Wilmington, Ohio – The stands in the Standlee Sanctuary were packed for the $75,000 Standlee Grand Prix of Fall Classic 4 at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington. FEI Level IV course designer Alan Wade (IRL) built a technical track with just six of the 29 horse-and-athlete combinations moving onto the short course.
Lisa Goldman-Smolen (USA) conquered the class with Barbara Disko’s Ivaro N (Elvaro x Celli) and celebrated with her family in the end.
Goldman-Smolen was the only athlete to return to the jump-off with two horses and simply needed an efficient, clear round with her final horse to take the lead.
Canada’s Sean Jobin was the first to produce a double-clear effort with Foxridge Farms 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding, Coquelicot VH Heuvelland Z (Catoki x Cybelle V’T Heuvelland Z), in a time of 40.866 seconds, ultimately enough to finish in second place when surpassed by Goldman-Smolen.
The professional athlete of Red Coat Farm spoke highly of her horse, “He is the younger of my two grand prix horses. He has really come into his own this last year. He is the first horse that I have ever won anything over $65,000 on! He is a sweetheart. He loves his treats, and he is owned by the ‘treat lady’ at the farm. He loves his job, and he is just figuring out how to go fast. He feeds off the crowd, he rises up to occasion and feels that energy, so it is really fun.”
Goldman-Smolen piloted the 10-year-old KWPN gelding to a confident and quick track, adding their second big win to their record in 38.908 seconds.
“It is lovely here. We used to come here when this was just a one-week invitational. It is always so much fun and they do such a beautiful job with all of the decorations. It has been wonderful and a great place to get the young horses going. I have a greener horse doing the Futures Prix and that is always a great class to have for them. They get the chance to get some prize money and work with a little bit more pressure. I love all of the events that they do for the exhibitors. I got to carve a pumpkin before I walked! There is always something to do and the customers love coming here,” said Goldman-Smolen.
Tiffany Hammack of Foxwood Farm impressed the crowd with Verdi O’Merveilles (Verdi x O’My Star). The 14-year-old Selle Francias gelding jumped to the quickest jump-off time of 37.104 seconds with Hammack in the irons, but an unfortunate four-fault score put the duo in third place.
$75,000 Standlee Grand Prix Results:
1 Ivaro N, Lisa Goldman-Smolen, Barabra Disko | 0 | 38.908
2 Coquelicot VH Heuvelland Z, Sean Jobin, Foxridge Farms | 0 | 40.866
3 Verdi O’Merveilles, Tiffany Hammack, Foxwood Farm | 4 | 37.104
4 Mardinie, Kelly Arani, Marigot Bay Farm LLC | 4 | 38.369
5 Sovereign, Lisa Goldman-Smolen, Barbara Disko | 8 | 39.649
6 Callagan, Kalvin Dobbs, Treesdale Farms | 12 | 38.921
7 Billy Guilder, Rowan Willis, Rowan Willis | 1 | 74.399
8 Houston, Natalie Jayne, Lynn Jayne | 1 | 74.613
9 Gin Tonic 158, Sam Pegg, Ten Sixty Stables | 4 | 67.832
10 Rarity, Kyle Perkovich, Kyle Perkovich | 4 | 70.054
One-Two Finish for Venezula’s Vicente Guillen in the $10,000 Futures Prix at Fall Classic 4
Thirty-three horse-and-athlete pairs started Saturday’s jumper competition with the $10,000 Futures Prix, though none could catch Vicente Guillen (VEN). Guillen, of Tranquility Farm in Ocala, Florida, earned a one-two finish in the class with Caribi (Stakkato x Moonlight IX) and Evolene De Carles (Kannan), respectively.
As the fifth to go in the posted order with his 13-year-old Holsteiner mare, Guillen searched for his second podium finish with the mare as they were the Welcome Stake winners of Fall Classic 2.
Guillen reflected on the class and was grateful for his talented horses, “My first mare went fifth in the class, and she is always really fast and careful. I rode everything the same on Evolene De Carles, and she was great today, but with Caribi I did one less stride to the combination, so that’s where she was faster. They are everything. I didn’t ride so good today, but my mares did everything for me.”
With a jump-off time of 35.059 seconds, other competitors came close, but were unable to catch Guillen’s leading time.
With two younger horses in the class, Guillen commented on the role that WEC has played in developing his future stars, “WEC has played an amazing role in developing some of my younger horses. My seven-year-old was actually second in the Welcome. The footing here is perfect, the course designers are amazing. It is a great place to develop younger horses. There are so many different classes that you can enter them in as well.”
On his third and final horse, Evolene De Carles a nine-year-old Selle Francias mare, he chased his own time and came remarkably close in 35.091 seconds for the red ribbon.
“Alan always sets great courses. He put one option in the first bending line. The four and the five after the combinations were very quiet lines. He also put an option in the last line for seven or eight, so it was a very tough course today,” said Guillen.
Last week’s winner in the $10,000 Futures Prix, Kyle Perkovich (USA) secured a top three finish with Christopher Ferralez-Straub’s Kapriool (Nabab De Reve x R Adermie 3). The 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding posted a competitive time of 35.693 seconds to earn third place.
$10,000 Futures Prix Results:
1 Caribi, Vicente Guillen, Tranquility Farm | 0 | 35.059
2 Evolene De Carles, Vicente Guillen, Tranquility Farm | 0 | 35.091
3 Kapriool, Kyle Perkovich, Christopher Ferralez-Straub | 0 | 35.693
4 Laendler C, Ashlyn Trevelyan, Cheryl-Ann Schatz | 0 | 35.817
5 Lacros VDL, Francois Lamontagne, Groupe Zacar Inc | 0 | 35.915
6 Narcoqitue B, Lisa Goldman-Smolen, Stephanie St. John | 0 | 37.04
7 Dolla 3, Sam Pegg, Ten Sixty Stables | 0 |37.972
8 Pembrey Condors Diamond, Hudson Warren, Hudson Warren | 0 | 39.296
9 Santorini Sun Z, Sam Pegg, Nicole Roach | 0 | 41.491
10 Diaz Barbotiere, Izzy Beisel, Izzy Beisel | 4 | 32.223