This release sponsored by Galway Farm, Long Grove, Illinois



 

Crete, IL - June 8, 2017 - The Showplace Spring Spectacular Series kicked off the first of three weeks of national competition at the new HITS Balmoral Park in Crete, Illinois. The popular Chicago area horse show managed by Patrick Boyle, has special events such as a $50,000 Grand Prix each week and Derby Tuesday, featuring the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby presented by Bull Run Farm. In usual Showplace style, there is VIP seating in the climate controlled grandstand area with fantastic breakfast and lunch and includes a round of golf at Balmoral Woods Golf Club adjacent to the horse show. Spectators can view the Main Hunter Ring in comfort from the umbrella-adorned tables on the deck of the Stretch Club, the former paddock area of the racetrack, and attend other great exhibitor parties and social events planned for the series. Boyle carries on the tradition of making the series a celebration of the beginning of the Midwest show season, as he has done for years.
 
$10,000 1.40m KindredBio Open Jumper Prix
The feature event in the Grand Prix ring was the $10,000 1.40m KindredBio Open Jumper Prix where Anna Catalina “Catsy” Cruz Harris of Mexico City, Mexico, designed the track for 22 entries in the large new ring, complete with the original racetrack’s tote board as a background and the finish line post proudly fixed in the ring. Nine horses ended up with double clear efforts for a race against the clock.
 
Lisa Goldman of Red Coat Farm in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois, had the advantage with multiple rides but stole the show with her long time partner, Centurion B, stopping the timers at a blazing 40.598. Goldman first set the time to beat with Barb Disko’s Sovereign, 40.993, but that didn’t hold the lead for long. Giavanna Rindaldi on Alex Jayne’s Show Show, demonstrated how young riders do it, stopping the clock at 40.711, which landed her in second place.

 
Giavanna Rinaldi and Show Show galloped to second place in the $10,000 Kindred Bio Open Jumper Prix.

Rinaldi of Chicago, just returned from a successful junior team competition in Langley, BC, Canada, where she won the Junior Grand Prix and the Welcome. Rinaldi jumped fault free with Julio vh Elzenhout during both rounds of the Nations Cup as well.
 
Goldman had another swing with Hindsight, giving it the gas and speeding through the turns, ending up a tenth of second behind Rinaldi and settling for third place.
 
Lisa Goldman and Hindsight cut turns to land in third.

Finishing 1^st, 3^rd, 4^th and 12^th, Goldman talked about what she thinks about as she gears up for the jump offs with multiple chances.
 
“I do really try to beat myself on each horse,” explained Goldman. “I usually stick to the same plan for all of them and just try to keep shaving the turns more and galloping faster on each one. I don’t usually let other rider’s plans change my mind unless they end up doing a turn I didn’t think about. Today’s course was fun, it had a lot of places to gallop and turn and places to be careful. I was really pleased with all of my horses today. After having a rougher time earlier in the day with some of the young horses, it was nice to get on the seasoned ones and go for it.”
 
Other riders jumping double clear in the class included Erin Haas, Derek Braun, Winn Alden, Taylor Flury, Bryn Sadler and Doug Boyd.
 
Jumper riders look forward to the popular $10,000 Marshall & Sterling 1.30m Jumper Prix on Friday and the $50,000 Purina Animal Nutrition Grand Prix on Saturday.
 
 
Hunters Enjoy Chicago Spring Spectacular Showing Next to the Historic Stretch Club at HITS Balmoral Park
 
Winn Alden and Double Play rode to the championship in the Green Hunters 3'6" at Showplace Spring Spectacular I.

Winn Alden, St. Loiuis, Missouri, and Double Play, owned by Southern Arches, LLC, took home the first championship of the series in the Green Hunters 3’6. The nine-year-old gelding started showing in the Greens 3’3 during the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) this season, earning a reserve championship then moving up to the 3’6” height.
 
“We got him two years ago and he did the pre-greens last year,” said Alden. “It’s been hard to figure him out but now that we have, he’s very predictable and he’s the same every day. He’s one of my favorites to ride because I can trust him.”
 
Alden will show him in the Devoucoux Hunter Prix and the USHJA International Derby during the Spring Spectacular series.

