Source:  FTI WEF News Release/Lauren Fisher/JWMedia Inc

 

Welles and Bilion, Clermont and Pironella, Kraut and Quinalt VDV, and Bond and Wistful All Triumph in the 2011 Adequan Young Jumper Classics

 

The 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) concluded its twelfth and final week of competition on Sunday with the Classics for the Young Jumper divisions in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The morning began with a win for Jeffery Welles and Bilion, owned by Sharon Gunthel and Triton Ventures, in the $10,000 Adequan Five-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic. The $15,000 Adequan Six-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic was held next with a wire to wire victory for Brock Clermont and Pironella, owned by Clermark Equestrian. The $20,000 Adequan Seven-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic then saw an exciting win for Laura Kraut and Quinalt VDV, owned by The Freedom Group. The day concluded with the $20,000 Adequan Eight-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic with a victory for Ashleey Bond and Little Valley Farm's Wistful.

 

Courses for the final week of competition in the International Arena were designed by Anthony D'Ambrosio of Red Hook, NY. D'Ambrosio set a great course today to display the talent of the nation's up and coming young horses.

 

The first class of the morning was the $10,000 Adequan Five-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic, which was won by Jeffery Welles and Bilion. Twenty-four entries showed in the class and ten jumped clear to advance to the jump-off. Welles and Bilion had the fastest of three double clear rounds to finish in first place. Shane Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm, LLC's Baldev finished in second place with a jump-off time of 39.286 seconds. Victor Amaya rode Gotham Enterprizes' South Street to the third place prize with a finishing time of 40.186 seconds.

 

 

Jeffery Welles and Bilion

 

Bilion is a five-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Emilion x Amethist. Welles explained that they purchased Bilion about eight months ago in Holland and just started showing him this winter during the WEF circuit.

 

"We got him from the Schroeders in Holland, from Gerco, Wim and Ben Schroeder," Welles explained. "The time was right. He was going to be in their auction in the fall and they let us see him before the auction and we bought him, so we definitely got lucky."

 

"We started him kind of slowly just to get him acclimated and he has been great," Welles stated. "He hasn't had a rail down in any of these five-year-old classes and this is his sixth one. He won this one, he won another one in week eight, and he was second three times. He has been great; he is just a real show horse. He jumps even higher and tries even harder in the ring. He is not spooky, he is very straight forward, and he has just been a real pleasure to ride and work with."

 

 

Welles plans to give Bilion an easy summer before competing in the Young Jumper Finals at the Hampton Classic Horse Show starting in late August. He noted, "Bilion is a young horse, so we don't want to overdo it with him. I think he has a big future ahead of him and hopefully, with some luck, he will continue to do well."

 

The $15,000 Adequan Six-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic was held next in the International Arena on Sunday. The class saw 49 entries and fifteen were able to jump clear over the first round course. Brock Clermont and Pironella jumped second in the order and were the first pair to clear the course. Their initial jump-off time of 37.832 seconds held on to the very end for a wire to wire victory. Pironella is a six-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare by Nonstop. The mare proved to be the best in the field today with her pace setting round.

 

Brock Clermont and Pironella

 

Finishing in second place, Amanda Flint rode Ladonna, owned by Kathleen Kamine, to double clear rounds with a jump-off time of 38.167 seconds. Laura Kraut and Quasiboy, owned by The Freedom Group, stopped the clock in 38.662 seconds to earn third place. Fourth place went to Ramiro Quintana and Meghan Kraut's Amidam with a time of 39.484 seconds, and Jeffery Welles again finished at the top of the standings riding Sakkaro, owned by South Shore Farm. The pair finished with a time of 39.749 seconds to take home the fifth place prize.

