Lila Sessums and Continental B Top the Field in the $15,000 Show Jumping Hall Of Fame Amateur-Owner Championship

Wellington, FL - December 4, 2005 - Fifteen top Amateur Owner Jumper riders competed in today’s year end Show Jumping Hall of Fame Championship. Scoring was Table II, Sec. 2a, Time First Jump-Off. Three riders advanced to the timed jump-off. Five competitors had four faults; one had six, one had eight and two had more than eight. Two riders were eliminated.

In the jump-off, Lila Sessums and the veteran Continental B emerged victorious with the only clear ride in the tiebreaker. Their clear round time was 42.546 seconds.

Louis Jacobs and Caucalis finished with a single knockdown in 38.557 seconds to grab second place and Blythe Masters and Camaro 48 were third, also with four faults but a time of 39.100 seconds.

Following the class, Sessums gave all the credit Continental B for the big day. “I just have such a wonderful horse. He’s taken me to the party for thirteen years now,” she said. “He’s just so very careful and so good at his job that I knew I had to do my best because I knew he was going to do his best. He’s eighteen,” she revealed. “I bought him from Dennis Murphy thirteen years ago. He’s amazing. He has placed in sixty-eight out of seventy-five grand prix events with me, winning thirteen of them. He’s pretty incredible,” she added.

Knowing that all she had to do was go clear to win; Sessums said that was certainly on her mind. “I was thinking about that whole way around the course,” she laughed. “I knew I was going to be in trouble if I didn’t go clean, but I decided to not be crazy and go for the clear round and it worked out.”

How excited was Sessums following her win? “I’ll tell you, this morning I was saying a little prayer and I said I’d rather win this class today than win the lottery. I’m so excited,” she admitted. “This is such an important class at such an important horse show and he so deserves it because he’s such a special horse.”

Official Results #1104- $15,000 SJHOF Amateur-Owner Championship –Table II, Sec 2a – Time First Jump-off – National Horse Show – 12-04-05 –Internationale Arena