Early Sunday morning, 27 entries took to the WEC Grand Arena to compete for the top prize in the $15,000 WEC Ocala 1.40m Jumper Classic. The course for today’s class was very similar to the course from the $75,000 Stella Artois Grand Prix—but backwards—starting at the Lungano Diamonds oxer. Catsy Cruz of Mexico designed the technical track with a tight time allowed of 76 seconds. Ten entries managed a clean first round and three jumped double clear, but it was Chloe Reid and Crossover 4 that took home the first place award.
Reid and the eight-year-old Hanoverian gelding entered the class toward the bottom of the order, delivering a clean and smooth first round in 70.072 seconds, well under the time allowed of 76 seconds. Reid was already familiar with this course.
“The course was actually the backwards version of last night’s grand prix,” she said. “The lines rode a bit differently. Last night I did six strides to the Tribute double combination but today I did five strides. It really depends on if you’re going away from the gate or coming to the gate.”
Reid and Crossover 4 (Cascadello x Chakira) advanced straight to the jump-off.
“I wasn’t sure if I should go inside to the double combination, but I got to watch Gemma, who went before me, and she went outside to the double,” she explained. “I didn’t want to risk it, and Crossover 4 was stepping up for the first time in a while.”
Reid and Crossover 4 flew around the course, taking tidy inside turns and forward distances to stop the clock at 38.080 seconds for the win.
Second place finishers Gemma Peternoster and Terri Brent Stables and Cynthia Gordon’s Charming Force B were early leaders in the class, being the third pair to jump a clear first round. Peternoster and Charming Force B produced a lovely first round, leaving all rails up to stop the first-round timers at 71.440 seconds. Peternoster and Charming Force B jumped-off immediately, rolling through the jump-off track with not a single fault to stop the clock at 39.583 seconds, being the first entry to go double clear.
Third place honors went to Luis Pedro Biraben and his own Baobai. Biraben and Baobai were the second pair in the class to complete two clear rounds. Biraben and Baobai delivered a flawless first round, easily stepping over each fence to stop the clock at 71.706 seconds. The pair advanced straight to the jump-off rolling through the course to stop the jump-off clock at 41.407 seconds with no faults to earn third place.
$15,000 WEC Ocala 1.40m Jumper Classic Results:
1. Crossover 4, Chloe Reid, Team Reid LLC: 0 | 0 | 38.080
2. Charming Force B, Gemma Paternoster, Terri Brent Stables & Cynthia Gordon: 0 | 0 | 39.583
3. Baobai, Luis Pedro Biraben, Luis Pedro Biraben: 0 | 0 | 41.407
4. Quinka, Benjamin Meredith, North Peak Farms LLC: 0 | 4 | 38.149
5. Noble De La Chapelle, Scott Keach, Southern Cross Equestrian, LLC: 0 | 4 | 40.497
6. Clip De La Haye Z, Jad Dana, Laure Sudreau & Peter Howard: 0 | 4 | 41.308
7. Ravello, Justine Dutton, The Ravello Syndicate: 0 | 4 | 43.911
8. After Eight, Jad Dana, laure Sudreau & Peter Howard: 0 | 8 | 37.303
9. Atlantus Blue, Luis Pedro Biraben, La Cuadra Stables, LLC: 0 | 8 | 40.579
10. Zilouet Mystic Rose, Juan Manuel Bolanos, Mariella Godoy: 0 | 8 | 41.465
