Turf Tour 8 kicked off Wednesday on the gorgeous grass fields of Polo West, the first of three days of competition to close out their February classes. Running in parallel to the famous Winter Equestrian Festival, The Ridge at Wellington Turf Tour attracts some of the best and brightest in the industry, and Wednesday was no exception. An ideal show for riders of all levels, Turf Tour 8’s 3-day show schedule calls for two $5,000 1.30M Rising Star Classics, a $3,000 1.30M Speed Stake, $3,000 JR/Amateur Classic, a $2,500 Low Child/Adult Classic, $2,500 Child/Adult Classic, and $15,000 1.40M Grand Prix, in addition to daily classes running .80M-1.20M on the grass.
Canada’s Amy Miller and GCS Athena were the quickest double clear effort in Wednesday’s Rising Star, jumping off in 38.382 seconds. Her time narrowly beat out Ali Wolff and Fahreinheit Ponthual, who held the top spot for much of the second half of the class with a jump-off time of 38.839. Wolff’s effort was the result of a hotly contested jump-off, which offered many options for riders to shave off the seconds but risk rails in the process. Third place went to Phillip Mcguane and Iwan on a somewhat slower effort of 42.620 seconds.
As one of the best kept secrets of Wellington’s show circuit, the Turf Tour draws everything from Olympic medalists to pony riders and everything in between. The rare opportunity to jump on the grass combined with a relaxed atmosphere, flexible show times, beautiful venues, and complimentary hospitality have resulted in an exclusive show experience that is a breath of fresh air when compared to the typical modern horse show.
“What better way to ride, train, and progress in our sport than here on the Turf Tour,” said George D’Ambrosio, co-founder and host of the Turf Tour. “Many of our riders use our show as a platform for growth, be it for their horses or for themselves, and others just enjoy the pure beauty of our fields and courses. It is a disservice to the horses to have them show in the same arenas week in and week out, and that is one of a few issues we are trying to remedy.”
Turf Tour 8 continues Friday & Saturday with a second $5,000 1.30M Rising Star Classic and $15,000 1.40M Grand Prix. Generous sponsors will also be presenting various prizes and incentives, including Espoir Equestrian’s Leading Lady Rider Award and Horse & Country’s “Turf Tour Today” round-up program, where competitors can watch the day’s rides and purchase their rounds.
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