Source: News Release/Classic Communications
Farrington Victorious In $250,000 FTI Consulting Grand Prix At
The Hampton Classic
On Zafira, he wins the show's finale once again.
Bridgehampton, NY-For the second straight year, Kent Farrington stopped the jump-off timers faster than anyone else in the $250,000 FTI Consulting Grand Prix, this time on Zafira. He won the event in 2012 on Voyeur.
Farrington's time of 38.51seconds defeated Richie Moloney on Slieveanorra (40.00 seconds) and Georgina Bloomberg on Juvina (44.03 seconds). Moloney was going for his second grand prix victory in two days, having won the $40,000 Longines Cup on Saturday with Carrabis Z.
Moloney, of Riverhead, N.Y., also rode Slieveanorra to second place in Friday's $50,000 Spy Coast Farm Grand Prix Qualifier, and those three performances propelled him to the top of the $30,000 Longines Leading Rider Challenge, with 229 points. Brianne Goutal earned 177 points to claim second, and McLain Ward earned 169 points to claim third.
Farrington earned 100 points with his victory in the FTI Consulting Grand Prix and finished fourth (158.5 points).
"I don't have any special plans for the money, but I sure have a lot of bills to pay," said Moloney, 31, after receiving the $30,000 check. "I'm really happy, though, because I had my best results in the show's biggest classes. It's the best result of my career."
Farrington, of Wellington, Fla., had planned to defend his FTI Consulting Grand Prix title with Voyeur, who jumped faultlessly to finish fifth in Friday's qualifying event. But he said that this morning Voyeur had a swollen ankle, so Zafira moved from backup to first string. It was the 9-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare's biggest grand prix start.
"I thought that maybe my odds weren't as good with her as with Voyeur, but I thought she could do it," said Farrington, 32. "This was a big step up for her, and she answered the question."
Farrington became the fifth rider to win the Hampton Classic grand prix on consecutive years in 38 renewals. He joins show jumping superstars Rodney Jenkins, Michael Matz, Margie Engle and McLain Ward.
Third place had special meaning for Bloomberg, 30, for several reasons. First, she said that the Hampton Classic is to be her final show of the year, since she's pregnant and expecting to give birth late this year.
Second this was the first time she'd placed among the top three in the grand prix at the Hampton Classic, which she considers her hometown show.
And third, she said that she's never placed well when her father, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is at the show. But he was here today, cheering from the VIP Tent. "So I hope I've broken that spell," she said with a smile.
Dennis J. Shaughnessy, chairman of FTI Consulting, congratulated the winning riders and expressed his admiration for their performance over the demanding course designed by Guilherme Jorge of Brazil. Only five of the 34 starters reached the jump-off, with another three missing the jump-off by incurring 1 time fault.
"I have to say that this is the best one-week horse show in the world, bar none," Shaughnessy exclaimed.
Farrington echoed his sentiment. "I think this is the best event in the world. Our top riders bring their best horses here, and the management is always trying to keep the show at the highest standard," he said.
Just prior to the start of the FTI Consulting Grand Prix, the Hampton Classic's Board of Directors held two special ceremonies.
The first was the official retirement of Glasgow, a show jumping star owned by Judy Richter and Coker Farm and ridden by Norman Dello Joio. Among his grand prix victories were the President's Cup at the Washington (D.C.) International Horse Show, the King George V Cup at Hickstead (England), and the American Invitational in Florida.
After his grand prix career ended, Phillip Richter rode him to numerous amateur-owner victories at major shows.
The second presentation was the first awarding of the George Hennessy Award for Excellence to Henry F. Hulick, better known as Hank.
Hulick spent many years as a horse show exhibitor and then became a show administrator, where he became a pioneer in equine welfare. Realizing there was a need for improved security in stabling areas, Hulick established "Horse Watch," a company with the mission of protecting horses while stabled overnight at shows. His revolutionary idea has become the standard for competitions across the country.
George Hennessey was highly respected as the founder and owner of Hennessey Horse Transportation. He suffered a fatal heart attack while transporting a rescued pony to its new home. But he was able to pull off the road and ensure the pony's safety before he collapsed. Hs friends will always remember him helping grooms load heavy trunks on to his vans and for treating a child's small pony with the same care as a million-dollar show jumper.
Kent Farrington rode Zafira to win the $250,000 FTI Consulting Grand Prix, the finale of the 38th Annual Hampton Classic. (ESI photo)
Hughes Grabs Jumper Derby Victory
Michael Hughes, of Allendale, N.J., urged Luxina to the fastest jump-off time to win the $25,000 Brown, Harris, Stevens Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Derby at the 38th Annual Hampton Classic. As a result, Hughes and Luxina claimed the show's High Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship.
Hughes, 17, said he had a significant advantage as the second of just two riders to qualify for the jump-off, from a starting field of 30 horses. He watched Erin Haas, of Chelsea, Mich., finish the shortened course faultlessly in 36.77 seconds.
