Los Angeles National & U.S. Team in Argentina: From California to Argentina, the West is Tops!
RELEASE: November 18, 2008
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: By Marnye Langer
With keen competition going on in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles National, November 12-16, half a hemisphere away a young squad of riders representing the United States won the Nations Cup (CSIO) in Buenos Aires on November 13, in Argentina. For the four riders sporting their red team coats for the first time, they got the added honor of hearing the "Star Spangled Banner" in salute of their victory. Three of the four riders, Ashlee Bond (CA), Rebecca Johanson-Hoffman (AZ), and Kirsten Coe (CA) are all from the West Coast. Coe has spent the last several years working for Andre Dignelli’s Heritage Farm and traveling to all the major shows in the east. Michelle Spadone, wife of professional Emil Spadone hails from New Jersey and was the sole East Coast rider on the team. Regardless of the different coasts, the four women came together and proved a winning force.
Chef d’Equipe George Morris was thrilled with his team’s performance. In the first round, Bond, Coe and Johansen-Hoffman all posted just four faults apiece. Spadone rode a flawless course. In the second round, Bond led off with a fault free round, and Johanson-Hoffman and Spadone both joined her. The U.S. had such a commanding lead that Coe did not have to ride in the second round and was able to save her horse for the grand prix on Sunday. For complete information on the event and results, visit
www.haraselcapricho.com/home_en.php.
The Los Angeles National regularly attracts the best of the best, and is the final major show on the West Coast. In the $25,000 Welcome Stake, Mandy Porter and San Diego (Danielle Korsh, owner) topped the 46 horse field. First to go in the seven horse jump-off, they set the time and no one could beat them. Porter found the course open and not tight. "It was a good course to get horses going forward and built confidence," she said. "The course was fairly straightforward. In the line across the middle, you could step up and do a five and a four or hold and do the six and the five. I’m trying to get to know this horse better so I decided to do the add." She’s only been riding the horse since the beginning of September when his owner, junior jumper rider Danielle Korsh, went to college at Berkeley. "He was a junior jumper and is inexperienced at this level," she said. "He’s my only World Cup candidate." Unfortunately Porter’s regular star, Summer, is sidelined, and Porter is grateful to the Korsh family for giving her the ride on San Diego.
Rich Fellers was second on Kilkenny Rindo (Kilkenny Crest, owners), and Jill Humphrey rounded out the top three aboard Kaskaya (Leone Equestrians, Inc.). Complete results are at
www.langershows.com/laec_show_details.php?show_id=89.
Fifty-nine pre-green horses vied for the chance to jump for $5,000 in the Pre-Green Hunter Championship. Only the top 20, based on the champion chart, were eligible for the $5,000 class. Unspoken, the eventual winner, did not place the first day of showing, but the second day John Bragg piloted the horse for Oceanfront Equestrian to two blue ribbons. Bragg earned second-place honors aboard Whiskey Hill, while John French snuck into third with Above The Fray. Bragg took the fourth spot with Teddy, and French took fifth with his own Chino. Hope Glynn finally broke the John and John limelight by earning sixth with Valentine.
The WCE Junior/Amateur Medal Finals is a tough equitation contest run over jumper courses, and Navona Gallegos carried the day. The final round consists of a jump-off course with a demanding time allowed. Gallegos rode a beautiful and efficient track to earn a final score of 88 and take the win. Hannah Selleck finished second to Gallegos and was honored as the high scoring amateur rider.
Friday night at the Los Angeles National was capped by the West Coast Active Ride