Wilmington, Ohio – Winter Classic 6 at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington featured top hunter/jumper competition from Wednesday, January 17 to Sunday, January 21. The junior riders dominated in the Sanctuary Saturday evening, with Izzy Beisel (USA) taking the win in the $30,000 Grand Prix. Richard Rinehart (USA) piloted his newest mount, Lorstakov (Lordanos x Milena V) to the win in the $10,000 Arion Sellier Futures Prix. The R+L Arena welcomed nearly 40 horse-and-athlete combinations for the hunter derbies, where Melissa Donnelly and Lizzie Rinehart were victorious. Amy Krebs began the week with a one-two finish in the $10,000 Premier Equestrian Welcome Stake.
Beisel and her 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding Vegas H (Valentino x Cobrah) sped to their first career grand prix win together in the $30,000 Grand Prix.
“On my first horse, I just wanted to keep the jumps up because he is always so fast, but I had a rail. On Vegas I didn’t want to make the same mistake at the second jump, so I was sure to be careful with that. I was lucky to have two in it because I knew the track. I caught a glimpse of Amy [Krebs] galloping from the one stride to the triple bar and I knew I really would have to go there.”
Rinehart set the tone for Saturday evening with the family-owned 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding, Lorstakov, in the $10,000 Arion Sellier Futures Prix.
“The course was really good. It was bringing out the best in horse and rider combinations today. There were nice questions in the jump-off, with an oxer back to a vertical-vertical and then a long gallop to the triple bar. It really gave a horse with speed across the ground a chance to cover it,” Rinehart commented on Joe Carnicom’s track.
Donnelly and Elizabeth Becker’s seasoned 18-year-old Holsteiner gelding Corlando 49 (Cartani x Olanda I) came out on top in the $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby.
“He has to come out for a hack with an extremely long walk in the mornings, and you have to allow him time for a long nap during the day before you prepare him to go to the ring. He does not handle typically more than two weeks at home, or he starts to get grumpy. He is totally a horse show horse. He is the happiest here. He likes to go home for a few minutes in the paddock, but that’s it,” said Donnelly.
Lizzie Rinehart secured the top spot by 12 points in the $15,000 USHJA National Non-Pro Hunter Derby with her own 12-year-old Warmblood gelding, Bond.
Rinehart spoke enthusiastically about her mount, “He has a lot of opinions! Everything goes his way. It took a minute for me to learn to get along with him and sort everything out, but once you do that, he is perfect. He is super sweet. He is a different ride for me compared to horses I have done before. He is so much fun and is my favorite horse to ride. He knows a lot, and it shows when you are riding him.”
Krebs earned a one-two finish with her Jabantos (Carsari Van De Helle x Cassima) and Ike (Spartacus x Twister), respectively, in the $10,000 Premier Equestrian Welcome Stake.
Krebs commented on the benefits of her hands-on approach with her horses in the barn, “I think it helps me build a deeper relationship with them. They can trust me more and I think it helps me learn their personalities. Sometimes in the stall I can tell if they will be a little tired or a bit fresh. I feel like I always know what to expect going into the ring. Mostly I think it helps to earn a lot of trust with my horses.”
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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.