On the final day of week nine at the 2018 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), Tiffany Foster (CAN) captured the win in the $70,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50m Classic with Artisan Farms’ Brighton at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL.
Due to expected inclement weather, the format of the Hollow Creek Farm 1.50m Classic was changed to a speed round on Sunday morning. Of the 41 entries in the class, eight were clear. The fastest of those was Tiffany Foster, who dominated the class in a time of 63.36 seconds for the win, almost five seconds faster than the rest of the field.
Second place went to Adrienne Sternlicht (USA) and Pembroke, owned by Starlight Farms LLC, who recorded a time of 68.24 seconds. Enrique Gonzalez (MEX) and Chacna finished third in 68.35 seconds.
“He’s a super competitive horse,” said Foster of the 12-year-old KWPN gelding by Contendro II x Quick Star. “He’s really fast on his own. He covers the ground very fast and spends very minimal time in the air. So if I can get a good track, I know I can get within a winning time with him.
“All of those long lines were heading toward the left, and he has a really big stride to the left and a big left drift,” she said of the course. “If I let him head left, and I let him go fast, I can usually cover the distance pretty well. Sometimes you have those days where everything just sort of shows up really well, and you end up not having to pull on the reins. If you have one of those rounds with Brighton, you usually win.”
Foster described Brighton as “very self-confident” and a horse that has been the same from the start of their relationship five years ago.
“I think the more that I can let him think he’s the king, the better it is,” said Foster. “He’s won more classes for me than I think any horse I’ve ever had. He’s probably one of the most consistent horses that I’ve ever ridden. He’s just been an incredible horse.”
$70,000 Hollow Creek Farm 1.50m Classic
1 BRIGHTON: 2006 KWPN gelding by Contendro II x Quick Star
TIFFANY FOSTER (CAN), Artisan Farms LLC: 0/63.36
2 PEMBROKE: 2008 Holsteiner mare by Clarimo x Casall
ADRIENNE STERNLICHT (USA), Starlight Farms LLC: 0/68.24
3 CHACNA: 2007 Hanoverian mare by Chacco-Blue x Narew XX
ENRIQUE GONZALEZ (MEX), Enrique Gonzalez: 0/68.35
4 PENELOPE CRUZ: 2008 Irish Sport Horse mare by Ustinov x Peter Pan
CAPT. BRIAN COURNANE (IRL), Capt. Brian Cournane: 0/69.24
5 SUPER CHILLED: 2008 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Gelvin Clover
KEVIN BABINGTON (IRL), Debra Wycoff: 0/69.26
6 HUNTERS CONLYPSO II: 2008 Hanoverian gelding by Contendro I x Calypso II
LORCAN GALLAGHER (IRL), Dacantos Group: 0/69.39
7 HANDY VAN HD: 2007 Belgian Warmblood mare by Tinka’s Boy x Nabab de Reve
ERYNN BALLARD (CAN), Ilan Ferder: 0/72.43
8 ARMIK: 2009 Oldenburg gelding by Armitage x Justinian xx
CAPT. BRIAN COURNANE (IRL), Brian Cournane and M/M Bob Stiller: 0/75.75
9 ZAPZERAP: 2008 KWPN gelding by Zapatero x G. Ramiro Z
ENRIQUE GONZALEZ (MEX), Enrique Gonzalez: 1/79.71
10 BUTTON SITTE: 2007 Belgian Warmblood stallion by Ogano Sitte x Parco
RICHIE MOLONEY (IRL), Equinimity LLC: 1/80.45
11 GLASGOW DE MUZE: 2006 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Andiamo x Parco
ALBERTO MICHAN (ISR), Ilan Ferder: 4/65.05
12 HHS HERCULES: 2009 Irish Sport Horse gelding by Guidam
BEEZIE MADDEN (USA), Abigail Wexner: 4/65.27