Wilmington, Ohio – Winter in the Midwest 2023 Winter Classic #8 feature competition got underway in the Sanctuary Arena this afternoon with the $10,000 WEC Welcome Stake. Fifteen elite show jumping athletes convened to ride for the top prize and find their place in the winner’s circle. Izzy Beisel (USA) entered the arena with unmatched confidence and bested the field aboard Vegas H (Valentino x Cobrah).
Joe Carnicom (USA) crafted the delicate track for the impressive group of athletes. The first-round track brought out the best of ten horse-and-athlete pairs as they moved immediately into the jump-off round.
Beisel shared her thoughts on the track, “all of the jumps were close to the ends of the ring and looked a little bit tricky when I walked. Once I did it on my first horse [Diaz Barbotiere] I thought it was so fun. Everything rode well and came up really nicely for me and the jump-off was a really fun course as well.”
The aspiring junior rider training out of her family operation, David Beisel Stables in Goshen, Ohio, tackled the track as the third to go aboard her other mount, Diaz Barbotiere and ended up with an unfortunate four-faults at the last airy vertical. Beisel returned to the Sanctuary with Vegas H in top form, looking to surpass her first performance.
“My dad [David Beisel] has had him since he was a young horse and he brought him up. It was really cool because I would always set jumps, watch them show together and watch them win some pretty big classes! I started riding him about two years ago in Ocala [Florida] and we have kept moving up from there. It is cool to watch him learn how I ride versus how my dad rode him. Courtney Berling will also show him in the Novice Adult Jumper classes every other week and he loves it,” Beisel shared of her winning mount.
Beisel piloted the 10-year-old Hanoverian through a fault-free first-round, moving directly to the jump-off where they deftly took inside turns and galloped around the corners to stop the clock in 33.553 seconds for the win.
Darby Pease (USA) of Windcrest Farm clocked another exceptional performance, taking home two podium finishes. The 16-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, Carel Van Donderen (Acolino x Terania Die Hoeghte), was the final entry on course. A longer approach from jumps one to two in the jump-off landed the duo a second-place time of 33.803 seconds.
Cumbaya W (Cabardino x Elena W), a 13-year-old Warmblood gelding owned by Hillary Gromus, jumped two polished efforts with Pease in the irons. Soaring over the final fence in 34.623 seconds, the duo rounded out the podium.
$10,000 Welcome Stake Results:
1 Vegas H, Izzy Beisel, David Beisel | 0 | 33.553
2 Carel Van Donderen, Darby Pease, Louisa Robb | 0 | 33.803
3 Cumbaya W, Darby Pease, Hillary Gromus | 0 | 34.623
4 Caiman Des Sequoias, Nicole Loochtan, Nicole Loochtan | 0 | 35.662
5 It’s Me Du Bosquetiau, Nicole Loochtan, Loochtan | 0 | 35.877
6 Iconic, Lani Hutchison, Lani Hutchison | 0 | 40.952
7 Cyra, Delaney Owens, Delaney Owens | 4 | 33.886
8 VDL Maverick, Luis F. Saenz, Amanda Harris | 4 | 35.805
9 Kinsella, Charlotte Clark, Charlotte Clark | 4 | 37.830
10 BSH Matinee, Shawn Butler, Shawn Butler | 8 | 37.903