Veteran Scott Stewart and Playbook On Top in the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships

Lexington, Ky. – Aug. 16, 2017 – The Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships returned to the Walnut Ring for the second phase of competition Wednesday, allowing horses and riders one further chance to ride to a top 30 overall score, thus earning a place in Thursday’s finale. Entering the day, Scott Stewart and Playbook sat 9 points behind the day one leaders, Victoria Colvin and Flint, but the steady duo managed to surpass them with another top round over Patrick Rodes’ hunter course to climb to the top of the overall leaderboard.

Scott Stewart and Playbook - Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Scott Stewart and Playbook – Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography

No stranger to the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships as a two-time champion with titles in 2014 and 2016, Stewart once again proved his hunter prowess, this time aboard Fashion Farm’s 7-year-old Playbook. With a score of 263.00 to conclude the first phase, the pair sat in the runner-up position behind Colvin and the grey Flint, but stayed consistent with a near identical score of 263.50, only half a point different from Tuesday, to propel themselves to the lead. Jumping at the 3’ height, the pair masterfully jumped Rodes’ 10-effort course early in the day, and while the rest of the field chased them down, none were able to accumulate enough points to eclipse them.

Scott Stewart and Playbook
Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships leaders, Scott Stewart and Playbook

Though Stewart and Playbook performed consistently well both days to earn the best cumulative marks, they were not the highest-scoring round of the day. Katherine Newman and Dandelion, owned by Allwyn Court and Dandelion Group, navigated the course the most effectively to garner a score of 265.50, the highest of the two phases, second to Colvin and Flint’s early 272.00 score. Runner-up in the over fences class was Sandy Ferrell in the irons aboard Stephanie Bulger’s Hemingway with a score of 264.00. Stewart and Playbook took third position in the class.With her stellar round Wednesday, Newman and Dandelion jumped from 14th position after the first day of competition all the way to second place overall to finish with a score of 520.50. Tracy Fenney and MTM Silver Alert, owned by MTM Farm, followed in third place overall with a score of 518.50. Stewart nabbed another top placing with Rivers Edge’s Harvard Hall, just one point behind Fenney with their score of 517.50, to take fourth position. With cumulative marks of 516.50, Colvin and Antinori, owned by John & Stephanie Ingram, LLC, earned the fifth spot headed into the final portion of competition. These top five finishers as well as 25 other pairs will return Thursday to vie for the top spot on the leaderboard and the greatest percentage of the prize money.

Green Hunter Incentive Round II winner, Katherine Newman and Dandelion
Green Hunter Incentive Round II winner, Katherine Newman and Dandelion

Although the competitors will return Thursday with a blank slate for the final phase of competition, statistically Stewart has the best odds of the field with three horses qualified for the finale. Colvin, Caroline Weeden and Patricia Griffith will each return with two mounts.

The 2017 Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships will continue through Thursday evening, when the top 30 competitors will return to the ring for the third and final phase of competition with a blank slate to determine the 2017 Champion. Hunter action will continue at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show throughout the week, with the USHJA International Derby taking place Friday and Saturday.

FROM THE WINNERS CIRCLE

Scott Stewart – Leader of the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship

On Playbook:
“He’s such a beautiful horse. He’s a beautiful mover, beautiful jumper and he’s just really straightforward and easy. He’s very laid back and really sweet. He’s big, he doesn’t look that big but he’s 17.3hh. He’s a sweetheart.”

On his plan for tomorrow with Playbook:
“We will just keep it the same. He is getting a little tired jumping three days in a row, and it’s hot. He’s pretty easy on himself so I think we will just do it the same way and hope for the best. I thought he went about as good as he can both days, so I think he is in good shape for tomorrow. Hopefully we will do the same round.”

On his experience with Playbook:
“Glen Senk bought him when he was 5 years old, so we’ve had him for two years now. He showed in Florida six times, and then the last time he showed was actually here [in Kentucky] in the spring. So he had a break since the first spring show here in May. He’s fresh and ready to go.”

RESULTS

Place / Rider / Horse / Owner / Score

Green Hunter Incentive – Round II
1. Katherine Newman / Dandelion / Allwyn Court & Dandelion Group / 265.50
2. Sandy Ferrell / Hemingway / Stephanie Bulger / 264.00
3. Scott Stewart / Playbook / Fashion Farm / 263.50
4. Jeff Gogul / Best Of Me / Blue Mountain, LLC / 262.00
5. Victoria Colvin / Antinori / John & Stephanie Ingram, LLC / 259.50
6. John French / Captain / Gregory Schmandt / 258.00
7. Amberlee Wentz / Davidson / Dana Vollbracht / 257.50
8. Tracy Fenney / MTM Silver Alert / MTM Farm / 257.00
8. Victoria Colvin / Snowday / John & Stephanie Ingram, LLC / 257.00
8. Scott Stewart / Harvard Hall / Rivers Edge / 257.00
8. Daniel Geitner / Eleventh Hour / Brenda Mackay / 257.00

