Tiffany Hammack Pilots Verdi O’merveilles to the Win in the $60,000 Standlee Grand Prix of WEC – Wilmington Fall Classic III
12 OCT 24 Wilmington, OH
Wilmington, Ohio – World Equestrian Center – Wilmington (WEC) hosted the highlight event of Fall Classic III Saturday evening in the Standlee Sanctuary. All eyes were on the $60,000 Standlee Grand Prix where a field of 33 internationally acclaimed horse-and-athlete combinations contested FEI Level IV course designer Guilherme Jorge’s (BRA) technically set first-round track.
Seven partnerships managed to make their way to the jump-off phase, where only four secured double clear efforts. Tiffany Hammack (USA), riding for Foxwood Farm owned by Roger and Kay Schramm, discovered the quickest path with Verdi O’merveilles (Verdi x O’My Star).
Hammack thought, “that the track was challenging today. I wasn’t 100% confident in myself, so I was very happy that both of my horses jumped clear over the fences,” she laughed. “It really made me think the whole time and I think seven was a good number for the jump-off out of 33.”
Hammack was the first to jump clear in the jump-off and was ultimately uncatchable with her naturally quick mount.
“We have had Verdi for about three years now. I jumped my first CSI3* on him at WEC – Ocala and was fifth there. I have done a lot of 1.55m stuff with him for the first time and he has been very good to learn on,” Hammack shared.
“He is very fast! He likes to double down and act like a race horse on the back side. It has been a little bit of a learning curve! He jumped three grands prix double clear in a row this summer, and I feel like at the end of that he really understood the job. He helped me out through the double in the jump-off and it worked out.”
The 15-year-old Selle Francais gelding stopped the clock in 38.858 seconds – just enough to clinch the win.
“We always come here in October, we love it,” Hammack shared about WEC – Wilmington. “The course designers are always great, the jumps are nice and the classes are always realistic and fair. The footing is good, the competition is good and there is great money. The jumpers really like it and I love riding in that ring!”
Last week’s winner, Sam Pegg, entered directly after Hammack to chase the leading time. With his 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Gin Tonic 158 (Graf Top x Sanjador), Pegg mirrored the winning track but was just shy of the win in 38.996 seconds for second place.
Lorcan Gallagher (IRL) and Lost Lake Farm LLC’s 11-year-old Westphalian gelding, Copycat (Comme Il Faut x Whoopy Goldberg), posted a time of 40.374 seconds for third.
$60,000 Standlee Grand Prix Results:
1 Verdi O’merveilles, Tiffany Hammack, Foxwood Farm | 0 | 39.858
2 Gin Tonic 158, Sam Pegg, Sam Pegg | 0 | 38.996
3 Copycat, Lorcan Gallagher, Lost Lake Farm LLC | 0 | 40.374
4 Nightshade SCF, Sarah Meier, Sarah Meier | 0 | 42.324
5 MHS Cardenta, Mia Albelo, Mia Albelo | 4 | 40.359
6 Montana, Elliott Stone, Elliott Stone | 4 | 40.923
7 Vivianne Blue PS, Charlotte Babbitt, Charlotte Babbitt | 9 | 53.23
8 Duc De Jentiere, Lani Hutchison, Lani Hutchison | 1 | 79.196
9 Ghana FS Z, Tiffany Hammack, Foxwood Farm | 2 | 80.361
10 Oaks Come By Chance, David Cameron, David Cameron | 2 | 80.656
Claire Austin & K T Miel Prevail in the $10,000 Absorbine Futures Prix at Fall Classic III
The $10,000 Absorbine Futures Prix stole the spotlight Friday evening at WEC – Wilmington, inviting a field of 32 horse-and-athlete combinations to try their hand at Guilherme Jorge’s tracks. Amongst a large group of talented professionals and young horses, Claire Austin (USA) notched an impressive win to add to her record.
Aboard her own K T Miel (Epleaser Van T Heike x Violet P), the young rider has produced many winning rounds in the Standlee Sanctuary and was determined to secure another double clear effort.
Austin felt the track, “was a little bit intimidating! I was 18th to go, so I got to watch a bunch and there were a lot of four fault rounds. When I went, only five had jumped off. The jumps were big and it made my horse jump better, so I appreciated that.”
The 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding was in careful form moving onto the short course. Austin utilized his natural footspeed to her advantage to find the leading time, “He has such a big stride. Coming off the B element of the butterfly combination, I was able to leave out the stride in that bending line and no one else did that. He does it so easily, so I think that was where I won it.”
The duo crossed through the timers nearly two seconds faster than the leader Breeze Kaye (USA) in 33.541 seconds to take the win.
Kaye and her own nine-year-old Zangersheide gelding, Gold Digger Z (Grand Slam VDL x Charlotte), of Plain Bay Farm, ultimately landed with the red ribbon with a jump-off time of 35.601 seconds.
Kelly Arani (USA) rounded out the top three with the Marigot Bay Farm entry, Princip F. Damgaard (Balou x Porsche F. Damgaard). The nine-year-old Danish Warmblood mare was double clear in 36.58 seconds for third.
$10,000 Absorbine Futures Prix Results:
1 K T Miel, Claire Austin, Claire Austin | 0 | 33.541
2 Gold Digger Z, Breeze Kaye, Breeze Kaye | 0 | 35.601
3 Princip F. Damgaard, Kelly Arani, Marigot Bay Farm | 0 | 36.58
4 Hero Of No Man’s Land H, Addison McQuaker, Mac McQuaker | 0 | 38.653
5 Joli Jumper, Loic Cannaert, Srb Stables | 0 | 38.726
6 FF Uno Titus, Sarah Vince, Freestyling Farms LLC | 4 | 36.83
7 Amarena Z, Haley Dietrich, Airborne Stud LLC | 4 | 39.716
8 MHS Czarino, Christine Carlsen, Christine Carlsen | 4 | 39.95
9 Kalief De Brinco, Hayley Barnhill, Donald Cheska | 10 | 51.721
10 Carramar C, Maddie Figgie, Kathryn McCarthy | 15 | 48.07
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Results can be found at horseshowing.com.
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