Traverse City, Mich. – Aug. 4, 2017 – International horses and athletes battled against the elements and the competition on Friday at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF) in the Walsh $35,000 Welcome Stake CSI2*. Kicking off FEI competition for Week Five, it was the USA’s Kristen Vanderveen and Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili who took home the win.
Thirty-four combinations braved the wind and rain to challenge the technical track designed by Ireland’s Alan Wade, while eight jumped clear to move on to the jump-off.
Chile’s Samuel Parot, who captured back-to-back FEI wins during the CSI3* week at GLEF in 2016, set the standard to beat with a double-clear performance in 37.63 seconds as the first to return in the jump-off aboard his own Romance Du Criolo.
Yet Vanderveen, who entered a total of three mounts in Friday’s class, immediately followed with the 12-year-old Belgian Warmblood stallion owned by Bull Run Jumpers Five LLC, galloping around the shortened course in 36.09 seconds to take over the lead.
Five more horses and riders attempted to catch Vanderveen but were unsuccessful.
The final combination to return was Mexico’s Santiago Lambre and Dingeman. Lambre, who has won the past three consecutive FEI classes throughout Weeks Three and Four at GLEF, looked to claim his fourth win on Friday. However, Vanderveen ended his streak as he crossed the finish line in 37.57 seconds to settle for second place, while Parot rounded out the top three.
Also finishing double-clear in Friday’s competition was U.S. Olympian Margie Engle and Storm Ridge Capital LLC’s Dicas in fourth place in 39.07 seconds, while Erynn Ballard of Canada and Thalys Z, owned by The Thalys Group, secured fifth place in 39.21 seconds.
Week Five will conclude on Sunday in the Grand Prix Ring with the $50,000 Grand Traverse Grand Prix CSI2* at 2 p.m.
Click here to watch Kristen Vanderveen’s interview!
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Kristen Vanderveen – Walsh $35,000 Welcome Stake CSI2* winner
On Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili:
“I’ve had [Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili] now for two or three years. Over the winter up until now we’ve done a bunch of speed classes so we’ve really got the jump-offs down pat. This summer has been really cool to see it all come together in the big grand prix competitions and in the ranking classes. He’s really fighting for me and we’re much more of a team now that we know each other.”
On her jump-off:
“I tried to start off before fence one with that gallop so I could find everything off of that rhythm. He was really good to me at jump three — I was a little bit long and far-off and he really fought for me and stayed very careful there. I think that helped as we didn’t really have to slow down. Then the turn back to the combination was quite tight and he fought again for me really hard coming out. I think those two things definitely added to the win.”
On GLEF:
“It’s great here! Everybody says, ‘You’re the queen of Tryon.’ It’s a shame for the horse because he’s really brilliant and it just happens that we show a lot in Tryon. It’s been great being here. It’s a lot cooler and the horses feel fresh and happy. The ring has a really awesome feel to it, kind of down in the stadium feel. It was a lot of fun to come here and have it start off so well.”
On her other new mounts:
“The other two horses I rode in the class I just recently got. I was really pleased with them. [Bull Run’s Almighty] had a time fault and [Bull Run’s Living] is just 8 years old so I’m excited about the up-and-coming horses and the future.”
On her plan for the rest of the summer and fall:
“We’ll be here next week for the 3* and then I’ll bring [Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili] to Chicago for a 4*. Then I think we’ll take a couple of weeks and start the fall in New York with a couple of 5* events there in Saugerties and maybe the American Gold Cup and Central Park.”
RESULTS
Walsh $35,000 Welcome Stake CSI2*:
Place / Horse / Rider / Country / Owner / R1 Faults / R2 Faults / Time
1. Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili / Kristen Vanderveen / USA / Bull Run Jumpers Five LLC / 0 / 0 / 36.09
2. Dingeman / Santiago Lambre / MEX / Santiago Lambre / 0 / 0 / 37.57
3. Romance Du Criolo / Samuel Parot / CHI / Samuel Parot / 0 / 0 /37.63
4. Dicas / Margie Engle / USA / Storm Ridge Capital LLC / 0 / 0 / 39.07
5. Thalys Z / Erynn Ballard / CAN / The Thalys Group / 0 / 0 / 39.21
6. Bella Donna / Erynn Ballard / CAN / Sagamore Farms / 0 / 4 / 39.64
7. Redmond / Alberto Michan / MEX / Brianne Goutal LLC / 0 / 4 / 41.12
8. Iluna / Ramiro Quintana / ARG / Michael Smith / 0 / 8 / 41.13
9. Enzo / Ilan Bluman / COL / Blue Star Investments / 1 / 77.91
10. Van Gogh / Theo Genn / USA / Wilhelm Genn / 1 / 78.67
11. Bull Run’s Almighty / Kristen Vanderveen / USA / Bull Run Jumpers Six LLC / 1 / 78.68
12. Eax Run Run LS / Ilan Bluman / COL / Blue Star Investments / 1 / 79.67
Lisa Jacquin and Santa Maspane Kick-Off Week Five with Green and Young Hunter Championships
Opening day of the professional hunter divisions during GLEF Week Five commenced on Wednesday with the Treesdale Farms Green 3′ Hunter division in the Polk Family Main Hunter Ring.
