Saturday, January 28, 2006

Gabrielle Coumans and Darragh Kerins Share the Spotlight in First Acorn Hill Speed Challenge at the 2006 Winter Equestrian Fesitval

Wellington, FL – January 27, 2006 - One hundred competitors turned out for the first of nine events in the Acorn Hill 1.40m Speed Challenge Series offered each week at the Winter Equestrian Festival. Because of the massive turnout, the class was divided into two sections. Holland’s Gabrielle Coumans on Okido topped section one, while Darragh Kerins led the victory gallop in the second section. Laura Chapot finished second in both sections.

The Acorn Hill Speed Challenge, a North American League (NAL) event, was scored under Table II, Sec 2.1, Time First Round. The courses in the Internationale Arena this week are designed by Canadian Michel Vaillancourt.

Chris Pratt of Canada, one of fifty-one starters in Section A, took the early lead. Riding Susan Grange’s Mustique, Pratt cruised home without faults in 68.502 seconds. He would be one of twelve competitors to finish without faults.

That lead held for seventeen horses until Jeffery Welles and Armani, owned by Kimmel Yeager Equine and Triton Ventures, took over the top spot, shaving 1/10th of a second off of Pratt’s time. Welles clocked in at 68.400 seconds.

Welles enjoyed the view from the top of the leader board for eight horses. Laura Chapot, on her first of two mounts, knocked Welles from the lead when she blazed across the finish line in 67.896 seconds on Three Coins, owned by Windsome Farm, Ltd.

Chapot was then bumped to second place four horses later by Olympic Gold Medalist Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil. Pessoa, on Roadrunner owned by the Kinloch Enterprises, sliced a full two seconds off of Chapot’s top time, tripping the timers in 65.816 seconds.

Then just six horses later, Chapot had a chance to return the favor, as she reclaimed the lead on the Sundance Group’s Samantha. Chapot squeaked by Pessoa by just a fraction of a second, slipping across the finish line in 65.625 seconds.

Chapot had barely caught her breath when she was relegated to second place by class winner Gabrielle Coumans of Holland. On Cody Auer’s Okido, Coumans broke the 65 second barrier for the win, coming home in a blazing time of 64.904 seconds.

Coumans is a business partner of yesterday’s WEF Challenge Cup winner Leslie Howard and commented on his win following the class. “The one I won on today, I’ve had since he was four years old. I brought him along until he was ready for the grand prix level in Europe and then sold him to Cody Auer,” he said. “They asked me to come and take a ride on him here.”

For Coumans, it was a rare show ring appearance in the United States. “I’m here in Florida usually one week every year, but I don’t show here often,” he detailed. “I show a lot in Europe, but in the twenty years I’ve been coming here to Wellington, this is maybe my fifth time in the show ring.”

Asked if he had a chance to see Chapot’s ride, he said, “No, but I wouldn’t have changed my ride regardless. I know my horse. He’s naturally fast, so the decision is mine. Am I going to try with him or am I not going to try with him? And if I try, I know I have a good shot at winning because he’s so fast and so game,” Coumans stated. “I had no clue how fast I had to be. I really didn’t want to know because I wanted to do the right thing for the horse. So, I did what I wanted to do. I accomplished my mission with the horse and at the same time won the class, so it was a double bonus,” he laughed. “I go home on Monday and will be back the first week in February, but I’ve done all the showing I’ll be doing.”

Results of Class 1005A Acorn Hill Speed Challenge, 1.40m, II.1 - Nutrena/Western Hay Wellington Classic CSI**_Internationale Arena – 1-27-06

• 1 2397 GABRIELLE COUMANS OKIDO -0/64.904 CODY AUER
• 2 2708 LAURA CHAPOT SAMANTHA -0/65.625 SUNDANCE GROUP
• 3 1070 RODRIGO PESSOA ROADRUNNER -0/65.816 KINLOCH ENT.
• 4 2709 LAURA CHAPOT THREE COINS -0/67.896 WINDSOME FARM LTD
• 5 982 JEFFERY WELLES ARMANI -0/68.400 KIMMEL YAGER EQUIN
• 6 819 CHRIS PRATT MUSTIQUE -0/68.502 SUSAN GRANGE
• 7 1529 LAURA KRAUT CEDRIC -0/70.865 K & H ENTERPRISES
• 8 950 ELIZA SHUFORD LARENTINO -0/72.644 LARENTINO GROUP
• 9 1445 CAITLYN SHIELS MEMPHIS -0/74.514 CAITLYN SHIELS
• 10 2554 JAIME GUERRA QUINCY B -0/74.618 ATHLONE PARTNERS
• 11 2779 JIMMY TORANO OSELLI -0/78.941 JIMMY TORANO
• 12 867 GEORGINA BLOOMBERG LANCELOT -0/80.597 GOTHAM ENTERPRIZES

PHOTO CREDIT: Gabrielle Coumans and Okido. Photo by Randi Muster