Wilmington, Ohio – The $30,000 Grand Prix was the highlight event of the Winter in the Midwest Series Winter Classic #7 at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington. Saturday evening in the Sanctuary Arena saw an elite group of show jumping athletes contest Bobby Murphy’s (USA) exquisite track. In the end, Megan Bash (USA) rode into the spotlight earning first and third place honors in the class.
Murphy’s technical track proved challenging for the field of seasoned professionals as only one rider jumped a clear effort.
Bash shared her thoughts on tonight’s course, “I thought that the course was fantastic. Bobby Murphy does such a good job making the courses challenging but fair. I really liked this course. On my other horse I had an unlucky four faults through the triple combination, but overall, I thought that course rode super.”
Bash entered the ring as the first to contest aboard her own Jackson VDL (Zirocco Blue VDL x Design O). Riding out of her own Cleveland Equestrian, the talented professional guided the nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding to a solid effort, with an unfortunate four faults through the triple combination landing them in third place at the end of the class.
Bash spoke on her preparation for large classes with her two talented mounts, “I typically prepare for classes like this by making sure that my horses feel their absolute best. I do a lot of flat work with my horses, and I give them regular Polyglycan. I always strive to keep them in their best shape, and it really helps them feel their best for these big classes.”
Returning as the final entry aboard her newest mount, FF Dior (Diarado), Bash needed to jump a clear round to secure the blue ribbon. The 11-year-old Oldenburg mare was nothing short of perfection, making incredible efforts over the wide oxers and staying in careful form through the combinations.
The duo jumped an awe-inspiring round leaving the crowd in silence as she landed over the final, towering oxer and galloped through the timers with a fault-free score of 75.768 seconds to best the field. Exhibitors, fellow athletes and WEC Ohio staff were eager to applaud Bash as she took her first grand prix victory on the mare.
“This is a new horse for me that I don’t know very well. I just tried to keep my cool and she jumped absolutely amazing. This win feels so great. It was unexpected. My other horse [Jackson VDL] I just know so much better and so to win today on FF Dior I feel like there is so much to come in the future,” Bash shared.
Charlotte Clark (USA) of Kendalwood Farm in Sunbury, Ohio, found her place on the podium once again with her trusted mount Kinsella (Capitalist x Jerpoint Mist). The duo returned to the Sanctuary in top form after their third place finish in Thursday evenings $10,000 Welcome Stake. With Clark in the irons, the 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare never fails to impress, and jumped a seamless round with an unlucky four faults at the final oxer of the track. The duo took the red ribbon as the fastest four faulter with 73.613 seconds.
WEC – Wilmington sponsor Vitalize presented the Blazin’ Fastest Four Faulter $1,000 bonus in the $30,000 WEC Grand Prix to Charlotte Clark and Kinsella, who earned 73.613 seconds in the first round, finishing fifth in the class overall.
$30,000 Grand Prix Results:
1 FF Dior, Megan Bash, Cleveland Equestrian | 0 | 75.768
2 Kinsella, Charlotte Clark, Charlotte Clark | 4 | 73.613
3 Jackson VDL, Megan Bash, Cleveland Equestrian | 4 | 74.673
4 Iconic, Lani Hutchison, Lani Hutchison | 4 | 74.939
5 Cumbaya W, Darby Pease, Hillary Gromus | 4 | 76.128
6 Fortysix & 2, Lyriss Jaeger, Lyriss Jaeger | 4 | 78.628
7 Celeano VH Lindenhof Z, Heather Froehlich Cortell, Emily Kowit | 8 | 76.496
Carel Van Donderen, Darby Pease, Louisa Robb | RT
Campbell Kahn & Coconut On The Rocks Z Top the Leaderboard in the $10,000 EquiJet Futures Prix at WEC Winter Classic #7
The $10,000 EquiJet Futures Prix kicked off jumper competition Saturday afternoon in the Sanctuary Arena with ten blooming horses and partnerships. Murphy’s track consisted of numerous related lines and delicate verticals for the field, challenging athletes to maintain their adjustability throughout the track. Ultimately, it was Campbell Kahn (USA) and Coconut On The Rocks Z that led the way and earned top honors.
Kahn, training out of Chesterfield LTD in Cleveland, Ohio, was unable to be caught in the competitive class as the first to go in the order and the first double clear effort.
The aspiring junior rider rose to the challenge and negotiated two seamless clear efforts aboard her very own Coconut On The Rocks Z. Kahn shared on her partnership with the seasoned jumper, “I got him about a year and a half ago. I have been moving up the ranks with him, we just moved up to the Medium Junior Jumpers. Coconut is the best horse I have ever owned.”
“There were a lot of related lines. I made sure that I knew where I was the entire time. There were a lot of verticals so I tried to make sure that I didn’t get underneath any of them. It was definitely a difficult track. I did the Low Junior Jumpers this morning and the jump-off was similar, so I stuck with the plan that and it worked out,” Kahn commented on Murphy’s technical track.
The 13-year-old Zangersheide gelding was in perfect form, balancing to the base of each element without a single rub. The duo posted the first double clear effort of the class and was uncatchable with a jump-off time of 36.497 seconds to top the leaderboard.
Second place was awarded to Lynsey Whitacre and her own 449 Bravo Zulu (Union De Riverland x Story De Riverland). Whitacre, training out of Windcrest Farm, entered the Sanctuary looking to best Kahn’s leading time. The duo consistently competes in the Medium Amateur Jumper division and boasts an impressive record of wins. Whitacre guided her own 11-year-old Warmblood mare to two accurate, confident rounds and made light work of the task at hand. With a jump-off time of 36.69 seconds, the pair was just shy of the winning time and ultimately secured the red ribbon.
Darby Pease of Windcrest Farm piloted Tyson Ziebarth’s Fenn (Eldorado Van De Zeshoek x Odin) to the third-place position. The 13-year-old mare was incredibly quick and careful around the first round track, securing their place in the immediate jump-off to add another podium placing to their record. An unfortunate eight fault jump-off round and a time of 48.359 landed the pair with the yellow ribbon.
$10,000 EquiJet Futures Prix Results:
1 Coconut On The Rocks Z, Campbell Kahn, Campbell Kahn | 0 | 36.497
2 449 Bravo Zulu, Lynsey Whitacre, Lynsey Witacre | 0 | 36.69
3 Fenn, Darby Pease, Tyson Ziebarth | 8 | 48.359
4 Frere D’Arme, Charlotte Clark, Charlotte Clark | 4 | 71.678
5 Zendaya, Lanie Thomas, Neil Badcock | 4 | 73.336
6 Graf Joe, Leann Kelly, Sarah Hunter | 4 | 74.634
7 HJ Blind Date, Molly Kindness, Molly Kindness | 4 | 75.77
8 Who’Z My Daddy, Tal Mizrahi, Tal Mizrahi |4 | 76.165
9 Grizzly HH De Tiji, Taylor Kosek, Taylor Kosek | 4 | 76.697
10 Oliver, Whitney Taylor, Whitney Taylor | 4 | 79.236