Wellington, FL – April 21, 2014 – Equestrian Sport Productions LLC (ESP) hosted its third week of spring competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL, last week with a full schedule of hunter, jumper and equitation events. In the highlight $25,000 Nutrena ESP Spring 3 Grand Prix on Sunday, Ireland’s Paul O’Shea and Primo de Revel were the winners. O’Shea also won the $10,000 ESP Spring Rider Challenge.
The week’s jumper courses in the International Arena were designed by Great Britain’s Richard Jeffery. In Sunday’s grand prix, 45 entries jumped the first round track with eleven advancing to the jump-off, and six double clear rounds. Paul O’Shea and Michael Hayden’s Primo de Revel had the winning jump-off time of 42.29 seconds for the win to repeat their victory of the same class last year.
Christoph Schroeder and Cantungee finished second in 42.88 seconds. Emanuel Andrade and Hollow Creek Farm’s Fananka A placed third in 43.01 seconds, and Hayley Barnhill and Cara Cheska’s Zephire placed fourth in 43.25 seconds.
Paul O’Shea and Primo de Revel
Primo de Revel had a nice long break over the winter and came out fresh for the spring series ready to jump. “He had three easy months, and he feels great,” O’Shea noted. “He picked up right where he left off.”
“We gave him two weeks off in the field with no riding and then just slowly brought him back and got him fit again,” the rider detailed. “He goes out in the field every day as well. I actually only jumped him once at home. He is so easy to ride that he doesn’t need much schooling. I jumped him in the 1.40m the other day and last week I jumped a 1.30m, and before that I jumped once at home and that was it. That is all he has done in the last three months, and he won’t jump until the next show now. He just knows what he’s doing. There’s nothing to teach him, so I want to be good to him. There is no point in wearing him out. It seems to work. I don’t think it would work with every horse, but he has such a good mind and he is very balanced to ride.”
Commenting on his jump-off round, O’Shea noted, “I thought I had a good turn to the second to last jump. I could have probably even been faster to the combination. I did nine strides and there was probably eight there, but as it turned out I had done enough.”
Paul O’Shea and Primo de Revel in their winning presentation
For the second year, a special $10,000 rider bonus was offered for the first three weeks of ESP spring competition. The ESP Spring Rider Challenge was awarded to the rider who earned the most points accumulated from the $10,000 Open Stakes classes and each $25,000 USEF Ranked Grand Prix offered at the Spring 1, 2, & 3 shows. O’Shea won the award for the second year in a row, this time with Gotham Enterprizes’ River Dance Semilly, a horse that O’Shea has ridden for Georgina Bloomberg throughout the winter. The horse and rider had a great spring series to take home the $5,000 first place bonus. Federico Sztyrle received $3,000 in second place, and Chris Ewanouski took the third place bonus of $2,000.
Leading Spring Riders Federico Sztyrle (2nd), Paul O’Shea (1st) and Chris Ewanouski (3rd)
“It is fantastic to have this bonus for the spring series,” O’Shea remarked. “It really makes it interesting coming up to it, watching the points and seeing what’s going on. It definitely makes it very interesting.”
“River Dance Semilly is a really promising horse,” he stated. “Last week he was second in the grand prix and he was fourth in the 1.40m here, seventh in the grand prix the week before. He is very careful and very consistent. I think he is a very promising horse. I will get to ride him for the next few shows. I actually didn’t have to jump today; I was far enough ahead. Last year with Primo de Revel it was close.”
“I am grateful to the owners,” O’Shea added. “Michael Hayden for keeping the horse for us for so long and Georgina for letting me ride River Dance Semilly.”
O’Shea now heads to the Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows in May and hopes to continue a great season.
Paul O’Shea and River Dance Semilly
Final Results: $25,000 Nutrena Spring 3 Grand Prix
1. PRIMO DE REVEL PAUL O’SHEA MICHAEL HAYDEN: 0/0/42.296
2. CATUNGEE CHRISTOPH SCHROEDER CHRISTOPH SCHROEDER: 0/0/42.886
3. FANANKA A EMANUEL ANDRADE HOLLOW CREEK FARM: 0/0/43.011
4. ZEPHIRE HAYLEY BARNHILL CARA CHESKA: 0/0/43.253
5. CHAQUI Z SHANE SWEETNAM SPY COAST FARM LLC: 0/0/44.205
6. BALDINO DU’ROUET AMY MOMROW MONTY KELLY: 0/0/44.401
7. CHANEL B 2 VICTORIA COLVIN KAREN LONG DWIGHT: 0/4/40.018
8. HESTER LUCY DESLAURIERS LISA DESLAURIERS: 0/4/42.168
9. ORBETELLO CHRIS EWANOUSKI HAMPTON FARMS LLC: 0/4/42.235
10. UGAF JACKSON BRITTAN SILVER OAK FARMS LLC: 0/8/45.577
11. WRIOMF CHRIS SORENSEN JOLLY GROUP: 0/12/43.290
12. ALFI CARLOS QUINONES MICHELLE NAVARRO-GRAU: 1/96.918
Jumper Highlights
ESP’s Spring 3 horse show kicked off its jumper competition with a $10,000 Open Jumper Stake on Thursday and a win for Todd Minikus and Noel Gross’s Aries. Seventy entries showed in the class with 15 advancing to the jump-off and six double clear rounds. Emanuel Andrade and Fananka A finished second, Kenneth Berkley and Rose Hill Farm’s Ruby were third, and Paul O’Shea and Gotham Enterprizes River Dance Semilly placed fourth.
