Conor Swail and Martha Louise won the Week 8 1.40m Wellington Turf Tour Grand Prix.

Wellington, FL – The eighth week of The Ridge at Wellington Turf Tour saw over 30 horse and rider combinations tackle Nick Granat’s technical track, but Conor Swail and Martha Louise were the ones to beat from the get go. Irish rider, Swail, rode his veteran mount to the top of the leader board as only the sixth exhibitor of the day, breaking the beam in 38.731 seconds. Beth Underhill and Viggo nearly caught Swail later in the day, but one-tenth of a second would separate the top two finishers today. Although the sky was grey with clouds threatening downpour, the International Polo Club Palm Beach stayed dry and offered the ideal footing for the $15,000 1.40m Grand Prix. Jeffery Welles and KM Whatever RV were the first pair of the day to ride to a double clear effort. They set the standard high with a time of 40.641 seconds, but with nearly 25 competitors hot on their heels, the day would close out with Welles in third place. Nick Granat’s course proved more technical and built bigger than the past years, which Welles looked upon in favor. Granat utilized a tricky triple combination to catch many of the riders off guard. The line required a forward five strides to the triple, but the verticals came up quickly, requiring patience on both the rider and the horse’s parts. Welles explained, “It seems a little more aggressive this year, which is good for this Friday class, because they have more entries. It was a nice, galloping, open track, and it had a nice flow to it. The jump off had a couple short turns, definitely more turning than galloping. It was a little cooler today, which allowed the horses to brighten up a little bit.” Swail followed only two horses behind Welles with Martha Louise, shattering the previously set time with a double clear effort in 38.731 seconds. He was able to make tight rollbacks and eat up the ground to set the day’s unbeatable time.   “Martha Louise is one of my top horses,” Swail said of the mare. “She has had a few weeks off, so our plan is to do The Ridge for a few weeks. It is lovely to come over here and let her jump around. It is a great education for her.” Swail continued, “I think it was a very good course today. It is well spread out and it was a very long course, but very good. I think Nick [Granat] has done a good job today. Martha Louise is quite experienced and is a naturally fast horse. She is very good at rollbacks, so I thought I would use them as best I could. I thought it was a nice round and there is possibly a little room left for someone else, but I hope I am up there somewhere.”

Beth Underhill and Viggo

It was Beth Underhill who almost unseated Swail from the first place position, but one-tenth of a second would separate the two today. Underhill rode Viggo to the time of 38.835 seconds to fall just shy of Swail’s pace and finish the competition in second. Underhill has been a proponent of The Ridge at Wellington since its inception, and has frequented the competitions each week. “My horse loves this ring. He loves the footing, and I think this course was excellent. I think it has become more technical each week. Viggo stayed careful and fast in the jump off, I couldn’t ask for anymore from him today, I am thrilled with him today. He tried his best today, and I couldn’t be more proud.”Underhill continued, “I think Nona [Garson] and George [D’Ambrosio] do such a wonderful job, they are so welcoming. It is a throwback to the way horse shows used to be. I think the way that they have organized it, where you can come in and walk the course and make it work for your schedule, is something we really need for our sport. It is wonderful for the horses to get out here and have new scenery and hone their skills elsewhere, it helps out with competing at other horse shows, too.” Chicago’s Lisa Goldman and Aslan rode to the fourth place position behind Welles, finishing the track just off his time in 40.712 seconds. Catherine Pasamore was awarded the fifth place finish for her time of 40.864 with Z Canta, while Ansgar Holtgers and Wisconsin rounded out the top six. While the 1.40m Grand Prix was taking place down the polo field, Ring 2 was alive with action with the Low and Medium Schooling Jumpers and the much sought-after $2,000 Child/Adult Jumper Classic and the $3,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic. It was Adam Prudent who kicked off the day in Ring 2, riding to the first Medium Schooling Jumper victory with Sir Lochinvar. “The course designer did a good job with [the course]. It is quite hard to make two courses fit in one small ring, but these are very nice courses,” said Prudent. “I love jumping on grass. I think horses jump better on the grass than anywhere else, it is great to have this as an option during the winter circuit.” Christian Currey rode Vigaro to a first-place finish in the $2,000 M&S/NAL WIHS Child/Adult Jumper Classic. Elizabeth Maloney had quite a successful day, topping the second Medium Schooling Jumper class as the owner of Bigua and winning the $3,000 NAL Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic with Quadrifolio, affectionately known around the barn as Q.  

