Edited Press Release
Wellington, FL – November 28, 2021 – The feature event of the 2021 71st Annual SFHJA Charity Horse Show took place under the lights on Saturday evening as 34 talented teams competed for the win in the $50,000 Spy Coast & Sweet Oak Farm Grand Prix at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). Course designer Oscar Soberon (USA) created a 16-effort track for the class, which saw seven duos advance to the jump-off. Less than one second separated the top three finishers at the conclusion of the contest, led by Luis Pedro Biraben (ARG) and his own Chacco Bumpy.
“This is the first big show back here for us since the summer. The course was nice and big enough for a grand prix of this caliber. It was a great class,” Biraben commented after his win. “We went second in the order for the jump-off and there were a few riders after us, so we went with everything we had. I got lucky that nobody could match our time, so we had a good night tonight.”
Following the first round of competition, seven pairs representing four nations – the United States, Argentina, Ireland, and Venezuela – had qualified for the tie-breaker round. Biraben and Chacco Bumpy were the second partnership to contest the course, and they set a fast precedent in 41.37 seconds without faults to jump to the top of the standings. Five horse-and-rider combinations tackled the abridged course in an attempt to overthrow the leaders, three of which completed the pattern penalty-free, but none of them could catch the leading time.
Biraben and Chacco Bumpy won the class by just two-tenths of a second, with Shane Sweetnam (IRL) and Karlin Van’t Vennehof, owned by Sweet Oak Farm and Seabrook LLC, capturing second place in a clear time of 41.55 seconds, just a hair slower than the winning time of 41.37 seconds. Tanner Kortokin (USA) and Sandalwood Farms’ Volo’s Diamond earned the final podium spot in a double-clear time of 42.20 seconds.
“We are looking forward to the [Holiday & Horses] CSI4* next week, where I will ride Chacco Bumpy again. After that he will have a few weeks off to get ready for the start of [the Winter Equestrian Festival] in January. I think it is going to be a really great season,” Biraben shared.
For the full results of the $50,000 Spy Coast & Sweet Oak Farm Grand Prix, please click HERE.
Wednesday’s $15,000 Southern Arches 1.40m Welcome Stake saw Jennifer Waxman (USA) best a field of 25 entries with HDB Quality, owned by Sweet Oak and Spy Coast Farm. The winning pair placed two foot-perfect rounds, clearing the jump-off in 37.40 seconds to win the class. Just behind, Sophia Studd (DEN) and her own entry, Holsteins Matina, claimed the runner-up position after finishing two clear rounds with a jump-off time of 37.96 seconds. Also double-clear, Tanimara Macari (MEX) claimed third place with her Starfly after stopping the clock at 39.04 seconds.
Other major winners from the week include:
Alexandra Worthington of Las Vegas, NV, and her own Carrow Indoctro won the $10,000 High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, presented by Paul Tracy Farrier Services, after jumping the 1.45m fences in a time of 34.08 seconds without faults. The duo was the fastest of four jump-off challengers.
In the $10,000 Medium Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, presented by Gut Einhaus, LLC, Nicole Lakin of Reading, PA, and her own Hamora O earned the blue ribbon with a fast jump-off time over the 1.35m course of 34.46 seconds, just milliseconds ahead of the second-place finishers. It was a close race for the top, with the top three all within one second of each other.
Carly Dvorkin of Parkland, FL, and Pine Hollow Stables’ Carlotta 168 galloped to the top of the standings in the $10,000 Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, presented by Forget Me Not Farm. The 1.25m fences were no match for the winning partnership, as they crossed the finish line in 37.40 seconds as the quickest of three double-clear pairs to come out on top of the class, which featured a large field of 26 entries.
Besting a large field of 20 entries, Lindsey Tomeu of Wellington, FL, piloted Siboney Ranch’s Gold Lux to capture victory in the $$10,000 NAL/WIHS Adult Amateur Jumper Classic, presented by John and Monika Preston. The duo navigated the 1.15m obstacles double-clear in 35.46 seconds, four seconds ahead of the next-closest pair.
In the $10,000 NAL/WIHS Children’s Jumper Classic, presented by John and Monika Preston, Emma Hechtman of Tampa, FL, and her own Esther-II Des Brumes jumped to victory in a time of 37.46 seconds without faults, just fractions of a second ahead of the second-place pair. The duo beat 18 other contenders to claim the blue ribbon.
Representing Colombia, Roberto Teran, Jr. and Alonso Valdez’s Fresca topped the leaderboard in the $5,000 1.35m Jumper Stake, presented by Michael Murphy and Esperanza Imports. The victors were the fastest of six pairs in the jump-off, all of which went double-clear.
