Horse Shows by the Bay Series II Wrap-Up
RELEASE: July 29, 2008
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: By Phelps Media Group
Week Two at Horse Shows by the Bay wrapped up yesterday with the feature event, the $25,000 Grand Traverse Bay Grand Prix. Scott Lenkart of Delano, MN, continued his great success at the equestrian festival when he and Impulsive took the top prize over Kirsten Coe on Starlight and David Beisel with Moet Walk.
The Michel Vaillancourt-designed course was testing enough, and it put through six riders to the jump-off. The jump-off course featured tight rollbacks and a long gallop to the final vertical at the Mackinaw Bridge jump.
Lenkart and Impulsive, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, were second to go in the jump-off. Last week, the pair was second in the Sunday Grand Prix, and last year they won two out of three Grand Prix events at Horse Shows by the Bay. Lenkart and Impulsive made good turns, but their fastest part of the course was the run to the final jump. Impulsive cleared all the jumps and stopped the timers in 40.209 seconds.
Jumper HighlightsThe highlight jumper class for the first day of the week's competition on Wednesday was the Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers. It was Ann Arbor, MI resident Erin Haas who took the win in the class with All of a Sudden.
The week's jumper courses in the Grand Prix ring were designed by Michel Vaillancourt of Canada. There were 25 entries in this class, 21 had a clear round to advance to the jump-off, and 13 of those were double clear.
Haas went in the middle of the class and was chasing a time of 31.704 seconds set by Laura Pfeiffer of Temperance, MI, on Jordy. Haas and All of a Sudden, a 14-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding, had very good turns with a very fast pace to take the lead in 29.711 seconds. Other riders were able to go clear, but none were able to match her time.
Thursday's highlight class in the Team Elmer's Grand Prix ring was the $3,000 NAL Open Speed. For the second week in a row at Horse Shows by the Bay, Steven Weiss took the blue ribbon with Sil, owned by Laura Connolly of Rye, NY. Close behind in second was David Beisel with Irish Hunt, while Weiss finished third on VDL Nuit de Pomme.
The $10,000 Welcome Prix, sponsored by AmberWay Equine Solutions of Ortonville, MI was held on Friday and Addison Phillips and Trezebees were two for two, winning the class at both Horse Shows by the Bay Series I and II.
Over twenty riders attempted to make it around, but only seven managed to make it to the jump-off. Phillips was all smiles when she rode into the ring to accept her ribbons. "Winning two weeks in a row feels great. I have had this horse for four years now, so it is nice to win on such a great horse; she makes riding so much fun," said Phillips.
Victoria Birdsall of Topsfield, MA, won her second big class in a row on Saturday when she took home the top prize in the $10,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame (SJHOF) High Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic, sponsored by PhelpsSports.com, with Jerremy. Michigan rider Erin Haas finished second with Chianti 67, while Kimberly Seay of Mason, OH, rode to third place with Belvedere.
Earlier in the day, the winner of the $2,500 Low Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic was Erin Haas on All of a Sudden.
Hunter HighlightsWeek two kicked off on Thursday with the 15-17 year old equitation class in ring four. The morning started off with a group of twenty-three competing in the over fences class. Winning top honors in the class was Elizabeth Perry of Kalamazoo, MI and her fifteen year-old Holsteiner, Londeur.
Following that class was the Platinum Performance USEF Talent Search, which was won by Johanna Hyyppa of Portland, CT and Radscha A.W. owned by Heritage Farm.
During Friday's competition the Taylor Harris Insurance Services (T.H.I.S.) National Children's Medal and the Ariat Adult Medal classes were both held in ring three.
With a class of twenty-six competing in the T.H.I.S. National Chil