Richard Spooner and Cristallo win the $25,000 SmartPak Open Prix The order of go was stacked in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Open Prix, but it would be Richard Spooner aboard Cristallo, owned by Show Jumping Syndications International, to take home the top prize. The victory was won in a thrilling jump-off where the top places were divided by mere fractions of seconds.
Thirty-two challengers tried their hand at the course and the field would narrow to 16 for the jump-off. Nine would go clean in the jump-off, leaving the winning place on the leaderboard all up to speed.
Spooner was fourth in the order in the 16-horse jump-off, and knew that a lightning-fast and clear round score would have to be set in order to hold up to the rest of the field. They sped through the timers in 38.177, a time that would withstand 12 more trips for the win.
Second-place went to Olympian Will Simpson and The Dude, owned by Nicole Walker. Simpson and his mount immediately followed Spooner in the jump-off, knowing they would have to beat their solid round with a quick, clear trip. They blazed through the course and finished in 38.880 with all of the rails up, just a tenth of a second shy of Spooner.
Ashley Bond returned eighth in the jump-off order with Ace of Hearts, owned by Little Valley Farm.They powered to the finish to score a cool, clear round in 39.272, ultimately earning them third place. Bond would score two more ribbons on the day, rounding out the top-five with Cornanacer with a clear round in 39.530 seconds, and placing ninth with Chela LS, both owned by Little Valley Farm.
Fourth place went home with Lindsay Archer aboard Camerone, owned by Rhys Farm, LLC. Archer was eleventh in the order and put down a clean, 39.413-second round, another contender just fractions off the place before them.
Place |
Horse |
Owner |
Rider |
Prize |
R.1 Faults |
J.O Faults |
J.O Time |
1 |
Cristallo |
Show Jumping Syndications |
Richard Spooner |
$7,500 |
0 |
0 |
38.171 |
2 |
The Dude |
Nicole Walker |
William Simpson |
$5,500 |
0 |
0 |
38.880 |
3 |
Ace of Hearts |
Little Valley Farms |
Ashlee Bond |
$3,250 |
0 |
0 |
39.272 |
4 |
Camerone |
Rhys Farm, LLC |
Lindsay Archer |
$2,000 |
0 |
0 |
39.530 |
5 |
Cornancer |
Little Valley Farms |
Ashlee Bond |
$1,500 |
0 |
0 |
39.530 |
6 |
Cat Balou |
Tamie Phillips |
Tamie Phillips |
$1,250 |
0 |
0 |
39.983 |
7 |
Colour Your Life |
Peter/Pam Bilek Petschenig |
Peter Petschenig |
$1,000 |
0 |
0 |
40.874 |
8 |
Cruise |
Indigo Farms, LLC |
Chris Pratt |
$750 |
0 |
0 |
41.660 |
|
9 |
Chela LS |
Little Valley Farms |
Ashlee Bond |
$750 |
0 |
0 |
41.937 |
10 |
NJK No Regret |
NJK Show Jumpers, Inc |
Nicole Hauntert |
$500 |
0 |
4 |
43.940 |
11 |
NKH Calango |
NKH, LLC |
Christian Heineking |
$500 |
0 |
4 |
44.298 |
12 |
Rocky W |
Kaitlyn Campbell |
Kaitlyn Campbell |
$500 |
0 |
4 |
45.935 |
|
|