Ocala, FL – Week V of the 2023 Winter Spectacular Show Series came to an exciting close as 21 top athletes put forth their best effort in hopes of taking home the top prize in the $15,000 Taylor Harris Insurance Services 1.45m Jumper Classic. FEI Level III course designer Peter Grant (CAN) built the tracks that only allowed just one rider to produce a double clean effort. After intense competition it was 15-year-old Brooks Hull (USA) and Derek Petersen’s Zechariah 3:9 (Zirocco Blue x Katrina) that earned the win.
Brooks Hull and nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding were the pathfinders in the class, producing a quick and clean first round well under the time allowed to qualify for the immediate jump-off.
“It was a solid first round. Everything rode nice and forward, there wasn’t anything that was too short. I think the hardest part of the track that everyone seemed to have a problem with was green skinny double combination to the six stride. The out was a tall square oxer that a lot of riders had down. I tried to make some room to get over it clear then I focused on my next jump,” said Hull.
Hull had a simple plan for the jump-off, “I knew if I went around nice and didn’t knock a rail in the jump-off, then I would most likely get a good ribbon, so I focused on a consistent pace and tried not to do anything too crazy,” laughed Hull.
The pair soared around the jump-off track, leaving all rails up in 35.460 seconds to claim the victory.
Tom Foley (IRL) and Marcello Ciavaglia (BRA) also managed to find their way to the jump-off, but both riders incurred four faults during the short phase.
Foley and Sher-AI Farm LLC’s Ibalius SMH (Everglade VDL x Ribalia H.B.) were the fastest four-faulters with a time of 35.843 seconds, while Marcello Ciavaglia (BRA) and Signe Ostby’s Tizian 79 (Toulon x U-cara) earned third place with a time of 36.656 seconds.
$15,000 Taylor Harris Insurance Services 1.45m Jumper Classic:
1 Zechariah 3:9, Brooks Hull, Derek Petersen: 0 | 0 | 35.460
2 Ibalius SMH, Tom Foley, Sher-AI Farm LLC: 0 | 4 | 35.843
3 Tizian 79, Marcello Ciavaglia, Signe Ostby: 0 | 4 | 36.656
4 Conny 409, Kama Godek, Kama Godek: 4 | 77.214
5 Cidanos Z, Alexanne Thibault, Alexanne Thibault: 4 | 79.710
6 Parallax SCF, Aaron Vale, Thinkslikeahorse: 4 | 81.838
7 Sigma, Luis Sabino Goncalves, Sigma Stables LLC: 4 | 82.490
8 Caretoo, Stefanie Collier, Fernando Comune: 4 | 83.338
9 Sterrehof’s Edinus, Sean Jobin, Antrim Equestrian: 6 | 85.618
10 Centadel Blue, Elisabeth Yeager, Elisabeth Yeager: 8 | 77.417
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
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