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Laura Kraut and Cento S Score Victory in Acorn Hill 1.40m Speed Challenge at Tampa Bay Classic
Today’s Time First Round course had a generous 86 second time allowed and was designed by Great Britain’s Robert Ellis. It featured 11 numbered obstacles and 14 of the 32 entries in the class were clear. The early leader in the class was Kraut on her first mount, St. Laurent, owned by KRS Group. St. Laurent cleared the course in 67.404 seconds. Just four entries later, the lead would switch hands when Goutal and her handy little pinto, Mon Gamin, darted through the timers in 66.109 seconds. Goutal’s lead would hold up despite faster times from Margie Engle and McLain Ward, who each had one rail to leave them out of the ribbons. As the 26th entry in the class, Kraut and Cento S took the lead away. Cento S, a nine-year-old Holsteiner stallion owned by the Freedom Group, made every inside turn and finished in a time of 64.588 seconds. “I went for it on St. Laurent and missed one turn. I thought that if I could get that turn on Cento, he could win it,” Kraut recalled. Second to last in the class was Millar on Victoria Pittman Smith’s G Force, an 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding by Concorde. They just missed Kraut’s time in 64.982 seconds. “My plan was to go as fast as I could and try to keep the jumps up. I missed one inside turn, which is why I didn’t win!” Millar said with a smile. G Force is not usually a horse that Millar shows. “He’s actually a junior jumper,” she said. “His owner is away from showing this week, so I get to ride her horses. I’m very lucky. I’ve shown him before in Wellington, but mostly just to prepare him for her.” Of G Force, she described, “He’s careful and scopey, and he’s likes to run. He’s really fun because he’s so careful. He’s got a great gallop. He’s just a blast to ride because he hardly ever hits a jump.” Kraut only started riding Cento S this winter at the beginning of WEF. “I’ve been going back and forth between the 1.40m and the 1.45m. He’s been really good, and I think we’re finally becoming a partnership. He’s one of two stallions I’ve really ridden in my whole life,” she revealed. “Even though he’s a very good stallion and he’s beautifully behaved, I think I still am working on getting a relationship with him.” “He’ll jump anything from anywhere. I’ve not had him once act scared or worried,” she added. “He’s very game. He’s so honest and brave and really is a super horse.” Tomorrow’s jumper competition includes the Show Jumping Hall of Fame High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic at 8 a.m. in the covered arena, while the open jumpers will compete in the 1.50m Classic later in the afternoon. Sunday’s grand prix, the Grand Prix of Tampa, CSI-W, is the final qualifier for this year’s Rolex FEI World Cup Finals. The Grand Prix of Tampa is slated to start at 2 p.m. The grand finale of the Winter Equestrian Festival is the $200,000 Budweiser American Invitational, which will be held in Raymond James Stadium on Saturday, April 7, at 7 p.m. General admission tickets, which range from $25 to $40 for advance purchase, are still available by calling 877-909-9436. Results of Class 1005 $6000 1.40m Acorn Hill Farm Challenge II-1 Tampa Bay Classic March 28 - April 1, 2007 T/A: 86.00
Photo Credit: Cento S and Laura Kraut, winners of the Acorn Hill 1.40m Speed Challenge at the Tampa Bay Classic. Photo © 2007 Randi Muster. |
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Tampa,
FL – The ninth week of the 2007 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF),
the Tampa Bay Classic, CSI-W, continued today with the main jumper action,
the Acorn Hill 1.40m Speed Challenge, in the covered arena. Once the
dust had settled, it was Laura Kraut (USA) and Cento S that sped away
with victory over Amy Millar (CAN) on G Force and Brianne Goutal (USA)
with Mon Gamin.
