Cassio Rivetti and Queen Reign Supreme in $20,000 Equestrian Lifestyle Boutique 1.40 – 1.45m Speed Derby

Temecula, Calif. – May 30, 2019 – Back for another day of world-class show jumping, the Temecula Valley National Horse Show resumed Thursday at Galway Downs with the greatest prize money pot of the week thus far up for grabs. Taking advantage of his horse’s quick footspeed, Cassio Rivetti maneuvered Queen to the biggest win of the afternoon, claiming the title spot in the one-round $20,000 Equestrian Lifestyle Boutique 1.40 – 1.45m Speed Derby. Adding another victory to her name in Temecula, Sarah Invicta Williams-Echols jockeyed Converse Point to the swiftest double clean trip in the $7,500 Interactive Mortgage 10 and Under Futurity Classic, besting the field by mere milliseconds to capture the lead spot in the lap of honor.

Cassio Rivetti and Queen

No stranger to Temecula as a returning course designer, Olaf Petersen, Jr. constructed a 15-effort pattern for the 37 entries in the $20,000 Equestrian Lifestyle Boutique 1.40 – 1.45m Speed Derby, which proved to be a suitable challenge for exhibitors. The trailblazers for the class, Jason McArdle and Elicole set the early standard as the first to tackle the track and first to reach the finish line without incurring any faults, breaking the beam in 67.978 seconds. Capitalizing on a number of inside turn options, Rivetti and Jasmine Talley’s Queen immediately blew away McArdle and Elicole’s early time, galloping efficiently to a league all their own with a clear time of 63.720 seconds, more than four seconds quicker.

Cassio Rivetti accepting his awards on Isoline Van Dorperheide

Seventh in the order to ride, multiple-time Temecula champion and Olympic veteran John Pearce turned in a valiant effort with the reins on Nicole Teague’s Firestone S and looked to be on pace to put pressure on Rivetti and Queen, but crossed the finish line a bit too slow in 65.546 seconds to jump to second position. As the class progressed, a total 10 more combinations concluded the course without penalties to put themselves in contention for the title, but none would be able to match the leading team’s time without lowering any fences. Of the entire pack, only Pearce would be able to surpass Rivetti and Queen’s rapid time on his second mount of the class, Chantico, in 65.324 seconds, but unfortunately had the back rail of fence 4a down after attempting an incredibly tight rollback. With only one rival left to go, Rivetti still held prime position, and he would retain it as Bjorn Ikast and BBB Showjumpers’ Classini broke the beam in 65.552 seconds, securing them third position behind the champions, Rivetti and Queen, and the second place finishers, Pearce and Firestone S.

John Pearce and Firestone S

First in the ring for the $7,500 Interactive Mortgage 10 and Under Futurity Classic, Nicholas Choi and Caipirinha served as the pacesetters for the short course as the first pair to earn a spot in the immediate jump-off, turning in a quick time of 39.977 seconds with one rail down to finish on 4 faults. Petersen, Jr.’s initial 13-effort track ultimately only saw four duos successfully finish with all the fences intact, with Emma Reichow and Forever Alve the second pair to do so halfway through the order of go. Navigating their way to the lead midway through the class, Reichow and Forever Alve propelled themselves to the top of the leaderboard with their clean jump-off time of 38.641 seconds as the first partnership to turn in back-to-back penalty-free efforts.

Sarah Invicta Williams-Echols and Converse Point

Later adding their names to the short list as only the second pair to jump double clean, Jamie Barge directed Fioretti S to a conservative round in 45.146 seconds, and they were soon joined by the final entry on course, Williams-Echols aboard Invicta Farms Inc.’s Converse Point. Saving the best for last, Williams-Echols piloted Converse Point to a foot-perfect trip over the abridged 8-fence pattern, tripping the timers with all the rails up in 38.637 seconds, only four-thousandths of a second ahead of the early frontrunners to narrowly clinch victory. Owner-rider Reichow and Forever Alve finished the class in second position just a touch off the victors’ time, and Barge and her own Fioretti S rounded out the top three in the rankings. Thursday’s success for Williams-Echols is the second big win of the series for the New Mexico-based rider, who also earned top call in the $10,000 Voltaire Design 1.35m Speed Classic less than one week ago in Temecula.

