Ocala, FL – The sun rose over the WEC Grand Arena as 39 horse-and-athlete combinations contested the $10,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix. Guilherme Jorge (BRA) designed the track that saw 16 pairs move onto the immediate short course, but it was Dorothy Douglas (USA) and Caepten 2 (Cayton x Rikkirou) who established an early lead that held throughout the class.
Douglas, of MTM Farm, was the tenth to go in the posted order and qualified for the jump-off with a commanding first round.
Douglas spoke on the pair’s performance, “He is naturally really fast across the ground. Mike is always telling me that smooth is fast. I definitely kept going and angled the Liverpool pretty severely, so I think I made up time there. Everything else I just kept smooth and nice, and the jumps all came up for me perfectly.”
Nina Koloseike’s 11-year-old Warmblood gelding was quick across the ground and in careful form, leaving all the jumps intact in a time of 40.741 seconds, setting the tone for a successful summer season.
“He is such a fun horse. We didn’t show for a couple of months, so this was me just getting back into the groove of things. He is 11 and I have done him in some grands prix. Just getting back in this ring and gearing back up for the circuit is getting his fitness level ready. The plan for the first round was just to practice good riding! He is so adjustable that even if you don’t jump something exactly the way that you want, you always have so many options on him. He has a perfect little motor, and he is always so game,” said Douglas.
Johan Kachelhoffer of Ocala, Florida, piloted his very own Cooper B (Cellestial x Korsika) to a close second place. Aboard his 10-year-old Brandenburg gelding, Kachelhoffer jumped an effortless, consistent double clear. Stopping the clock 41.59 seconds, the duo gloriously galloped away with the red ribbon.
Megan Wexler (USA) earned a grand round of applause as she rounded out the podium with April Miller’s Camiro Blue PS (Cabachon x Chamilda). The 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding landed off the last oxer in 41.938 seconds to earn Wexler a top finish.
$10,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix Results:
1 Caepten 2, Dorothy Douglas, Nina Koloseike: 0 | 0 | 40.741
2 Cooper B, Johan Kachelhoffer, Johan Kachelhoffer: 0 | 0 | 41.59
3 Camiro Blue PS, Megan Wexler, April Miller: 0 | 0 | 41.938
4 Conthalando PS, Manuel Torres, Manuel Torres: 0 | 0 | 42.986
5 Scoop De Septon Z, Luis Sabino Goncalves, Sigma Stables LLCL: 0 | 0 | 43.367
6 Schugga Tschei, Maya Denis, Maya Denis: 0 | 0 | 43.924
7 Dothraki Warlord, Captain Brian Cournane, Captain Brian Cournane: 0 | 0 | 45.461
8 MTM Caden, Dorothy Douglas, Davenport Farms: 0 | 0 | 45.701
9 Cashgirl 7, Ilan Bluman, Ilan Bluman: 0 | 4 | 41.111
10 Quadrivio, Declan Egan, Declan Egan: 0 | 4 | 44.806
For final results visit HorseShowing.com or Ryegate.Live.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
Videos available at ClipMyHorse.TV