Ocala, FL – The 2022 Winter Spectacular Show Series is in full swing with thrilling competition each week. Feature class action during Week VIII kicked off with 24 horse-and-rider combinations competing for the win in the $20,000 C. Jarvis Insurance Welcome Prix. FEI Level II course designer Colm Quinn (IRL) designed the winding tracks that allowed six competitive entries to produce clean first rounds. Out of the six, only two managed to be double clear, but it was Adam Sklansky and Ellen Walker’s Hakini (Nemero Uno x Bieke) that scored the ultimate victory.
Sklansky (USA) and Hakini were the fourth pair down the ramp into the WEC Grand Arena to try their hand at Colm Quinn’s tracks. Sklansky and the 10-year-old KWPN mare yielded a smooth first round in 77.308 seconds, crossing the finish just within the time allowed of 78 seconds.
Sklansky thought the first course was pretty challenging, “The course was pretty technical. I think some people took fence one for granted. It was going into a short turn, and Hakini studied it. I got lucky to the line with the wall. I never jumped her over a wall before, so I overrode it a bit, but she was amazing and jumped right out.”
Sklansky and Hakini advanced to the jump-off with the goal of producing a clear round, “Jump-off, I was thinking about going double clean. She has won a fair number of Welcomes this past year, but whenever I win a Welcome, I usually don’t win the Grand Prix,” laughed Sklansky. “But she was on fire today, and she covers so much ground, she is just naturally fast.”
Sklansky and Hakini rolled around the jump-off, walking down the lines while soaring quickly over each fence to stop the jump-off clock at 41.963 seconds, to ultimately earn first place.
Fernando Cardenas (COL) and his own Quincy Car (Galiani Car x Kiss By Star Car) were the first horse-and-rider combination to enter the class, laying down a faultless first round in 77.226 seconds. Cardenas and the 18-year-old Oldenburg stallion navigated a fast jump-off taking tidy inside turns for a time of 43.247 seconds.
Rounding out the top three in today’s $20,000 C. Jarvis Insurance Welcome Prix was Molly White Ashe (USA) and Louisburg Farm’s Berdien (Bustique x Queen Z). Ashe and the 11-year-old Zangersheide mare produced a seamless first round in 75.519 seconds, well within the time allowed. The pair went right to the jump-off, galloping through the entire course, soaring to the top of each fence to stop the timers at 39.773 seconds with one rail down.
$20,000 C. Jarvis Insurance Welcome Prix Results:
1.Hakini, Adam Sklanksy, Ellen Walker: 0 | 0 | 41.963
2. Quincy Car, Fernando Cardenas, Fernando Cardenas: 0 | 0 | 43.247
3. Berdien, Molly White Ashe, Louisburg Farm: 0 | 4 | 39.773
4. Verdi O’Merveilles, Tiffany Hammack, Foxwood Farm: 0 | 4 | 41.300
5. Arpeggi, Brooke Kemper, Caroline Blum: 0 | 4 | 43.186
6. Igor Van De Heibos, Brian Feigus, GFZ Sport Horses LLC: 0 | 8 | 40.475
7. Beijing LS LA Silla, Laura Sloey, Laura Sloey: 1 | 78.430
8. Cooper, Johan Kachelhoffer, Johan Kachelhoffer: 2 | 79.468
9. Jack Straw, Camille Maddrix, M&M Sporthorses: 3 | 80.910
10. Diamant’s Legacy, Jordan Petersen, Derek Petersen: 4 | 72.889
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
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