Alberto Michan and El Pacho Conquer The $25,000 Osphos® Grand Prix At Equestrian Village During ESP Fall Finale

Alberto Michan of Israel and El Pacho conquer the $25,000 Osphos® Grand Prix. ©Anne Gittins Photography

Wellington, FL – November 5, 2019 – The final Hunter and Jumper competition to be hosted at Equestrian Village took place this past weekend with the ESP Fall Finale. The ESP Fall Series continues November 8 – 10 at the main grounds of PBIEC with the ESP November Show. Feature classes will take place on the new custom footing surface recently installed in the International Arena. Although rain kept this past Sunday’s feature class off of the Derby Field, Alberto Michan of Israel and El Pacho, owned by Pablo Mejia, were still thrilled to conquer the $25,000 Osphos® Grand Prix in the Van Kampen Covered Arena with a 39.58-second jump-off round. Finishing only two seconds behind with 41.036 seconds on the clock was Theo Genn of Lebanon, OH riding Taylor Blackman’s Boucanier, while Maria Schaub of Wellington, FL claimed the third-place position aboard Gotico Di Ca’ San Giorgio, owned by Evergate Stable, LLC, after a 44.182-second jump-off.

Santiago Lambre of Mexico rode his Doloris to a fourth-place finish in 40.565 seconds with four faults, while Diego Perez Bilbao of Spain and Victoria Vargas D’agostino’s Orso Del Terriccio completed round one in 79.661 seconds to claim fifth place. A total of 20 competitors challenged the first track, designed by Andrew Christiansen, with just five returning for a second trip. With a two-second lead, Michan explained where he thinks he shaved off those final seconds: “I was able to see the riders that went before me, and Theo [Genn] did a fast track, but I saw at the end [of the course] that those final 8 strides that we all talked about when walking the course weren’t that forward for him. So I thought there I had a chance to do the seven [strides] and I think that’s where I got the shorter time.”

While the plan was to host the Grand Prix on the Derby Field, Michan expressed his satisfaction that it was held in the Van Kampen covered arena: “I think they were very right to move it under the covered with all the rain we got today. The grass is beautiful here, but it was also very warm on Friday for the Stake so we riders, horses, etc. were happy to be inside and stay cooler today. I think the horses were happier and seemed to jump better too.”

Michan and El Pacho with ringmaster Steve Rector receive their blue ribbon in Sunday’s feature class. ©Anne Gittins Photography

Friday’s $10,000 Osphos® 1.40m Open Stake was bested by Gianni Gabrielli of Argentina and Maidensway’s Chaco 34 after the put in a final time of 37.915 seconds. Crossing through the timers in 38.502 seconds to claim second place was Johan Kachelhoffer of South Africa with his entry Carlos 691, while Joao Eduardo Ferreira De Carvalho of Brazil finished in third with a 43.425 aboard Karina Rocha Mello’s Lamina Van’t Gelutt Z.

Friday’s $10,000 Osphos® 1.40m Open Stake was bested by Gianni Gabrielli of Argentina and Chaco 34 on the Derby Field. Pictured with ringmaster Steve Rector. ©Anne Gittins Photography

Jumper Highlights 

The Semican 1.20m Jumper class named Kyle Dewar of Ocala, FL champion after his 67.071-second performance with Julie Montgomery’s Roc Maximillius Mon Amour. Lauren Garner of Miami, FL and Code Red, owned by Kristin Schuttenmeyer, took home the red ribbon with a 64.908-second round and 12 faults, while Luis Larrazabal of Venezuela finished the track in 90.261 seconds and 19 faults aboard Luminaria Ls La Silla, owned by San Francisco Stables LLC, to clinch third.

Maggie Alexander of Wellington, FL rode her entry GGN Stauffenberg to victory in the $1,500 M&S Child/Adult Jumper Classic, presented by Score At The Top after a 47.391-second jump-off. Erin Schiller of Wellington, FL and her Casanova captured second-place honors after a round one time of 80.946 seconds, while Gabriella Curry of Plantation, FL took third aboard Chaviana, owned by Alex Jayne, with a first-round time of 71.332 seconds and four faults.

The $1,500 Low Child/Adult Jumper Classic presented by French Horse Exports was championed by April Derienzis of Granite Falls, NC and Primera Car, owned by Alyssa Glenn, after they completed the jump-off in 37.578 seconds. Juliet Johansson of Ft. Lauderdale, FL piloted her Viva’s Roxanna W around the track in 37.599 seconds to take second, while Zoe Mcquillan of Kensington, NH and Sweet Oak Farm’s Starridor finished in 41.211 seconds to claim third place.

