PRESS RELEASE
September 18, 2017 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – It was Michelle Parker and Cross Creek Farm’s Vancouver 45 who conquered the competition in the $30,000 Markel Insurance Grand Prix, while Savannah Jenkins and Rahmannshof’s Bamiro took home the win the $2,500 Interactive Mortgage U25 Series Qualifier. Of the forty-three entries, four rode without fault. Exciting until the end, each jump-off rider rode double clean. Last to go proved best, when Michelle Parker’s time of 33.906 beat Tina Yates’ leading time of 34.003 by .097 seconds for the win.
The sixteen jumping effort track designed by Olympic Course Designer Guilherme Jorge of Brazil demanded not only a precise ride but an efficient one. The 81-second time allowed caused more than twenty entries to accrue time faults, with four of those leaving all the jumps up but not within the time. Although fences were lowered throughout the course, the most faults occurred in the final line at the top of the field, the combination at 12ab to the last oxer. Riders needed to cross the square oxer at 12a, but not have too much horse for the vertical at 12b. Then they had to gallop to the final oxer without getting too anxious about the time allowed, which proved to be a tough challenge to tackle.
Parker spoke about her strategy and her luck in the first round. “When I preloaded, I went over by that jump [12a] instead of where I was planning to go, so I actually checked it out. That might have helped,” she explained. “But the time was tight so I still had to make a short turn to it. I actually touched it, so I was a little bit lucky.”
Knowing her mount well after three years of competing together and having the luck of being last to compete in the jump-off, Parker was prepared to go for the win. She noted, “Tina was very fast, so I just went in and pretty much tried to shave as much time as I could at every turn.”
Melissa Brandes, Katie Murray, and Maddy Dunham
The winning team received a pair of Roeckl Sports gloves, an embroidered SmartPak cooler, and an engraved pewter plate. Looking to repeat her victory aboard Cupilor in 2016, Parker and Vancouver 45 are set to compete in the Markel Insurance Grand Prix Series Final in Las Vegas this November.
Savannah Jenkins Tops the Interactive Mortgage U25 Qualifier
With a score of only two time faults, Savannah Jenkins and Rahmannshof’s Bamiro, owned by Georgy Maskrey-Segesman, picked up first place in the Interactive Mortgage U25 Qualifier.
Jenkins was prepared for the questions asked, and rode the challenging course just slightly the over time allowed for the win. Second to Jenkins was the fastest four fault ride in the qualifier, Chandler Meadows aboard Damian. With the points earned from this class, it looks like both riders could qualify for the $25,000 Interactive Mortgage U25 Final at The Las Vegas National.
Rounding out a successful week, Jenkins was third on Georgy Maskrey-Segesman’s Covalsky in the $20,000 Interactive Mortgage Horses 10 & Under Futurity Final on Friday.
As the Blenheim Fall Tournament wraps up, the action stays in San Juan Capistrano for the International Jumping Festival this week. Jumper highlights include the $45,000 Young Jumper Championships (YJC) – West, the Young Jumper Futurity Four Year Old Western Regional, $5,000 North American League (NAL) West Coast Children’s Jumper Final, $5,000 North American League (NAL) West Coast Adult Jumper Final, $5,000 North American League (NAL) West Coast 1.30m JR/AO Jumper Final, and the last $30,000 Markel Insurance Grand Prix Qualifier, 1.40m and $5,000 Interactive Mortgage U25 Qualifier of the Blenheim EquiSports season.
#BES2017 #ThePlaceToBe
RESULTS
$30,000 Markel Insurance Grand Prix
Place – Entry Number – Horse – Rider – Owner – Faults/Time
1. 297 – Vancouver 45 – Michelle Parker – Cross Creek Farms, Inc. – 0/0/33.906
2. 683 – Ceasar – Tina Yates – ACE Equestrian – 0/0/34.003
3. 454 – Colicchio – Kenneth Vinther – Kenneth Vinther – 0/0/35.387
4. 864 – Durango VDL – Tina Yates – ACE Equestrian – 0/0/37.104
5. 721 – Quantador 3 – Carlos Hank, Jr. – Carlos Hank, Jr. – 1/81.242
6. 350 – Calypso VD Zuuthoeve – Laura Hite – Laura Hite – 2/82.021
7. 268 – Cavalos – Lisa McCluskey – Jillian Michaels – 2/82.725
8. 206 – Little Gancho – Marc Grock – Moonlite Beach, LLC – 3/83.809
9. 349 – Damian – Chandler Meadows – Chandler Meadows – 4/80.857
10. 340 – Venice BF – Daniel Zilla – Branscomb Farms, LLC – 5/81.628
11. 551 – Carnutelabryere – Chris Pratt – Shelly Gambardella – 5/81.653
12. 817 – Ircos IV – Everardo Hegewisch – Everardo Hegewisch – 6/82.510
$2,500 Interactive Mortgage U25 Series Qualifier
Place – Entry Number – Horse – Rider – Owner – Faults/Time
1. 531 – Rahmannshof’s Bamiro – Savannah Jenkins – Georgy Maskrey-Segesman – 2/82.026
2. 349 – Damian – Chandler Meadows – Chandler Meadows – 4/80.857
3. 553 – SIG Iron Man – Shota Ogomori – SIG International – 8/80.087
4. 552 – SIG Thor – Shota Ogomori – SIG International – 9/81.118
5. 727 – Diamond – Cristobal Collado – E2 Stables – 9/81.612
6. 487 – Centurion – Sloan Elmassian – Robin Elmassian – 10/82.047
7. 655 – SIG Silver Surfer – Shota Ogomori – SIG International – 12/80.204
8. 286 – Waliba VDL – Mackenzie Drazan – Mackenzie Drazan – 12/80.677
Photos by McCool
