Week 11 of the Winter Series of the Midwest featured plenty of fun in and out of the show ring. This week went to the ladies, with women winning every feature class of the week. That’s some serious #girlpower if we do say so ourselves! Exhibitors enjoyed the Busking Blue Band playing in the Paddock Club on Friday night and a delicious dinner, a dog adoption with the League for animal Welfare on Saturday, a Sip and Shop in Vendor Village on Saturday and the Girl Scouts joined us again this week selling yummy cookies on both Saturday and Sunday.
Thursday saw a thrilling head to head battle for first place in the $5,000 Welcome Stake 1.35 m sponsored by CWD Sellier between Brooke Cudmore and Lauren DiTallo. Lauren DiTallo was the pace setter for the class, jumping the first clear round aboard Scott Durchslag’s Oliver’s Army (Ogano Sitte x Linotte de Sohan). The pair were quick in the first round, jumping clear in a time of 73.086 seconds, three seconds under the time allowed of 76 seconds, and continuing straight to the jump off of the Table II event. DiTallo and Oliver’s Army marched through the short course with plenty of speed, taking inside turns where possible, crossing the timers with all rails up at 40.906 seconds and setting a strong pace for the remainder of the class. Brooke Cudmore followed aboard Blair Cudmore’s Igor. The pair were patient in the first round, taking care to not touch any rails and stopping the clock at a speedy 71.507 seconds. Cudmore and the scopey Igor continued to the jump off, picking up the pace but maintaining their incredible height over each fence. The pair jumped the oxer in the corner and galloped to the final fence, which paid off with a clear round and a new leading time of 40.053 seconds. DiTallo rode two more in the class, Scott Durchslag’s Zero Gravity (Verdi x Releva) and High Finance Farm’s Wadisson (Radisson x Olivia), but was not able to catch Cudmore and Igor’s speedy time, leaving the pair atop the leader board for the win in the class.
Friday’s $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby saw a stellar win for Jennifer Nadalin for the second week in a row and the third time this Winter Series. Nadalin rode a total of three horses in this week’s Derby finishing in the top ten standings with all three and taking the blue aboard Daniela Casline’s Stellar (Quintender x Carmen). Stellar is a newer mount for Nadalin, and the pair have been quite successful at recent Winter Series of the Midwest shows at World Equestrian Center. Together they have taken top placings in the Performance Hunter division, and Stellar has also taken top placings in the Intermediate Childrens Hunter division with owner Daniela Casline. Nadalin and Stellar brought their A-game to the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby, taking each fence perfectly in stride, jumping with plenty of style and taking all four high options for a first round score of 86. Heading into the handy round, half of the top twelve entries were returning with first round scores in the eighties, making the handy round the deciding factor for the class. Nadalin and Stellar returned near the end of the handy round, taking several inside turns and jumping a second precise, elegant round. The pair took all four high options, earning a score of 89 in the handy round, bringing their two round total to 175 for the win in the class.
Lauren DiTallo and Scott Durchslag’s Zero Gravity (Verdi x Releva) emerged victorious in Saturday afternoon’s $25,000 WEC Grand Prix. The pair have been steadily climbing the ranks in the Grand Prix throughout the Winter Series, and all of their hard work paid off Saturday afternoon as they jumped an outstanding double clear for the win in the class. The pair went near the end of the order of go in the first round, easily jumping clear in a time of 73.322 seconds. DiTallo and Zero Gravity joined three more clear first rounders heading into the jump off, including serious competitors Karen Cudmore and Blair Cudmore’s Coneja (Conejo), who jumped a clear first round in a quick time of 70.699 seconds. Four entries returned for the jump off, with Cudmore and Coneja setting a tough time to beat of 37.579 seconds. However, DiTallo and Zero Gravity stepped up their pace and took every possible inside turn, jumping a clear round in just 36.915 seconds to win the $25,000 WEC Grand Prix.
Saturday’s $7,500 Futures Prix 1.30 m sponsored by Voltaire Design saw the second win this week for Brooke Cudmore, this time aboard Blair Cudmore’s Southern Rose (Southern Pride). The pair were one of just three double clear rounds in the Futures Prix and were impressively speedy in both the first round and the short course. Cudmore and Southern Rose rode near the end of the order in this afternoon’s Futures Prix and had an idea of the speed that it would take to win the class. The pair set the tone in the first round, jumping a speedy course in a time of just 69.285 seconds, almost twelve seconds under the time allowed of 81 seconds. Cudmore and Southern Rose continued straight to the jump off, kicking up their speed and galloping around the short course. The pair approached the final two fences with enough speed to leave a stride out of the final line and stopped the clock at 27.762 seconds, almost a full second faster than second place.
The Roberts Ring also saw fantastic Hunter action on Saturday in the $2,000 Non Pro Hunter Derby 2’6″ sponsored by Chagrin Saddlery. Twenty entries contested for the win in the Derby, but it was Camille Borres aboard her own Winsome Court Jester (Wicked Court Jester x JKL Chelsea) that took home the blue. The pair had a successful week at World Equestrian Center, also taking top placings in the Large Pony division and earning Reserve Champion in the Intermediate Children’s Equitation division.
Join us at the World Equestrian Center for the remainder of the Winter Series of the Midwest. The prize list is available online at www.wec.net, and entries are being accepted via www.horseshowing.com and through Equestrian Connect. Reservations for stalls, hay and bedding as well as RV spaces may all be made online at www.horseshowing.com. Be sure to watch the live stream daily on www.shownet.biz or from our home page at wec.net.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.