Charlotte Clark and Kinsella Claim Victory in $25,000 WEC Grand Prix

It was another exciting Saturday afternoon in the Sanctuary Arena where spectators gathered to watch the $25,000 World Equestrian Center Grand Prix and $7,500 Futures Prix 1.30m sponsored by Voltaire Design. The Grand Prix competitors wowed the crowd this afternoon with just three entries advancing to an exciting jump-off, all managing to go double clear within about one second of each other. The Futures Prix saw five entries on the short course, but just two jumped double clear, making for another thrilling class.

$25,000 World Equestrian Center Grand Prix

The ladies dominated the $25,000 World Equestrian Center Grand Prix this afternoon with an all women jump-off that resulted in the ladies snagging the top three placings in the class. There was tight competition between riders from the United States, Ireland and Canada, but it was Ohio’s own Charlotte Clark and her incredibly athletic ISH mare Kinsella (Capitalist x Jerpoint Mist) that took the win in the class.

Logan Taylor and First Finch jump a clear first round.

The course for the class was designed by Michael Pegg of Ontario, Canada and featured bending lines, a triple combination and long galloping approaches in the jump-off. First to manage a clear round was Logan Taylor and her own First Finch (Amadeus x Silvia). The pair has recently been testing their skills on higher tracks, trying their hand at Welcome Stakes and Grands Prix. This afternoon, Taylor and the nine-year-old KWPN gelding were quick and clear in the first round in a time of 70.747 seconds, well under the time allowed of 80 seconds.

Kieley McQuaker and Clash Heldenlaan Z secure a spot in the jump-off.

Next to jump a clear first round was Kieley McQuaker and her own Clash Heldenlaan Z. The pair earned a fifth place finish earlier this week in the $5,000 Welcome Stake 1.35m, preparing them well for this afternoon’s class. McQuaker and Clash Heldenlaan Z took a quieter approach to the first round, leaving all rails up in a time of 74.961 seconds.

Charlotte Clark and Kinsella clear an oxer with style.

Last to secure a spot in the jump-off was Charlotte Clark and her own Kinsella (Capitalist x Jerpoint Mist). The pair took the blue ribbon in the $5,000 Welcome Stake 1.35m at the beginning of the year and returned to the Sanctuary Arena this afternoon in hopes of another victory. Clark and the nine-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare managed one of the fastest first rounds of the class, jumping clear in a time of 69.122 seconds, signaling that they would be tough to catch in the jump-off.

The course was adjusted and three entries returned for the jump-off. First to contest the short course was Taylor and First Finch. The pair flew to each fence, taking tidy inside turns to the combination and to fence 15. Taylor and the speedy gelding raced through the timers at 43.208 seconds, setting the time to beat. Next in the ring were McQuaker and Clash Heldenlaan Z. The duo mimicked Taylor’s inside turns, but were just three-tenths of a second off of her time at 43.234 seconds. Last to attempt the jump-off were Clark and Kinsella. They blazed through the rollback turn to the combination, but chose not to take the inside turn to fence 15. Instead, the pair went around the jumps at the end of the ring, picking up an impressive gallop before soaring over the final fence and stopping the clock at 42.066 seconds for the win.

Clark of Kendalwood Farm in Sunbury, Ohio took a moment to chat with us about her win, “Kinsella was amazing, as always. She was really calm and focused; her energy level was perfect. The course suited her because it had a lot of bending lines and turns, and she’s really rideable forward and backward. In the jump-off, I knew I was better off to go around after the combination because she’s really fast across the ground, and I was scared that I would have 12c down if I tried to turn. She turns too fast sometimes. Once I was clear in the first round, I was just trying to be efficient, not as fast as I possibly could go. Kinsella is my long-time partner and I hope to continue our ways. She’s here next week, then she has a few weeks off before we come back in March.”

Clark also added, “It was a great course. Michael Pegg did a great job this week. Everybody here is amazing. I’m so thankful that I get to spend so much time here. I want to thank my groom Rachel Vogel. She’s amazing and so detail-oriented, I don’t have to worry about a thing. I’m so grateful to have such a great barn family and support system here.”

