The Kentucky Spring Horse Show concluded a week of action packed hunter and jumper competition yesterday at the Kentucky Horse Park. Although it was the last day of competition, there was no shortage of excitement in Rolex Stadium. Under perfect blue skies, Sarah Segal and Cantara 59 (Cristo x Cassone) won the $40,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix presented by Audi of Lexington.
Cantara 59 has been part of Segal's string of show horses for two years but Segal has been taking her time with the 11-year-old Hanoverian mare. Segal made the decision to only compete Cantara 59 in select CSI2* Grand Prix classes at the end of the Winter Equestrian Festival and chose to come to the Kentucky Spring Horse Show as her first show of the 2017 summer competition season. The pair went towards the midpoint of the class which featured 43 horses and riders. After jumping a tidy clear round, they returned as part of a field of 12 in the jump off on Sunday afternoon.
"She is great on the angles and always looking for the fence and has a great move at the fence. I just have to be careful not to psych myself out before the class," said Segal about Cantara 59.
"She (Cantara 59) showed a little bit in Florida, we did some of the 2* GP's towards the end to get going. This is our first show of the spring and it couldn't be more beautiful. The footing is great and the stadium is great and it was nice this week to have the National classes because it gave us some nice warm up classes to get going without having to go right into FEI next week," Segal commented.
While there were many fast riders in the jump-off round, including Todd Minikus, Aaron Vale, Samuel Parot and Amanda Derbyshire just to name a few, Segal stuck to her plan with Cantara 59 and put in a blistering pace of 44.705. Aaron Vale achieved a faultless round but came up short with a time of 45.946. Ramio Quintana and Iluna finished third in a time of 46.783.
Although Aaron Vale did not win a class on Sunday, he did earn the title of Envisian Products Leading Jumper Rider for this week's competition. Envisian Products sponsor the weekly Leading Jumper Rider Award, which will be presented following the Sunday Grand Prix, each week of the 2017 Kentucky Horse Shows series. Brian and Visse Wedell are partners in Envisian Products, which offers several products and services, but is presenting this award with a focus on Polylast Rubberized Flooring.
RESULTS $40,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix
1. Cantara 59/ Sarah Segal/ Sarah Segal/ 0 / 44.705
2. Carlo / Aaron Vale / North Face Farm / 0/ 45.946
3. Iluna / Ramio Quintana / Michael Smith / 0 / 46.783
4. Lady Maria BH / Amanda Derbyshire / Gochman Sport Horse LLC / 4 / 43.234
5. Catungee / Catherine Tyree / Mary Tyree / 4 / 43.574
6. Casal / Ali Wolf / Black Lick Bend Farm/ 4/ 43.746
7. Hard Rock Z / Emanuel Andrade / Emanuel Andrade/ 4/ 45.240
8. Sancento / Todd Minikus / Alice Lawaetz / 8 / 48.378
9. Basimodo / Eric Navet / Signe Ostby / 10 / 65.665
10. Lacarolus / Derek Braun / Mrn. Family Corp. / 16 / 49.740
11. VDL Aberlino / Samuel Parot / Samuel Parot / 76.341 / EL
11. VDL Torlando / Callan Solem / 75.009
13. Caramello Z / Francisco Zamuido / St. Brides Farm / 1 / 79.173
Source: Press release from Phelps Media Group / Picture © Lenore Philips/Phelps Sports