Eric Navet and Signe Ostby’s The Flying Ham won the Del Mar Welcome Prix at the Del Mar International Horse Show (Photo by McCool Photography for West Palms Events)
Tonight’s Del Mar Welcome Prix concluded two nights of special classes at the Del Mar International Horse Show for Welcome Week. The course was designed by international course designer, Werner Deeg of Germany, and contained 13 obstacles with a total of 16 efforts.
The speed course challenged the riders and their horses with a bending line from a lofty oxer on the rail to a verical – oxter combination, where many riders had the vertical down. The second challenge that tested the riders was an oxer – vertical combination on the rail to a bending line, followed by an inside turn to a vertical; a turn that you had to keep tidy if you wanted a shot in the top three placings.
Nayel Nassar and Baraka were second to go in the class after Kristin Hardin and Firestone S. Nassar and Baraka had an incredibly swift round, clear in a time of 66.49 to take the lead early from Hardin, who had a clean round, but a slower time of 70.96. Vhani Khosla and her own Billy Mexico went about half way through the class, knowing they had to put up an impressive time to take the lead from Nassar. Their fast pace and tight turns awarded them the lead with a clean round in a time of 66.04!
Eric Navet went a few rounds after Khosla on Signe Ostby’s The Flying Ham. They certainly flew tonight, shutting out the competition with a clear round in an astounding time of 63.10, which would maintain the lead through the end of the exciting speed class, earning a blue ribbon.
Del Mar Welcome Prix Results:
1 461 The Flying Ham Signe Ostby Eric Navet 0 63.103
2 137 Billy Mexico Vani Khosla Vani Khosla 0 66.046
3 381 CIcomein vdl Hkc Collection Llc Tina Yates 0 66.38
4 398 Baraka Nayel Nassar Nayel Nassar 0 66.493
5 337 Caruso De La Pomme Victoria West Ray Texel 0 67.189
6 190 UDAM Jill Blunt Jill Blunt 0 67.471
7 486 Concorde The Epic Group Llc Chris Pratt 0 69.735
8 181 Firestone S Nicolette Hirt Kristin Hardin 0 70.961
9 366 Chestina Z Bjorn Ikast Bjorn Ikast 0 71.185
10 324 Vancouver 45 Cross Creek Farms, Inc Michelle Parker 4 65.685
11 177 Danton Highland Farms Sarah Lambert 4 71.791
12 299 Alimit Coxe Horses LLC Hugh Mutch 4 72.797