Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.
Ocala, FL – Luis Sabino Goncalves of Portugal and Sigma Stables LLC’s Vick Du Croisy jump started the 2023 November & December Show Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala with an exhilarating win in the $24,000 C. Jarvis Insurance Welcome Prix. A competitive field of 29 star-studded athletes representing eight different nations made their way back to the WEC Grand Arena and picked up right where they left off. Competition was fierce with the top five placings separated by tenths of a second, a blink of an eye could have missed the difference.
Peter Grant (CAN), an FEI Level III course designer set the opening tracks to kick-off featured competition. Although the course was challenging, an even dozen managed to answer all the questions to return for the short course.
“It was a really nice course. I like this course designer a lot, he builds courses with questions. The questions aren’t very difficult, but good enough to have rails down throughout the track. The time was a bit short; you couldn’t play around. It was a perfect track to get the horses ready for the grand prix,” shared Luis Sabino Goncalves about Grant’s first-round track.
Goncalves and Vick Du Croisy (Lord Carthago x Merveille Ducroisy) were the second pair to attempt the jump-off track, with Sharn Wordley (NZL) and Daniel Michan’s Champion League, setting the time to beat at 38.188 seconds.
A question of striding had Goncalves a little uncertain about his plan, “I was thinking I could take a stride out to the double and then to the liverpool, but I was a bit unsure. This footing is so fast, you think to move, and you get there immediately.” Goncalves and the talented 14-year-old Selle Francais mare soared across the ground stopping the clock at 30.556 seconds, surpassing Wordley by nearly eight seconds.
Although Goncalves and Vick Du Croisy’s time was never caught, a few came quite close. Richard Spooner (USA) made a triumphant return to the WEC Grand Arena aboard Show Jumping Syndications International’s Quirado RC, a 14-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Quinar Z x Ursula. Spooner and the nimble gelding were just shy of the winning time by seven hundredths of a second in 30.627 seconds to take home the red ribbon.
Goncavles’ success didn’t stop with first place, he captured third aboard the nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding Scoop De Septon Z (Hunters Scendro x Kageena Van T Hoogeinde) owned by Sigma Stables LLC. Goncalves nearly matched his winning time with the promising young gelding with a time of 30.901 seconds to round out the podium.
$24,000 C. Jarvis Insurance Welcome Prix Results:
1 Vick Du Croisy, Luis Sabino Goncalves (POR), Sigma Stables LLC: 0 | 0 | 30.556
2 Quirado RC, Richard Spooner (USA), Show Jumping Syndications International: 0 | 0 | 30.627
3 Scoop De Septon Z, Luis Sabino Goncalves (POR), Sigma Stables LLC: 0 | 0 | 30.901
4 Wellington Grey Goose, Rowan Willis (AUS), Rowan Willis: 0 | 0 | 30.951
5 Chronicle 4, Megan Wexler (USA), Golden Oaks Farm, LLC: 0 | 0 | 31.759
6 Mick Jagger, Sharn Wordley (NZL), Della Wordley: 0 | 0 | 32.699
7 Brin D’or De Haute Melen Z, Sharn Wordley (NZL), Della Wordley: 0 | 0 | 33.407
8 Over Lux, Hayley Waters Wear (USA), Hayley Waters Wear: 0 | 0 | 34.482
9 Champion League, Sharn Wordley (NZL), Daniel Michan: 0 | 0 | 38.188
10 MTM Apple, Tracy Fenney (USA), MTM Farm: 0 | 4 | 30.622
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
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