Deborah Cusnir of Davie, FL and Enzo, owned by Sydney Myers, bested the field in the $250 CCTV Agent .85m Classic on Sunday afternoon, with a 32.994-second jump-off. Mackenzie Callahan’s Jivago was ridden to second place by Bianca Dunham of Palm Beach Gardens, FL with 36.337 seconds on the clock. Clinching the third spot was Jacquelin Mayne of Wellington, FL and Anthonis, owned by HBC Sport Horses, with a jump-off time of 46.2 seconds and one fault.

Ana Sofia Rodriguez of Guatemala and VDL Empire, owned by Juan Andres Rodriguez Silva, galloped into first place for the $2,500 Equiline Low Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper Classic after completing the jump off in 41.988 seconds. Ecuador’s Abigail Ron claimed second place aboard her mount, Don’t Stop with a 42.952-second jump-off. The yellow ribbon went to Andrea Correa of Venezuela riding her entry, Quasini Landai through the jump-off timers in 44.017 seconds.

This weekend’s $2,500 Equiline Medium Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper Classic named Lily Alice Foregger of Waterbury, VT the winner after a jump-off of 52.07 seconds and three faults with her mount Balestha. Ansgar Holtgers Jr. of Wellington, FL aboard Gut Einhaus, LLC’s Crescenda Z took home the red ribbon with 42.172 seconds and four faults in the jump-off. Andrea Correa of Venezuela collected third place honors aboard Une Perle Du Joret with 42.457 seconds and four faults.

Elizabeth Stroh of Ocala, FL and Cloverly Farm LLC’s Coralina flew through the timers in 48.123 second to claim the $1,950 Equiline High Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper, while Ignacio Oberto of Miami Beach, FL and his Quentin finished in second place after a 52.794-second jump-off. Andrea Hassey of Wellington, FL rounded out the top three aboard Allegria Du Val Henry with a 75.317-second jump-off.

Hunter Highlights

The $500 Pony Hunter Classic saw Taylor Cawley of Wellington, FL take top honors aboard GC Ponies’ By4Now with a final score of 155. Katherine Mercer of Wellington, FL took home second place with Emilia Richard’s entry, FairyTales and a score of 154 as well as third place with a score of 152 aboard Aquitaine Equine’s Benlea Mizzou.

Morgan Van Nortwick of Leesburg, VA rode Winterfell, owned by Katherine Dewar, to a champion victory in the Vita Flex Amateur Owner/Junior Hunter 3’6” & 3’3” combined division, while Ashley Briggs of Loxahatchee, FL and her Harbor Walk were awarded the reserve ribbon.

Allison Coleman of Wellington, FL and her Silver Point came out on top in The Wanderers Club Children’s Pony Hunter division, while Cecelia Perry of Boynton Beach, FL rode Woldberg’s Bochelli, owned by Melissa Burns, to a reserve victory.

The Pilates Rocks Low Child/Adult Hunter division saw Jordan Loth of Jupiter, FL take the championship title with her entry, Silhoutte, while Cherie Shanley of Palenville, NY clinched a reserve finish aboard High Limit, owned by Christina Plichta.

Riley McKesson of Wellington, FL and her Hopscotch claimed the champion ribbon in the Dover Saddlery Medium/Large Pony Hunter division, while Taylor Cawley of Wellington, FL and GC Ponies’ By4Now returned to the winner’s circle for reserve.

The Dover Saddlery Small Pony Hunter division crowned by Katherine Mercer of Wellington, FL aboard Benlea Mizzou champion, while Olivia Sweetnam of Wellington, FL and Clovermeade Pop Secret, owned by Jill Shulman & Sweet Oak Farm took home reserve champion.

The Pure Wellness Child/Adult Hunter division was championed by Emma Hechtman of Tampa, FL and her mount, To The Point, while Lindsey Tomeu of Wellington, FL captured reserve aboard E. Bleu, owned by Sweet Oak Farm.

The big blue ribbon was awarded to Kyle Dewar of Ocala, FL riding Katherine Dewar’s Wilson in the USHJA Hunter 2’6” & 2’9” division, while reserve champion went to Devon De Phillips of Warwick, NY and Wait Until Dark, owned by Elite Supplements Inc.

Daniel Cohn of Ocala, FL clinched champion honors in the Platinum Performance USHJA Hunter 3’ division with Kathleen Cohn’s Desafinada, while Morgan Van Nortwick of Leesburg, VA piloted Katherine Dewar’s Winterfell to reserve.

The ESP Fall Series continues this weekend from November 8 – 10 at the main grounds of PBIEC with the ESP November Show. Exhibitors this weekend will be the first to compete on the new custom footing in the International Arena! Click here to view the 2019 ESP Fall Prize List.To view full results of the $25,000 Osphos® Grand Prix, please click here.

To view full results of the $10,000 Osphos® 1.40m Open Stake, please click here.

To learn more about the ESP Fall Series and PBIEC, please visit www.pbiec.com.Photo Credit ©Anne Gittins Photography and ©ESP. These photos may only be used once in relation to this press release with proper credit.