Caelinn Leahy and Kaner 88 Win $2,500 Low Junior Jumper Accumulator Class at Spring Spectacular II

Wayne, IL - June 12, 2015 - The Chicago Blackhawks continue their campaign to the Stanley Cup Saturday night, and if Caelinn Leahy and Kaner 88 are any precursor to Game 5, then their win in the $2,500 Low Junior Jumper Accumulator Class, sponsored by Believe It Farm, speaks volumes. Kaner 88 is named fondly after the Blackhawks' right wing Patrick Kane, sporting the same red hair, fiery personality and speed. Leahy and the talented gelding cleared the course in a blazing 51.603 seconds to seal the win.

Leahy began riding Kaner 88 one year ago and has gone on to grow her partnership with him. Leahy's love of hockey directly coincides with her love of horses, and Kaner 88 embodies both.

"We originally named him Kaner 88 because Patrick Kane is a little bit of a smaller player and a red head, and 'Kenny' loves to go fast and be a super star like Kaner. It is a lot of fun to represent the Blackhawks here, I am watching all the games, and I have my fingers crossed," Leahy said.

Riders were tested through a series of obstacles ranging in difficulty during the Accumulator Jumper classes on Friday. A sister class to the ever-popular Gambler's Choice, the Accumulator classes gave riders the opportunity to showcase their speed and agility through 10 obstacles for a culmination of points. The number of points depended on the fence, with the value ascending throughout the course from one to 10. For every fence cleared, the points were tabulated. At the very end of the track, the riders could choose between the 10-point oxer or the 20-point "joker." In the situation that the joker fell, 20 points would be deducted. Riders were also penalized for any overage in time, and the rider with the fastest time and most points would take away the win. 

"The course was awesome," Leahy said of Hector Loyola's Accumulator track. "It was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed that it was a very speed-like. The joker jump was a lot of fun. It was challenging, and it wasn't your average speed class, which is fun to bring more spice to the show."

Leahy and Kaner 88 stole the show during the $1,500 Low Junior Jumper Accumulator, sponsored by Believe It Farm. She was able to navigate all nine obstacles without dropping a rail, and she then opted for the joker to finish with a total of 65 points, the maximum possible. Her time of 51.603 seconds was too fast to catch, and even second place rider Kyle Perkovitch with Roc My World was nearly four seconds off her pace. Brooke Saltzman and Nicholas finished in third for their clear effort and 65-point total in 57.154 seconds.

"I think that we have really grown more as a partnership now," Leahy said of the mount. "I have learned more about him-all of his different gears and buttons-and I know how to apply his quirks to him now. We had a really successful winter circuit at the Winter Equestrian Festival, we actually finished third in the circuit standings, and he has just been great."

Laurel McAllister and Cnut 4

 
In the $2,500 High Junior/Amateur-Owner Accumulator, sponsored by Wisconsin Equine, Laurel McAllister and Cnut 4, rode to the win with 63 points in 73.735 seconds, having two faults deducted from their conservative effort. Nicole Loochtan and Willem captured the second place, while Leahy also rode to the third place finish with Esquilino Bay.

McAllister, a working student and assistant barn manager for Treesdale Farms, only began riding Cnut 4 about two months ago, and the Showplace Spring Spectacular II only marks their second competition. The grey gelding stands at just over 18 hands, making the jumps seem small in comparison to his scope and stride.

"He is just a really good guy," McAllister said. "On the ground, he is really mellow. He loves attention and loves food, but once he gets in the ring he picks it up. I think he likes to win."

McAllister continued, "He is so willing and so game. It is not a lot of effort for him to jump these. When I was out there it was comforting to know that he has jumped way bigger. I knew if I could jump clean and get as many points as possible, that we would clear the joker and win. This accumulator structure reminded me a lot of the Gambler's Choice, which is something I have always wanted to do. It was nice to see a set track that was still a lot of fun. I hope to see more of them in the future-it's fun taking a gamble at the end."

Molly Struve and Orchidee MiLody

 
It was Molly Struve and Orchidee MiLody who took the top honors during the $1,500 Low Amateur Jumper Accumulator, sponsored by Believe It Farm. She secured the lead with a 65-point total in 62.228 seconds. Adeline Cordin-Blitat and Vince picked up the second place award with riding to a clear effort in 62.585 seconds. Chelsea Babcock and Da Vinci fell just shy of Cordin-Blitat and Vince to earn the third place ribbon with 65 points in 63.168 seconds.

Open Jumpers

During the $5,000 1.30m Open Jumpers Lisa Goldman and Rocs to Riches laid down a double clear effort in a speedy 34.480 seconds to take the win. She duplicated her efforts during the $2,500 1.40m Open Jumpers with recent mount Hindsight, a young horse that was competing in the 2'6" Novice Adult Hunters before Goldman kicked off his jumper career.

Elizabeth Adelson and Atchafalaya secured the second place finish behind Goldman in the 1.30m Open Jumpers, with Liz Atkins and Esconial taking the third place position.

