Wilmington, Ohio – The $10,000 Tipperary Equestrian Welcome Stake of World Equestrian Center – Wilmington Winter Classic 14 commenced in the Standlee Sanctuary Thursday afternoon with Amy Krebs (USA) returning to the top of the leaderboard once again.
The day proved successful for trainer Michelle Zimmer of Fair Chance Farm, with both of her entered riders filling the podium, Krebs and Ann Holliday (USA).
Krebs, of Franklin, Tennessee, has made the winner’s circle at WEC – Wilmington her home during the 2024 Winter in the Midwest series, with a total of six featured wins, and returned right where she left off, securing first and second place.
The young athlete set the pace as the second entry with her own, Ike (Spartacus x Twister), and was unable to be beat with a time of 39.46 seconds.
Krebs spoke on her partnership with the nine-year-old KWPN gelding, “We bought him to do the upper levels so not all the pressure is on Jabantos. I did my first prix with him at Brownland and it didn’t go as we had planned. We bumped him back down and it knocked my confidence a little bit,” Krebs continued. “Doing the welcome’s that are a little smaller where I can open him up and get to know him has really helped me trust him. We have really grown together in the ring and we are starting to learn each other’s buttons.”
Coming back in the middle of the order with her most successful mount, the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Jabantos (Corsari Van De Helle x Cassima), Krebs mirrored her first jump-off track to secure her second leading time of 39.516 seconds.
“Their times were only a tenth of a second apart, they were very close! I felt a bit slower on Elijah [Jabantos] because I took some wider turns. I knew that I was in a good position with Ike and he was the only double clean round when I went back with Elijah, so I wanted to be efficient and hopefully in the money,” said Krebs.
Holliday piloted her new 13-year-old Selle Francais gelding, Boxted Boy, to third place in 48.48 seconds.
$10,000 Tipperary Equestrian Welcome Stake Results:
1 Ike, Amy Krebs, Amy Krebs | 0 | 39.46
2 Jabantos, Amy Krebs, Amy Krebs | 0 | 39.516
3 Boxted Boy, Ann Holliday, Melissa Crain | 0 | 48.48
4 Retroflex, Sarah Long, Alan Manning | 4 | 41.359
5 Victory RW Broekkant Z, Michaella Gerlacher, Shady Lane Ranch | 4 | 43.349
6 Hey Alexa, Amy Krebs, Avanti Sporthorses LLC | 4 | 74.47
7 HJ Blind Date, Molly Kindness, Molly Kindness | 4 | 75.316
8 BSH Matinee, Shawn Butler, Shawn Butler | 4 | 78.653
9 Wildflower, Sarah Long, Mark Hayes | 4 | 79.863
10 Captain America 10, Richard Rinehart, Catherine Rinehart | 8 | 77.114