Week 16 of the 2019 Winter Series of the Midwest hosted fantastic horse show action, accompanied by plenty of fun events for exhibitors and spectators alike. On Friday, the Paddock Club featured The Buskin Blue Band during a delicious dinner of prime rib and catfish. We celebrated Easter a week early with a braiding contest on Saturday and a massive Easter egg hunt in the Sanctuary Arena after the WEC $25,000 Grand Prix. Saturday also hosted the weekly Sip and Shop in Vendor Village. Plenty of thrilling equestrian sport filled the show grounds throughout the week with feature classes on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The week began with a fantastic win by David Beisel and Maarten Huygens’ Angelo (Conthargos x Grand Ronja) on Thursday in the $5,000 Welcome Stake 1.35 m sponsored by CWD Sellier. The pair were up against serious competition with Robert Mendoza and Bannockburn Farm’s United M (Baloubet Du Rouet x United) setting a tough pace early on in the class, but Beisel and Angelo persevered to win. Mendoza and United M rode at the top of the order and jumped a clear first round, continuing straight to the jump off. The pair picked up the pace crossing the timers at a quick 37.804 seconds, setting a tough time to beat for the remaining entries. None could best Mendoza and United M’s time until David Beisel and Angelo entered the ring at the bottom of the order. The pair took their time, ensuring a clear first round and continued straight to the jump off. Beisel and Angelo rode a foot-perfect course, taking impressively tidy rollback turns and stopping the clock at 37.176 seconds for the win.
Friday brought a third $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby win for Jennifer Nadalin and Daniela Casline’s Stellar (Quintender x Carmen). The pair earned back-to-back wins during Week 11 and Week 12 of the Winter Series of the Midwest, and returned this week to claim another victory. Nadalin and Stellar were on top of their game Friday afternoon, galloping beautifully around the first course and taking all four high options for a score of 86. While their score was impressive, last week’s Hunter Derby winners Renee Lenkart and MacMillan Sport Horse’s Cayman were sure to make an impression as well. The pair also jumped all four high options in the first round, earning a score of 83. The top twelve entries returned for the handy round, and Lenkart and Cayman showed off their elegant style and undeniable ability, taking all four high options and earning a score of 89, which brought their total score to 172, making them the new class leaders. Nadalin and Stellar were last to return, mimicking Lenkart’s inside track and jumping all four high options flawlessly. The pair earned a score of 87 in the handy round, which brought their two round total to 173, crowning them winners of the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby for the third time in 2019.
Saturday also saw a three-peat win, this time for Charlotte Clark and her own Kinsella (Capitalist x Jerpoint Mist) in the $25,000 WEC Grand Prix. Clark and Kinsella left the other entries in the dust, topping an extremely competitive jump off by over three seconds. The pair took the win in the Grand Prix during Week 2 and Week 12 of the Winter Series, so they knew what it would take to win Saturday night’s class. The pair were quick in the first round, jumping clear in a time of 71.085 seconds, signaling that they would be hard to catch in the jump off. Ten entries returned to contest the short course with Clark and Kinsella riding near the end of the class. With a few clear jump off rounds, Clark knew she and Kinsella would have to be quick. The pair hugged the inside track and left a stride out to the one stride combination to make up time. Their strategy was a success and the pair crossed the timers with a clear round at 40.275, bringing the crowd to their feet.
The $7,500 Futures Prix 1.30 m sponsored by Voltaire Design on Saturday saw a one-two finish for Sam Pegg for the second week in a row, this time aboard Michael Pegg’s Shaia de Macheco and Owen Gajoch’s Coco Beach Z, respectively. Pegg skillfully rode the only two double clear rounds of the class. Pegg rode Shaia de Macheco at the top of the order, jumping a clear first round in a time of 70.834 seconds and continuing straight to the jump off. The pair increased their pace, taking the inside track but focusing more on rhythm and accuracy than tight turns. Pegg and Shaia de Macheco crossed the timers at 42.785 seconds with all rails up, setting a quick pace. Near the bottom of the order, Pegg rode second place finisher in last week’s Futures Prix, Coco Beach Z. The pair took a quiet approach to the first course, jumping clear in a time of 74.126 seconds, then picked up the pace for the jump off, executing a tidy turn to the second fence and shaving valuable seconds off of their time. Pegg and Coco Beach Z stopped the clock at 43.680 seconds, which slid them into second place behind Pegg and Shaia de Macheco.
The Roberts Ring saw fantastic Hunter action on Saturday in the $2,000 Non Pro Hunter Derby 2’6″ sponsored by Chagrin Saddlery. Samantha Roper rode her own The Hottest One to victory in the class. The pair also took top placings in the Intermediate Adult Hunters and Intermediate Adult Equitation during the week.
Join us at the World Equestrian Center for the remainder of the Winter Series of the Midwest and for the Spring & Summer Series. The prize lists are 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 ShowNet live stream daily on www.shownet.biz or from our home page at wec.net.
Become a WEC Member today! Your WEC Membership is your exclusive, all-access pass to everything World Equestrian Center. Signing up is simple, just register for WEC points online at www.wec.net, or sign up in the show office during your next horse show.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.