Upperville, Va. – June 4, 2018 – Jumper action at the Upperville Colt and Horse Show kicked off on Monday with the Take 2 Thoroughbred Jumpers where Keri Guanciale led the class from start to finish aboard Pepper Potts, 10-year-old Thoroughbred mare originally from Puerto Rico. The pair cleared the first round and advanced to the jump-off where they laid down a faultless time of 32.891 seconds, which would prove untouchable.
Cleanth Toledano was also double clear aboard No Nonsense Jones, but their time of 36.796 seconds would be 4 seconds too slow to catch Guanciale. Tamra Green and Dauntless rounded out the top three, also producing a clear effort in 39.610 for the yellow rosette.
Pepper Potts has moved quickly into her role a show jumper, having only arrived in the United States in December. She was sent to the United States to train with Keri Guanciale’s father Ben by his friend Idalie Santaella, but got stuck in quarantine just before Hurricane Maria. Luckily, the mare survived the devastation and flew to the United States one the territory recovered.
Guanciale will continue competing in the Take 2 Thoroughbred Jumpers during Upperville and are looking forward to their future together.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Keri Guanciale – Winner of Take 2 Thoroughbred Jumpers
On Pepper Potts’ racing background:
“She’s actually a Thoroughbred from Puerto Rico. She was racing with my dad’s good friend Idalie Santaella’s son. They just flew her over, but the poor girl actually got stuck in the hurricane last year, she was in quarantine and got stuck over there, so we got her after the hurricane.”
On her partnership with Pepper Potts:
“She’s so athletic and had a great build. Some people don’t even know she’s a Thoroughbred. I’ve had her since December and I matched with her very quickly. She’s my type of ride – she’s very soft, good like a typical Thoroughbred, you don’t have to tell her what to do. It’s very exciting to win at Upperville.”
NAYJDP Recognizes Sport’s Rising Stars
The day kicked off in the main arena with the North American Young Jumper Development Program (NAYJDP), which was established to demonstrate the conservative approach in developing a young sport horse for a long career in jumping. The first event was a blue ribbon class, where athletes were rewarded for jumping the fences clear and remaining within the time allowed. The second class was based on style, where fifty percent of the score is judged on technique, rideability, and suitability for the jumping sport and fifty percent is scored on performance.
The winner of Monday’s NAYJDP Jumper Style class was Danny Mahon aboard Joseph Melnik’s Plumpjack, who earned a total score of 88, just edging out her second mount Entre Nous III Z, both owned by Sanmar Farm.
Plumpjack is a 4-year-old Westphalian gelding, and Mahon appreciates having the opportunity for her horses to gain experience in the show ring thanks to the NAYJPD division. With successful rounds aboard both of her mounts on Monday, she is looking forward to Tuesday’s NAYJDP Jumper Rising Star Stakes.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Danny Mahon – Winner of the NAYJDP Jumper Style
On the NAYJDP classes:
“This is one of the best divisions I think there is for jumper classes as far as developing a young horse. It’s a very unique thing and opportunity to have a class that focuses on a young horse and not having to go as fast as you can to beat someone and get a blue ribbon. It kind of gives the young horses the recognition that they deserve, and riders too with all of the hard work and training that these babies need to go to the bigger classes.”
On receiving the top scores during the Style class:
“It’s really amazing. I love [Plumpjack and Entre Nous] and I work with them every single day. They’re very, very nice horses, so I am happy that they have been recognized as they should be.”