Wilmington, Ohio – A riveting week of show jumping competition got underway Thursday evening at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington for Winter Classic #11 with the $10,000 Welcome Stake 1.35m. Course designer Bobby Murphy (USA) returned to the Sanctuary Arena to craft the flowing tracks for the field of horse-and-athlete combinations. Ultimately, it was Amy Krebs (USA) and her own Jabantos (Corsari Van De Helle x Cassima) that galloped away with the blue ribbon.
The 15-year-old junior rider training out of Fair Chance Farm in Franklin, Tennessee, earned her first welcome stake win, besting a field of nearly all professionals to add to her long list of prestigious successes.
Aboard her own nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Krebs negotiated an easy double clear effort and stopped the clock in a lightning-fast time of 40.57 seconds. The pair remained at the top of the leaderboard throughout the class and added a distinguished $10,000 WEC Welcome Stake 1.35m victory to their record.
“Elijah [Jabantos] just turned nine years old and I have had him for almost three years now. This is the first year that we have really moved up into the grands prix and the welcomes. We did young riders [FEI North American Youth Championships] over the summer, so I have gained some good experience with him up to the 1.35m but this is only my fourth welcome that I have jumped. I had a really good day in this ring and had some nice rounds earlier, so I really went in it to win it and it feels amazing,” Krebs commented.
Sam Pegg (CAN) earned second and third-place honors aboard two of his four entered mounts in the class. Pegg of Ten Sixty Stables saved the best for last aboard Gin Tonic 158 (Graf Top x Sanjador). The ten-year-old Hanoverian gelding was the third-place finisher in last week’s $30,000 Grand Prix and returned to the arena with great confidence. Landing through the timers in 41.85 seconds, the duo was just shy of the winning time to earn the red ribbon.
Pegg piloted Phyllis Harlow’s Formidable Diamant (Diamant De Smilly x Nobel Lady) to third place. Jumping an effortless, smooth double clear, the seven-year-old Selle Francias gelding posted a time of 42.128 seconds to secure their place on the podium.
$10,000 Welcome Stake Results:
1 Jabantos, Amy Krebs, Amy Krebs | 0 | 40.57
2 Gin Tonic 158, Sam Pegg, Ten Sixty Stables | 0 | 41.85
3 Formidable Diamant, Sam Pegg, Phyllis Harlow | 0 | 42.128
4 Jadina, Kevin McCarthy, Sweet Oak Farm | 0 | 42.479
5 Nightshade SCF, Sarah Meier, Sarah Meier | 0 | 42.855
6 FF Dior, Megan Bash, Cleveland Equestrian | 0 | 43.455
7 Chaccomo 11, Drew Arnold, Theresa Kraft | 0 | 45.127
8 Big Girl Z, Sam Pegg, Ten Sixty Stables | 4 | 40.106
9 Cubscout BG, Christopher Ferralez-Straub, Christopher Ferralez-Straub | 4 | 76.216
10 Jackson VDL, Megan Bash, Cleveland Equestrian | 4 | 76.338