Brown, Cassiato top Showpark

By Staff Report September 4, 2011

Riding for Australia, Harley Brown and Cassiato earned the blue sash at the $50,000 Grand Prix of Showpark, presented by the Grand Del Mar. The Sept. 3 event was the first World Cup Qualifier on the West Coast, taking place during the Blenheim EquiSports Showpark All Seasons Summer Classic, which ran Aug. 31-Sept. 4.

The San Luis Obispo-based Brown and his 18.2 hand grey partner were the only pair to master Anthony D’Ambrosio’s course without fault. Two others managed to get around with just a single time fault: Michelle Spadone and Uwwalon and Kirsten Coe and Combina. Six made it on a single rail.

After watching the first two horses complete the track in less than 75 seconds, D’Ambrosio shortened his time allowed from 80 to 76 seconds. Two horses later, Coe and Ilan Ferder’s Combina jumped without knocking a single rail but  stopped the clock in 78.51. and Spadone and Uwwalon did the same thirteen entries after that―no jumps down but the clock stopped at 78.47.  Both pairs received one time fault.

Hoping for a jump-off, the crowd was at the edge of its seat when the final entry galloped in. Karl Cook aboard ASB Conquistador were fault free and within the time until the last of the sixteen obstacles resulted in a knock-down and four faults. Although a collective groan could be heard throughout the Del Mar Horse Park, the audience was happy to cheer for Cassiato and Brown, who earned not only the lion’s share of the prize money, but a sweet ride into the awards ceremony in a Ferrari (sans horse!)

Sitting with his six-year-old daughter Zoe at the autograph table, Brown was beaming after a fantastic day. In his fifth season with Cassiato, Brown is bringing along several more horses. Earlier that morning his five-year-old horse Cash finished first with three clean rounds in the Young Jumper Championships.

When asked about the time allowed decision post class, veteran course designer D’Ambrosio said, “I thought the decision was perfect when the first few horses had times in the low seventies. I think if you asked the riders they would agree that those with time faults rode careful and clear, not as conscious of the time.” Knowing the riders want to be challenged with these World Cup Qualifers in order to be prepared to compete at a World Cup level, D’Ambrosio set a course that did just that. He continued, “It was a good result over a tough course – I believe they got what they wanted.”

Brown planned for the tight time in his ride. “Cassiato is a big and slow type, I’ve had time faults before. I always go in thinking the time is going to be tight.”

The four faulters finished fourth through ninth, with the fastest and fourth place going to Francie Steinwedell-Carvin riding Prentiss Partners’ Taunus. Rusty Stewart and Bristol (Grey Fox Farm, owner) picked up fifth with their four fault score; both Carvin and Stewart had fence six down mid-course. Columbian John Perez on Utopia clipped a rail at the triple bar going in to the combination at 3a, for four faults and sixth place. The heartbreak final fence put Cook and ABS Conquistador into seventh place. Eighth place, Michelle Parker and Socrates De Midos, had a late rail as well, 12c, and Nicole Shahinian-Simpson picked up ninth on Monarch International’s Candle Light Van De Warande with just four at fence seven.

Twenty contestants competed for the blue at this first West Coast World Cup Qualifier event, which was relocated from the indoor ring to the grand prix field at the Del Mar Horse Park about a week prior to the event. For the past few years, the World Cup Qualifiers held in Southern California had ― at the request of the West Coast’s competitive show jumpers ― been held in indoor venues that more precisely simulated the environment at the finals. But since the Mexican and Canadian qualifiers had been held mainly outdoors, when the FEI combined the Canadian and  Mexican Leagues with the U.S. West Coast League in June, 2010, the qualifiers again became a mix of indoor and outdoor events.

Place     #             Horse    Owner  Rider

Class 351 – $50,000 Grand Prix of Showpark (20 entries)

1. 119         Cassiato (Oak Park Group LLC)  Harley Brown
2. 504        Uwwalon (Morgan Hill Partners) Michelle Spadone
3. 432        Combina (Ilan Ferder) Kristen Coe
4. 313         Tanus (Prentiss Parnters) Francie Steinwedell-Carvin
5. 521         Bristol (Grey Fox Farm) Rusty Stewart
6. 506         Utopia  (John Perez) John Perez
7. 334         ABS Conquistador (Signe Ostby) Karl Cook
8. 518         Socrates De Midos (Cross Creek Farms) Michelle Parker
9. 401         Candle Light Van De Warrande (Monarch Int’l.) Nicole Shahinian-Simpson
10. 335         Uno De Laubry (Signe Ostby) Karl Cook
11. 126         Camaron Hills Quick Dollar (Camaron Hills Farm) Molly Talla
12. 357         Avargo (Highpoint Farm) Tina Dilandri

 

Short URL: https://theequestriannews.com/?p=4549