USHJA Win for Karazissis

By Marnye Langer May 27, 2013

Jenny Karazissis and Jamestown won the $10,000 Memorial Day USHJA International Hunter Derby, May 26, at the LEG Memorial Day Classic Horse Show, Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

The event marked a derby debut for Jamestown, who belongs to Nina Vogel, who competes as a 14-year-old, mainly in equitation classes, under the tutelage of the Karazissis family’s Calabasas-based Far West Farms.

Karazissis said the decision was made the day before to enter Jamestown in the ultra-competitive derby. “It wasn’t on our radar at all, but I thought since he was here we should do it, and the owners agreed. Because it was his first derby, more than anything, I just wanted him to have a good experience.”

In keeping with that strategy, Karazissis decided not to take any of the higher options designer Chris Collman offered in either the first or second rounds. Jamestown rose to the occasion and the pair entered round two in second place, carrying a score of 167. Bert Mutch and Dinner For Two led round one with their score of 171.

The handy round truly separated the 17 starters as they had to navigate tight tracks on Collman’s course. Karazissis knew Jamestown’s equitation experience would serve him well in this phase, but, she said, “after Hugh’s high score, I definitely considered changing my plan and possibly going for some of the higher options…but I didn’t want to chance a rail.”

Jamestown earned handy bonuses of 8 points from each set of judges and the pair shot to the lead with a total score of 350. Mutch, who trains with John Charlebois and rides a horse owned by Rebecca Reyes, made an effort to go mano-a-mano in the handiness category, but some cross canter steps on one tight turn knocked him to third. Michael Leon and Copado moved into second place after a consistent handy round with all four higher options.

Karazissis’ daughter Katrina placed fourth in the derby, aboard Leopold Von Bayern, owned by Adrianna Moore. “ I got to watch her do her first round, which was really good,” Karazissis said. “She did great in the handy and I’m so proud of her!”

Since the derby pits professionals, amateurs, and juniors against each other, LEG recognizes the top placing amateur and junior in the class. Cece Manze, in training with Sovereign Farm and Joe Thorpe, received a ribbon as the highest-placed junior rider, at seventh Curacao, owned by Michael Chaney. “This was my first derby. I don’t usually jump this high with this horse,”  Manze said.

Given the choice, Manze bravely opted for all four of the higher fences and was rewarded with six handy bonus points from one set of judges and seven from the other set. “The second round was kind of scary because the other junior and I had to go first and second, but I was really happy with my second round and proud of my horse.”

For his part, Collum got a bit experimental with the course. “It quickly got boring offering the four higher option fences side-by-side all the time, so I started separating some of them. At first, I simply moved them away from each other, but eventually I started setting them in entirely different parts of the ring and sometimes riders could approach them from different directions and leads. This has allowed me to be much more creative in designing the tracks. I felt the course offered just the right challenges without becoming too difficult. It set the stage and allowed the horses and riders to perform to the best, or worst, of their abilities.”

Exhibitor Tammy Chipko enjoyed the variety of Collman’s hunter course designs. “I thought the course design was great,” she commented. “It was different from most hunter courses and it was nice to have so many different jumps and not just do the outside lines and across the diagonal.” Chipko and her new hunter Fabulous and won the $1,000 3’6” Amateur/Owner Hunter Classic.

Chipko, who owns Shelburne Farm in Hidden Valley, is training with Rusty Stewart and proving  her versatility. She was reserve champion in the 1.20M Jumpers on Mini Coupe. “I love the hunters but I haven’t had a hunter horse to compete with,” Chipko said, noting, “I just got Fabulous last week so he is very new to me, but he absolutely lives up to his name.” Through 2013 Chipko plans to continue showing in the hunters and hopes to get back in the grand prix ring with her main jumper, Zico 13.

For the third year in a row, the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby hosted a fundraiser for After the Finish Line (ATFL), a charitable organization for off-the-track Thoroughbreds. Attendees munched on a delicious dinner and bid on silent auction items that included art from Fred Stone, restaurant gift certificates, gift baskets, and more while they watched the action unfold in the arena.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of the horse show,” commented Dawn Mellen, President of ATFL. “We are so thankful to LEG to have this opportunity to raise money for off-the-track Thoroughbreds and bring awareness of these horses to the riders here. It was a wonderful evening. We sold all of our VIP tables and box seats and the auction items were bid high, so we raised a lot of money for the horses.”

The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program encourages shows to have special classes just for Thoroughbreds, offering prize money and special ribbons. Dawn is thrilled about this new program. “All across the United States, off-the-track Thoroughbreds are being honored with these special classes, and it’s wonderful to see them at the shows enjoying show ring careers.”

For more information on the Memorial Day Classic Horse Show, including results, click here.

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