LOCHNIVAR AND CYPHERT WIN THE $10,000 HORSEFLIGHT OPEN WELCOME AND LENKART AND EMILIOS WIN THE $7,770 HESTER EQUESTRIAN JUMPER CLASSIC
Matt Cyphert and Lochnivar win the Week II $10,000 Horseflight Open Welcome
For Immediate Release: February 22, 2016
Gulfport, Mississippi
The $10,000 Horseflight Open Welcome Week II of the Gulf Coast Winter Classic saw twenty six horse and rider teams compete over a course designed by Olympic Medalist and Pan American Course Designer Michel Vaillancort of Tryon, North Carolina. The course was set on the world class grass grand prix field at the Harrison County Fairgrounds which is considered to be the one of the best in North America.
While a majority of the class went clean in their first rounds, the real challenge came with the abbreviated second round when only five of the twenty six would finish double clean.
The first round time allowed was set at 82 seconds. The first to go and the first to post a double clean effort was Francois LaMontagne of Saint Eustache, Quebec, Canada in the irons of his own Dalton. The pair finished a fault-free first round in a time of 81.376 seconds and finished their second round effort in a time of 40.956 seconds, well within the 47 seconds time allowed and set the new time to beat.
Holly Shepherd of Grand Bay, Alabama, who earlier in the day took the top three placings in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, transitioned into the jumper arena in the irons of Loretta Patterson’s Skymiles. The pair posted double clean rounds in times of 79.666 and 40.096 seconds, respectively, which would take the lead from Dalton and LaMontagne and set the new time to beat.
Specialized, owned by Missy Nolan and ridden by Tim Maddrix of Birmingham, Alabama also posted double clean rounds in times of 78.029 and 38.751 seconds and took the lead from Skymiles and Shepherd.
Penny Brennan of Buhl, Alabama and Meco Equestrian, LLC’s Cord II followed Maddrix with double clear rounds in times of 76.322 and 38.162 seconds and set the new time to beat.
Helen Gilbert’s Emir D, ridden by Shannon Hicks of Lake St. Louis, Missouri posted double clean rounds and looked to challenge Brennan and Cord II‘s time, but the pair finished their second round in a time of 43.174 seconds which would see them finish in sixth place overall.
Matt Cyphert of Northlake, Texas and his own Lochinvar followed with the next double clean round in times of 76.139 and 36.999 seconds which would take the lead and set the new time to beat. But, Tim Maddrix had yet to go so the win was not one for the books quite yet.
Maddrix returned in the enviable last to go position in the irons of Baily Martin’s Contador De Bornival Z, but eight jump faults and one time fault would keep the pair out of the ribbons and secure the win for Cyphert and Lochinvar.
Matt Cyphert and Lochinvar are met in the winner’s circle by Gulf Coast Classic Company’s Awards Coordinator, Drew Coster
Brennan and Cord II took second place, Maddrix and Specialized were awarded third, Skymiles and Shepherd received fourth, Lamontagne and Dalton fifth and sixth place went to Emir D and Hicks. Chanel du Calvaire and LaMontagne finished in seventh place as the fastest of the four-faulters in a time of 38.947 seconds while eighth place was awarded to Bull Run’s T-Mac, owned and ridden by Konstanze Wachholtz who posted a four fault second round in a time of 41.627 seconds. Ninth place went to Hester and Lorstakov, tenth was awarded to Hannah Donald of Highland Village, Texas and her own Commissario 6. Wender and Hester took eleventh place while Hicks wrapped it up with twelfth place in the irons of Helen Gilbert’s Caritz Donz.
Horseflight is the sponsor of all Open Jumper Welcome Classics at the 2016 Gulf Coast Classic and Classic Company shows and the Official Equine Air Transportation Company of the Classic and Gulf Coast Classic Companies. As a leader in international horse transport with locations in Greifswald, Germany, Califon, New Jersey, Ocala, Florida and Houston, Texas, with branches in Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California, Horseflight coordinates imports or exports anywhere in the world! With weekly flights to and from Europe, as well as the continental United States, Horseflight prides itself on transporting the competitive horse world, one flight at a time!
Emilios Wins the $7,770 Hester Equestrian LLC Jumper Classic
Scott Lenkart and Emilios fly over a jump on their way to the win in the $7,770 Hester Equestrian Jumper Classic
The $7,770 Hester Equestrian Jumper Classic was held Saturday and welcomed twenty one horse and rider teams to a course designed by Michel Vaillancort. The class is geared toward horses not competing in the grand prix.
One third of the class had the opportunity to advance to the second round, but only two went double clean. Lauren Hester and Hester Equestrian’s Daister L posted double clear round in times of 77.941 and 40.128 seconds, respectively. The pair looked to win the Jumper Classic until last to go Scott Lenkart of Argyle, Texas and La Primera Hacienda’s Emilios posted double clear rounds in times of 73.844 and 38.209 seconds, respectively, taking the lead and putting Hester and Daister L in second place overall.
The fastest of the four faulters, Baritone 40, owned and ridden by Isabelle Potts of Aledo, Texas posted a fault free first round in a time of 81.761 seconds and a four fault second round in time of 42.393 seconds. Fourth place was awarded to Loretta Patterson’s Silverstone, ridden by Holly Shepherd who finished their clean first round in a time of 82.082 seconds and their four fault second round in a time of 49.319 seconds.
Thomas Welsh of New York, New York, in the irons of his own Prosper, placed fifth overall, sixth was awarded to Abby Maxwell of Cedar Rapids, Iowa in the irons of her own Kidogo. Lenkart returned for seventh place, this time aboard Fleur De Lis Farm’s Valina Du Cuirassier and Welsh returned for the eighth place ribbon, this time in the irons of his own Newtown Jumping Jack. Jason Berry of Verona, Virginia and Willoughby Stables’ Varios placed ninth overall and Francois LaMontagne was awarded tenth place in the irons of his own Vigo Massuere. Cerulean Stables’ Downton Abbey, ridden by Amanda Forte of Glenmoore, Pennsylvania placed eleventh overall and Shepherd, riding Dejan Krunic’s Belle Clara DKS, wrapped up the class in twelfth place.
Gulf Coast Classic President Bob Bell and Awards Coordinator Drew Coster greet Scott Lenkart and Emilios in the winner’s circle
The 1.25 m Jumper Classic is open to all horses not competing in the grand prix which is a perfect opportunity for the horses to gain valuable mileage on a world class grass grand prix field. Sponsor of the $7,770 Jumper Classic is Hester Equestrian, LLC. With a new location at Hilaur Farms in Lexington, Kentucky, Hester Equestrian is happy to compete on some fabulous new circuits like Pensacola and Gulfport. Coming from the West Coast, it is great to make new friends, and keep the old, and let the horses frolic in large green pastures in the bluegrass. They welcome training clients and always have a nice selection of sale horses. See hesterequestrian.com for all the information.
The Gulf Coast Winter Classic kicked off on February 10 and will continue until March 20! With more than $1 Million in cash and awards, there are so many reasons why the grass is greener in Gulfport! Week III gets underway on Wednesday and there are still some stalls available. Email Jonathan@classiccompany.com to reserve your stalls and go to horseshowsonline.com to enter for no additional fees. All sponsorship and media inquiries should be directed to lisa@classiccompany.com.
