Ocala, FL – Week IV of the Winter Spectacular Show Series showcased the $75,000 Coors Light Grand Prix brought to you by Cone Distributing Inc. under the sun during a chilly Florida day. Thirty-two competitive entries took to the WEC Grand Arena to vie for the win over tracks built by FEI Level II course designer, Colm Quinn (IRL). The track featured multiple combinations and a tight time allowed that caught a few riders throughout the class. Twelve entries navigated faultless first rounds and only four jumped double clear, but it was Olympic rider Santiago Lambre and his own Comtess 202 (Comme II Faut 5 x Parodie) that emerged victorious.
Lambre (BRA) enjoyed a successful day, also earning a top finish in the $10,000 Buckeye Nutrition Futures Prix aboard Pampero.
Lambre and the 11-year-old Westphalian mare went toward the end of the order, producing a faultless first round in 81.761 seconds.
“Comtess is a fantastic mare. I have owned her for about a year now. I won two grands prix on her last winter. She’s done a few four-star grands prix and I think she’s ready for a five-star. She tries hard with her hind end, is careful in the front and she is super-fast off the ground.”
Lambre watched a few other competitors jump-off to establish a plan, “It was nice being toward the end of the order. I was able to watch Will Simpson go, and he was very fast. I watched the few in the beginning go and they were fast but had rails. I made sure to wait and think coming to the last oxer because that rail came down multiple times.”
Lambre and the careful Comtess 202 started on a strong gallop, dashing from fence one to two. The pair flew through the double combination to slice the oxer in the middle. Lambre and Comtess rolled through the rest of the course, steadying to the last jump, leaving all rails up to stop the jump-off clock at 38.475 seconds.
Olympic Gold Medalist Will Simpson and his own Chacco P snagged second place in this afternoon’s $75,000 Coors Light Grand Prix. Simpson and the quick Chacco P (Chacco Blue x Cera P) produced a clean and very fast first round in 79.592 seconds, well under the time allowed of 83 seconds. Simpson and the 13-year-old Macklenburg gelding returned to jump-off, leaving out strides to be the first pair in the jump-off to produce a fault free round with a time of 39.284 seconds.
Austria’s Peter Petschenig and his own It’s The Senator 111 (Der Senaat 111 x Babs Van Het Sluishof) rounded out the top three in this afternoon’s $75,000 Coors Light Grand Prix. Petschenig earned second place during last week’s grand prix aboard Ennebel Van Het Posthuijs. Today, Petschenig and It’s The Senator 111 delivered a smooth first round in 82.725 seconds, just within the time allowed of 83 seconds. Petschenig and the 15-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding returned for the jump-off; going clean and clear with a time of 40.681 seconds to ultimately earn third place.
An additional $5,000 was awarded to the fastest four-faulter of the $75,000 Coors Light Grand Prix brought to you by Cone Distributing Inc. Peter Petschenig captured the award aboard his other mount Wannabe CS with an incredibly fast time of 80.585 seconds with one down.
Martien Van Der Hoeven received the $5,000 ‘Luck of the Draw’ award.
$75,000 Coors Light Grand Prix Results:
1.Comtess 202, Santiago Lambre (BRA), Santiago Lambre: 0 | 0 | 38.475
2. Chacco P, Will Simpson (USA), Will Simpson: 0 | 0 | 39.284
3. It’s The Senator 111, Peter Petschenig (AUT), Peter Petschenig: 0 | 0 | 40.681
4. Gatsby, Sharn Wordley (NZL), Sharn Wordley: 0 | 0 | 41.012
5. Obi Wan, Aaron Vale (USA), Thinks Like A Horse: 0 | 4 | 38.179
6. Ennebel Van Het Posthuijs, Peter Petschenig (AUT), Brooke Peterson: 0 | 4 | 38.970
7. Cetano Van Aspergem Z, Santiago Lambre (BRA), Santiago Lambre: 0 | 4 | 38.988
8. Cristo Beech, Aaron Vale (USA), Thinks Like A Horse & Alise Carrico: 0 | 4 | 39.534
9. Essenar Crixus, Callan Solem (USA), Elan Farm: 0 | 4 | 41.495
10. Keoki, David Blake (IRL), Pine Hallow Farm: 0 | 4 | 43.400
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
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