"So I knew what I had to do when I went in the ring," he said. Hughes made a tighter and noticeably quicker turn from fence 2 to fence 3 and finished in 35.28 seconds, winning by a comfortable 1.5 seconds.
Hughes said that Guilherme Jorge's first-round test was a serious challenge. "The course was very long, and the time was really tight, so you really had to keep moving all the way around, and a lot of horses got tired by the end. That's why so many had rails down on the last couple of fences," he said.
But Luxina, a 9-year-old mare owned by Christina Fried of New York City, fought all the way to the finish line. "She tries hard all the time, and she loves to win. She can have a bit of an attitude in the barn, but in the ring she's all business," said Hughes.
Jeffrey Welles rode Bilion to victory in the $30,000 Callen Solem Show Stables 7/8-Year-old East Coast Jumper Championships, the day's first class in the Hampton Classic's Grand Prix Ring. It was the third young horse jumper championship victory in a row for Bilion, having won the championships at the Hampton Classic as a 5-year-old and as a 6-year-old.
"He's a winner, he really is," said Welles, 51, of Pound Ridge, N.Y. "He's got all the ingredients: He's very careful but he's brave, he's scopey, and he's quick."
And that quickness was the key to his jump-off time of 34.26 seconds, which defeated second-placed Scout De La Cense (Mario Deslauriers) by 1.5 seconds. The difference was how adeptly Bilion negotiated the last three fences, a left bending line to a double combination, followed immediately by a 180-dgree right turn to the final vertical.
"I think he wants to be a grand prix horse, maybe even a championship horse," said Welles with cautious optimism. "You're never sure until you really ask them to do it, and you need a lot of luck, but he wants to do the job, and he loves the big grass fields like this."
Welles and co-owners Gareth Gair and Sharon Gunthel found Bilion, (by Emilion-Iberlina, Amethist) in Holland as a 4-year-old. "He jumped spectacularly, and I really had to have him," recalled Welles. "It was fairly obvious he was a great jumper."
Michael Hughes and Luxina won the $25,000 Brown, Harris, Stevens Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Derby at the Hampton Classic. (Shawn McMillen photo)
Toon Earns Hunt Ltd. Amateur-Owner Hunter Title
For the fourth consecutive year, Ellen Toon, of So. Salem, N.Y., rode Invincible to win the Hunt Ltd. Amateur-Owner Hunter Championship at the 38th Hampton Classic. Invincible was also the show's Grand Amateur-Owner Hunter Champion.
"He's always just fabulous" in the Hampton Classic's Anne Aspinall Hunter Ring, said Toon. "He loves the grass in that ring, and he loves the atmosphere of the show. And it's good for him that you can't school in that ring [before the class], so it's all new to him, and that really perks him up."
Toon added, "Plus he's a seasoned horse, so we trust each other, and I have a fabulous trainer." Her trainer is her husband, professional trainer Jim Toon.
The Toons found Invincible, 13, in Holland as a 6-year-old. "He was so easy from the beginning-a natural hunter. And we've had so much fun with him ever since. He's just a joy," said Ellen, mother of two children, ages 15 and 26.
Invincible had a vacation this summer, so neither Invincible nor Ellen had shown for five months. To tune him up for Ellen, Amanda Steege showed Invincible in the Hampton Classic's Regular Conformation Hunter division.
"The Hampton Classic so beautiful and so well-run. It's our favorite horse show of the year," said Ellen.
In other action in the Hunter Rings, Zoom, owned and ridden by Laura Sexton, won the Amateur-Owner, 18-35, Championship. Armani, owned and ridden by Madeline Schaeffer, won the Small Pony Hunter Championship, and Truly Noble, owned by Pegasus Show Stable and ridden by Emma Kurtz, won the Medium Pony Hunter Championship. All My Love, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker and shown by Emma Kurtz, won the Large Pony Hunter Championship.
The 38th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show featured six show rings with more than 100 classes of competition for horses and riders of all ages. A wide range of jumper, hunter, equitation, short stirrup and leadline classes are all part of the Classic's schedule, as well as competitions for riders with disabilities.
For those who couldn't make it to the show grounds, WVVH-TV, the official Long Island television station of the Hampton Classic, broadcasted up to five hours of competition and highlights each day during the Classic. These telecasts can also be seen online at
www.WVVH.com.
Free live webcasts of all Grand Prix Ring competition will be available, courtesy of ShowNet, at
www.HamptonClassic.com. Competition in other rings will be available on a pay-per-view basis at
www.shownet.biz.
Further information on the Hampton Classic Horse Show, please visit the Hampton Classic website at
www.hamptonclassic.com or call (631) 537-3177. Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation.
Invincible and Ellen Toon won the Hunt Ltd. Amateur-Owner Hunter Championship at the Hampton Classic. (Shawn McMillen photo)
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