 

 

Sunday afternoon continued with the $20,000 Adequan Seven-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic. Forty-two competitors showed over the first round course with seven advancing to the jump-off. Ronan McGuigan held the only clear round for 25 trips before six more followed at the end of the class. Laura Kraut and The Freedom Group's Quinalt VDV completed the fastest of four double clear rounds to win the class with their time of 36.355 seconds. McGuigan finished in second place with his time of 36.795 seconds aboard Capall Zidane, owned by LLC Capall Group. Lauren Crooks took home the third place honors riding Glen Youell's C'Est Ci Bon 4 to a clear jump-off round in 40.846 seconds. Jill Knowles rode Fanta to the fourth place prize with the final clear round in 41.693 seconds.

 

Laura Kraut and Quinalt VDV

 

Quinalt VDV is a seven-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Quaismodo Z. Kraut got the horse from Emil Hendrix last fall and just started showing him in Florida this winter.

 

"He is just incredible; he is one of the most careful, big-hearted horses. He is a little bit like Cedric," Kraut smiled. "Every time you walk in the ring you would be surprised if you walk out with a pole down. He is just so careful and quick and I hope that he is a good up and coming shot for the future."

 

 

"Hopefully he will make a grand prix horse, but no matter what he is a winner," Kraut added. "He has won I don't know how many classes this circuit and he is a lot of fun. I don't try to often win the class, but I will come out in the morning and say 'Okay, I am going to try to win today' and he did it every time but once and it was my fault when he didn't. He is just really a special, special horse."

 

The $20,000 Adequan Eight-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic was the last class to conclude the final week of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival with 36 to compete. Nine jumped clear over the first round course and six were double clear to race against the clock. Ashlee Bond and Little Valley Farm's Dutch Warmblood mare Wistful (by Be a Grand Star) had the fastest time of 34.797 seconds for the win.

 

Ashlee Bond and Wistful over the water jump

 

Paige Johnson and Salamander Farm's Monopoly were close behind in 36.705 seconds to earn second place. Ali Wolff rode Blacklick Bend Farm's It's Magic to third place honors with a time of 37.224 seconds. Margie Engle and Orbetello finished in 37.44 seconds to place fourth, Peter Leone and Wodan M, owned by American Showjumping Partners LLC, placed fifth with a time of 37.634 seconds, and Lauren Tisbo rode Welinde, owned by Tequestrian Farms LLC, to sixth place in 38.135 seconds.

 

Bond beamed proudly after her win and explained how Wistful has come along very quickly this year and given the rider high hopes for the future. She smiled, "We bought her last summer and did Spruce Meadows and were doing the 1.25m classes. She was broke as a six-year-old, so she has really barely a year of showing under her belt. I got here and was doing the high schooling and then the 1.30m and I thought that if I could get her in her age division by the end it would be amazing. Halfway through she was doing the 1.40m and she just came along so quickly."

 

"She is so smart and she just wants to win," Bond continued cheerfully. "You never know if they can be a 1.60m horse until they are in the class, but she has all the right moves to do that. She just has that quality that you want every grand prix horse to have. She is so focused, she knows where the rails are and she has the scope and the stride and the adjustability. She is just amazing!"

 

 

As the last class of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival circuit, Bond was proud to finish out the winter with an exciting victory. She acknowledged, "It is so nice to win the last class. We have had a very good season. It was not quite as good as I would have liked, I made some mistakes, but that happens in this sport; it is such a humbling sport. The horses were all great, so it is really nice to leave on a note like this. To have your young horse do better than you expect and win this class is really great."

 

For full results please visit www.showgroundslive.com

and for more information, visit www.equestriansport.com.  

Final Results: $10,000 Adequan Five-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic 

