Wilmington, Ohio – Featured competition at Fall Classic 4 concluded Saturday evening with Lisa Goldman-Smolen (USA) conquering the $75,000 Standlee Grand Prix with Ivaro N (Elvaro x Celli). Havens Schatt topped the $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby sponsored by Standlee, while Kiera Phlipot claimed victory in the $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby on Friday evening. Simon McCarthy (IRL) claimed the first featured win of the week Thursday in the $15,000 Welcome Stake.
Saturday evening in the $75,000 Grand Prix sponsored by Standlee, Lisa Goldman-Smolen (USA) piloted the 10-year-old KWPN gelding Ivaro N, to a confident and quick track, adding their second big win to their record in 38.908 seconds.
The professional athlete of Red Coat Farm spoke highly of her horse, “He is the younger of my two grand prix horses. He has really come into his own this last year. He is the first horse that I have ever won anything over $65,000 on! He is a sweetheart. He loves his treats, and he is owned by the ‘treat lady’ at the farm. He loves his job, and he is just figuring out how to go fast. He feeds off the crowd, he rises up to occasion and feels that energy, so it is really fun.”
Vicente Guillen (VEN) of Tranquility Farm in Ocala, Florida, earned a one-two finish in the $10,000 Futures Prix with Caribi (Stakkato x Moonlight IX) and Evolene De Carles (Kannan), respectively.
Guillen reflected on the class and was grateful for his talented horses, “My first mare went fifth in the class, and she is always really fast and careful. I rode everything the same on Evolene De Carles, and she was great today, but with Caribi I did one less stride to the combination, so that’s where she was faster. They are everything. I didn’t ride so good today, but my mares did everything for me.”
Havens Schatt (USA) earned the highest scores during Hunter Derby Friday of 94 and 93 with her own Chance (Connect x Paloma S) to top $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby sponsored by Standlee.
“This year was the first year that we came during the summer. I needed to get ready for Green Incentive Finals. I felt like the facility here was great preparation with the jumps, the courses that they make, and the ability to do everything that you need to do with young horses. Our experience was awesome. We have a lot of young horses that need a lot of practice, and they don’t need it in a big pressure situation. We will be here for all five weeks of the fall for the same reason, and the facility is always in perfect condition.”
Kiera Philpot piloted her own 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding Red Roc (Roc USA x Rhea) to an 86 and 89 in the $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby to claim victory.
“I have come here the past few years to prep for indoors. There is nowhere better to go to set you up. The jumps are perfect, the courses are wonderful, and the atmosphere is just like it would be at indoors. You can set yourself up to practice pretty much however you want. The course today was beautifully decorated and really made you stay straight and keep track of your numbers. I feel like it set me up really well for the National Horse Show next week,” said Phlipot.
Simon McCarthy (IRL) conquered FEI Level IV course designer Alan Wade’s (IRL) tracks aboard Rock Ridge Farm’s 12-year-old Holsteiner mare Gotcha (Stakkato x Zicchini) in the $15,000 Welcome Stake.
McCarthy mastered Wade’s tracks and spoke highly of the internationally acclaimed course designer, “Alan’s courses are always the best. I might be a bit biased because I’m also from Ireland,” laughed McCarthy. “I love riding his courses. They are always so fluid. He really knows how to divide everybody in the classes. Your horses always come out of his courses better. To me, he is the best in the world.”
A total of seven pairs followed each other around Bobby Murphy’s traditional hunter course and met at jumps four and eight to jump in synchronicity Friday evening for the $1,500 Costume Hunt Team Class. The Minions, made up of Melissa Donnelly and Taylor Johnson, accurately maintained a three-stride distance apart and jumped in perfect sync to claim the win.
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Results can be found at wec.net.
All horse show images are provided by Winslow Photography and can be purchased onsite at WEC – Wilmington or online through their website.