McLain Ward Wins Gambler’s Choice

If you play your cards right, like McLain Ward did in the $10,000 Gem Twist Gambler’s Choice, you could win. For Ward, his hand is his daring and skill combined with his hold card -- Larioso. The bay Selle Francais gelding, owned by Blue Chip Bloodstock, dealt with the 11 options with due alacrity, acquiring a high score of 990 prior to successfully clearing the final fence, the 1.4 meter Joker. The pair scored 1190 points to shiver past Leslie Howard at 1180 and Todd Minikus at 1170.

"He’s a very fast horse," said Ward. "And, he’s very careful. He won this class at Washington two weeks ago. I wanted to get his confidence up and prep him for Saturday’s Grand Prix. Doing this class makes the horse concentrate."

"My plan was to keep it simple. Sometimes, if you get too fancy, you can shoot yourself in the foot," he said. Also he acknowledged that Laura Chapot, speed fiend exemplar, was not in the class, which made it easier.

The Gambler’s Choice allows each competitor to customize a course of fences for their horse. The value of the fence depends upon the difficulty either in height or width. Riders know what the values are and have a final opportunity to bet 200 points that their mount can clear the highest fence. Of course, if the Joker is lowered, so too is the score. All three top finishers chose and cleared the Joker, so the difference in their rounds was route and speed.

For Howard on Lady in Red 4, she was pleased. "My horse did everything I asked her to do. Ward was just faster," she said.

Minikus was pleased with Ultimo Van Ter Moude’s effort. The flashy gray stallion lashed his tail as well as kicked out between fences and even added a few half bucks. He seemed like bottled lightening—yearning for more speed, bigger fences than his rider thought best. Still, his performance was exciting for all his sass.

Several just-out-of-junior amateurs bellied up to this table and played great cards.

Hillary Dobbs, winner of the Junior Jumper Individual Championship last year, turned in two rounds with final scores of 1150 to earn prize money for both. Of the 19 entries all but two chose the try the Joker. Only three were not successful and two others took too long to jump it and despite clearing it, the score did not count.

The Pennsylvania National Horse Show continues thru Saturday with more Open Jumping each evening plus the National Horse Show Saddle Seat Equitation Championship – Good Hands Competition preliminary round tomorrow and finals on Saturday. Shuffled into this wonderful mix are many other equine disciplines, Western Pleasure, Hackney ponies and Draft horses in teams of one, two, three, four and six. The Budweiser Clydesdales will come after celebrating in Boston in honor of the Red Sox. Tickets are available at the door.

Photo Credit: McLain Ward Wins the Gambler's Choice Photo by Randi Muster