Spectators filled the grandstands of the Sanctuary Arena tonight to watch thrilling equestrian sport in both the $25,000 World Equestrian Center Grand Prix and the $7,500 Futures Prix 1.30m sponsored by Voltaire Design. Crowd favorite David Beisel absolutely dominated, taking the top spot in both classes. Beisel was also the only rider to manage double clear rounds in either class tonight, receiving an appreciative roar from the crowd as he led the victory gallop.
$25,000 World Equestrian Center Grand Prix
Entries in tonight’s $25,000 World Equestrian Center Grand Prix vied for the win over a course designed by Bobby Murphy of Lexington, Kentucky that featured fifteen jumping efforts, a triple combination and several bending lines. Just one entry managed a clear first round in the class – hometown favorite David Beisel aboard his own Essince W (Chacco Blue x Rossan). The pair stole the blue with a seemingly effortless clear round, bringing spectators in the Sanctuary Arena grandstands to their feet.
Beisel and Essince W have taken countless top placings in Welcome Stakes and Grands Prix at World Equestrian Center, including a second place finish in this week’s Welcome Stake. Tonight, Beisel and the ten year old KWPN gelding were last to go in the order for the $25,000 World Equestrian Center Grand Prix. With no clear rounds on the board yet, the pair just needed to keep the rails up under the time allowed of 83 seconds to win the class. Beisel and the scopey gelding did just that, crossing the timers with a clear round in a blazing 75.246 seconds and taking home the blue ribbon.
Earlier in the class, Beisel piloted Maarten Huygen’s Angelo (Conthargos x Grand Ronja) over Bobby Murphy’s course. The pair took fifth place on Thursday in the $5,000 Welcome Stake 1.35m, preparing them well for tonight’s class. Beisel and the eight year old Mecklenburg gelding managed a quick time of 71.721 seconds, but took one unfortunate rail. Their combines time and faults was still enough for a fourth place finish.
The fastest four faulter in tonight’s Grand Prix was this week’s Welcome Stake winners Charlotte Clark and her own Kinsella (Capitalist x Jerpoint Mist). The pair sped through the course in their signature style taking just one unlucky rail in 69.193 seconds.
We caught up with Beisel of David Beisel Stables in Goshen, Ohio after the Grand Prix to chat about his win, “Essince was really good. It was funny because the last Grand Prix I won with him there were two or three of us in the jump off and I came back last and all I had to do to win was jump clear. It was the same thing tonight. I will say that it was nice that the time allowed was not so tight. I was able to take a little time. I was even thinking as I was going around that we would be okay with one or two time faults. I was lucky I did my first mount, Angelo, first because there were a few spots where your horse could get stuck looking at a jump that wasn’t the next fence. Essince definitely looks for whatever jump comes next and I was kind of ready for him to get looking at the wrong one and correct him. It was fun.”
Beisel also added, “Thank you to MTM Farm, Phyllis and Pat Harlow and my kids Cooper and Izzy Beisel for rocking it out. My wife Paige was a great cheerleader, too. Also, my CWD saddles and my Antares helmets were amazing.”
$25,000 World Equestrian Center Grand Prix Results
- Essince W, David Beisel – 0 | 75.246
- Kinsella, Charlotte Clark – 4 | 69.193
- Zonderling, Genevieve Munson – 4 | 71.271
- Angelo, David Beisel – 4 | 71.721
- Cassius 74, Stephen Foran – 4 | 71.833
- Light Show, Summer Hill – 4 | 74.664
- Harakiri Z, Madeline Reich – 8 | 68.236
- Contendro Star, Genevieve Munson – 8 | 69.223
- Lasco 29, Summer Hill – 8 | 71.378
- Kennedy Vd Rechri, Julia Curtis – 8 | 72.717
$7,500 Futures Prix 1.30m
Beisel also found great success in tonight’s $7,500 Futures Prix sponsored by Voltaire Design, sweeping the top four placings aboard his own Vegas H (Valentino x Cobrah), MTM Farm’s MTM IBelieve (Indoctro x Grace), Harlow Investment Enterprises, LLC’s Caius (Camaxl x Cuba Libre) and Equine Holdings, LLC’s Ivana Jump (Lupicor x Donnaludine), respectively.
