Kent Farrington and Kaprice Win the $25,000 #1 Education Place National Grand Prix to Conclude Year End Awards Show

Farrington and Kaprice crossed through the timers in 40.616 seconds to claim first place against 28 competitors. ©Anne Gittins Photography

Wellington, FL – December 8, 2019 – Kent Farrington of Wellington, FL and Kaprice, owned by Kent Farrington & Haity McNerney, dominated the $25,000 #1 Education Place National Grand Prix at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) on Sunday, scooping up their second win of the week with a jump-off time of 40.616 seconds. In second, Wilhelm Genn of Lebanon, OH and Van Gogh, owned by Wilhelm and Patty Genn, finished the short course in a time of 42.925 seconds, while Luis Larrazabal of Wellington, FL and San Francisco Stables LLC’s Caristina took third after stopping the timers at 43.747 seconds.

Anthony D’Ambrosio saw 28 entries test his course in the first round, with 12 returning for the jump-off. Farrington reflected that the course was well-suited for greener horses or horses that need to build confidence: “You didn’t see any triple combinations today but there were three doubles, which for greener horses or for horses that are building, is a more fair test. For her [Kaprice], it’s great because she’s getting to see multiple types of combinations.

Kent Farrington and Kaprice championed the $25,000 #1 Education Place Grand Prix Sunday afternoon. Pictured with ringmaster Steve Rector and Anita Kane, Founder of #1 Education Place. ©Anne Gittins Photography

“Kaprice is really a special horse; she’s unbelievably careful. I’ve moved her up and down because of that,” Farrington said of Kaprice. “She’s similar to a lot of the great horses I’ve had in the past where she borderlines on too careful, so it’s all about keeping her confidence level high,” Farrington concluded. 

Wilhelm Genn and Van Gogh receive the EnviroEquine & PET Best Turned Out Award for their second place efforts. Pictured with Elaine Wessel of EnviroEquine, Founder of #1 Education Place Anita Kane, and ringmaster, Steve Rector. ©Anne Gittins Photography

Jumper Highlights
Miguel Ventura of Murfreesboro, TN and Kreator, owned by Lionsway Farm, took top honors in Saturday’s $5,000 Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Health Specialty Center 1.35 Stake after their 36.104-second jump-off. Coming in at a close second place with a time of 36.852 seconds was Tanimara Macari of Mexico and her own Clio S, while Ramiro Quintana of Wellington, FL piloted Turner St Ghyvan Z for Evergate Stable LLC to a third place finish with a jump-off time of 39.767 seconds. 

Miguel Ventura took top honors with Kreator in the $5,000 Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s 1.35 Stake. Pictured with ringmaster, Steve Rector. ©Anne Gittins Photography

Kent Farrington of Wellington, FL and Kaprice, owned by Kent Farrington & Haity McNerney, also won the $10,000 #1 Education Place Open Stake on Friday after clearing the short course in 30.639 seconds. Gianni Gabrielli of Wellington, FL piloted Chaco 34, owned by Maidensway, through the jump-off in 31.702 seconds to clinch a second-place victory, while Taylor Land of Newnan, GA rounded out the top three with a jump off time of 32.083 seconds riding Get Go, owned by Pinetree Farms Inc.

The $1,500 M&S Children’s Jumper Classic presented by Score At The Top saw Frances Aebker of Barrington, RI and Rachel Wilks’ Classic Mai Tai take top honors after being the only horse-and-rider pair to go clear in the first round. Paige Myers of Plantation,FL piloted her own entry, Klyde’s Getaway to a second-place finish with a first round time of 77.714 seconds and four faults, while Sydney Myers of Plantation, FL and her That’s My Girl took home the yellow ribbon after stopping the first-round clock at 77.8987 seconds with four faults.