After collecting two blue ribbons over fences on Wednesday and adding a first, second and third place on Thursday, U.S. Olympic silver medalist, Lisa Jacquin, and Evincible, an 8-year-old gelding owned by Linda Ostberg, secured the championship. The reserve championship was awarded to Santa Maspane and Kathryn Haefner LLC’s Marshall.
Following her reserve championship in the Treesdale Farms Green 3′ Hunter division, Maspane switched mounts and rode to the top of the Young Hunter division on Thursday, this time winning the tricolor with Kennedy, also owned by Kathryn Haefner LLC.
Maspane and the Holsteiner gelding racked up a first and third place on Wednesday and returned to the ring on Thursday to earn two more blue ribbons and a second place for championship honors. The reserve championship in the Young Hunter division went to Aristea Santoro and Louboutin, owned by Melissa Hirt.
Click here to watch Lisa Jacquin’s interview!
Click here to watch Santa Maspane’s interview!
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Lisa Jacquin – Treesdale Farms Green 3′ Hunter division champion
On Evincible:
“[Evincible] is a Dutch Warmblood that we bought two years ago. We’ve been bringing him along through the ranks and he belongs to an amateur. He’s a very sweet horse and he’s gotten better and better every week. This is his last week and he finished well. He’s very attractive. He has a great expression and a great jump so I think the judges like his look. He was a little spooky the first couple of weeks but now he’s leveled out. I thought he was quite good yesterday and today, I’m very pleased with him.”
On GLEF:
“We have horses going the rest of the week here and then we go to Kentucky in the fall and then we head back down to Wellington. We love it here. It’s just beautiful and we love Traverse City, the people and the weather. It’s nice. I could spend every summer here.”
Santa Maspane – Young Hunter division champion
On Kennedy:
“[Kennedy] is a 6-year-old and we’ve had him since he was 3 and a half years old. He is a brother of Bella Donna from Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum. He’s really green in the ring but his attitude since day one has been that he loves to show. I liked that he had some time off after Wellington this year. He just went in the ring and didn’t spook at the jumps and did the best he could. His owner shows him in the Amateur-Owner 3’3″ so we’re going to keep showing him at the 3’3″ level until he gets more mileage. I think he’s developing well. I am also going to try to do him in the derbies. He’s still green but he’s had some ribbons before so we will try to do our best.”
On GLEF:
“This is my first time at GLEF and so far it’s wonderful. I think we will come back! Next we’re going to go back home, I have some young horses that I need to ride and prepare, and we’ll go from there.”
Emmanuelle Greenberg Impresses Judges on Equitation Tuesday
Week Five kicked off on Tuesday with the third “Equitation Tuesday” of the 2017 GLEF series. Thirteen-year-old Emmanuelle Greenberg of Boca Raton, Florida, showcased her talents and impressed the judges to win the Taylor Harris Insurance Services (THIS) National Children’s Medal aboard Arly Golombek’s Upton.
Greenberg and the Selle Français gelding, who train under Jane Fennessy at Carriage Hill Farm based in Delray Beach, Florida, have only been competing together for two months but are already proving to be a winning partnership with a bright future ahead of them.
In addition, the blue ribbon in the Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Medal, presented by Randolph College, was claimed by Mackenzie Cianciolo, trained by Melissa Hirt, and G-Star, owned by Dunn Rite Farms LLC.
The WIHS Equitation jumper phase saw Hannah Coleman, trained by Polly Howard, and Lindsay Lyden’s Just Magic take home the top prize, while Sara Ballinger and her own Wanderprinz won the Ariat Adult Medal.
Week Six will feature the conclusion of Equitation Tuesday competition at the 2017 GLEF. This new addition to the GLEF schedule provides equitation exhibitors the opportunity to collect double the amount of valuable qualifying points per week in one location.
Click here to watch Emmanuelle Greenberg’s interview!
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Emmanuelle Greenberg – THIS National Children’s Medal winner
On Upton:
“Upton is 9 years old. Arly Golombek originally bought him as a 1.30m jumper but then decided she wanted to see if he could do the international derbies. She then leased him out to me as an equitation horse.”
On her performances on Tuesday:
“I think my test was very good. I thought it was smooth and the transitions were nice. I think my trot jump was probably the best out of the four and my halt was nice as well.”
On riding at Carriage Hill Farm:
“I’ve been riding [at Carriage Hill Farm] for about four years. The best part is that we’re all just like a family. There is so much inclusion and everyone is so happy. You can tell everyone really, really loves what they’re doing, especially Jane [Fennessy]. She’s been doing it for so long and gives really good instruction. She teaches us really well.”
On GLEF and her plans for the future:
“I’m here for another week and then I go home and back to school. I love the weather here. Everyone that works here is so nice and everything runs so smoothly. I really like it. I think it’s nice that they have [Equitation Tuesdays] so you can keep up with your points. I’m still learning [Upton], I’ve only had him for two months, so I think it’s cool that I am just starting to ride him and already doing really well.”
