Augusta Iwasaki and Fresca Snag the $15,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix Victory 

06 JAN 24 Ocala, FL

Augusta Iwasaki and Fresca in the $15,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Ocala, FL – The $15,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix took center stage this afternoon, featuring a competitive field of 20 horse-and-rider combinations navigating a challenging track set by Steve Stephens (USA). Augusta Iwasaki (USA) and her accomplished partner, Fresca (Carambole x Zanesca), snagged the win and galloped away with the top prize. 

Out of the 20 combinations, seven successfully completed a faultless round, advancing to the immediate jump-off. However, only three managed to jump double clear. 

Caelinn Leahy and Zarkava rounding out the top three. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Caelinn Leahy set the pace by achieving the first double clean effort with Zarkava (Guidam x Miss Libero), a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare owned by Steve Schaefer, in 42.730 seconds. 

Dani Gascoigne and Jasper jumping to second place. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Shortly after, Dani Gascoigne and York Story Limited’s 10-year-old KWPN gelding Jasper (Carrera VDL x Doris) surpassed Leahy’s time by a fraction of a second, clocking in at 42.639 seconds.

Augusta Iwasaki and Fresca. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.

Second to last in the posted order, Augusta Iwasaki and her swift partner Fresca stole the show. The pair soared through the timers in 41.650 seconds, claiming the top spot on the leaderboard by a full second.

Iwasaki credited her success in the jump-off to the 14-year-old KWPN mare’s natural speed, “She’s such a quick horse. I knew if I just stayed as tidy as I could everywhere, I could let her speed take care of the rest.”

Augusta Iwasaki and Fresca accepting their first place award presented by Fred Moehring, Buckeye Nutrition Representative. Photo courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.

Iwasaki expressed her affection for Fresca, “She’s my favorite horse in the world. I am obsessed with her, you can ask anyone.” Having been partnered with Fresca for a year and a half, Iwasaki highlighted their notable achievements, including a successful stint in Europe and earning silver in the Young Rider Championships this past summer. She praised Fresca as the “best horse, always giving her best effort.” 

$15,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix Results: 

1 Fresca, Augusta Iwasaki, Iwasaki & Reilly: 0 | 0 | 41.650
2 Jasper, Dani Gascoigne, York Story Limited: 0 | 0 | 42.639
3 Zarkava, Caelinn Leahy, Steve Schaefer: 0 | 0 | 42.730
4 Dakota De Castel, Aaron Vale, Redfield Farm: 0 | 2 | 45.303
5 Chacco Lait, Avery Erickson, Avery Erickson: 0 | 4 | 42.813
6 Chronicle 4, Megan Wexler, Golden Oaks Farm, LLC: 0 | 5 | 44.775
7 Casilo, Rowan Willis, Molly Struve: 0 | 8 | 43.029
8 Zechariah, Derek Petersen, Derek Petersen: 4 | 68.942
9 Kawir MS, Jared Petersen, Jordan Petersen: 4 | 69.473
10 United M, Robert Mendoza, Holly McPherson: 4 | 69.637 

Spectators are welcome! From now until March 24, 2024, experience the thrill of the 2024 Winter Spectacular Show Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala. Explore the daily class schedule, orders of go, class counts, and final results on HorseShowing.com. For real-time scoring, check out Ryegate.Live. 

Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
Videos available at ClipMyHorse.TV

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