Hunter Holloway and I Love Lucy Take the $10,000 Coors Family High Jr/AO Jumper Classic
Monday, July 7, 2014 | Mary Phelps
Parker, CO – The first class of the day in the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena, the $10,000 Coors Family Junior Amateur Owner Jumper Classic got underway promptly at eight a.m. on Sunday of Week IV of Summer in the Rockies. The talented group of competitors stepped up to the challenge and spectators enjoyed some of the country’s best up-and-coming riders. {C}Twenty horses and riders took their turn around Buddy Brown’s speedy track. Though a fairly uncomplicated course, the jump-off round included some options for inside turns and a rollback left to the second-to last jump. With the juniors and amateurs one of the keys would be setting the right pace and matching the ride to the jump.
For the Grand Prix on Saturday, Brown hoped for six to eight to go clean and advance to the jump-off round. Six ended up as the magic number on Saturday and six would also be the number of clean first rounds in the $10,000 Coors Family Junior Amateur Owner Jumper Classic.
Competitors were given the option to complete their jump off round immediately or at the completion of the first round. Delaney Flynn and Irish Rose Stables’ Quite Quick were the first pair to go clear and opted to return for the short track later.
Kristen Blomstrom and Barlando, owned by Farfetched Farm completed the second fault-free first round.
Five rounds later, Haley Griffis and Cici’s Angel, owned by Palmer Divide Ranch, were the next clean-rounders.
Three consecutive horse and rider pairs mastered the first round leaving the jumps intact, Hunter Holloway and Hay’s Investment’s I Love Lucy, Kelli Cruciotti and her own Chamonix H and Hannah Donald and her Commissario 6.
Returning for the jump-off, Kristen Blomstrom and Barlando had a rail and laid down a time of 35.020. Griffis and Cici’s Angel, earned a double clear effort and a time of 35.764.
Holloway, from Topeka, KS and I Love Lucy delivered a screaming fast and clean round breaking the beam at 34.592. Cruciotti and Chamonix H were also double clear but, stopping the timers at 35.503, just edging out Griffis for second place.
Then, Hannah Donald and Commissario 6 had a fast and clear round clocking in at 34.837, not quite fast enough to overtake Holloway’s position but earned the pair second place. Holloway maintained her lead to win the class.
“It was a great course, it was really straightforward,” said Holloway. “The courses have been great all week. Both courses felt like the horses got more confident as the courses went on. We always like that”
Holloway purchased Lucy a year ago, right before Summer in the Rockies last year.
“When we got her she was doing the 1.30-1.40m and we moved her up,” she said. “I’ve done some grand prix stuff on her and I took her to Germany. She was amazing there. This is actually her first horse show back since being in Germany. So this is a light week for her – doing the Highs.”
Holloway said that they are considering the grand prix next week, but that Lucy has worked pretty hard this season.
“We went to Belgium for one week and did a small horse show there,” Holloway said. “The horses were fabulous. Then we went to Holland and Germany for the team competition. Lucy was awesome. The US ended up seventh overall so there’s room for improvement. But everyone competed strongly and put solid performances in.”
Before traveling to Parker for Summer in the Rockies, Holloway had been accepted and attended the Gladstone Program in Chicago with George Morris. The “Gladstone Program” is an intensive week of training and education for exceptionally dedicated and talented show jumping riders who are serious about their interest and desire to pursue a path that will prepare them to be a “team” rider and represent the United States in international competition.
The program is open to riders over 18 years of age, who are currently competing successfully at 1.45 meter or above.
The riders are personally selected by George Morris. The purpose of the program is to continue to educate, support and guide potential “team” riders on the overall knowledge and expertise required to succeed at the top level of show jumping internationally.
“You know, it is always amazing to work with someone like George Morris,” Holloway said. “You know he’s the master of our sport. Our American style of riding is so influenced by his style. He is the American style of riding. It was so disciplined and so amazing to get such valuable information- like, the importance of dressage and flatwork. It was a fabulous program and included lectures from farriers, vets attorneys. They covered everything you could imagine.”
Keeping the courses aligned with his goals, Brown’s $5,000 NAL Low Junior Amateur Jumper Classic track produced eight clean rounds out of 33 entries.
Camille Trimble and Samar had sensational double clear and speedy rounds to earn the win the $5000 NAL Low Junior Amateur Jumper Classic.
“He’s my grandfather,” said Trimble. “He’s 17. I lease him from Kent Farrington. I just love him.”
Trimble has ridden with Scott Lenkhart and Courtney Calcagnini of CSC Farm for the past year. She said that she hasn’t been to the Colorado Horse Park since she did the ponies.
Next week Trimble heads off to Kentucky for North American Junior and Young Rider Championships NAJYRC. The prestigious event is scheduled to take place at Colorado Horse Park in 2016.
The NAJYRC is the premier equestrian competition in North America for junior and young riders, age 14-21. Young equestrians come from the United States, Bermuda, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean Islands to vie for team and individual FEI medals in the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of show jumping, dressage, and eventing, and the FEI World Equestrian Games disciplines of reining and endurance.
Summer in the Rockies Week V begins on Tuesday, July 8 with the highly-anticipated $40,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, sponsored by Serenity Farms and the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby
555. $10,000 Coors Family High Jr/AO Jumper Classic
551. $5,000 NAL Low Jr/AO Jumper Classic
Click here to view full results from Saturday.
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