32 entries took to the WEC Grand Arena to contest the $10,000 WEC Ocala Futures Prix, which featured another technical course designed by Guilherme Jorge. Just seven pairs qualified for the jump-off, with only Carlo Graziani of Wellington, FL, and Erato M going clear in the second round, earning the first-place finish.
First on course, Graziani, who rides for Puerto Rico, and his own Erato M (Cardento x Nadia) produced a first clear round and headed straight for the jump-off. “I think staying in is better because this horse takes a little bit to warm up,” explained Graziani. “I don’t consider him a speed horse, but he is very consistent, very careful, very scopey and jumps a lot of clean rounds.”
Graziani and Erato M, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion produced a clean and smooth jump-off round, leaving a stride out from the Lugano fence to the tall vertical coming toward The Equestrian Hotel, stopping the timers at 38.456 seconds for the win.
“I always have a plan to be as quick as we can,” said Graziani. “The jump-off worked for us because the jumps were pretty spread apart so there wasn’t a whole lot of tight turns. It worked out to our advantage because I could just use his stride and open him up to just let him canter.”
Karl Beyer of Ocala, FL, who won the $10,000 WEC Ocala Futures Prix last week on Emerado, captured the second-place finish this afternoon on I Adermie R 4, an eight-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare by Den Ham Blue R owned by Sabrina Lefebvre. Beyer and I Adermie R 4 produced a fast clean first round, stopping the timers at 74.442 seconds well under the time allowed of 81 seconds. After completing his first-round course, Beyer and I Adermie R 4 jumped off immediately, to earn second place in a fast time of 35.356 seconds with four faults.
Samantha Senft of Lake Worth, FL, and her own Desperado (Up to Date x Unity Grace), a 13-year-old KWPN gelding by Up To Date, stopped the jump-off clock at 36.118 seconds with four jumping faults to secure a third-place finish.
$10,000 WEC Ocala Futures Prix Results:
1. Erato M, Carlo Graziani, Carlo Graziani: 0 | 0 | 38.456
2. I Adermie R 4, Karl Beyer, Sabrina Lefebvre: 0 | 4 | 35.356
3. Desperado, Samantha Senft, Samantha Senft: 0 | 4 | 36.118
4. Cerati, Juan Jose Bancalari, Juan Jose Bancalari: 0 | 4 | 36.937
5. MTM Through The Looking Glass, Dorothy Douglas, Davenport Farms: 0 | 8 | 33.749
6. Con Thargos, Gianni Gabrielli, Perla Boord: 0 | 8 | 37.052
7. Univers d’Or, Angela Covert, Angela Covert: 0 | 8 | 40.416
8. Itile Horta, Heather Steinmen, Livhaven Stables: 4 | 72.440
9. Skyfall, Camille Maddrix, Caroline Michele Dugas: 4 | 74.752
10. Canaan, Jenna Friedman, Oakridge Farm Performance Horses, LLC: 4 | 75.358
Photos courtesy of Andrew Ryback Photography.
