Switzerland's Katia Manuel-Adams Takes the Win in the $5,000 Welcome Stake

Katia Manuel-Adams and ERP van www.olland.biz win the $5,000 Welcome Stake 1.35 m.

This afternoon’s $5,000 Welcome Stake 1.35 m sponsored by CWD Sellier saw thrilling equestrian sport with eight entries making it to the jump off and six entries jumping double clear. Though there was plenty of fierce competition, Katia Manuel-Adams and Manuel Show Stables’ ERP van www.olland.biz (Amadeus x T’olga) captured the win near the end of the class by a little over a half of a second, an impressive feat considering the quick times set by entries early on in the class.

The course for this afternoon’s Welcome Stake was designed by Bobby Murphy of Lexington, Kentucky and featured two combinations, several bending lines and many opportunities for inside turns. The first course began with entries jumping a single vertical on the diagonal heading up the arena, then jumping an oxer at the top of the ring. Entries then galloped down the rail over a vertical-to-oxer line, then rolled back to jump a vertical on the diagonal that bent to an oxer-to-vertical combination heading up the quarter line. Next, entries rounded the top of the ring and jumped an oxer on the quarter line heading home that bent to a vertical on the diagonal, then continued past the ingate and over an oxer that bent to a combination on the rail. To finish, entries rounded the top of the ring and navigated a line on the diagonal heading home.

Karen Cudmore and Coneja set the pace in the class.

First in the order of go was Karen Cudmore aboard Blair Cudmore’s Coneja (Conejo), last week’s second place finishers in the $25,000 WEC Grand Prix. The pair have been blazing their way through the 2019 Winter show season, also placing third in the $40,000 National Western Grand Prix Presented By Monarch Casino at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado. Cudmore and Coneja surged through the first round, jumping clear in a time of 77.654 seconds, well within the time allowed of 83 seconds.

The pair continued straight to the jump off of the Table II event. The course for the jump off of the $5,000 Welcome Stake 1.35 m sponsored by CWD Sellier began over the in of the line on the rail headed home, then rolled back to the in of the final line of the first course, now reversed to head up the ring. Entries then jumped the oxer on the quarter line heading home that bent to the vertical on the diagonal, then continued past the ingate and over the oxer that bent to a combination on the rail. To finish, entries rolled back to jump the out of the final line of the first course. Cudmore and Coneja, well schooled from their rides last week, stepped up their pace, galloping through the short course and clearing each fence with room to spare. The pair crossed the timers at 36.664 seconds, setting the time to beat for the rest of the class.

Richard Rinehart and Uranus 112 clear an oxer.

None came close to Cudmore and Coneja’s quick jump off time until almost midway through the class. Richard Rinehart and Caron Stucky’s Uranus 112 (Uccello x Conny) were poised to challenge Cudmore and Coneja, winning two 1.30 m classes at World Equestrian Center during Week 5 of the Winter Series of the Midwest and taking top placings in several classes during the Venice Equestrian Tour at Fox Lea Farm in Venice, Florida in February. The pair were quick in the first round, jumping clear in a time of 76.882 seconds. Rinehart and Uranus 112 continued to the jump off, navigating the course with ample power. The pair jumped a clear round in a time of 36.892 seconds, just shy of Cudmore and Coneja’s time, positioning themselves in second place.

Katia Manuel-Adams and ERP van www.olland.biz jump to the win in this afternoon’s Welcome Stake.

It seemed that no one would best Cudmore and Coneja’s time until Katia Manuel-Adams and Manuel Show Stables’ ERP van www.olland.biz (Amadeus x T’olga) entered the arena near the bottom of the order. The pair have been strong competitors at World Equestrian Center throughout the Winter Series, taking third place in the $7,500 Futures Prix 1.30 m during Week 6 and Week 7. Manuel-Adams and ERP van www.olland.biz meant business tonight, strutting into the ring with confidence. The pair jumped one of the fastest first round of the class, leaving all of the rails up in just 75.453 seconds. They continued to the jump off, picking up speed and staying tight in their inside turns. Manuel-Adams and ERP van www.olland.biz galloped to the final fence, stopping the clock at an impressive 35.919 seconds, and sliding neatly into first place.

We caught up with Katia Manuel-Adams of Manuel Show Stables in New Jersey to chat about her win in the $5,000 Welcome Stake 1.35 m sponsored by CWD Sellier. “I’m excited,” said Manuel-Adams, “This is a new horse for me, so I’m still learning to ride him. He’s super fast in the jump off, and I knew I had to go fast to have a shot at winning. So we stepped it up in the jump off and he did great, so I’m super happy.” Manuel-Adams went on to explain ERP van www.olland.biz’s personality, “He’s a stallion, he’s super sweet and he tries hard every single time. We’re still learning to know each other, because this is only our third horse show together. This is the first Winter that our barn has come here. We came for two weeks in February and we’re doing two weeks now. We’re really enjoying it, my clients love it, so we’re having a good time.”