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Hampton Classic: The Show Goes on Before the Storm
Source: News Release
Ireland's Kenny Takes Double Header Winning the Brown Harris Stevens and Newsday Open Jumper Classes
Darragh Kenny 22, of County Offaly, Ireland, had the “luck of the Irish” on his side winning both jumper classes in the Grand Prix ring at the Hampton Classic Horse Show on Tuesday. Kenny won the Brown Harris Stevens Open Jumper (1.40m) FEI Table A class riding Looping Star and the Newsday Open Jumper class (1.35m) earlier in the day on Bazooka de Muze. Both horses are owned by Missy Clark and North Run Farm and both are stunning chestnuts with bold blaze faces.
“To win one class at the Classic is great,” said Kenny. “To win two is unbelievable! I was here last year and finished second in a lot of classes, so it is really nice to win. It’s actually a really important show for me because it is one of the biggest outdoor shows.”
There were already 14 clear rounds in the Brown Harris Stevens Open Jumping class before it was Kenny’s turn to go, so time was the key factor.
“This was a really quick class, but he jumped fantastic,” said Kenny of Looping Star. “We only just got the horse three weeks ago and this is only the second class I have done on him. He’s a great horse.”
Halfway through the Brown Harris Stevens Sloane Coles and Annie 66, owned by Ri-Arm Farm, took the lead with a fast clean round in a time 58.17 seconds, but it was short-lived. Two rides later Kenny came into the ring and ripped around the Guilherme Jorge designed course in 55.12 seconds taking over the top spot. Kate Levy and her Dutch Warmblood mare Starlight, came close with a clean round time of 57.46 seconds, but it was only good enough for second. Coles and Annie 66 ended up in third.
Earlier in the day Kenny also won the Newsday Open Jumper class amongst a massive crowd of 98 entries. Kenny and Bazooka de Muze clocked in a faultless round in 64.462 seconds, but they went early and had a long, long wait.
“I was tenth in the lineup so it was lucky that I held on, but he’s a quick horse, a really good horse,” said Kenny. “There were a few people that went a little bit faster, but were unlucky and had a fence down. It was just his day.”
It looked like Molly Cawley and Ulana, owned by Alexis Stein, might beat them. As the 62nd pair to go they left all the rails up, but in a time of 65.524 seconds leaving them second. McLain Ward and Vocas, owned by Louisburg Farm, were third in a clear round time of 66.373.
It took two years to win at the Classic, but it will be a long time before Kenny forgets this day. “This is great. I’m really, really happy.”
McLain Ward and Rothchild Win the $7,500 Open Jumper Class
Two-time Olympic team gold medalist McLain Ward rode to top honors in the $7,500 Open Jumper class at the Hampton Classic Horse Show on Wednesday afternoon riding Rothchild, owned by Sagamore Farms. Some of the younger horses in the field of 40 had a tough time on the course, but Ward and Rothchild have been in this ring before.
"He performed well here last year so I knew he knew this field," said Ward. "I basically kind of stuck to the plan. Everything didn't show up exactly as I had planned on the rollback, but he's got a big stride so he dealt with it pretty well."
Debbie Stephens and All Star, owned by Centennial Farm, Inc., scored the first of the twelve clear rounds in the class in 73.605 seconds. Saer Coulter and Chalan, owned by Copernicus Stables, LLC, put their time to rest clocking in at 69.206 and eventually giving them the third spot. Jeffery Welles and Armani, owned by Abigail Wexner and Triton Ventures Farm, looked like they had the class locked up with 68.670 seconds until Ward and Rothchild took to the field. The pair saved a few steps and landed on top of the leader board in 66.352 seconds, giving Welles and Armani second place.
Ward's other mount Antares F, owned by Grant Road Partners, went clear and ended up just out of the top ten ribbons, but that was all part of the strategy. "The plan for today was to give Antares a chance to look at the ring and with Rothchild to take a little bit of a shot," said Ward. "So it worked out well so far."
Shane Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm's "Belle Bleu S" Blew Away Competition in $7,500 Wölffer Estate
Competitors at the Hampton Classic Horse Show continued to enjoy sunny skies on Wednesday morning as an ample field of 73 lined up for the $7,500 Wölffer Estate Open Jumper (1.35m) class. Several tried, but only one tasted sweet victory and that was Shane Sweetnam riding Belle Bleu S, owned by Spy Coast Farm, LLC. "It was a very fast class," said Sweetnam. "I knew the way it had been the last couple of days that you had to be going as quick as you could to be able to win the class. Even though she is small, she has a really big step and has been a very, very competitive horse all year. I am very, very happy with her."