Elizabeth Maloney and Quadrifolio won the $3,000 NAL Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic

“My horse loves jumping on the grass. I don’t usually turn too tight with him because he’s my baby, and I tend to baby him too much,” said Maloney. “But I felt safe out here doing that because the footing was so good, and we don’t even have big studs in, just little studs.” Week nine of the Ridge at Wellington’s Turf Tour will take place at Tonkawa Farms, 4150 South Road in Wellington, FL 33414. From Pierson or Lake Worth Rd, go west to South Shore Blvd. Make a left (south) onward to 50th Street. Make a right and the property will be on the right side.  The Ridge would like to thank Dover Saddlery for their support of the 12-week series as the cooler and banner sponsor, and they would also like to announce their most recent jump sponsor, Panthera, the leaders in wild cat conservation. Panthera joins Hollow Brook Wealth Management and PJ Saddles as the series’ jump sponsors.Show Net will be onsite for both Wednesday and Friday events posting live results, as well as videoing rounds in both rings. For results and videos please visit www.shownet.bizMeadowbrook Horse Transport will provide transportation to and from the horse show and other locations throughout Wellington for both the Wednesday and Friday events. The transportation is a nominal fee of $50 per horse, and will be calculated into the final show fees. To make a reservation for one of the three pickup times: 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. please call Peter Tufano of Meadowbrook Horse Transport at (954) 415-7217, or call Nona Garson at (908) 500-0996.For more information about the Ridge at Wellington please go to www.theridgefarm.com. For up-to-date information please follow the Ridge at Wellington on Facebook.ResultsLow Schooling Jumper Table II, Sec 2b 1.10 to 1.15mPlace Entry Horse Owner Rider1st 985 Erinus Carlie Fairty David ArcandMedium Schooling Jumper Table II, Sec 2c 1.20 to 1.25mPlace Entry Horse Owner Rider1st 1225 Bigua Elizabeth Maloney Elizabeth Maloney2nd 625 Olivia Melody Hampton Farms LLC Cynthia Hampton3rd 962 Pennsula Vertigo Marilyn Dawson-Dixon Marilyn Dawson-Dixon4th 1234 Cornet 39 Paris Sellon Paris Sellon5th 998 Can Can Nelson Pessoa Gustavo Prato6th 1201 Diplomat Diane Denby Diane Denby697 Allegretta Greener Pastures Randy Johnson1204 Pensilvania Dorothy Cox Adam Prudent1221 Narco VA Randy Johnson Randy JohnsonMedium Schooling Jumper Table II, Sec 2b 1.20 to 1.25mPlace Entry Horse Owner Rider1st 1205 Sir Lochinvar Valley View Stables Adam Prudent2nd 697 Allegretta Greener Pastures 7268 Randy Johnson3rd 670 Balous Boy Applied Floriac LLC Eric Flameng4th 1234 Cornet 39 Paris Sellon Paris Sellon5th 1201 Diplomat Diane Denby Diane Denby6th 1221 Narco VA Randy Johnson Randy Johnson7th 803 Herrock Christian Currey Charlotte Currey643 Carle Paul H. Yanke Paul H. Yanke962 Pennsula Vertigo Marilyn Dawson-Dixon Marilyn Dawson-Dixon998 