Also showing at PBIEC this week, Nancy Hooker and Heather Hooker’s Corianos Boy won the $1,500 Tackeria NAL Child/Adult Jumper Classic. Lindsay Levine and Hollow Creek Farm’s Windline finished second.
In the $2,500 Gold Coast Feed High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, Victoria Colvin and Karen Long Dwight’s Chanel B were the winners. Hannah Patten finished second and third with DK-USA Sporthorse LLC’s Carany and her own horse, Love.
In the $2,500 Equiline NAL Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, Cloe Hymowitz swept the top spots, finishing on top with VDL Wardorette, Wish and Ruby, all owned by Rose Hill Farm.
The $1,500 2kGrey M&S Children’s Jumper Classic was held on Sunday with a win for Hana Bieling and Lochmoor Stables’ P Welcome for the second week in a row. Madison Butehorn and Castlewood Farm and Alan Korotkin’s Safe Harbor finished second. The $1,500 2kGrey M&S Adult Jumper Classic also saw a win for Nancy Hooker and Corianos Boy with Shai Tertner and Solero de Grasset in second.
The $1,500 Low Child/Adult Jumper Classic saw a win for Hailey Berger and Brady O’Donohue’s Skyway. Luciana Quinones and Michelle Navarro-Grau’s Roulette finished second.
Hunters and Equitation
The hunters and equitation continued in the third week of spring competition with many top competitors. Hunter competition featured a two-round $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Classic with a win for Tracy Scheriff-Muser and Carolyn Gouse’s Shoreline. Kelli Cruciotti and Serenity Farm’s Verbatim finished second overall. Samantha Senft finished third and fourth with Apollo BM Enterprises’ Zack RVR and Carson Cavalline’s Blueberryhill’s Blue Dream respectively.
Tracy Scheriff-Muser and Shoreline won the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Classic
In the Performance Working Hunter 3’3” and 3’6” division, Hayley Barnhill guided John and Stephanie Ingram’s Puppet to championship honors with Lourdes de Guardiola and Brigitte McDonal’s Quite Calypso in reserve.
In the Equine Conditioning Center Amateur-Owner Hunters, Nancy Hooker and Richard Prant’s Castlewalk took home the championship with Laura Sexton and Bring It On in reserve.
In the Green Working Hunters, Jimmy Torano and Double H Farm’s HH Himself earned the championship with Katherine Newman and Stephanie von Bidder’s Ariana in reserve.
In the #1 Education Place Large Junior Hunters, Cloe Hymowitz and Rose Hill Farm’s Garfield took championship honors with Martha Ingram and John and Stephanie Ingram’s Absolut in reserve. In the #1 Education Place Small Junior Hunters, Kelly Cruciotti and Verbatim earned the championship with Lilli Hymowitz and Rose Hill Farm’s Enjoy in reserve. Ingram and Absolut also won the $1,000 Sweet Oak Farm Junior/Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic.
The Large Pony Hunters saw a tie for the championship with rider Taylor St. Jacques aboard her two mounts, Scarlett Lee Aylsworth’s Devil Mint and Kelly Tellier’s Empire’s Victory. Katie Jones and Linda Even’s Dreamland finished in reserve. Jacques also dominated the Medium Pony Hunters, taking the championship with Joe White’s True Colors and finishing in reserve with Peacock Ridge LLC’s Roxbury. The Small Pony Hunter championship went to Bit of Love, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker and ridden by Christina Rogalny. Reserve honors went to GF Forget Me Not, owned by Mia Green and ridden by Samantha Palermo. Taylor St. Jacques and True Colors also won the $500 Charles Moorcroft Pony Hunter Classic.
In the equitation, Martha Ingram and John and Stephanie Ingram’s Tenacious won the Pessoa/USEF Hunt Seat Medal, sponsored by Randolph College. Hannah Patten and Monty Kelly’s Charlie were the winners of the ASPCA Maclay class.
ESP also awarded bonus money for overall hunter circuit champions and reserve champions. The Overall Junior Hunter Champion and Reserve Champion were Cloe Hymowitz and Garfield and Lilli Hymowitz with Starmont. The Overall Amateur-Owner Hunter both 3’3” and 3’6” Champion and Reserve Champion were Nicole Lyvere and Promo and Nancy Hooker with Castlewalk. The Overall Adult Amateur Hunter Champion and Reserve Champion were Tanja Koschnick and Freelina and Kelly Bauernschmidt and Spyglass. The Overall Children’s Hunter Champion and Reserve Champion were Denise Monopoli and Bahama Boy and Anna Nordin and Aspen, and the Overall Pony Hunter Champion and Reserve Champion were Emma Kurtz and Dreamland and Emma Kurtz and Laugh Out Loud. Champions received $700 and reserve champions received $300. For full results, please visit www.showgroundslive.com.
Photo Credit: Photos © Mancini Photos, www.manciniphotos.com. These photos may be used only in relation to this press release and must include photo credit.