Lexington, Ky. – May 18, 2018 – Friday morning at the Kentucky Spring Classic opened with the $5,000 1.45m Open Jumpers to kick off jumper competition in the Rolex Stadium, where 21 athletes were tested over Guilherme Jorge’s (BRA) 14-effort track. Seven horse-and-rider combinations finished clear rounds, followed by an immediate jump-off. Fabio Leivas Da Costa rode to first and second place aboard Bonne Chance Farm LLC’s Kalisto The Music and Randon Pleasure, respectively.
Leivas Da Costa first entered the ring aboard another mount of Bonne Chance Farm LLC, Luziada Jmen, but one rail down ultimately placed the pair in the twelfth position. He later came back to the ring with new mount, Kalisto The Music, a 7-year-old Belgian Warmblood, to produce a clear round in an unbeatable time of 43.715 seconds for the gelding’s first big win. Last to return, Leivas Da Costa rode Randon Pleasure, a 13-year-old Selle Français mare to a quick time of 44.357 seconds to follow just behind his winning time for second place.
Third place was awarded to Karl Cook and Cyrano VDV, a 9-year-old Zangersheide stallion owned by Signe Ostby, with a close time of 44.579 seconds.
Immediately following, 32 riders entered the stadium for the High Amateur-Owner/Junior Jumper speed-style class, which yielded 9 clear rounds with Alma Bjorklund besting the competition aboard her own Flecu. Bjorklund and the 14-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding mastered the speed round in a time of 57.378 seconds, just a hair ahead of the second place contender.
Emma Kurtz navigated Chagrin Saddlery LLC’s Carisma, a 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare, to the second place finish in 57.616 seconds, and third place was awarded to Riley Newsome and her own Dakar VDL, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion, in a time of 58.834 seconds.
Show jumping competition resumes Saturday morning in the Rolex Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park with the Low Junior 1.20m Jumper, and will highlight the $131,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI3* beginning at 6 p.m.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Fabio Leivas Da Costa – $5,000 1.45m Open Jumper winner
On Kalisto the Music:
“Kalisto the Music is an 8-year-old horse. He’s quite new to the string. We got him last year and he’s been progressing a lot very quickly. This is his first win and first important class. He has a bright future ahead of him.”
On Randon Pleasure:
“We’ve had her for a couple of years. She was very successful with the other rider and I just took over the reins here in Kentucky last week. I have started slowly with her and now I’m looking to step up with her. She’s a very good mare and has a good future.”
On his plans:
“Both horses are going to show in the Langley Nations Cup in Canada and will do the 2* grand prix there. It will be the first international show for Kalisto and my first international with Randon Pleasure.”
Alma Bjorklund – High Amateur-Owner/Junior Jumper winner
On her round:
“I was second to go in the class, so basically I figured I would give it a try and he was great. I saw the distances really well today and it was really fun.”
On Flecu:
“He was originally my brother’s horse and he quit riding when he went to college, so I got him and we’ve been getting along really, really well. It’s been super exciting. I’ve been riding him since this fall.”
On showing at the Kentucky Horse Park:
“This is my third year in Kentucky I believe and honestly I love it. It’s beautiful and peaceful and it’s just great for the horses too.”
RESULTS
$5,000 1.45m Open Jumper
Place / Horse / Rider / R1 Faults | Time / R2 Faults | Time
1. Kalisto The Music / Fabio Leivas Da Costa / 0 | 73.878 / 0 | 43.715
2. Randon Pleasure / Fabio Leivas Da Costa / 0 | 72.751 / 0 | 44.357
3. Cyrano VDV / Karl Cook / 0 | 73.232 / 0 | 44.579
4. Vagabon De La Valle / Pablo Barrios / 0 | 70.078 / 0 | 44.949
5. Fursina VDM / Pablo Barrios / 0 | 68.610 / 4 | 42.434
6. Everest / Alexandre Gadelha / 0 | 74.576 / 4 | 46.077
7. Disaronno VT / Alexis Bowen-Foster / 0 | 74.820 / 12 | 51.975
8. McGregor / Thomas Cerra / 2 | 77.168
9. VDL Elliot / Alejandro Karolyi / 4 | 70.710
10. LCC Incendia / Maria Schaub / 4 | 71.078
11. Camira / Sarah Segal / 4 | 72.265
12. Luziada Jmen / Fabio Leivas Da Costa / 4 | 72.452
High Amateur-Owner/Junior Jumper
Place / Horse / Rider / Faults | Time
1. Flecu / Alma Bjorklund / 0 | 57.378
2. Carisma / Emma Kurtz / 0 | 57.616
3. Dakar VDL / Riley Newsome / 0 | 58.834
4. Quite Close VD Smis / Claudia Villamil / 0 | 59.041
5. Bijzonder / Lacey Gilbertson / 0 | 60.635
6. Merida 8 / Alma Bjorklund / 0 | 62.716
7. Atticus Diamant / Gabriela Reutter / 0 | 63.584
8. Cantero Da Lagoa / Anna Beth Athey / 0 | 68.252
9. Baloppi / Lacey Gilbertson / 0 | 68.554
10. Bonita Z / Addison Piper / 0 | 70.121
11. Luron S Z / Riley Newsome / 4 | 56.624
12. Sambuka De Lurberri / Teri Kessler / 4 | 61.084
Larissa Hufnagel and Devout Dominate in the Ariat Adult National Medal
Hunter competition in the Claiborne Ring began Friday with the Ariat National Adult Medal taking place at the Kentucky Horse Park. A total of seven horse-and-rider combinations put their skills to the test on a cool Kentucky morning, but it was Larissa Hufnagel and Devout who put in the best effort to take home the top prize.
A Lexington native, Hufnagel often frequents the Kentucky Horse Park with her veteran partner, 16-year-old Devout. The pair earned their blue ribbon in the class by putting in the highest first round score of 83.
Course designer Philip Devita (USA) challenged the amateur athletes to a course of seven fences, which utilized a number of roll back turns throughout the track. After all seven horse-and-rider combinations completed the track, the top four athletes with the highest scores returned to be tested in a flat phase of competition, as requested by the judge.
Second place was captured by Jennifer Speisman and Big Star with a score of 82. The pair dominated during the Kentucky Spring Horse Show the previous week, taking home first place in the Ariat National Adult Medal. Lily Walton and her own Callahan placed third with 79 points.
Hunter competition at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show will continue on Saturday morning in the Stonelea Ring at 8 a.m. with the Large Junior Hunters, and in the Claiborne Ring with the Adult Amatuer-Owner 50 and Over Hunters.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
On Devout:
“My horse’s barn name is Tyco, but his show name is Devout. He is so much fun. He is truly the most fun horse that I’ve ever ridden. He is extremely broke. He is 16 years old so I’m very lucky to have had him for the last two and a half years. He just really does anything that I ask, he is so good.”
On Kentucky Horse Shows:
“I’m a Lexington native so Kentucky Horse Shows are always great because they’re really convenient. Occasionally we’ll go to Tennessee or Ohio but we’re so lucky to have so many amazing and well-done shows right here at the [Kentucky Horse Park]. I hope that everyone that comes to these shows enjoys them as much as I do!”
RESULTS
Ariat National Adult Medal
Place / Horse / Rider / Score
1. Devout / Larissa Hufnagel / 83
2. Big Star / Jennifer Speisman / 82
3. Callahan / Lily Walton / 79
4. Beau Solei / Kendahl Prokop / 78
5. Crescendo / Meredith Frank / 73
6. Cool 1 / Sarah Donatelli / 68
7. La Dolce Vita / Alexa Sciortino / 40