1 BILION: KWPN GELDING BY EMILION X AMETHIST
JEFFERY WELLES, SHARON GUNTHEL AND TRITON VENTURES: 0/0/38.130

2 BALDEV: KWPN STALLION BY NAMELUS R 
SHANE SWEETNAM, SPY COAST FARM LLC: 0/0/39.286

3 SOUTH STREET: KWPN MARE BY LANGUSTER X INDORADO
VICTOR AMAYA, GOTHAM ENTERPRIZES: 0/0/40.186

4 MAD MARDIGAN: WESTPHALIAN GELDING BY DEMOCRAAT X LAURISTON
CASEY HODGES, WENDY ARNDT: 0/4/39.233

5 CHACCA BLUE: BRANDENBURG MARE BY CHACCO BLUE X GLENN ALME
BROOKE KEMPER, BELLE GREY FARM: 0/4/39.723

6 BIRETTA: KWPN MARE BY TANGELO VD ZUUTHOEVE X EPILOT
SHANE SWEETNAM, SWEET OAK FARM: 0/4/39.844

7 BRETAGNE: KWPN STALLION BY CARDENTO X INDORADO
SHANE SWEETNAM, SPY COAST FARM LLC: 0/4/41.246

8 BACHELOR: KWPN STALLION BY RUDRIGOO VDL
LAUREN TISBO, TEQUESTRIAN FARMS LLC: 0/4/42.187

9 MCKINLEY: CWB GELDING BY QUIDAM DE REVEL X INDOCTRO
YANNICK PATRON, SUSAN GRANGE: 0/4/46.741

10 INDIA BLUE ZF: CSHA MARE BY MR. BLUE X CALVADOS
NICOLE SHAHINIAN-SIMPSON, ZIEDLER FARM CANADA LTD: 0/8/46.987

11 GONE RIO: TB MARE BY RIO VERDE X DEFRERE
CHARLIE JAYNE, ALEX JAYNE: 4/77.152 

12 RONALD REAGAN: TB STALLION BY BUCK STRIDER
CHARLIE JAYNE ALEX JAYNE: 4/77.985

 

Final Results: $15,000 Adequan Six-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic 

1 PIRONELLA: KWPN MARE BY NONSTOP
BROCK CLERMONT, CLERMARK EQUESTRIAN: 0/0/37.832

2 LADONNA: KWPN MARE BY LANGUSTER
AMANDA FLINT, KATHLEEN KAMINE: 0/0/38.167

3 QUASIBOY: ZANGERSHEIDE GELDING BY QUASIMODO Z
LAURA KRAUT, THE FREEDOM GROUP: 0/0/38.662

4 AMIDAM: KWPN GELDING BY QUIDAM 
RAMIRO QUINTANA, MEGHAN KRAUT: 0/0/39.484

5 SAKKARO: HANNOVERIAN GELDING BY STARON
JEFFERY WELLES, SOUTH SHORE FARM: 0/0/39.749

6 CANDLE LIGHT: HANNOVERIAN GELDING BY CONTENDRO I
LAURA KRAUT, M/M BERTRAM FIRESTONE: 0/0/40.068

7 CAVENDISH: GELDING BY CANTOS
BETH UNDERHILL, BETH UNDERHILL: 0/0/40.354

8 EXEL P: HANOVERIAN MARE BY EMBASSY I
JIMMY TORANO, RODRIGO CUNHA: 0/0/40.557

9 MHS AUTOMATIC: IRISH SPORT HORSE GELDING BY QUIDAM JUNIOR X DIAMOND SERPENT
CONOR O'REGAN, ORI EQUESTRIAN: 0/0/41.645

10 RAYLEY: CWB MARE BY JAMESTOWN X FLEURI DU MANOIR
YANNICK PATRON, SUSAN GRANGE: 0/0/42.890

11 INCOGNITO: OLDENBURG GELDING BY CARINUE X FILOU DES MESNILE
NICOLE SHAHINIAN-SIMPSON, ZIEDLER FARM CANADA LTD: 0/0/45.395

12 ALAZAN: KWPN GELDING
JONATHON MILLAR, MILLAR BROOKE FARM LTD: 0/4/42.944 

Final Results: $20,000 Adequan Seven-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic   
1 QUINALT VDV: DUTCH WARMBLOOD GELDING BY QUASIMODO Z
LAURA KRAUT, THE FREEDOM GROUP: 0/0/36.355

