Horse Shows by the Bay III Wrap-Up
RELEASE: August 9, 2007
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: Sarah Evers
A successful week of hunter/jumper competition at Horse Shows by the Bay III came to a close on Sunday, August 5, and it also marked the end of the three-week equestrian festival in Traverse City, MI, at Flintfields.
Jumper HighlightsCasey Hodges and Rinaldi, competing in the 5 & 6 Year Old Young Jumper division, put in the only clear first round and advancing immediately to the jump-off, coming in at a final time of 32.980 seconds for the win. Lisa Goldman and Tricky Cricket finished in second place with no jumping faults and one time fault, while Grant Field and Grandisimo took third place with the fastest four-fault first round.
In the $3,000 NAL Open Speed class, David Beisel and Irish Hunt made it two wins in as many weeks. The pair was victorious in the same class last week and continued on to win in the $10,000 Welcome Prix week two.
ThursdayScott Lenkart dominated the top two sports and edged only himself out of the lead in the $10,000 Welcome Stake sponsored by PhelpsSports.com. Lenkart finished in first place with Un Prince and second with Impulsive, both owned by Bennett Sport Horses. David Beisel and Patoile finished in third place.
FridayKimberly Seay snatched the victory away from Laura Pfeiffer in the Low Junior/Amateur Owner Speed Class. With 20 entries in the class, Seay dominated over a fairly large field with Belvedere. The pair was the last to compete in the class and clocked in at just 59.185 seconds, which was more than a second faster than Laura Pfeiffer and Jordy at 60.573, the time that had held the lead up until the end. Pfeiffer finished in second, while Erin Haas and Mir finished in third with a time of 64.132 seconds.
SaturdayScott Lenkart and Impulsive opened the first week of Horse Shows by the Bay with a grand prix win, and they closed out the three-week show with a similar feat, defeating a class of 18 entries for the top check in the $25,000 Cherry Capital Classic Grand Prix. Casey Hodges and Audio-K finished in second place for the second week in a row, and David Beisel and Patoile finished in third. The class, sponsored by Karin Flint and D-Braider, began just after 5 p.m. in Traverse City and was accompanied by a dinner and benefit for CANTER, sponsored by Meijer.
In addition to winning the grand prix, Lenkart was also awarded the Ovation Leading Open Jumper Rider award, sponsored by English Riding Supply. The awards are presented to the rider who has accumulated the most points over the past three weeks in their respective divisions. Each winner receives a $500 English Riding Supply gift certificate.
SundayThe final day of Horse Shows by the Bay ended on a high note for Bernona Stevens of Grand Rapids, MI, as she and her veteran partner Riva brought home the blue ribbon in the $10,000 NAL/WIHS Children's/Adult Prix.
The class of 25 entries saw only four horses and riders jump clear to advance to the jump-off. Stevens rode last in the jump-off and put in a careful, cautious round, needing only to leave all the fences up because the previous three riders had four faults or more in fastest times. Stevens finished with just one time fault for the win, clocking in at 52.492 seconds.
Hunter ResultsThursdayTexas-based Peter Pletcher received the Ovation Leading Professional Hunter Rider Award and one of his students, Caroline Gibson, received the Ovation Leading Junior Hunter Rider Award. Pletcher, who has been almost unbeatable over Horse Shows by the Bay's three weeks, received three tricolors and two reserve championships, not to mention the numerous ribbons won by his students.
Pletcher began the morning riding Mary Katherine Atkins' Beluga to the Pregreen Level 2 Tricolor. Christina Jason rode her Gauthier to the reserve. In the second division of the day, the Green Working Hunters, Pletcher earned champion and reserve on Shadyside Farm's Ch