC Ocala Non Pro Adult Hunter derby was won by Kaylee Dawidiuk and Meghan Taylor’s Les Cheneaux.
Avery Calder and JPH Equestrian, LLC’s Nymeria took the blue ribbon in the $2,500 WEC Ocala 2’6 Non Pro Childrens Derby.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
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