January 29, 2007

Jacksonville Winter Series - Week Two

National Becomes International As New Zealand Pros Win Big

Green Cove Springs, FL –The second week of competition proved to be a great one for new comers to the series. Owner-rider Sharn Wordley’s first visit to the Jacksonville Winter Series got off to a blazing start with his 15 year-old Irish bred gelding Quick Flash taking the victory in the Lucky Sevens Welcome Jumper Stake presented by the Grubb & Ellis Company on Thursday afternoon.

“I like it here! Great facility,” the winner said of his debut at the Winter Series, “Everyone has been terrific and this certainly is a nice start.” The New Zealand born rider-trainer now divides his residence between Ocala, FL during the winter season and Knoxville, TN for the spring-summer, though lately the majority of Sharn’s time is spent on the road to either the next big event or across the continent in search of the next great mount. Quick Flash was one of the four rides Sharn had in the starting field of 21 of which only five returned for the jump off round and Wordley had two of those. “I thought the course suited the class. You didn’t have too many in it and had the right amount of clears.” Sharn said.

Course designer Pierre Jolicoeur of Wellington, FL set what he referred to as a “Simple layout. I’m all about simple today,” he commented with a hardy laugh and then in a more serious tone explained his strategy for the afternoon was to merely gage the level of riders he had coming in for the weekend’s Grand Prix. A generous time allowance of 76 seconds for the first round was offered to the riders taking on the 14-obstacle layout. Sharn’s partner lived up to his name with a Quick 68.228 clear first run. Wordley felt this certainly wasn’t a bad performance for a second show together or a first jump off and a fast final time of 27.533 more than confirmed him right. Second place went to owner-rider Larry Hollahan and his mount Sky King with a finishing time of 29.476. Following in third was Sharn with new ride Rockville and a time of 31.139 while fourth place went to veteran rider Chuck Waters riding his own 747 to a time of 31.276 with 4 faults, and completing the top five was Gautama “G” Tschannerl and Black Forest Commodaro for owner Karola Giebmanns with a time of 36.448 and 8 faults.

From the Hunter Divisions it was a repeat in all four of the major classes, with the busiest rider of the week Scott Hofstetter taking three of the Championships. Riding Lazy Sunday for owner Keli Colby, Hofstetter won the 1st Year Green Working division again; from there he rode Bonfeuer for owner Jan Marie Milani to a Green Conformation Hunter Championship and finished up with tri colors in the Regular Working Hunters on board White Heart for owner Charlotte Fetridge. Rider Mary Nicholson-Leffler partnered with Sam Adams for owners Ashley and Kevin Foster won the 2nd Year Green Working Hunter Championship.

Saturday evening the grand prix arena was a buzz with excitement before the first horse even entered beginning with the always-popular leadline class spotlighting future equestrian athletes and followed by a special exhibition of Freestyle Dressage. Wellington, FL based International Grand Prix Dressage rider Rick Silvia and his 11 year-old Swedish Warmblood stallion Mr. Magic wowed the audience with a musical freestyle demonstration. Rick imported Magic from Europe this past summer and will be competing throughout the US this season with their sights set on qualifying as a team member for the 2007 Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Next up crowd favorite Tennessee and Florida based trainer Dennis Mitchell of Kimberden Farms provided commentary on his walk through of the course laid out by Pierre Jolicoeur for the main event of the evening sponsored by Grubb & Ellis. “As unassuming as this might be,” Dennis began with the red vertical fence one, “chances are it could come down as much as any other fence on course because there’s a short turn to it and if the horses aren’t carrying enough momentum there’s good chance they’ll have this down.” He continued through the remainder of the course explaining to the audience the sharp turns, long gallops, as well as how best to approach each of the 16 efforts in the time allowance of 83 seconds.

Photo: Sharn Wordley and Quick Flash take the victory in the Lucky Sevens Welcome Stake. Photo by Flashpoint Photography