The ladies stole the night in both the $10,000 WEC Grand Prix and the $4,999 Futures Prix 1.30m sponsored by Voltaire Design. Both classes saw courses designed by Bobby Murphy of Lexington, Kentucky and featured combinations, forward lines and a dramatic triple bar in the Grand Prix. With twenty entries in each class, there was no lack of competition and walking away with first place took some serious skill and guts.
$10,000 WEC Grand Prix
This afternoon’s $10,000 WEC Grand Prix saw twenty fierce competitors vying for the win over 1.40m fences. Though many professionals delivered impressive rounds, it was amateur Keely McIntosh, last night’s winner of the Non Pro $20,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby, and Jenny Booth’s So Live Helau (Dollar Du Murier x Ador De La Crasne) the claimed first place. For their win, the pair received the lion’s share of the $10,000 purse and items from WEC sponsors including a $100 gift certificate from Dandy Products. So Live Helau’s groom Alejandro Licea received the Groom’s Award in this afternoon’s class for the gelding’s stunning turnout, which included $100 cash and a $50 WEC Gift Card.
Eight entries jumped a clear first round in the $10,000 WEC Grand Prix, but few were quicker than Keely McIntosh and So Live Helau. The pair have recently taken top placings in 1.30m classes in Saugerties, New York and were ready to stop back into the Grand Prix this afternoon. McIntosh and the thirteen year old Selle Francais gelding proved that they would be strong competitors on the short course, jumping the first round clear in a time of 76.858 seconds, well under the time allowed of 82 seconds.
David Beisel and his own Essince W (Chacco Blue x Rossan) also signaled that they would be tough to beat in the jump off. Beisel and the ten year old KWPN gelding frequent the winners’ circle, even taking first place over the Winter in the $25,000 WEC Grand Prix. This afternoon, the pair were their usual selves, clearing each fence with ease in a time of 79.552 seconds.
Sam Pegg and Michael Pegg’s Shaia De Macheco showed off their skills in the first round, crossing the timers with the fastest first round time of the class. The pair were more than ten seconds under the time allowed at 71.378 seconds, putting the pressure on the seven other entries returning for the jump off.
Pegg and Shaia De Macheco set a tough time to beat about halfway through the jump off. The pair took the inside approach to fence number six, three and twelve and galloped toward the finish line, stopping the clock at 41.796 seconds. Beisel and Essince W returned soon after. The pair also hugged the inside track and Essince W’s massive stride shaved crucial time off of the clock. Beisel and Essince W crossed the timers at 41.071 seconds, setting the new time to beat. Last to return were McIntosh and So Live Helau. The pair gave the course everything they had, including two of their shoes. Their efforts paid off as the pair stopped the clock at an incredible 39.592 seconds for the win in the class.
McIntosh of Booth Show Jumpers in Magnolia, Texas took a few minutes after the awards presentation to chat with us ringside about the class. “So Live Helau had some time off this year, so this is his first big class back since Ocala. He really gave me his heart…and his shoes…he lost both of his front shoes on course.”
When asked about So Live Helau, McIntosh replied, “I’ve had him for three and a half years, just like the one I won on last night. I call him my soulmate. He’s done a lot for me. He’s won so many classes for me, I just close my eyes and kick and he jumps. He’s very picky about ‘his people’, but everyone who knows him loves him. Quirky is probably a good word for him. He knows his people and he jumps well and he works hard for the people that he loves. I actually bought him from McLain Ward, he actually has this whole story behind him. He had a major injury on his side from running through a stall door and was off for six or nine months and I was the first person to try him or sit on him after the surgery. We did laser work on the scar and it’s come back super clean.”
McIntosh added, “I want to thank everyone who helped me, including Alejandro Licea and Lioo De La Vega. My good luck charm Kady Abramson was here tonight, too!”
$10,000 WEC Grand Prix – Results
- So Live Helau, Keely McIntosh – 0 | 0 | 39.592
- Essince W, David Beisel – 0 | 0 | 41.071
- Shaia de Macheco, Sam Pegg – 0 | 0 | 41.796
- Angelo, David Beisel – 0 | 0 | 44.576
- C Tenda, Ann Marie Cowdrey – 0 | 0 | 44.707
- Goteusi, Morgan Ward – 0 | 4 | 40.210
- Balveneur Z, Linda Radigan – 0 | 4 | 42.222
- Darius, Sean Jobin – 0 | 4 | 43.395
- Bipper Du Libaire, David Beisel – 1 | 82.037
- Kinsella, Charlotte Clark – 4 | 73.914
$4,999 Futures Prix 1.30m
The $4,999 Futures Prix 1.30m sponsored by Voltaire Design also saw a fight for first place with just fractions of a second separating the top three finishers. Morgan Ward of Morlynn Farm in Milford, New Jersey repeated her Futures Prix victory from last week, this time aboard Wolver Hollow’s Time Out (Quissioni x Noretina Z).
One of the first to jump double clear in the Futures Prix was David Beisel and REV Media Marketing, LLC’s Five Star (Oh Star x Pina Colada). The pair have taken countless blue ribbons in the 1.25m jumpers and have taken top ribbons in Futures Prix at WEC. This afternoon, Beisel and the ten year old Selle Francais stallion were on their game, jumping a clear first round in a time of 74.402 seconds, well under the time allowed of 84 seconds. The pair continued straight to the jump off of the Table II 2B event, taking the available inside turns to fences six, two, three and twelve. The pair raced through the timers at 41.494 seconds, setting a tough time to beat.
Beisel and Five Star held the top spot until the end of the class when Morgan Ward and Time Out took to the course. The pair took eighth place in last week’s Futures Prix at WEC, pulling just one rail with a fantastic time. This afternoon, Ward and the nine year old mare left all rails up, jumping a clear first round in 74.595 seconds. The pair continued straight to the jump off, picking up speed and mirroring Beisel’s inside track. The pair blazed through the timers at 40.505 seconds, moving to the top of the leader board.
Last to go was Beisel and Justine Bestler’s Maximus V/D Molendreef (Tonixe x Grande Dame V/D Molendreef). While the seven year old Belgian Warmblood gelding is a newer ride for Beisel, he has proven himself in the 1.20m jumpers. This afternoon, the pair took a slightly slower approach to the first round, jumping clear in a time of 75.069. Beisel and Maximus V/D Molendreef kicked their speed up a notch as they headed into the jump off, taking the inside track and jumping through the timers at 40.898, just behind Ward and Time Out for second place and moving himself and Five Star to third place.
$4,999 Futures Prix 1.30m – Results
- Time Out, Morgan Ward – 0 | 0 | 40.505
- Maximus V/D Molendreef, David Beisel – 0 | 0 | 40.898
- Five Star, David Beisel – 0 | 0 | 41.494
- Contiki, Morgan Ward – 0 | 0 | 43.159
- Goldfish, Melissa Donnelly – 0 | 0 | 47.540
- Jack Straw, Camille Maddrix – 0 | 0 | 47.790
- Ha’czelle JSF, Riley McKilop – 0 | 4 | 41.383
- Dantura, Morgan Ward – 0 | 4 | 42.759
- Cinna HP, Brian Shook – 0 | 5 | 54.866
- Oak Groves Celebrity, Anna-Rose Klingenstein – 0 | 5 | 58.259