Showplace Spring Spectacular I Wrap-Up
RELEASE: June 10, 2009
AUTHOR/ADMINISTRATOR: By Phelps Media Group
It was another great victory for Happy Z, an 11-year-old Zangerscheide mare, and rider Wilhelm Genn of Lebanon, OH, at the $30,000 Showplace Productions Grand Prix on Saturday. The pair have been on a hot streak this year, having won eight grand prix events prior to Saturday. The game chestnut was fastest in a four-horse jump-off to beat Maggie Jayne on Thomas Edison and Genn on his first horse, Chantal. Lisa Goldman and Fontaine finished fourth.
The challenging track, set by David Ballard of Canada, included a tall wall and a challenging triple combination that caught many riders. There were only four clear rounds, but there were 12 four-faulters. The fastest four-faulter was Lauren Tisbo on Tequestrian Farms' Sansierra, who received fifth place.
In the jump-off, Genn was first to return on Chantal. They had a solid ride going until the sixth jump, when they had trouble leaving the ground and pulled the top rail of the vertical. Genn made the outside turn back to the wall jump, and finished the course in 36.232 seconds.
Jayne of Elgin, IL, was next in on Thomas Edison. They were quick through the turns and made the inside rollback from the Nutrena vertical to the wall easily. They finished clear and crossed the timers in 35.256 seconds.
Next in was Goldman of Hawthorn Woods, IL, who would try and lower the winning time on Fontaine. They had trouble at the wall, where they just pulled the top block off. Racing to the last jump, it was not quite enough. A refusal there added time faults, and they finished with eight jumping and two time faults in 51.444 seconds.
It was all up to Genn and Happy Z, but they have been in this position many times before. Genn kept an efficient pace and made quick turns throughout the jump-off. The little mare had no trouble with the jumps and when she crossed the finish line, the scoreboard flashed a winning time of 34.417 seconds.
This marks Happy Z's 32nd career grand prix victory, an amazing number for any horse, much less one that shows at a top level. Genn smiled and said, "I've never had a horse like her before."
Genn's wins from Saturday and on Thursday vault him to the top of the leaderboard in the Showplace Leading Rider Series, which awards $30,000 to the top three open jumper riders through the series.
Earlier in the day, jumper riders competed in four different classics. The winner of the $1,500 Marshall & Sterling Children's Jumper Classic sponsored by Weathertech.com was Rebound and Barbara Ruziska. Katie Smith and Thursday were victorious in the $1,500 Marshall & Sterling Adult Jumper Classic, also sponsored by Weathertech.com. In the $2,500 Low Children's Jumper Classic, it was Sadie Hawkins ridden by Sarah Goldberg, and Megan Alt with Dream Machine won the $2,500 Low Adult Jumper Classic.
Jumper HighlightsThe Showplace Spring Spectacular Horse Show got under way with its second day of competition on Wednesday at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, IL. The Six-Year-Old and Seven- and Eight-Year-Old Young Jumper divisions were held in the grand prix ring in the morning, with courses set by Ballard.
Willie Tynan rode Victoriano, owned by Liz Millikin of Millwood, VA, to the win in the first class of the Seven- and Eight-Year-Old Young Jumpers. Only four entries earned the chance to advance to the speed round, and it was Tynan and Victoriano who had the fastest round in a time of 31.409 seconds to take home the blue ribbon. Lauren Tisbo rode Varina, owned by Tequestrian Farms of Barrington, IL, to the only other clear round in a time of 35.890 seconds to earn second place.
Third place was awarded to Tommy Fiegel and Bling It On, owned by Chuck Waters of Sparr, FL, with four faults in a time of 29.107 seconds. Fourth place went to Lauren Tisbo aboard Norlam Des Etisses, owned by Tequestrian Farms, with eight faults and a time of 45.181 seconds.
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