2 CAPALL ZIDANE: KWPN GELDING BY CONCORDE
RONAN MC GUIGAN, LLC CAPALL GROUP: 0/0/36.795

3 C'EST CI BON 4: BRANDENBURG MARE BY COULEUR-RUBIN X LANDADEL
LAUREN CROOKS, GLEN YOUELL: 0/0/40.846

4 FANTA: BWP GELDING BY VIGO D'ARSOUILLES X RUBERNS DU RI D'ASSE
JILL KNOWLES, JILL KNOWLES: 0/0/41.693

5 USHUAIA VAN DE WOLFSAKKER: BELGIAN WARMBLOOD MARE BY PRESIDENT
CHRISTINA KELLY, DIAMOND EDGE FARM: 0/4/33.386

6 GAMA CHAMACO: SILLA ARGENTINA GELDING BY CARPE DIEM Z 
DARRAGH KENNY, MARIE DOUGLAS: 0/4/34.948

7 UTOPIE DES HAUTES: BELGIAN WARMBLOOD GELDING BY OGANO SITTE X CANADIAN RIVER
AINSLEY VINCE, ASHFORD FARM: 0/4/35.570

8 CHAMBO: HOLSTEINER GELDING BY CHAMBERTIN
ALI WOLFF, BLACKLICK BEND FARM: 1/84.386 

9 ZEALOUS: KWPN MARE BY ROYAL KALIBER X STARMAN
LAURA CHAPOT, MARY CHAPOT: 4/76.398 

10 TILGHMAN: KWPN GELDING BY HEARTBREAKER
SARAH SEGAL, HORATIO ST VENTURES LCC: 4/78.464 

11 ELIZABETH R: DUTCH WARMBLOOD MARE BY ROYAL KALIBER X SIR JINSKI
LAURA CHAPOT, LAURA CHAPOT/BARBARA ROCKFORD: 4/79.984 

12 ARTURO: ANGLO EUROPEAN GELDING BY ARTURO 8
CORTIE WETHERILL, THE FREEDOM GROUP: 4/81.125 

Final Results: $20,000 Adequan Eight-Year-Old Young Jumper Classic

 1 WISTFUL: KWPN MARE BY BE A GRAND STAR
ASHLEE BOND , LITTLE VALLEY FARM: 0/0/34.797

2 MONOPOLY: DUTCH WARMBLOOD GELDING BY UNKNOWN
PAIGE JOHNSON, SALAMANDER FARM: 0/0/36.705

3 IT'S MAGIC: HOLSTEINER MARE BY CARDINO
ALI WOLFF, BLACKLICK BEND FARM: 0/0/37.224

4 ORBETELLO: OLDENBURG STALLION BY ORLANDO
MARGIE ENGLE, MARGIE ENGLE: 0/0/37.444

5 WODAN M: WARMBLOOD STALLION BY UNKNOWN
PETER LEONE, AMERICAN SHOWJUMPING PARTNERS LLC: 0/0/37.634

6 WELINDE: KWPN MARE BY NO LIMIT
LAUREN TISBO, TEQUESTRIAN FARMS LLC: 0/0/38.135

7 PERFECT DE COQUERIE: BELGIAN WARMBLOOD STALLION BY ORLANDO X JALISCO B
GEORGINA BLOOMBERG, GEORGINA BLOOMBERG AND STEPHEX STABLES: 0/4/36.773

8 CRESCENDO: WESTPHALIAN GELDING BY CORNET OBOLENSKY X INDOCTRO
TODD MINIKUS, SABINE OHLY: 0/4/36.859

9 CHINEDINE PP Z: ZANGERSHEIDE GELDING BY CHIN CHIN
AMANDA FLINT, GILLIAN DUNLEAVY: 0/4/38.670

10 WINDE: KWPN MARE BY NUMERO UNO
LAURA KRAUT, PIN OAK FARM: 4/75.420

11 WRIGLEY: KWPN MARE BY PADINUS
CALLIE SCHOTT, JOHN MADDEN SALES, INC: 4/76.108

12 PRINCE DU BONNEVILLE: SELLE FRANCAIS GELDING BY BALOUBET DU ROUET X VALESPOIR MALABRY
GEORGINA BLOOMBERG, GOTHAM ENTERPRIZES: 4/76.978

Photo Credit: Photos © Sportfot, Official Sport Photographer of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, www.sportfot.com .