Maggie Alexander presents the blue ribbon award to Frances Aebker and Classic Mai Tai. ©ESP

Lexi Selldorff of Manchester Center, VT and Cortos, owned by Stone Horse Farm LLC, secured first place in the $1,500 M&S Adult Amateur Jumper Classic presented by Score At The Top after completing the jump-off with a time of 43.7 seconds. Laura Rubinate of North Palm Beach, FL piloted her mount, Platinum through the jump-off in 44.501 seconds and four faults to clinch a second-place victory. Mathew Round of Indian Hill, OH piloted Victoria Waters’ Calli M to a third-place finish with a jump-off time of 45.173 seconds and four faults.

Ana Sofia Rodriguez of Guatemala and VDL Empire, owned by Juan Andres Rodriguez Silva, were victorious in the $2,500 Equiline Medium Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper Classic after a 38.323-second jump-off. Natalie Thornell of Loveland, OH rode Cento De Revel for Loveland Equine Investments to a second place finish with a jump-off time of 41.818 seconds and four faults, while Aurora Rangel de Alba of Wellington, FL piloted her own Casino N to third place honors after completing the first round in 77.765 seconds and one time fault. 

Juan Andres Rodriguez and company with ringmaster Steve Rector, present the blue ribbon to Ana Sofia Rodriguez and VDL Empire in the $2,500 Equiline Medium Junior/Amateur Owner Jumper Classic. ©Anne Gittins Photography

Winning the WIHS Jumper Phase presented by Score at the Top was Electra Hamilton of South Hamilton, MA and her Ilyana with a score of 82, while Taylor Griffiths-Madden of Wellington, FL took second aboard Maria Schaub’s Vagrant Z with a score of 76. 

Colby Kelly presents the blue ribbon award to Electra Hamilton and Ilyana. ©ESP

Hunter Highlights
The Walk/Trot Division saw Ella Falco of Bridgehampton, NY take home the champion ribbon aboard Laura Bowery’s Alexander’s Frosted Blue, while Lilly Schutzler of Wellington, FL and Princess, owned by Sofi Beccar Varela, finished in reserve.
The Triple Crown Nutrition Green Hunter 3’ & 3’3” division awarded the champion ribbon to Penny Lombardo of Loxahatchee, FL and Crissy Whetstone’s Czech Ride for their efforts, while Jonathan Corrigan of Bridgehampton, KY rode VDL Freestyle VK for Debra Wycoff to reserve. 

Penny Lombardo and Czech Ride in their presentation ceremony alongside owner, Crissy Whetstone. ©ESP

Elodie Watrous of Wilmette,IL and her own August claimed champion in the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Health Specialty Center Children’s Hunter division, while Rosalie Gagnon of Canada took reserve aboard her Enjoy Life C.

Jacklynn Carey of Royal Palm Beach, FL bested the field in the Pure Wellness Adult Amateur Hunter division, taking home champion honors with Barbara Mitchell’s First Watch, while Allison Moynihan of Syracuse, NY rode her Halifax to reserve. 

Jacklynn Carey and First Watch were named champion in the Pure Wellness Adult Amateur Hunter division. ©ESP

Addison Slye of Andover, MA piloted her own Our Song to victory in the $500 Pony Hunter Classic presented by Dover Saddlery after receiving a total score of 163, while the red rosette went to Ava Scharbo of Winnetka, IL and her own Pajama Party after earning a total score of 156.

The combined Junior & Amateur Owner Hunter 3’3″ presented by Vita Flex saw Kierstin Antoniadis of Middletown, NY take home both the champion and reserve honors aboard First Blue LLC’s That Kind of Blue and Jennifer Levi’s Kannanball, respectively.

Kierstin Antoniadis and That Kind of Blue were named champion in the combined Junior & Amateur Owner Hunter 3’3″ division presented by Vita Flex. ©ESP

The ESP Holiday Series will continue next week with the Holiday I show from Friday, December 13 – Sunday, December 15. Click here to view the 2019 ESP Holiday Series Prize List.

To view the full results of the $25,000 #1 Education Place National Grand Prix, please click here.

To learn more about the ESP Holiday 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.

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