Edited Press Release
Bridgehampton, NY – September 2, 2022 – As 35 competitors representing nine countries rode over Alan Wade’s (IRL) 16-effort, 1.60m course in Friday’s $74,000 Douglas Elliman CSI5* Grand Prix Qualifier, it seemed none would be able to put in a fault-free round, let alone that there would be a jump-off. Then Aaron Vale (USA) secured the elusive clear within the last ten rides of the order, and fellow American Karl Cook, the final rider on course, was quick to join him. In the end, Cook came out on top, piloting Kalinka Van’t Zorgvliet to the afternoon’s only double-clear round.
The Hampton Classic, August 28-September 4, is one of the world’s most prestigious horse shows, offering more than $1 million in prize money during a full schedule featuring competitors at every level from young children in leadline to Olympic, World, and World Cup Champions. The Classic also has competitions for riders with disabilities.
“The first round was highly technical today,” Cook said. “There were some really technical parts, and the time allowed was super tight, making it even harder. Since there was only one clear before me, my goal was just to get clear. My mare is also very hot, so sometimes getting the exact right speed is hard. She was so good in the first round and again in the second round, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Cook piloted Signe Ostby’s 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare with ease through the intense first-round course. The double combination near the VIP tents and the triple combination through the middle of the ring, which had been the most influential throughout the class, didn’t faze him and Kalinka. They returned with what seemed to be endless energy for the shortened jump-off track.
“I watched a few before I rode (the first round),” Cook said. “You could just hear ‘Time fault, time fault, time fault,’ or they were within the time but with four faults. I knew I had to go as quickly as I could within the turns because I couldn’t make it up in the lines, and I just hoped that that was fast enough.”
With eight faults in the jump-off, Vale and his mount Prescott, a 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding owned by Thinks Like A Horse, finished with second-place honors. Only one time penalty in the initial round kept Ireland’s Richie Moloney from joining them for the tiebreaker, placing him and Equinimity LLC’s 10-year-old Holsteiner mare Coco Beach in third.
Immediately following both Grand Prix Qualifiers was the evening’s final jumper class, the $10,000 Lugano Diamonds Junior/Amateur Welcome Stake. From a field of 29 entries, Mimi Gochman of New York, NY, rode to top honors over Alan Wade’s 15-effort, 1.40m course with a double-clear time of 32.302 seconds aboard Gochman Sport Horse LLC’s Gabbie BH. She also took fourth in the class with Gochman Sport Horse LLC’s Happyfee in a time of 34.818 seconds.
“We bought Gabbie BH for my sister, Sophie, to ride, but she’s at college right now,” Gochman said. “When she’s not showing, she lets me play around a bit with Gabbie to keep her fit and going. It’s great that we get to share like that. We got my other horse, Happyfee, at the end of WEF this year. She’s one I’m going to try in some FEI classes once we get to know each other better. They’re both super talented and very smart, and this was a really good course for them. We could turn enough to use their speed to our advantage, and there was a real strategy to it that all the riders picked up on after the first few rounds. It was definitely a team effort.”
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Finishing in second with a time of 33.235 seconds was Zayna Rizvi of Greenwich, CT, aboard Peacock Ridge LLC’s Chaplin W. Alexa Lignelli of New York, NY, earned third place aboard Hampton Green Farm LLC’s Billy Kiara with a time of 34.517 seconds.
Wrapping up the competition in Jumper Ring 2 were the $10,000 TAK Protective 1.25m Jumper Classic entries. Tarin Kiely of Rumson, NJ, piloted Nikita Jolie, Ashland Farms and Major Wager LLC’s 12-year-old Oldenburg mare, to the win with a fault-free time of 35.729 seconds.
Adult Amateurs also took center stage in the hunter rings throughout the day, including Adult Amateur Hunter, 18-35 Champion Park City, owned by Privet Farm LLC and ridden by Michael Baum of New York, NY, who earned the Complement Trophy for this success. Earning the Adult Amateur Hunter, 36-49 Championship and the Excellabit Trophy was Kalverie, owned by Cara Cheska and ridden by John Pigott of Huntington, NY. In the DAOU Vineyard Adult Amateur Hunter, 50+ division, Playbook, owned by CH Farm LLC and ridden by Carolyn Anderson of Wellington, FL, took home the Championship and the Westfields Trophy.
For live show results, visit ShowNet.biz.
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Whitethorne LLC always carries a number of high-quality Hunters, Jumpers and Equitation horses for sale or lease in Southern California. All of these horses are personally chosen by Georgy Maskrey-Segesman and her partner in Germany, and represent some of the best competition horses available in Europe for every level of competition in Hunters, Equitation, and Jumpers. Georgy travels to Europe several times per year and together with her partner in Germany, selects the best of the horses available in Germany and Holland and several other countries in Europe, and imports them to Whitethorne Ranch where they are available for sale or lease.
