Laura Chapot wins Leading Open Jumper Rider title for the third year in a row
DEVON, Pa.—Laura Chapot on Little Big Man finished second to Kent Farrington on Up Chiqui in the $50,000 Idle Dice Open Jumper Stake last evening at the Devon Horse Show, but Chapot had enough points before the class to take the Leading Open Jumper Rider title for the third year in a row. The points she added in the Stake were just icing on the cake.
Chapot also rode Sprite to win the Open Jumper Championship, again for the third year in a row, retiring the Little Big Man Challenge trophy that she had donated in 2005 after retiring the previous challenge trophy. “That’s amazing,” said Chapot of her victories. “There are a lot of classes here, and a lot of great riders. I was very fortunate to have had such a good day yesterday.”
Chapot finished first and second both in the jump-off class Friday afternoon and in the Gambler’s Choice Friday evening. “Little Big Man was great tonight,” said Chapot. “I probably didn’t take as much of a shot as I might have, but I was a little gun shy after I tried to go too fast Thursday night.”
Chapot was referring to the Grand Prix, in which she turned to tight to a fence and had a stop which ended her up in fourth place.
“Up Chiqui goes a little bit his own way,” said Farrington. “But he really wants to win. Like tonight, running to the last fence, he tried his guts out. He didn’t want to have that fence down.” Up Chiqui and McLain Ward’s Sapphire, winner of the Grand Prix were tied for Reserve Open Jumper Champion.
Lara Gay of Ridgefield, Conn., had one one-hundredth of a second time fault for being over the time allowed in the first round of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame Amateur Owner Jumper Classic, so she missed the eight horse jump-off, placing 9th. But her points from two wins yesterday were enough to give her the Championship on RCG Farm’s Campesino. The Classic’s winner, Game Twist under Cara Cheska of Waukesha, Wisc., was Reserve Champion.
“It’s a great honor, I’m excited and happy,” said Gay, 21, who was married in 2005 and took a couple of years off from riding while she was in college at Brigham Young in Utah. “Being in Utah, it was just to far to commute to compete in shows, but I never stopped riding.”
“Campesino is a blessing,” said Gay. “He’s 16, so I’m excited to have gotten so many years out of him. When I got him, I thought I’d only have a couple of years with him. “He’s hard working and dedicated. He tries to look for the next fence coming up.”
“It was frustrating to have a time fault, particularly since it was only one one-hundredth of a second,” said Gay. “But I’m happy to be champion.”
Brad Wolf, a heart surgeon from Memphis, Tenn., won the Amateur Owner Hunter Stake class on his Rio Renoir to take the Championship and Grand Championship in the Amateur division, just edging out Teri Kessler of Bedford Hills, N.Y. on Pavarotti by one point. “I rode as a junior, then I quit for 20 years,” said Wolf. “I just started back riding a couple of years ago, but this is my first time at Devon as I didn’t have enough points to qualify last year.” “Riding takes my mind off everything,” said Wolf. “It’s a good escape.” “I never ride during the week,” said Wolf, who is too busy doing surgery to fit in any hobbies.
But he did admit he gets pretty stiff, riding only twice a week.
“Monday morning, when I have to go back to surgery, I’m very sore,” said Wolf. “I’ve met some great people showing. There’s a lot of camaraderie on our division.”
In Local Hunter, Baylor Wicks of Greenville, Del., on Gracious placed first and fourth in Section A, Emma Lane Poole of Blue Bell, Pa., took a second and a fourth in Section B, and 2nd In Command under Lauren Linder of West Chester, Pa., and Leigh Berman in Section C, are leading their respective sections.
Local Hunters compete today in the Dixon Oval, with their under saddle and stake class to decide their champions.
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