The first mount for Beisel in the Futures Prix was MTM Farm’s MTM IBelieve (Indoctro x Grace). The pair took third place in late December in the Futures Prix and had hopes tonight of another top placing. Beisel and the ten year old Dutch Warmblood gelding took their time in the first round, leaving all rails up in 82.311 seconds, still within the time allowed of 85 seconds. First to jump a clear round, the pair continue straight to the jump off, picking up pace but still jumping clear in a time of 44.958 seconds, setting the pace for the class.
Beisel’s second mount of the class was his own Vegas H (Valentino x Cobrah). Both Beisel and his daughter Izzy have shown Vegas H to top placings in their respective classes. Tonight, Beisel and the six year old Hanoverian stallion were quick in the first round, jumping clear in a time of 78.126 seconds. The pair continued straight to the jump off, taking the inside track and crossing the timers at 42.457 seconds, moving into the top spot.
Next of Beisel’s rides was Equine Holdings, LLC’s Ivana Jump (Lupicor x Donnaludine). Like Vegas H, both Beisel and his daughter show Ivana Jump, earning top ribbons. Tonight, Beisel and the six year old Dutch Warmblood mare were incredibly quick in the first round with a time of 71.585 seconds, but took one unlucky rail. Their speedy time was still enough to move them into the third place spot.
Beisel rounded out the class aboard Harlow Investment Enterprises, LLC’s Caius (Camaxl x Cuba Libre). The pair have contested both the jumper and hunter rings, finding themselves in top placings in both arenas. Tonight, Beisel and the nine year old Westphalian gelding were in the jumper state of mind, galloping clear through the first course in 72.603 seconds. The pair continued straight to the jump off, taking just two rails in a time of 44.227, sliding into third place and moving Ivana Jump to fourth place.
Beisel was thrilled with his mounts in the Futures Prix saying, “It was such a quiet morning. I helped a kid in the Intermediate Jumpers, I helped my son, I polished my boots, cleaned the barn…with everything being that calm I could tell that it was going to be crazy later. My wife showed right before the Futures, then Cooper showed, then it was time for Izzy to show, then we had the four in the Futures.”
When asked about first place finisher Vegas H, Beisel replied, “The Vegas H horse is just coming seven years old. His first Futures Prix was two weeks ago and this was his second. He’s super careful. Yesterday I did the 1.30m on him and he was jumping so high over a 1.15m oxer that I just jumped a bigger vertical and went and he was double clear. He’s really getting comfortable here at World Equestrian Center.”
Second place finisher MTM I Believe is also a newer mount for Beisel, “I just got the MTM I Believe horse from Mike and Tracy McCormick. Their assistant trainer that lives in Texas had been showing him, but she’s having a baby, so they sent him up here as a potential horse for Izzy to ride. They said I should get to know him a little bit first before I put her on him. He’s super fun to ride, it just took me a little bit of getting to know him as far as how he likes to go. He jumped really nice yesterday and really good today. He did a killer inside turn in the jump off. He turns right pretty hard anyway, but I wasn’t planning on doing it until I got two or three strides away from the oxer and he was like, ‘I like going right, no problem.’ He was slick.”
Beisel also commented on third and fourth place finishers Caius and Ivana Jump, “This was Caius’ second Futures Prix as well. He ran out of steam a little in the jump off but he was good. Actually, this was also Ivana Jump’s second Futures Prix also, so it was a good day for them.”
$7,500 Futures Prix 1.30m Results
- Vegas H, David Beisel – 0 | 0 | 42.457
- MTM I Believe, David Beisel – 0 | 0 | 44.958
- Caius, David Beisel – 0 | 8 | 44.227
- Ivana Jump, David Beisel – 4 | 71.585
- Malibu, Darby Pease – 4 | 72.547
- Shutterfly, Genevieve Munson – 4 | 72.672
- Cornetta KF, Charlotte Clark – 4 | 73.037
- Eastpoint, Hillary Johnson – 4 | 78.627
- Cumbaya, Darby Pease – 87.193
- Increta Del Masset, Priscilla Godsoe – 83.432
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.