Ocala, FL – Elite show jumping competition continued in the WEC Grand Arena this afternoon as 38 top horse-and-rider combinations gathered to contest FEI Level II course designer Tucker Williams (USA) first round track in the $15,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix. Penny Brennan (GBR) snagged the victory in a competitive 14 horse jump-off aboard her own Vertigo Delorme (Chacco Blue x Frentana).
Brennan and the 14-year-old Westphalian stallion entered the arena toward the beginning of the order. The pair found a strong rhythm to deliver a faultless first round in 79.476 seconds, well under the time allowed of 87 seconds.
Brennan spoke about today’s opening track, “It was a beautiful course. I have a horse with a tremendous step, and he played with it. He had a blast out there and I saw the top of the standards while I was in the air. It rode perfectly for him.”
The pair went straight to the jump-off, “Over the first jump, part of my bridle broke, so for [Vertigo Delorme] that was game on. He just took off and I wasn’t able to hold him back, so I tried to find the distances going forward and hope it was there, if it wasn’t, I knew he would put me there. He has always hunted the jumps. He wants to win every time he steps in the ring.”
Brennan and Vertigo Delorme flew around the jump-off track, stopping the clock at an unbeatable 37.438 seconds which held the lead for the remainder of the class.
Brennan spoke about the competitive stallion, “He has a heart bigger than Texas and more game than Michael Jackson. He is a grenade that goes out there to win each and every time. He’s the smartest horse I have ever met and looks through my soul. He’s fourteen now, but he’s by Chacco Blue, so he will be in his prime until he is 25,” laughed Brennan.
Brennan is looking forward to riding Vertigo Delorme under the lights on Saturday nights, “Next week I will plan to do the 1.40m, then hopefully by Week III we will do the grand prix and go for gold after that.”
Richard Spooner (USA) and Molly Ohrstrom’s Halcon secured the second-place finish in today’s class. Spooner and Halcon won the $15,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix twice during the 2022 Fall Show Series at World Equestrian Center – Ocala. Today, they continued their success after laying down a clean first round in 84.064 seconds. Spooner and the seven-year-old Argentinian Sport Horse stallion went straight to the jump-off, flying through the course and stopping the clock at 38.330 seconds to slide into second place.
Rowan Willis (AUS) and Seven Oak Sporthorses’ Nanadou Van Het Weidse Hof rounded out the top three in the $15,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix. Willis and the ten-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding produced an efficient first round in 86.584 seconds. The pair jumped-off immediately taking tight turns to stop the timers at 39.594 seconds.
$15,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix Results:
1 Vertigo Delmore, Penny Brennan, Penny Brennan: 0 | 0 | 37.438
2 Halcon, Richard Spooner, Molly Ohrstrom: 0 | 0 | 38.330
3 Nanadou Van Het Weidse Hof, Rowan Willis, Seven Oak Sporthorses: 0 | 0 | 39.594
4 Eldo Van De Helle, David Tromp, David Tromp Show Stables, Inc.: 0 | 0 | 39.891
5 Cool Ray, Fernando Cardenas Jr., B&C, LLC: 0 | 0 | 40.087
6 Madeira SCF, Fernando Cardenas Jr., 3H Sport Horses LLC: 0 | 0 | 41.329
7 Warmachine, Holly Shepherd, Loretta Patterson: 0 | 0 | 41.628
8 Gatsby, Daisy Ford, Daisy Ford: 0 | 4 | 37.049
9 Origi Van’t Roosaker, Jelmer Hoekstra, Jelmer Hoekstra: 0 | 4 | 37.809
10 Doo-Wop, Megan Wexler, Golden Oaks Farms. LLC: 0 | 4 | 40.677
Dorothy Douglas & MTM Pablo Snag $15,000 1.40m Jumper Classic Victory
On Friday afternoon, nineteen starters took to the WEC Grand Arena to vie for the first place prize in the $15,000 1.40m Jumper Classic. FEI Level II course designer Tucker Williams (USA) built the tracks with assistance from Bobby Murphy (USA) and Pat Muskus (USA). Dorothy Douglas saved the best for last as she piloted Davenport Farm’s MTM Pablo (Perigueux x Celina) to victory.
Jumping clear proved to be quite possible in the first round, as 14 managed to keep all rails up to qualify jump-off. Of the 14, only five managed to produce a double clean effort.
Tiffany Hammack and Foxwood Farm’s Ghana FS Z (Glasgow W VH Merelsnest x Uschi-Vira) were the first combination to produce a clear first round effort. Hammack and the ten-year-old Zangersheide mare flew around the short course in 46.703 seconds to ultimately secure third place.
Hammack’s time wasn’t caught until Santiago Lambre (BRA) and All In Horses Cava and Jan De Waard’s Nono VD Withoeve (Elvis Ter Putte x Chellana I Z) entered the arena. The pair produced a smooth effort in the first round in 80.653 seconds. At the sound of the tone, Lambre and the ten-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion dashed around the jump-off track in 42.981 seconds, nearly four seconds faster than Hammack and Ghana FS Z.
Victory seemed set, but there was still one duo left, Dorothy Douglas and MTM Pablo. Douglas and the ten-year-old Warmblood gelding found a speedy first round in 76.181 second, well under the time allowed of 86 seconds.
“I think the sun became a bit of a factor today. It is always a bit tricky when the sun sets and creates shadows. I had a bit of an advantage because I was last in the order, and there weren’t many shadows left,” Douglas shared. “My goal was to be smooth, stay on rhythm and let Pablo do his job.”
When it came time of the jump-off Douglas had a plan, “Pablo is naturally fast across the ground, and he’s very careful. The one question was the striding in the last line and the vertical at the top of the arena. A lot of people had a rail at that vertical because they were shifting left, so I aimed to stay straight then look for my turn,” said Douglas. “I found the second-to-last oxer positive so I was able to walk down the last line in seven.”
Douglas and MTM Pablo flew through the finish stopping the clock at 41.284 seconds to steal the victory.
Douglas spoke about the stunning bay gelding, “Pablo is the best. He is the best competitor and gives you the best feeling in the ring. This was such a great way to kick-off the circuit and hopefully he will do some Saturday night grands prix soon.”
$15,000 1.40m Jumper Classic Results:
1 MTM Pablo, Dorothy Douglas, Davenport Farms: 0 | 0 | 41.284
2 Nono VD Withoeve, Santiago Lambre, All In Horses and Jan De Waard: 0 | 0 | 42.981
3 Ghana FS Z, Tiffany Hammack, Foxwood Farm: 0 | 0 | 46.703
4 Verdi O’Merveilles, Tiffany Hammack, Foxwood Farm: 0 | 0 | 47.276
5 Dolla 3, Sam Pegg, Sam Pegg: 0 | 0 | 47.395
6 Orlando Van Klapscheut, Jelmer Hoekstra, Helmer Hoekstra: 0 | 4 | 39.835
7 Cinven CR, Bryn Sadler, Showcase 81, LLC: 0 | 4 | 41.637
8 Zao D’Hyrencourt Z, Dorothy Douglas, MTM Farm: 0 | 4 | 43.312
9 Cupertino, Agustin Rosales, Gail Dady: 0 | 4 | 45.169
10 Jumpstar Uno, Daniel Bedoya, Monica Hanks: 0 | 4 | 45.208
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
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