The 1.40m Open Jumpers only saw one double clear effort, which was put forth by Goldman and Hindsight. Theo Genn and Castiel were second as the only four fault effort of the speed track, while Amelia McArdle and Seniorita de la Roque captured the third place with eight faults, incurred during the opening round of the class.

The Open Jumper division marked one of the last opportunities for exhibitors to show their horses in the Grand Prix Ring before the $50,000 Win Vision Grand Prix Saturday.

$1,500 WIHS Jumper Classics  

Olivia Lawton and Cassandra Dreams

Olivia Lawton and Cassandra Dreams won the $1,500 WIHS Children's Jumper Classic early Friday morning. They took the win with a blazing speed time of 28.902 seconds, opting for all of the inside turns, finishing almost two seconds ahead of fellow contenders.

Lawton said, "I just got Cassandra Dreams at the end of Florida, and she is so sweet. She is my first serious jumper. I have been preparing for the Low Junior Jumpers by becoming more comfortable competing in the Children's Jumpers. Today it felt a lot smoother and calmer, and I think that it showed."

The young talent took no chances during the speed phase of the track, slicing and dicing the seconds with foot speed and inside turns. The only door that she possibly left open was an inside turn that she did not make as quickly as she would have liked and had a slight bobble. Even with the minor setback, Lawton had a fantastic recovery and flew through the final three obstacles of the course to take the win.

"I really liked the course. I liked the speed a lot, but if you didn't make the inside turns right away, you weren't going to make it. I nearly fell off," Lawton laughed. "Cassandra Dreams was great out there today, she always is. She always jumps. She is super fast, and she is always game."

MacKenzie Snider and Varina picked up the second place ribbon, and Kesley Taylor and Zelda finished third.

Kristin Smith and Ophelia

 
During the $1,500 WIHS Adult Jumper Classic Kristin Smith and Ophelia, owned by Jill Donaldson of Indianapolis, IN, took the blue. Emily Colella and Washington won the second place, while Caitlyn Epperson and TKO Kingsride finished third.

Smith has described the 19-year-old Dutch Warmblood Ophelia as "fast and fun to ride." Smith began riding the horse nearly two years ago, and the win today marked Smith and Ophelia's second consecutive year snatching up the $1,500 WIHS Adult Classic victory.

The Spring Spectacular II will come to a conclusion on Sunday with its Children's, Adult, Junior and Amateur-Owner jumper classics. Before the second week of the series comes to a conclusion, riders will have the opportunity to compete for the lion's share of the earnings on Saturday afternoon during the $50,000 Win Vision Grand Prix.

For more information on the Showplace Spring Spectacular Series, please visit: www.showplaceproductions.com. 

 

Newcomers Shine in the Equitation at the Showplace Spring Spectacular II

By: Elaine Wessel 

Haley Zimmerman won the ASPCA Maclay during the Spring Spectacular II  with Hidden Creek's Valiant.

Wayne, IL - June 12, 2015 - "Make or break" was the theme of the day in the equitation ring as a number of riders tried to skillfully navigate Danny Foster and Skip Bailey's well-designed courses in the ASPCA Maclay and Washington Equitation classes. Some horse and rider pairs were able to implement a winning strategy by taking inside turn options and showcasing their horses' handiness, but others fell victim to some of the technical elements required of them.

Twenty-two junior amateur riders aimed to win this morning in the ASPCA Maclay class, but it was two newcomer equitation duos who came away with the top honors. Shining a bit brighter than her competition in the hunter ring was Haley Zimmerman, topping the leader board with her mount Hidden Creek's Valiant, owned by Treesdale Farms out of Indianapolis, IN.

"She's pretty scopey and has a massive stride," said Zimmerman of her mount. "I just started riding her in the spring, as this is her first year doing the equitation. She used to be a high junior jumper."

Zimmerman also showed the mare in Florida earlier in the year, and competed in St. Louis on a different mount. With this win, Zimmerman qualifies for the ASPCA Maclay Regionals for her respective region, Region 4, in September in Lexington.  

"Because she is a fast learner and she seems to like the equitation, I think she will shine in indoors in the fall," predicted Zimmerman.   

While a number of downed rails and failed inside turn strategies kept many riders out of the hunt, Zimmerman was able to separate herself from the pack with her plan, or rather lack thereof.     

"I originally planned to go around the quarter line jump on a rollback, but after watching a few other riders I thought that I might have to take the inside track if I wanted to win. So I didn't really have a plan going in, which most people don't like to do entering the ring, but I work well thinking on my feet and I made it work today," she commented. Zimmerman did end up taking the inside option, navigating her horse between the obstacles for the win.

Olivia Lawton and Cris Van de Helle

Runner-up to Zimmerman, Olivia Lawton, who was fresh off a win in the Children's Jumpers earlier in the morning, and her personal horse Cris van de Helle also exhibited great talent, especially considering it is the first true year for Lawton and her mount in the equitation ring.   

