Nassar Wins HITS $1 Million

By Paula Parisi September 8, 2013

 

Nayel Nassar and Lordan won the HITS Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix, Sept. 8, in Saugerties, NY.

The 22-year-old Stanford, CA, resident and his 9-year-old Hanoverian gelding topped a field of 39 riders and trotted off with a check for $350,000. Wellington, FL-based Todd Minikus and  Quality Girl were second, and Wellington’s  Sharn Wordley third on Derly Chin De Muze.

Nassar rode textbook-perfect rounds and was the only one to leave all the rails up in two tours through Olaf Petersen, Jr.’s, challenging course. He competes internationally as part of the Egypitan show jumping team, and has made a name for himself as a top athlete on the Southern California circuit, where he has amassed a stellar performance record with a stable of high-quality mounts.

Minikus and Quality Girl, the only other pair to make the jump-off, despite throwing a shoe early in round one, had two rails down in the final and retired. After showing sheer brilliance during through her first tour, when she made it look easy, the 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare seemed unsettled when she returned to the ring.

The horse reportedly lost a not insignificant chunk of hoof with the shoe, and owner Minikus elected to retire her rather than complete the jump-off course (and is doubt pleased with his $200,000 consolation prize!)

Only Two Perfect in Round One

Sharn Wordley ― third in the order of go ― topped the leaderboard until Nassar entered the ring at No. 25. A wildcard invite, Wordley, who rode classes in Ocala, FL, this winter,  was one of only three to leave all the rails in their (very flat!) cups. A single time fault kept him from the jump-off, but his third place finish netted a $120,000 payday.

After walking the 1.60m course, Wordley’s thought was, “I was glad I was on Derly! She’s got such scope and is so careful. Through winter I’ve been working on her rideability, and she’s really rideable now. There’s nothing she can’t jump. She’s fabulous.” The 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare was purchased by Ashland Stables in 2010, for Ashley Fleischhacker to ride.

When the barn’s top mount, Hickstead, died unexpectedly in 2011, Fleischhacker graciously offered Eric Lamaze, then Ashland’s principal rider, the opportunity to take the mare to the 2012 Olympics. For the past year, the New Zealand-born Wordley has been the main rider for Ashland, and he and Fleischhacker are engaged and plan to marry in March.

The round one time allowed was 83 seconds. Wordley jumped it in 83.3 and winning rider Nassar in 82.76. “That’s how close it was,” Wordley said. “There was only about .6 of a second separating us.”

Road to Victory

Nassar had a terrific winter on the HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, CA, and competed at the 2013 Show Jumping World Cup in Gothenburg. “This is the biggest class this horse has jumped,” said Nassar, who made the trip to New York from California, where he is a senior, studying economics at Stanford. Nassar admits he was “definitely worried”  when Minikus rode in eight trips later, at No. 33, and made it a jump-off.

When it came time for that second round, “my plan was to put as much pressure on (Todd) as possible while leaving all the jumps up,” Nassar said. “Lordan jumped incredibly and was very careful.” Nassar bought the gelding as a six-year-old and has taken it slow with his development.

The rider said he is considering a career as a professional athlete. His immediate plan is upon graduation to continue riding internationally for his native Egypt from his base in the United States.

Margie Engle of Wellington, Florida rode Elm Rock Partners LLC’s spectacular stallion Royce to fourth. The duo from Wellington, FL, had the fastest of three four-fault rounds, good for $100,000. Capping the top five and earning a $75,000 prize check, Hugh Graham piloted King Ridge Stables’ Distant Star 3E to home just three-tenths of a  second behind Engle.

 

 

 

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