Edited Press Release
Simon McCarthy (IRL) was done settling for second place in the $37,000 Turnham Green CSI2* Two Phase.
After placing second in the CSI3* Speed during the first week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by CaptiveOne Advisors, McCarthy knew what he was up against and cranked into speed gear. His mare Gotcha, owned by Rock Ridge Farms, was up for the challenge, following him every step of the way around the second phase of the track set by Bernardo Costa Cabral (POR). The pair, 21st in the order of go, blazed through the course, leaving all rails intact, in 22.11 seconds.
“We’ve had a run of second places now and it was starting to annoy me a little bit so I think I gave it everything I had today,” McCarthy remarked.
Second place went to last week’s CSI3* Grand Prix winner Amanda Derbyshire (GBR) with Wonder If, owned by Gochman Sport Horses. Their time of 22.17 in the speed phase was just barely off the pace. Tanner Korotkin (USA) with the Castlewood Farm Inc.-owned Ideal claimed third place in 23.25 seconds.
“It wasn’t crazy fast before I went in but there were a lot of fast people behind me,” McCarthy commented on his game plan for the course. “I knew I had to do one [stride] less than I had seen everybody else do”. The top three finishers all went back to back in the order of go, and no pair remaining was able to catch the top three times.
“She’s an unbelievable mare,” McCarthy said of the 11-year-old Holsteiner (Stakkato x Cassini I) he’s been paired with since January of 2021. “I did a lot of two-stars with her starting off and last year we did a couple three-stars. She just came from strength to strength throughout the year. She’s very fast, very careful, and she really fights for you.”
“We’re going to aim her now for the Major League [Show Jumping],” McCarthy continued about his plans for the summer. “We’re on Team Helios. I think she’s going to be lethal in those [five-star] classes so I’m really looking forward to that.”
“It’s unbelievable,” he said of Traverse City Horse Shows. “The Morrisseys do an incredible job. The footing in the main ring is brilliant. The courses are always very good and it’s always really competitive here. I love it. Obviously everybody talks about the lake; that’s a big bonus in the evenings and on Mondays. The golf courses here are amazing. It’s an all-around really good horse show and the sport on the weekends is very competitive.”
Final Results: $37,000 Turnham Green CSI2* Two Phase
1. GOTCHA: 2011 HOLST mare by Stakkato x Cassini I
SIMON MCCARTHY (IRL), Rock Ridge Farms: 0/0/22.11
2. WONDER IF: 2012 AES mare by Cevin Z x Bolivar
AMANDA DERBYSHIRE (GBR), Gochman Sport Horse LLC: 0/0/22.17
3. IDEAL: 2012 SWB gelding by Cardento x Cortez
TANNER KOROTKIN (USA), Castlewood Farm Inc. & Sandalwood Farms: 0/0/23.25
4. MAGNOLIA: 2012 KWPN mare by Mylord Carthago x Van Gogh
CATHLEEN DRISCOLL (USA), Plain Bay Sales: 0/0/23.45
5. CON CALLE: 2009 Holst gelding by Contendro II x Cassini II
MAVIS SPENCER (USA), Georgy Maskrey-Segesman: 0/0/25.48
6. KARLIN VAN’T VENNEHOF: 2010 BWP mare by Fantomas De Muze x Quasimodo Van De Molendreef
LACEY GILBERTSON (USA), Seabrook LLC: 0/0/25.66
7. CESNA M: 2012 OS gelding by Check In x Sandro Boy
MARGIE ENGLE (USA), Virginia Bartholomay: 0/0/26.28
8. CONDALOU: 2011 Oldbg gelding by Contendros 2 x Balou Du Rouet
ALEC LAWLER (USA), Alec Lawler: 0/0/26.70
9. VOODOO: 2013 SBS mare by Kannan x Kimball
NICHOLAS PONGRACZ (CAN), Eye Candy Jumpers: 0/0/27.11
10. MA POMME DE TAMERVILLE: 2012 BWP mare by Deauville Van T&L x Contendro II
ANNA WILKS (GBR), IN Showjumpers: 0/0/27.25
11. EXTASY: 2012 HOLST mare by Quadros x Clearway
VICTORIA KETCHUM (USA), Copperline Farm LLC: 0/0/28.31
12. ILLUSION CL: 2013 KWPN stallion by Arezzo VDL x Ukato
ELLI YEAGER (USA), Elli Yeager: 0/0/29.76
