ESP Summer III got underway Friday morning with the 1.40m Open Jumper Stake, sponsored by Bainbridge Companies, taking place on the Derby Field. The Andy Christiansen-designed course featured nine horse-and-rider combinations. Six pairs advanced to the immediate jump-off, with USA’s Alannah Wagstaff clinching the title aboard Great Thing, owned by Mill Pond Farm Inc., with a swift time of 33.523 seconds. Frankie Chesler (CAN) clinched the second-place title with Ibalius SMH, owned by Sher-Al Farm Inc., with a time of 33.731 seconds. Rounding out the podium was Juan Manuel Gallego with a time of 37.219 seconds aboard the Andressa Quadros-owned, Starsky.
Following Friday’s highlight jumper class, hunters displayed extraordinary talent in the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby (Hunt & Go), sponsored by Parlanti. This premier hunter event was the first of two hosted on Equestrian Village’s grass Derby Annex Field. The competition followed a “Hunt and Go” format, with the initial part of the course judged as the classic round and the latter part as the handy phase. Faith Schuttemeyer (USA) and Larson, owned by Chad Keenum, secured the blue ribbon with a total score of 180. Taylor St. Jacques (CAN) and Castleforbes Glenn, owned by Sergent Stables LLC., placed second with a score of 171.5, while Maggie Alexander (USA) secured the third place ribbon with a score of 171 aboard her own entry, California Prima Z.
Abigail Mc Ardle (USA) claimed victory Saturday morning in the 1.35m Open Jumper Stake, sponsored by Arion Sellier. Mc Ardle and her mount, Olympia Van Het Eikenhof, owned by Sweetwater Jumpers LLC., put in a lightning-fast time of 38.263 seconds, proving untouchable. On her heels was Diego Javier Vivero Viteri (ECU), clinching both the second and third place ribbons. Viteri claimed second aboard Daddy’s Destiny, owned by Nicole Velazco Magana, with a time of 38.606 seconds while securing third with a clear 41.935 second time aboard the Sebastian Rodriguez-owned, Starinue.
Saturday afternoon, hunter riders took to the Derby Annex field for the $1,000 2’6”/2’9” Hunter Derby (Hunt & Go), sponsored by ProElite. Erika Sergent (USA) took top honors on Diara Blue, owned by Sergent Stables LLC., with a combined score of 165. USA’s Amy Foster earned the second-place ribbon aboard Wakefield Stables LLC’s High Roller, with a score of 162, while third place was secured by Joscelyn Richards (USA) and Remember Me, owned by Sky Equestrian Sales LLC., with a combined score of 158.
The $10,000 Evermore Bank 1.40m Stake wrapped up competition for the week with Frankie Chesler (CAN) and Ibalius SMH securing the blue on the prestigious Equestrian Village Derby Field. Twelve horse-and-rider combinations took to the Andy Christiansen-designed course with ten advancing to the immediate jump-off.
Chesler and Ibalius SMH, owned by Sher-Al Farm Inc., achieved the fastest clear round with a time of 35.873 seconds, securing themselves the lion’s share of the prize money. No stranger to the podium, Alannah Wagstaff (USA) and her longtime partner, Great Thing, owned by Mill Pond Farm Inc., were just shy of Chesler’s time, stopping the clocks in a clear 36.512 seconds to earn themselves the red rosette. Nataly Leibovitz (ISR), co-owner of Kiss Me alongside 3 Graces Dressage, rounded out the podium with a time of 38.848 seconds.
The 2024 Summer Series, presented by Arion Sellier, will continue next week with ESP Labor Day from August 29 through September 1.
To view full results from ESP Summer III, please click HERE.
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