Wilmington, Ohio – The $30,000 Grand Prix of Winter Classic 11 drew a large crowd to the Standlee Sanctuary at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington Saturday evening. Fifteen horse-and-rider combinations tried their hand at Bobby Murphy’s first-round track, with only four athletes finding a clear path to the jump-off.
Amy Krebs (USA) ultimately came out victorious with her longtime partner, Jabantos (Corsari Van De Helle x Cassima). After scoring a grand prix win aboard her other mount, Ike, during her last trip to Wilmington, Krebs noted, “Ike, has been taking the spotlight, but Elijah [Jabantos] was tired of that! He was ready for the win,” she laughed.
Murphy’s track was an appropriate challenge for Krebs, “The track rode like an equitation course today. You really had to ride your track and stick to it. It was definitely set to spec, there were some larger jumps in there than normal. It rode nicely; it was fair for the class.”
Krebs followed Maria Blankemeyer and her Reina Van Hellehof (Gino H) around the short course.
Blankemeyer and her eight-year-old Belgian Warmblood tacked an unfortunate four-faults onto their score, enough to round out the top three.
“Going in for the jump-off, I thought I would maybe do eight strides to the last and play it safe since there were only four and I had two in it. My competitiveness took over,” Krebs shared. “The first one had a rail, btu I still wanted to go in and be fast. I just rode him like I know how to do. I was quick and tidy, and it was enough today!”
Krebs and her 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding yielded a fault-free round in 34.319 seconds to clinch the win.
Emma Irwin also secured a double-clear effort aboard Kimberlee Farms 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Concardus (Conthargos x Paragona), in 35.701 seconds for second place.
$30,000 Grand Prix Results:
1 Jabantos, Amy Krebs, Amy Krebs | 0 | 34.319
2 Concardus, Emma Irwin, Kimberlee Farms | 0 | 35.701
3 Reina Van Hellehof, Maria Blankemeyer, Angela Moore | 4 | 34.24
4 Ike, Amy Krebs, Amy Krebs | 4 | 35.163
5 Fernet MH, Rosalie Midyette, Rosalie Midyette | 4 | 67.65
6 Diaz Barbotiere, Izzy Beisel, Izzy Beisel | 4 | 67.92
7 Zendaya, Lanie Thomas, Neil Badcock | 4 | 69.598
8 Nightshade SCF, Sarah Meier, Sarah Meier | 4 | 71.24
9 Luigi Van De Kornelishoeve, Rosalie Midyette, Rosalie Midyette | 4 | 71.512
10 Spicebomb, Sarah Meier, Sarah Meier | 8 | 71.457
Izzy Beisel Dominates $10,000 Voltaire Futures Prix of Winter Classic 11
Izzy Beisel dominated the Standlee Sanctuary once again scoring first and second place with Triskel De Kerliven and Vegas H, this time in the $10,000 Voltaire Futures Prix of Winter Classic 11.
After their most recent debut in the WEC Premier Equitation Cup Championship, Beisel and Liz Hutchinson’s 18-year-old Selle Francais gelding, Triskel De Kerliven (MyLord Carthago x Herinys L’enchante), switched disciplines for the day and had no trouble finding their speed.
“Beau [Triskel De Kerliven] is really fun. I can’t thank Liz Hutchinson enough for sharing her amazing horse with me. We did two warm up classes earlier this week to practice going fast because I have been doing a lot of equitation on him. I think doing the eq on him has helped us put the pieces together.”
Only having jumped two jumper classes on him, Beisel felt confident nonetheless, “I was so confident because I know he is a been-there-done-that type of horse. He knows how to do it, and I know how to do it, so I just had fun putting the pieces together. He was so game. I wasn’t expecting to win but it was such a pleasant surprise!”
As she moved onto the jump-off phase after a clear first round, she followed her dad, David Beisel’s, plan to ultimately lead her to victory with a time of 29.878 seconds.
“There was an inside turn in the jump-off that I was planning on doing, but my dad thought I should do the leave out down the line and go around instead. I wasn’t thinking it would be faster, but luckily, I listened, and his stride is so big that I made up the time. He covered the ground so quickly,” she shared.
Beisel also secured second place with David Beisel’s 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Vegas H (Valentino x Cobrah), in 31.115 seconds.
Michelle Vandal rounded out the top three in 32.9 seconds aboard Julie Van Wieren’s seven-year-old KWPN stallion, Hickstead Forever (Hickstead White x Becca CR).
$10,000 Futures Prix Results:
1 Triskel De Kerliven, Izzy Beisel, Liz Hutchinson | 0 | 29.878
2 Vegas H, Izzy Beisel, David Beisel | 0 | 31.115
3 Hickstead Forever, Michelle Vandal, Julie Van Wieren | 0 | 32.9
4 Bahntina, Chelsea Francis, Gina Filewicz | 0 | 37.663
5 Hartog-Jan, Vincent Bailleul, Vincent Bailleul | 0 | 38.254
6 Kasper, Karston Gundry, Kim Gundry | 4 | 32.729
7 Blobby, Cydney Pavan, Cydney Pavan | 4 | 32.856
8 Dacino, Cydney Pavan, Cydney Pavan | 4 | 34.536
9 Ivy, David Crawford, Australian American Equine Partners LLC | 4 | 70.401
10 Gisela KF, Benjamin Stout, Kimberlee Farms | 8 | 64.268