$25,000 World Equestrian Center Grand Prix Results

Kinsella, Charlotte Clark – 0 | 0 | 42.066
First Finch, Logan Taylor – 0 | 0 | 43.208
Clash Heldenlaan Z, Kieley McQuaker – 0 | 0 | 43.234
Catch A Star HSS, Kevin McCarthy – 4 | 69.061
Graf Joe, Leann Kelly – 4 | 71.092
Charlie Brown, Taylor Avann – 4 | 71.254
Hannibal V, Nicki Wilcox – 4 | 71.549
Equinox HS, Leann Kelly – 4 | 71.724
Angelo, David Beisel – 4 | 71.888
Easton, Kevin McCarthy – 8 | 69.982

$7,500 Futures Prix 1.30m

The $7,500 Futures Prix 1.30m sponsored by Voltaire Design featured a similar course to that of the Grand Prix with bending lines, combinations and a few inside turn options on the short course. Just two entries managed to jump double clear, but it was David Beisel and Equine Holdings LLC’s Ivana Jump (Lupicor x Donnaludine) that nabbed the win. For their win, the pair received a wool cooler, a $100 gift certificate from Dandy Products and the lion’s share of the prize money.

David Beisel and Ivana Jump go double clear.

Beisel and Equine Holdings LLC’s Ivana Jump (Lupicor x Donnaludine) took to the course early in the order. The pair has taken several top placings in Futures Prix at World Equestrian Center, but had yet to secure a win. Beisel and the seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare held a steady pace in the first round, jumping clear in a time of 81.760 seconds, still well within the time allowed of 87 seconds. They continued straight to the jump-off of the Table II 2b event, taking impressive inside turns to the combination, fence 8, fence 9 and fence 14. Beisel and the enthusiastic bay mare stopped the clock at 43.276 seconds, a time that would ultimately prove unbeatable.

Diana Conlon and Wondergirl clear an oxer.

Diana Conlon and her own Wondergirl (Mylord Cathargo x Winning Girl) were the only other entry to jump double clear. The pair have been collecting top prizes in the 1.30m jumpers, setting them up for success in this afternoon’s class. Conlon and the seven-year-old Oldenburg mare flew through the first round in 77.635 seconds with all rails up, continuing straight to the jump-off. They mirrored Beisel’s inside track, but kept a steady quiet pace knowing that a clear round under the time allowed would secure them a second place finish. They did just that, jumping clear in 53.591 seconds for the red ribbon.

Beisel of David Beisel Stables in Goshen, Ohio, took a moment to chat with us ringside after the awards presentation, “I thought my first jump was really smooth and pretty, then we were a little rough to 2, 3 and 4. Then we got into a rhythm and leveled out. She made it nicely up the short six and gave me a good effort through the double. I was also cantering around the course finding that I had left my stirrups a hole too long, so as soon as I finished the first round I shortened them a hole before the jump-off. In the jump-off, she was quite good. I thought, for her being a seven-year-old, turning back to the double was hard. She got a little lost for a minute, then it was good. Again, rolling back to the big oxer was a little hard for a young horse, but she gave me a huge effort over that one. She galloped beautifully to the last jump. This is her third win of the week! She won the 1.30m Wednesday and Friday.”

He also shared some history with us, “Funny back story- I used to ride her mother named Donnaludine. Dale Nielson, her owner, bred her. When Ivana Jump was a young horse and I hadn’t laid eyes on her, he kept telling me, ‘She’s really allergic to the wood; she really likes to jump.’ Sure enough, she really loves the job. Her mother was a very careful horse and she takes after her mother in that. I had a lot of success with Donnaludine as a young horse and Ivana Jump has a lot of her traits. She’s still green enough that she’s learning to go fast, but when I get her going she feels like her mom, who was really fast. Ivana also has a two-year-old baby that I’m going to start this spring.”

Beisel added, “As always, I love the CWD saddles that I get to ride in and the Antarès helmets. Also, thank you to Brook Ledge for helping us get the horses around, and to WEC for the great show!”

$7,500 Futures Prix 1.30m Results