The first few rides were a little on the slower side and there were quite a few four faulters, but then Marilyn Little-Meredith and Venus, owned by Raylyn Farms, Inc., put in a fast clean round in 51.305 seconds going 16th in the order. Meredith managed to stay on top of the leader board going even faster on her second horse Waldman Z, owned by Raylyn Farms and Beverly Sheehy, clocking in at 49.485.
Then the class really kicked into gear. Sweetnam and Belle Bleu S entered the ring and blew their time away with a clean round in 47.258 seconds. A few rides later Beezie Madden and Zhivago, owned by Abigail Wexner, came close with a clear round and a time of 48.218, that left them as the runners-up. Callie Schott and Coral Reef Ambassador, owned by Coral Reef Ranch, went next and tried hard to beat their predecessors, but only managed a third place clean round time of 48.787.
"In general the key was to be as fast as you can and keep you balance everywhere," said Sweetnam. Guilherme (Jorge) always does a really good job with these courses leaving plenty of options for younger as well as the older horses."
Sweetnam has been in the United States for about eight years and really looks forward to the Classic.
"I love it here," said Sweetnam. "This is our favorite horse show of the year. The owners (Robert and Lisa Lourie) of Spy Coast Farm are local, so it feels good to win here."
The Hampton Classic Horse Show is moving the $50,000 Spy Coast Farm Grand Prix Qualifier CSI**** from Friday afternoon to Thursday afternoon at 2:00 PM in anticipation of possible bad weather stemming from Hurricane Earl.
The horse show is also instituting other schedule changes and the revised schedule for Thursday and Friday is available on the Hampton Classic website at www.hamptonclassic.com.
While Hurricane Earl threatens the east coast, The Hampton Classic Horse Show has gotten off to a pleasant and sunny start.
Ireland's Kenny Takes Double Header Winning the Brown Harris Stevens and Newsday Open Jumper Classes
Darragh Kenny 22, of County Offaly, Ireland, had the “luck of the Irish” on his side winning both jumper classes in the Grand Prix ring at the Hampton Classic Horse Show on Tuesday. Kenny won the Brown Harris Stevens Open Jumper (1.40m) FEI Table A class riding Looping Star and the Newsday Open Jumper class (1.35m) earlier in the day on Bazooka de Muze. Both horses are owned by Missy Clark and North Run Farm and both are stunning chestnuts with bold blaze faces.
“To win one class at the Classic is great,” said Kenny. “To win two is unbelievable! I was here last year and finished second in a lot of classes, so it is really nice to win. It’s actually a really important show for me because it is one of the biggest outdoor shows.”
Darragh Kenny and Bazooka de Muze.
Photo: Shawn McMillan Photo ©2010
There were already 14 clear rounds in the Brown Harris Stevens Open Jumping class before it was Kenny’s turn to go, so time was the key factor.
“This was a really quick class, but he jumped fantastic,” said Kenny of Looping Star. “We only just got the horse three weeks ago and this is only the second class I have done on him. He’s a great horse.”
Halfway through the Brown Harris Stevens Sloane Coles and Annie 66, owned by Ri-Arm Farm, took the lead with a fast clean round in a time 58.17 seconds, but it was short-lived. Two rides later Kenny came into the ring and ripped around the Guilherme Jorge designed course in 55.12 seconds taking over the top spot. Kate Levy and her Dutch Warmblood mare Starlight, came close with a clean round time of 57.46 seconds, but it was only good enough for second. Coles and Annie 66 ended up in third.
Earlier in the day Kenny also won the Newsday Open Jumper class amongst a massive crowd of 98 entries. Kenny and Bazooka de Muze clocked in a faultless round in 64.462 seconds, but they went early and had a long, long wait.
“I was tenth in the lineup so it was lucky that I held on, but he’s a quick horse, a really good horse,” said Kenny. “There were a few people that went a little bit faster, but were unlucky and had a fence down. It was just his day.”
It looked like Molly Cawley and Ulana, owned by Alexis Stein, might beat them. As the 62nd pair to go they left all the rails up, but in a time of 65.524 seconds leaving them second. McLain Ward and Vocas, owned by Louisburg Farm, were third in a clear round time of 66.373.
It took two years to win at the Classic, but it will be a long time before Kenny forgets this day. “This is great. I’m really, really happy.”