Emma Reichow and Forever Alve

The Temecula Valley National Horse Show will return to Galway Downs on Friday, with the $10,000 1.40m Jumper Classic taking centerstage. Saturday evening will feature the highlight event of the week, the $40,000 Snapbac National Grand Prix, which is run concurrently with the $1,000 U25 Jumper Classic.

FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE

Cassio Rivetti – $20,000 Equestrian Lifestyle Boutique 1.40 – 1.45m Speed Derby winner

On Queen:
“I started riding Queen one month ago. He is really nice, and a really brave and quick horse. I don’t have too much experience with him but today he was great. I was number two in the start list so I had to try to be as quick as possible. Fences three to four was an inside turn that I was a bit scared to do, so I was quick around and trying to do it fast, and I did.”

On the course:
“It was a very nice course, very technical. We didn’t have too many clears so it was a good course for a speed class.”

On the Temecula Valley National Horse Show:
“It’s beautiful! It’s like a European show and what we have in Europe. It’s very nice for the riders and horses. It’s a perfect show. We will be coming back next year.”

Sarah Invicta Williams-Echols – $7,500 Interactive Mortgage 10 and Under Futurity Classic winner

On her success at the Temecula Valley National Horse Show:
“It feels amazing! It’s always great to win. I actually have had a wonderful, wonderful two weeks, and I’m really appreciative of Mandy Porter for her coaching and, of course, my mom Caroline, my husband and all the Team Invicta staff. I’m really excited that we have such a good support system. The horse show is delightful. It is one of the most lovely, classy horse shows I’ve ever been to. I’m very excited.”

On Converse Point:
“Phinn, I’ve had him for almost a year. I got him from Andy Kocher – we are actually partners on him – and he was a little immature last year so we dropped him down in divisions and got him a little bit more settled and more educated with some more experience. I actually just moved up to this division this week, so it’s been really exciting.”

On her strategy riding last:
“I did watch a couple go, but I didn’t know who was leading or anything like that. I just rode the ride that Mandy [Porter] and I had discussed.”

RESULTS

$20,000 Equestrian Lifestyle Boutique 1.40 – 1.45m Speed Derby
Place / Horse / Rider / Faults / Time
1. Queen / Cassio Rivetti / 0 / 63.720
2. Firestone S / John Pearce / 0 / 65.546
3. Classini / Bjorn Ikast / 0 / 65.552
4. Dereusa S / Femke Courchaine / 0 / 66.202
5. Christian Grey / Tiffany Sullivan / 0 / 66.792
6. Foxxy / Sarah Invicta Williams-Echols / 0 / 66.856
7. Elicole / Jason Mcardle / 0 / 67.978
8. Di Caprio RV / Hannah Heidegger / 0 / 69.041
9. Genesis / Carly Anthony / 0 / 70.852
10. A. Kumonia / Morgan Caplane / 0 / 72.115
11. Luebbo / Jamie Barge / 0 / 72.170
12. Herslev Mark’s Camparo / Becky Smith / 0 / 72.270

$7,500 Interactive Mortgage 10 and Under Futurity Classic
Place / Horse / Rider / R1 Faults / R1 Time / R2 Faults / Time
1. Converse Point / Sarah Invicta William / 0 / 70.072 / 0 / 38.637
2. Forever Alve / Emma Reichow / 0 / 67.692 / 0 / 38.641
3. Fioretti S / Jamie Barge / 0 / 68.284 / 0 / 45.146
4. Caipirinha / Nicholas Choi / 0 / 67.619 / 4 / 39.977
5. Gavanta / Mark Watring / 4 / 65.524
6. Gracile / Carly Anthony / 4 / 67.274
7. Seven Seas / John Pearce / 4 / 69.699
8. Bathsheba / Nicole Haunert / 4 / 70.248
9. Panama / Cassio Rivetti / 4 / 70.517
10. Frijminko N / Nicole Haunert / 4 / 75.723
11. Footloose / Mari Gromkowski / 8 / 70.325
12. Floris / Madison Bradshaw / 31 / 95.458

For more information, please visit www.jump-nee.com.

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