"I just got my horse about a year ago and he had never done the equitation, but he's really been starting to settle into it this year," noted Lawton of her bay gelding. "I took him to Florida this past winter and he was really good, but the courses there were difficult and we were both so new to equitation at that point. It ended up being more of a learning experience."   

The pair applied their new found knowledge today as they boasted a top placing against a fairly large field of competitors.   

"I really liked the course today," Lawton praised of the course designed by Skip Bailey of Wellington, FL. "Pieces of it were challenging, especially the turn after the natural oxer coming home. You really had to settle in to fit in the five strides on the bend to the last jump."   

Zimmerman and Lawton may have conquered the course better than the rest, but a number of other riders also proved to have effective strategies. Elizabeth Adelson aboard Bull Run's Rubicon, owned by Four Fillies, LLC, took third prize, followed by Carson Ruff and Ron Daugherty's Toulouse in fourth position. Sloan Hopson navigated her own Ventura to the fifth spot, and Clare Sargent rode Emma Sargent's Albert to round out the top six.   

The Grand Prix Ring began early in the morning as 12 riders braved the rainy weather in the hopes of claiming the lead in the first round of the Washington Equitation class. The class is conducted as a two-phase competition, a jumper course and a hunter course with the jumps set to the 3'6" height in both phases. Riders must compete on the same horse in each round. With finals in October, each rider hopes to gain enough qualify points to earn one of the 40 invitations to the horse show in the nation's capital.   

After the first round of competition, 17-year old Hunter Holloway and Hays Investment Corp.'s Orion set the bar high with an opening score of 91 in the jumper phase. Holloway is no rookie to the spotlight, and has proven herself as a strong competitor in all three disciplines, winning classes ranging from the green hunters, to equitation classics, to grand prix.    

Hunter Holloway and Orion

Claire Azar and her own Playboy scored the next highest score of 83, followed by three riders who the judge placed in the 70s. Rider and owner Gia Gulino piloted Cappello to a 78, Louisa Brackett earned a 76 with her Aluminum Overcast, and Clare Sargent rode Albert, the same mount she rode in the ASPCA Maclay, to the fifth position with a score of 73 to round out the top contenders headed into the hunter phase.   

Proving that she is a force not only in the jumper ring but the hunter ring as well, Holloway directed her mount to another impressive score, this time earning an 87 under the eyes of the judges for a total score of 178. It would have taken a near perfect score to catch Holloway at that point, and although the 11 other riders from the previous phase, as well as an added seven who opted to compete only in the second portion, tried to knock her from the top position, none were able to get it done.   

Playboy, with Claire Azar in the irons, retained the second spot in the hunter phase. Beatrice Maloney and Carnush redeemed themselves with a strong showing in the second phase after having a bit of difficulty in the jumper portion, and Giavanna Rinaldi and G Rinaldi, LLC's Cayambe, last week's Washington Equitation winning pair, earned the fourth position.   

Across the property in Ring IV, 10 exhibitors all had their eyes on the prize in the $1000 Novice Adult Hunter Classic. In the end it was Aspin Richter with the ride aboard Finalee who claimed the coveted first spot, followed by Hannah Goldbach and Mark McKone's Ivy League taking the second largest portion of the purse. Claiming the last spot on the podium, Anne Waldo directed her own Roc All Night to the third position.   

More classics were run today in the hunter rings, with two Childrens Hunter Classics, along with the prospect of earning a bit of prize money, taking attracting a decent number of competitors to Ring IV. With 25 exhibitors, the $500 WIHS Childrens Hunter Classic was one of the largest of the day. Boasting the best round of the class and taking the top prize was Sloan Hopson and her own Abercrombie, followed by Erin Cummins aboard her own My BFF.   

Another classic to attract a crowd, the $500 Marshall & Sterling Childrens Hunter Classic was won by Julianna Hartwick, who produced the best round with her ride Chemin de Prix, which she owns herself, to best the field of 21 riders. Sloan Hopson and her Abercrombie kept up their momentum from the WIHS Classic and took the reserve title. My BFF and Erin Cummins, who just finished second in the previous classic, rounded out the top three.   

In Ring VI, the Long Stirrup Hunter Classic rounded out the day's competition. Rider Belle Austin came out on top with Anna Prall's Prince Valiant, while Deborah Fliehman navigated Sapphire Riding Academy's Clark Kent to the second prize.   

The Equitation and Hunters, as well as a number of classics, continue tomorrow as the Showplace Spring Spectacular Series reaches its fourth day of competition. The highlight of the day will be the $50,000 Win Vision Grand Prix.

For more information on Showplace Productions or upcoming shows, please visit www.Showplaceproductions.com.  

$500 Take 2 TB Jumpers Classic 

$1,000 Littlewood Farm & The Markman Family Pony Hunter Classic (L,M,S)

$20,000 Nutrena Open Welcome Stake

$500 Take 2 TB Jumpers Classic