McLain Ward and Rothchild Win the $7,500 Open Jumper Class
Two-time Olympic team gold medalist McLain Ward rode to top honors in the $7,500 Open Jumper class at the Hampton Classic Horse Show on Wednesday afternoon riding Rothchild, owned by Sagamore Farms. Some of the younger horses in the field of 40 had a tough time on the course, but Ward and Rothchild have been in this ring before.
"He performed well here last year so I knew he knew this field," said Ward. "I basically kind of stuck to the plan. Everything didn't show up exactly as I had planned on the rollback, but he's got a big stride so he dealt with it pretty well."
Debbie Stephens and All Star, owned by Centennial Farm, Inc., scored the first of the twelve clear rounds in the class in 73.605 seconds. Saer Coulter and Chalan, owned by Copernicus Stables, LLC, put their time to rest clocking in at 69.206 and eventually giving them the third spot. Jeffery Welles and Armani, owned by Abigail Wexner and Triton Ventures Farm, looked like they had the class locked up with 68.670 seconds until Ward and Rothchild took to the field. The pair saved a few steps and landed on top of the leader board in 66.352 seconds, giving Welles and Armani second place.
Ward's other mount Antares F, owned by Grant Road Partners, went clear and ended up just out of the top ten ribbons, but that was all part of the strategy. "The plan for today was to give Antares a chance to look at the ring and with Rothchild to take a little bit of a shot," said Ward. "So it worked out well so far."
Shane Sweetnam and Spy Coast Farm's "Belle Bleu S" Blew Away Competition in $7,500 Wölffer Estate
Competitors at the Hampton Classic Horse Show continued to enjoy sunny skies on Wednesday morning as an ample field of 73 lined up for the $7,500 Wölffer Estate Open Jumper (1.35m) class. Several tried, but only one tasted sweet victory and that was Shane Sweetnam riding Belle Bleu S, owned by Spy Coast Farm, LLC. "It was a very fast class," said Sweetnam. "I knew the way it had been the last couple of days that you had to be going as quick as you could to be able to win the class. Even though she is small, she has a really big step and has been a very, very competitive horse all year. I am very, very happy with her."
The first few rides were a little on the slower side and there were quite a few four faulters, but then Marilyn Little-Meredith and Venus, owned by Raylyn Farms, Inc., put in a fast clean round in 51.305 seconds going 16th in the order. Meredith managed to stay on top of the leader board going even faster on her second horse Waldman Z, owned by Raylyn Farms and Beverly Sheehy, clocking in at 49.485.
Then the class really kicked into gear. Sweetnam and Belle Bleu S entered the ring and blew their time away with a clean round in 47.258 seconds. A few rides later Beezie Madden and Zhivago, owned by Abigail Wexner, came close with a clear round and a time of 48.218, that left them as the runners-up. Callie Schott and Coral Reef Ambassador, owned by Coral Reef Ranch, went next and tried hard to beat their predecessors, but only managed a third place clean round time of 48.787.
"In general the key was to be as fast as you can and keep you balance everywhere," said Sweetnam. Guilherme (Jorge) always does a really good job with these courses leaving plenty of options for younger as well as the older horses."
Sweetnam has been in the United States for about eight years and really looks forward to the Classic.
"I love it here," said Sweetnam. "This is our favorite horse show of the year. The owners (Robert and Lisa Lourie) of Spy Coast Farm are local, so it feels good to win here."
The Hampton Classic Horse Show is moving the $50,000 Spy Coast Farm Grand Prix Qualifier CSI**** from Friday afternoon to Thursday afternoon at 2:00 PM in anticipation of possible bad weather stemming from Hurricane Earl.
The horse show is also instituting other schedule changes and the revised schedule for Thursday and Friday is available on the Hampton Classic website at www.hamptonclassic.com.
The Hampton Classic Horse Show is one of the most prestigious horse shows in the nation and features competitors at every level from young children in leadline to Olympic veterans. The Classic continues through Sunday when it culminates with the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix and FEI World Cup Qualifier.
For those who can't make it to the show grounds, WVVH-TV, the official Long Island television station of the Hampton Classic, is broadcasting up to five hours of competition and highlights each day during the Classic. These broadcasts can also be seen online at www.wvvh.tv.
Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc. is a 501.c.3 charitable corporation. It benefits Southampton Hospital and has contributed more than $1.5 million to the hospital since it began.
For those who can't make it to the show grounds, WVVH-TV, the official Long Island television station of the Hampton Classic, is broadcasting up to five hours of competition and highlights each day during the Classic. These broadcasts can also be seen online at www.wvvh.tv.
Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc. is a 501.c.3 charitable corporation. It benefits Southampton Hospital and has contributed more than $1.5 million to the hospital since it began.
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