Ocala, FL – Feature competition for week VIII of the 2023 Winter Spectacular Show Series culminated this afternoon with the $15,000 Taylor Harris Insurance Services 1.45m Jumper Classic. Twenty-one top-level athletes took center stage on yet another glorious Florida day to compete over Colm Quinn’s classic tracks, Vicente Guillen (VEN) and Cornut GP (Cornet Obolensky x Baloudera) owned by Rafeal Celis established an early lead that no other competitors were able to catch.
Guillen and Cornut GP were the first combination to attempt Quinn’s first round track. The pair made the intricate track look easy stopping the clock well under the time allowed to advance to immediate jump-off.
Guillen and the coming ten-year-old Oldenburg gelding advanced straight to the jump-off, “Cornut GP has a very big step. I did one less from one to two and in the last line I think I did one or two less than the other competitors.”
The pair soared through the finish stopping the clock at 37.175 seconds which held rank for the remainder of the class.
Guillen spoke about the skilled young gelding, “Cornut GP is a very talented horse. He was a stallion about eight months ago, but we decided to geld him. He was a little full of himself as a stallion,” laughed Guillen. “He is doing much better now, and we are moving him up to the grand prix. I think he has a very promising future ahead of him and I think he will be a competitive four- and five-star horse.”
Guillen has been competing at World Equestrian Center – Ocala since the inaugural 2021 Winter Spectacular Show Series, “I think World Equestrian Center is the best place to compete in the United States. The footing, atmosphere and staff are all wonderful. They continuously bring in the best course designers in the world, and the jumps are fantastic.”
Tom Foley (IRL) piloted Anne Bingler’s ten-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion Inspirado (Eldorado Van De Zeshoek x Bloody Mary) to second place after the pair navigated a seamless jump-off effort in 39.197 seconds.
Kimberley Bird (NZL) and her own Cera Cassina (Cassini II x Caletta) rounded out the top three in today’s $15,000 Taylor Harris Insurance Services 1.45m Jumper Classic. Bird and the 13-year-old Holsteiner mare dashed around the short track in 40.842 seconds to take home the yellow ribbon.
$15,000 Taylor Harris Insurance Services 1.45m Jumper Classic Results:
1 Cornut GP, Vicente Guillen, Rafael Celis: 0 | 0 | 37.175
2 Inspirado, Tom Foley, Anne Bingler: 0 | 0 | 39.197
3 Cera Cassina, Kimberley Bird, Kimberley Bird: 0 | 0 | 40.842
4 Eastpoint, Hillary Johnson, Hillary Johnson: 0 | 0 | 43.010
5 Cuba Libre V, Sean Jobin, Foxridge Farms Stables: 0 | 4 | 38.849
6 Queen 174, Peter Petschenig, Betka Alexander: 0 | 4 | 40.840
7 Chelsey 25, Kama Godek, Kama Godek: 4 | 70.412
8 Evolene De Carles, Vicente Guillen, Tranquility Farm: 4 | 75.054
9 TJM Amour Fou, Lauren Hester, Hester Equestrian LLC: 4 | 76.398
10 Everyday Hero, Heren Lee, Heren Lee: 4 | 76.531
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
Videos available at ClipMyHorse.TV