Early Sunday morning, 27 entries took to the WEC Grand Arena to compete for the top prize in the $15,000 WEC Ocala 1.40m Jumper Classic. The course for today’s class was very similar to the course from the $75,000 Stella Artois Grand Prix but backwards, starting at the Lungano Diamonds oxer. Catsy Cruz of Mexico designed the technical track with a tight time allowed of 76 seconds. Ten entries managed a clean first round and three jumped double clear, but it was Chloe Reid and Crossover 4 that took home the first place award.
Reid and the eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding entered the class toward the bottom of the order, delivering a clean and smooth first round in 70.072 seconds, well under the time allowed of 76 seconds. Reid was already familiar with this course, “The course was actually the backwards version of last night’s grand prix. The lines rode a bit differently. Last night I did six strides to the Tribute double combination but today I did five strides. It really depends on if you’re going away from the gate or coming to the gate.”
Reid and Crossover 4 (Cascadello x Chakira) advanced straight to the jump-off, “I wasn’t sure if I should go inside to the double combination, but I got to watch Gemma, who went before me, and she went outside to the double. I didn’t want to risk it and Crossover 4 was stepping up for the first time in a while.” Reid and Crossover 4 flew around the course, taking tidy inside turns and forward distances to stop the clock at 38.080 seconds for the win.
Second place finishers Gemma Peternoster and Terri Brent Stables and Cynthia Gordon’s Charming Force B were early leaders in today’s class being the third pair to jump a clear first round. Peternoster and Charming Force B produced a lovely first round, leaving all rails up to stop the first-round timers at 71.440 seconds. Peternoster and Charming Force B jumped-off immediately, rolling through the jump-off track with not a single fault to stop the clock at 39.583 seconds, being the first entry to go double clear.
Third place honors went to Luis Pedro Biraben and his own Baobai. Biraben and Baobai were the second pair in the class to complete two clear rounds. Biraben and Baobai delivered a flawless first round easily stepping over each fence to stop the clock at 71.706 seconds. The pair advanced straight to the jump-off rolling through the course to stop the jump-off clock at 41.407 seconds with no faults to earn third place.
$15,000 WEC Ocala 1.40m Jumper Classic Results:
1. Crossover 4, Chloe Reid, Team Reid LLC: 0 | 0 | 38.080
2. Charming Force B, Gemma Paternoster, Terri Brent Stables & Cynthia Gordon: 0 | 0 | 39.583
3. Baobai, Luis Pedro Biraben, Luis Pedro Biraben: 0 | 0 | 41.407
4. Quinka, Benjamin Meredith, North Peak Farms LLC: 0 | 4 | 38.149
5. Noble De La Chapelle, Scott Keach, Southern Cross Equestrian, LLC: 0 | 4 | 40.497
6. Clip De La Haye Z, Jad Dana, Laure Sudreau & Peter Howard: 0 | 4 | 41.308
7. Ravello, Justine Dutton, The Ravello Syndicate: 0 | 4 | 43.911
8. After Eight, Jad Dana, laure Sudreau & Peter Howard: 0 | 8 | 37.303
9. Atlantus Blue, Luis Pedro Biraben, La Cuadra Stables, LLC: 0 | 8 | 40.579
10. Zilouet Mystic Rose, Juan Manuel Bolanos, Mariella Godoy: 0 | 8 | 41.465
Bryn Rose Sadler & Cezarro Conquer the $10,000 WEC Ocala Futures Prix 1.30m-1.35m
Forty entries challenged a technical track in Saturday afternoon’s $10,000 WEC Ocala Futures Prix 1.30m-1.35m. Twelve entries managed a first clean round and just six entries jumped double clear, but it was Bryn Rose Sadler and Showcase 81, LLC’s Cezarro that took home the blue ribbon.
Sadler and Cezarro (Cesaro x Nabell) usually do not compete in the Futures Prix, “I usually do the class on Sunday, but I decided on a whim to enter in the class today.” Sadler and Cezarro were the fifth entry to enter the class and the first entry to move on to the jump-off. Sadler and the 13-year-old Bradenburg gelding jumped a clean first round, stopping the clock at 70.483 seconds.
Sadler already knew Cezarro was ready to win, “After the first couple of jumps in the first round he felt like he was ready to go. Every once in a while, you get that feeling where everything comes up perfectly and you know you’re in it to win it.” Sadler and Cezarro soared through the entire course not pumping on the brakes once to stop the jump-off clock at 32.998 seconds.
“Cezarro knows how to win. He understands the game well and he wants to win with me. It is tough to find a horse with that mentality, who understands it enough to go fast but keep themselves in check and doesn’t rush it.”
Damian Guthrie and Gerry’s Jewels (Mersley Mon Capatain x Lily C) earned the third-place title in Week V’s $10,000 WEC Ocala Futures Prix. Guthrie and the 10-year-old Thoroughbred/Holsteiner mare delivered a fast and smooth first round stopping the clock at 68.319 seconds, well under the time allowed of 75 seconds. The pair advanced straight to the jump-off rolling through the course to stop the clock at 33.820 seconds to earn second place.
Rounding out the top three was Benjamin Meredith and North Peak Farms LLC’s Quinka. Meredith and Quinka (Quintero x Inken I) earned third place in last week’s $10,000 WEC Ocala Futures Prix. Meredith and the 12-year-old Holsteiner mare jumped a clean first round stopping the timers at 71.744 seconds. The duo advanced straight to the jump-off, galloping through to course to stop the clock at 34.434 seconds.
$10,000 WEC Ocala Futures Prix 1.30m-1.35m Results:
1. Cezarro, Bryn Rose Sadler, Showcase 81, LLC: 0 | 0 | 32.998
2. Gerry’s Jewels, Damian Guthrie, Florence Hessen-Scher: 0 | 0 | 33.820
3. Quinka, Benjamin Meredith, North Peak Farms LLC: 0 | 0 | 34.434
4. CHS Krooze, Holly Shepherd, Loretta Patterson: 0 | 0 | 34.641
5. Annie Oakley, Benjamin Meredith, Carben Farms, LLC : 0 | 0 | 34.740
6. Bonza, Gabriel De Matos Machado, Gabriel De Matos Machado: 0 | 0 | 37.151
7. Luis P, Chloe Reid, Live Oak Plantation: 0 | 4 | 35.253
8. Baobai, Luis Pedro Biraben, Luis Pedro Biraben: 0 | 4 | 37.692
9. Brasil, Emma Butchard, Emma Butchard: 0 | 4 | 38.919
10. Bella Olympic, Roberto Daza, Roberto Daza: 0 | 8 | 36.761
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.