Michael Walton and Ken Berkley take Hit and Hurray and Open Jumper at Devon
Scott Stewart is Leading Hunter Rider for the fifth year in a row
DEVON, Pa.—Michael Walton of West Chester, Pa., rode Elu De La Hardiere to win the $10,000 Open Jumper Hit and Hurry class last evening at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair.
In the Hit and Hurry, horses get two points for every fence jumped clear and one point for every rail down, with horses earning the same number of points separated by time. Going second in the class of 26, Walton’s 25 points stayed in the lead throughout the class, with Ken Berkley of Flemington, N.J., placing second on Parlay with 24 points in 65.080 and Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, N.J., third on Cilthe Z with 24 points in 65.322.
“Elu is very, very fast,” said Walton. “He’s very fast across the ground. He enjoys this, he’s a ham. Most of the grand prix he’s won have been in front of a crowd.” “This was exactly what this class is meant to be in front of this big Devon crowd,” said Walton. “You go as fast as you can, and then you go even faster.”
In the afternoon class, Berkley won the $10,000 Open Jumper, time first jump-off on Carlos Boy. Five horses from a starting field of 21 were clear in the first round, but two of them elected not to jump-off, saving their horses for tonight’s $75,000 Budweiser Grand Prix. Last to go in the three horse jump-off, Berkley galloped Carlos Boy to the last fence to shave five-tenths of a second off Triomphe De Muze and Christine McCrea’s time of 38.786 to win. Patty Stoval on Shandor was third.
Bekley is optimistic about his chances in the Grand Prix. “Carlos’ forte is big, hard courses, lights and a crowd,” said Berkley. “The more noise, the more he likes it. He’s an unusual character.”
Scott Stewart was the Leading Hunter Rider at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair for the fifth year in a row, but he did it differently this year. Stewart of Flemington, N.J., always brings a number of top hunters to Devon, and he did again this year, but the horse that he accumulated the most points on was the one he rode to the Grand Hunter Championship was a catch ride that he only got on a few minutes before the first class.
Highland Park, the Regular Conformation Hunter Champion and Grand Champion, is usually ridden by Jimmy Torano, but Torano had judged the pony classes on Junior Weekend, and under Federation rules one is not allowed to judge and to ride at the same show. So at the last moment, owner Laura Lee Montross of Bedford Hills, N.Y., asked Stewart to ride Highland Park.
“I just jumped a couple of schooling fences before I went in the first class,” said Stewart. “He was the easiest horse I rode. He’s really brave, he has a huge stride and the jumps are easy for him.”
Stewart also rode Molly Ohrstrom’s Ovation to the First Year Green Hunter Championship, was Reserve Champion in Green Conformation on his Perfectionist and Reserve in Regular Working Hunter on Fashion Farm’s Dynamic.
“The best round I had was on Dynamic in the Handy Hunter,” said Stewart. “Ovation was better than I had thought he’d be, because he’s so green. He’s only 6-years-old.”
Jennifer Bauersachs of Frenchtown, N.J., was Leading Lady Hunter Rider, and she rode Lee Kellogg’s Sterling to the Reserve Championship in Second Year Green. This is only the second time I’ve shown at Devon,” said Bauersachs. “The first time I was here, two years ago, I was so nervous I couldn’t even think.”
Californian John French rode Stephaie Danhakl’s Scout to the Championship in Green Conformation and he rode Andiamo to the tricolor win in Regular Working Hunter. “I haven’t been to Devon for 20 years,” said French. “I didn’t expect to do this well at all. It’s hard to come from the West coast, so I’m only riding three horses.”
Susanne Clifford of Gordonsville, Va., rode Sally Lamb’s Sea Salt to win the Ladies Hunter, Side Saddle Championship for the second year in a row.
Leave a Response (or trackback on your own site)
You must be logged in to post a comment.