BURBANK, CA -In front of a sellout crowd attending the Memorial Day Classic Grand Prix (May 29, 2025) at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, Hap Hansen edged out three other horse and rider teams in an exciting jump off. The victory marked Hansen’s 98th grand prix victory in his riding career, and he was especially pleased to have done it at the Memorial Day Classic. Click Here to see the video of Hap’s winning ride.“I really like the grass field, and this is a great crowd. They are so enthusiastic. It makes you really want to try.”
And Hansen had to try as the victory did not come easily. Mark Watring qualified both of his horses, Brilliant and Sapphire, for the jump off, and Guy Thomas added his Carlos to the quartet vying for the top prize. Watring accrued four faults with Brilliant. “He is really coming along,” said Watring of the nine year old gelding. Guy Thomas rode for the win, and his time of 40.62 looked quite fast. “I thought we were quick enough,” said Thomas later of his new mount. “I don’t know him well enough to really turn him on.” Watring returned on Sapphire and showed Thomas, and everyone else, that the track could be ridden faster as he stopped the clock in 40.05. Only Hansen remained.
“I didn’t think I could catch Guy and Mark,” said Hansen after the class. However, Horalas (Diane Rushing, Owner) blazed around the course and where the other two horses gave the jumps a little extra room and spent a little more time in the air, Horalas skimmed the tops of the jumps and shaved almost a second off of Watring’s time. With a time of 39.24 Hansen earned his 98th grand prix win. “The course was really good,” said Hansen. “It wasn’t huge, but Scott (Starnes) set enough traps like the distance question from Fence 4 to Fences 5A and 5B. You could do it in five or six strides.”
After the grand prix, spectators wandered around the course and admired the huge jumps. Watring, Thomas, and Hansen cheerfully signed autographs for almost an hour.
The Memorial Day Classic (May 25-29) kicks off the summer season of horse shows, and in addition to a full complement of divisions and sections, the show features a number of special classes as well. Archie Cox rode Quality Time (Laura Wasserman) to the win in the $10,000 Memorial Day Hunter Classic. Wasserman rode the handsome gelding to championship honors in the 36 & Over section of the Amateur Owner Hunters.
Dan Silverstone and his team, Dan the Man and the Babe-ettes consisting of Justin Felton (Amateur) and Michelle Morris (Junior), edged out Bauer’s Babes, anchored by professional Kacey Ament and joined by Yvette Lang-Einczig (Amateur) and Shelby Wakeman (Junior) in the Memorial Day Equitation Challenge. As the winning professional, Silverstone won a week long trip to Maui at the Marriott Ocean Resort on Ka’anapali Beach.
In the $5,000 PCHA/Jimmy Williams Futures Class, Katherine Bardis on Pariska 2 edged out Hansen aboard Mistletoe for the victory. Hannah Selleck captured the $5,000 Junior-Young Rider- Amateur Owner Jumper Classic, and was also awarded Best Junior Rider honors for her winning performances throughout the week long show. In addition to her jumper success with Bauer, Selleck made a clean sweep in the Equitation 16-17, and also rode Cooper (Lisa Miller, Owner) to the championship in the Small Junior Hunters.
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