 
Mary Beth Canfield's Claas Clever won the $1,000 Open Hunter Classic and was Reserve Champion in the Green Hunters 3'6" with Molly McAdow aboard.

Reserve in the Green Hunters 3’6” went to Mary Beth Canfield’s Claas Clever with Molly McAdow aboard from Galway Farm, Long Grove, Illinois. Galway Farm came to the Showplace Spring Classic in May earning the first championships ever handed out at the historic racetrack venue with Claas Clever. McAdow also won the $1,000 Open Hunter Classic with Canfield’s trusty mount this week.

 
Molly McAdow and Luxor accept the award for the Green Hunters 3'3" Championship.

McAdow rode her Luxor to the championship in the Green Hunters 3’3” and Stephanie Peterson took the reserve with Linda Vellman’s The New Black.

 
Pony Lane Farm's Like I Said rode to the Green Hunters 3'9" Championship.

The Green Hunters 3’9” Championship went to Pony Lane Farm’s Like I Said and Maggie Jayne with reserve to Hula Hoop and Jodi Vazquez.
 

Trainer Amy Ochoa pictured with Liana Brown and Marengo, the Performance Working Hunter 3'6" Champions.

The Performance Working Hunter 3’6” Championship went to Marengo, and Liana Brown of Carmel, Indiana. Brown got the horse seven years ago when she started in the Children’s Hunter division and now in the fall, she heads off to the University of Miami to earn a business degree. She also rides in the Amateur Owner division with trainer Amy Ochoa of Sierra Woods Farm.
 
“We sold my equitation horse but this one we’re keeping forever,” laughed Brown. “He’ll stay at home.”
 
Haylie Rolfe and Pony Lane Farm’s Summer Place took the reserve championship.
 
The Performance Hunters 3’3” went to Lisa Campbell’s Salina K, ridden by Galway Farm Owner, Lorrie Canady. Ryan Sassmannshausen took reserve with Delaney Hoffman’s Bravo.

 
Galway Farm's Lorrie Canady and Molly McAdow with the Performance Hunter 3'3" Champion Salina K. 

“We’ve really enjoyed being at Balmoral,” said Canady. “There’s plenty of room to work the horses and big, comfortable stalls. The horses like it here and our customers like it here. We love that there are plenty of derby opportunities each week with the Devoucoux Hunter Prix and the National Hunter Derby. We don’t have to travel around to give the horses derby experience and they learn faster since they get to do it every week if we want. We really look forward to Pat’s (Boyle) Derby Day, he does a great job making beautiful courses and throwing a great VIP experience. He creates an exciting time for the riders and super fun event for spectators. We will definitely have several horses going on Derby Day.”
 
Galway Farm is sponsoring the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby on Derby Day.  

Hunter riders will compete in the $2,500 Devoucoux Hunter Prix, the Platinum Performance Hunter Prix and the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby on Friday with Junior and Amateur riders taking over the rings on Saturday.

 
Steve Kamp, the Evil Horse Brew Master, serves up some of his creations at Balmoral Woods Golf Club. 

Exhibitors enjoyed a micro-brew tasting sponsored by the Evil Horse Brewing at the Balmoral Woods Golf Club at the end of the day. The Evil Horse Brewing Company is located just a few minutes from Balmoral Park in the quaint town of Crete. Evil Horse is the official micro-brew of HITS Balmoral Park and their deluxe brews can be tried at other events during Showplace Productions’ Spring Spectacular or by stopping in at their location.For  more information on Evil Horse Brewing visit www.evilhorsebrewing.com.
 
For a complete list of results, visit www.hitsshows.com and for more Showplace Productions’ special events, visit www.showplaceproductions.com.
 
To get more Balmoral Park news, visit www.ChicagoEquestrian.com and add your nameto our email list. 

About the Sponsor: Galway Farm

Owner and Training Manager Lorrie Canady established Galway Farm in 1998 to provide show riders with a variety of quality hunter, jumper or equitation horses and ponies to maximize the value of horse purchasing budgets. From prospects to established horses for all rider levels, her goal is to help perfectly pair you and your next horse.