Hap Hansen and Horales take LA Memorial Day Classic
The stands were packed, extra bleachers were brought in, VIP tables were added around 2 additional ends of the ring, spectator areas were overflowing and there was no standing room available anywhere. This is what it is all about when an effort to attract spectators is successful. Whatever it is that Larry Langer and his crew are doing to attract a crowd on a holiday, we can all hope they keep doing it. It is very good for the sport in LA !!
The class worked out just as it should have. With 19 starters the course was challenging enough to only end up with 4 clean for the jump off. No major thrills or spills other than Misti Cassar giving Mondego a disciplinary slap with the crop when he stopped in the combination. He was SO quick in his spin back from the tap that Misty simply stepped off and stood in the one stride holding the reins to a surprised horse looking straight at her. Sort of one of those eye to eye conversations between a rider and her horse where both are surprised to see the other standing there looking back !
Statistics:
Clean……4
4 faults…5
6 faults…1
8 faults…5
9 faults…1
12 faults..1
16 faults..1
fall off…..1
Ladies….11
Men…….8
Only 8 horses were ridden by their owners, 11 horses were owned by Company’s/Farms, 7 by individuals, 1 by a family and 5 riders rode multiple horses.
The jump off, and actually the entire class, went like clockwork. A lovely holiday afternoon, just enough horses to make sure the crowd got entertained, and with 4 in the jump off, it was just about perfect. The jump off was played out as though it was scripted before the Grand Prix even started. Each rider/horse combination got better and faster.
Mark Watering and Brilliant had a rail early in the jump off making room for anyone to come along for the win. Guy Thomas and his father, Butch, spent some time in the warm up ring discussing a jump off strategy and then Guy and Carlos were clean and quit fast in 40.622. Sapphire and Mark Watring zipped around the course and made up for the rail he had on his first ride by being clean in a time of 40.050, a split second (.01) faster.
Just as Hap entered the ring, Lisa-his long time barn manager and friend, came to the back gate where I was standing. As well as Hap rode the course, I must tell you that the pure might and energy from Lisa is really what made Horales go clean in a very fast time of 39.242. As Horales approached each jump, Lisa would beg and grovel and stop breathing in an effort to be sure this jump was left up. Each jump she did the same thing…”please, please Horales be a grand boy and leave them up”. Then when she realized Hap was fault free and on his way to the last jump, she started leaping in the air yelling..”GO HAP, GO..GO HORALES, RUN!” and whistling that loud shrill whistle that I always wished I had learned how to do. I thought she was going to pound us all into the ground as she slapped us and cheered when “her horse” was the winner. She was so excited.
1st….Horales/Hap Hansen/Diane Rushing 0/0/39.242
2nd…Sapphire/Mark Watring/Watring&Bohanan 0/0/40.052
3rd….Carlos/Guy Thomas/Willow Tree Farm 0/0/40.622
4th….Brilliant/Mark Watring/Watring&Ferder 0/4
5th….Moonlight/Helen McNaught/Dotson Family 4
6th….Royal Dane/Jamie Taylor/John Endicott 4
7th….Quidam De Lugano/Devon Gibson/Devon Gibson 4
8th….Con Caletto/Michael Endicott/Signature Farms 4
9th….Conejo/Kirsten oe/Equine Trading Company 4
10th…Leapy Hill/Joie Gatlin/Cameron Hill Farm 4+2
11th…Idole De Rev/Misti Cassar/Sopranos Farm 8
12th…Urban De L’Eav/Helen McNaught/Bridgeside Farms LLC
THE CROWD…I must talk a little about the crowd. An amazing amount of spectators and an amazing amount of cars. Parking attendants everywhere, some with patience and self control and some who thought the baton in their hand was a wand from God that made them “all that”. And rightfully so. The spectators had obviously not been to the LA Equestrian Center before and they simply parked their cars where they found a space…any space. Exhibitors and vanning drivers took notice and decided that what was good for one was good for all. Cars, trucks and horse trailers were parked so randomly it was hard to imagine how a lot of them even got there at all, ever. Suddenly there was a grid lock that made New York city look traffic free.
To the rescue came a small army of parking guys with golf carts and sorted it all out so everyone could proceed on their way in good time. The size this show is growing too, we are fortunate that Larry Langer was ahead of the traffic problem or we could all still be there hoping someone would arrive with help.
The spectators were a delight. Every time a rider jumped the water they cheered. When horse cleared the triple combination they broke out in applause. When a rail fell, they groaned. If a horse stopped they gasp and waited to see what next. As the class finished they clapped and cheered and came out onto the field circling the riders and shaking hands or just standing there wide eyed and looking at their hero’s..the riders. One little girl, about 10 years old ran up and threw her arms around Hap held on. For a minute we thought she was going to cry. “You are my favorite” she kept saying.
Seems that every year the Los Angeles community around the Equestrian Center is excited about attending this Grand Prix. Every year more come to watch. Each year they are expressive, energetic and appreciative of the opportunity to enjoy an afternoon of show jumping. It is indeed refreshing and a bit contagious, pretty soon everyone of us in the horse show world got over the shushing and shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh’s and everyone relaxed and had a great time. I can hardly wait for this crowd again next year.
Jamie Taylor got to join the ranks of the Grand Prix riders this show. And she should be pretty proud of herself. She rode great and the horse jumped super. With a respectable 4 fault first round score, her introduction to the GP’s was a nice confidence builder. John Endicott furnished the horse, Royal Dane, and he certainly picked a good pilot for it. The rail was not a rail of mistake, it was just a rail that got tapped a little hard and it came down. She is young and is making a place for herself in all rings of the show world. It was nice to see her laughing and smiling and shaking hands with little fans at the back gate after the class, she is normally so quiet.
That Guy Thomas!!! I know, sometimes I feel like I am singing his praise every article I write, but he never ceases to amaze me. He is always pleasant, smiling, friendly and ALWAYS genuinely happy for the winner. Don’t get me wrong..HE WANTS TO WIN !!! But he is there to congratulate the winner with a hand shake and a smile, no matter who it is. After the class, I loaded my horses, navigated the traffic and as I drove out the main gate there he was sitting up there in line in the cab of the big Willow Tree semi, smoking a cigar, listening to music, wearing a HUGE cowboy hat, laughing and cracking jokes with the parking patrol while waiting his turn to go in and load horses for the drive back to San Francisco tonight.
That’s all for the LA Grand Prix today. I will try to start covering the hunter and equitation a bit more. I realized today why I seem to get to the jumper ring more. That particular group of people are just simply more relaxed……extremely more competitive, but more relaxed than their counterparts in other areas of the shows. No excuse, but that’s what I noticed. I will try to get a report done on the hunters/equitation tomorrow.
One Response to “Hap Hansen and Horales take LA Memorial Day Classic”
As for the part about Lisa,Haps longtime emplyoee I must say I know her well and she did get that horse to jump clean ina way,having a positive all out attitude and cheering loudly helps the rider and horse and yourself. Winning is a blast!!!
mucky - May 30th, 2006 at 4:03 pmLeave a Response (or trackback on your own site)
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