Can Can Nelson Pessoa Gustavo Prato1204 Pensilvania Dorothy Cox Adam PrudentChild and Adult Jumper 1.15M Table IV Sec 1Place Entry Horse Owner Rider1st 1229 Airwalk Samantha Halo Samantha Halo $2,000 M&S/NAL WIHS Child/Adult Jumper Classic 1.15M TII,2bPlace Entry Horse Owner Rider1st 804 Vigaro Page E. Tredennick Christian Currey2nd 1227 Tanzanite Susannah Wise Susannah Wise3rd 1229 Airwalk 5021191 Samantha Halo Samantha HaloJunior/Amateur Owner Jumper 1.30M Table IV Sec 1Place Entry Horse Owner Rider1st 803 Herrock 4874047 Christian Currey 147266 Charlotte Currey2nd 1226 Forever Z Tiffany Avon Tiffany Avon$3,000 NAL Junior/A-O Classic Table II Sec 2b 1.25mPlace Entry Horse Owner Rider1st 1224 Quadrifolio Elizabeth Maloney Elizabeth Maloney2nd 1238 Simply Be Ariel Leshem Ariel Leshem3rd 1226 Forever Z Tiffany Avon Tiffany Avon4th 1222 Doctori Kindle Hill Affiliates Saly Glassman5th 1236 Cavalier Knight Old Willow Farms LLC Alexandra Pielet6th 1237 Tarantel’la Emily D’Alessandro Emily D’Alessandro7th 595 Carpathia K Hidden Brook Farm Tiffany Field8th 1223 Ti Punch D’emm Kindle Hill Affiliates Saly Glassman625 Olivia Melody Hampton Farms LLC  Cynthia Hampton643 Carle Paul H. Yanke Paul H. Yanke803 Herrock Christian Currey Charlotte Currey1235 Windo Cayla Fisher Cayla Fisher1239 Pim Geoffrey C. Sutton Kelly Arani$15,000 1.40M Grand Prix – Table II Sec 2bPlace Entry Horse Owner Rider1st 489 Martha Louise Susan Grange Conor Swail2nd 543 Viggo Beth Underhill Beth Underhill3rd 505 KM WHAT EVER RV NOD HILL FARM Jeffery Welles4th 996 Aslan charity Judge Lisa Goldman5th 1232 Z Canta Pasmore Stables, LLC Catherine Pasmore6th 860 Wisconsin Ansgar Holtgers Ansgar Holtgers7th 508 Ridley EC67020 Susan Grange Darrin Dliin8th 937 Robin De Ponthual John Gallagher Peter Lutz455 Jonnas Corint Davenport Enterprises Peter Lutz472 HH Eli Cash Double H Farm McLain Ward484 Cantero Z Ilan Ferder Dana Escales487 Tahiti Island Blue Hill Farm, Inc Connor Swail509 FORTIS FORTUNA Susan Grange Connor Swail572 DAKOTA Susan Grange BRADY HAYES671 Quick Latinus Miranda Scott Miranda Scott727 Coriano Zwartepannenhof Hidden Brook Farm Chloe Field739 Carlotta Singular Susan Grange Darrin Dliin745 Lennox Lewis 2 Annie Phillips Annie Phillips773 Chill Haze Paul H. Yanke Paul H. Yanke853 Pele Annie Phillips Annie Phillips861 Quick Petite Folie Ansgar Holtgers Ansgar Holtgers936 Carneyhaugh Manx Katherine Gallagher Katherine Gallagher1203 Joy Ride Iag Syndicate, LLC Adam Prudent1204 Pensilvania Dorothy Cox Adam Prudent1208 Magnus Orfeo Great Span LLC Mary Manfredi1211 Chin Quidam VDL Hyperion Stud, LLC Darragh Kenny1212 Castor van de Krahenburg Lexis Arbuckle EC Carly Campbell-Cooper1216 Ballon JX Liam Dumont Walker EC Liam Dumont Walker EC 0.001218 Hands Free Ori Equestrian Conor O’regan1228 deko de Landetta Z Adena Springs Adena Springs1230 Centre Ice Kelly Soleau Kelly Soleau1231 Itty Bitty Kelly Soleau Kelly Soleau1233 New York Onlyjumpers.Com Juan Pablo Gnecco