Green Hunter Incentive – Combined Rounds I and II
1. Scott Stewart / Playbook / Fashion Farm / 526.50
2. Katherine Newman / Dandelion / Allwyn Court & Dandelion Group / 520.50
3. Tracy Fenney / MTM Silver Alert / MTM Farm / 518.50
4. Scott Stewart / Harvard Hall / Rivers Edge / 517.50
5. Victoria Colvin / Antinori / John & Stephanie Ingram, LLC / 516.50
6. Amberlee Wentz / Davidson / Dana Vollbracht / 510.00
7. Nick Haness / Girl Glorious / Santa Rosa Group / 508.00
8. John French / Captain / Gregory Schmandt / 507.00
9. Daniel Geitner / Eleventh Hour / Brenda Mackay / 505.50
10. Hunt Tosh / Bastogne / Douglas Wheeler / 503.50

For more information on the 2017 Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championship, please click here.

Pablo Barrios and Sambuka De Lurberri Victorious in the $5,000 1.40m Open Jumpers

With the fences at their highest height of the day, nearly 30 horses and riders took to the Rolex Stadium Wednesday evening to compete for the blue ribbon in the $5,000 1.40m Open Jumpers. During the speed event it was necessary for each entrant to ride to a clean and quick round over Olympic designer, Guilherme Jorge’s technical track. It was ultimately Pablo Barrios and Sambuka De Lurberri, owned by Teri Kessler, who claimed the top prize with their clear time of 57.729 seconds.

Pablo Barrios and Sambuka De Lurberri
Pablo Barrios and Sambuka De Lurberri

On his second mount of the class, Barrios navigated the Selle Francais mare to a fault-free round, tripping the timer less than half of a second ahead of the original leading pair, Sharn Wordley and Famoso D’Ive Z, owned by Sky Group, with their time of 58.160 seconds. Barrios had ridden Lascana 3, also owned by Kessler, earlier in the class and unfortunately dropped a few rails, but that enabled him to get a ride over the course once prior to his second ride on Sambuka De Lurberri.

Barrios knew he needed to be quick to take the lead from Wordley and he was able to shave time with a fast gallop to the final fence, separating their two times by less than half of a second. Jumping around the halfway point of the class, no other competitors were able to catch Barrios and Sambuka De Lurberri after their speedy round. Barrios and Wordley separated themselves as the clear leaders of the pack, both finishing multiple seconds ahead of their counterparts.

Kessler recently bought Sambuka De Lurberri near the end of May and was competing her in the Country Heir, Chagrin Valley and Kentucky Summer Horse Shows, but an injury caused her to take some time off and she asked Barrios, her trainer, to keep the mare in shape. With the win in Wednesday’s 1.40m class, it was clear she made a wise decision.

Led by Barrios, only six horse and rider pairs managed to keep rails in their cups and stay within the time allowed. Finishing in third position, Conor O’Regan rode Barlando, owned by Dynomite Ranch, LLC, to a clear round in 61.080 seconds, and Caitlyn Shiels and her own Cavalier II completed a clear round in 63.752 seconds for fourth place. Tony Font was hot on her heels with a time of 63.902 aboard NLF Newsflash, owned by Nordic Lights Farm, LLC, to capture the fifth position, while owner-rider Tara Corr and Boy Blue earned sixth position as the final clear ride of the standings with a time of 67.446 seconds.

Jumper competition at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show will continue through Sunday, with two highlight grand prix events bringing the best horses and riders to the Rolex Stadium. The $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic takes place Friday evening and the $40,000 Bluegrass Festival Grand Prix sponsored by Audi of Lexington will run Sunday afternoon.

FROM THE WINNERS CIRCLE

Pablo Barrios – Winner of the $5,000 1.40m Open Jumpers

On the course:
“The course was really nice like always with Guilherme [Jorge], he is a great course designer. It was very, very nice, you know, for a big class I think the track was very, very good.”

On his two rides in the class:
“Those two horses I know very well because I am the trainer for [the owner], Teri Kessler. I really tried to do the track the same as I did with the first horse, but for some reason [Lascana 3] didn’t jump well. But I was good with the second one. They are both very nice horses.”

On his experience with Sambuka De Lurberri:
“This mare used to belong to another client, and then I rode him because she went to college. I always have said that she is a very nice horse and when Teri Kessler told me that she was looking for a horse, I recommended that she buy this mare. This was not too long ago, I think that was the end of May. She went straight to the High Amateurs and then the next time she was doing the Grand Prix in Chagrin Falls and now we are here for Kentucky Summer. The last grand prix that Teri was riding this mare, she hurt herself and she is taking a little time off, but she wants the horse to keep going, so she asked me to show her a little bit to keep her warm for her whenever she is ready [to ride again].”

RESULTS

Place / Rider / Horse / Owner / Faults / Time

1.40m Jumpers
1. Pablo Barrios / Sambuka De Lurberri / Teri Kessler / 0 / 57.729
2. Sharn Wordley / Famoso D Ive Z / Sky Group / 0 / 58.160
3. Conor O’regan / Barlando / Dynomite Ranch, LLC / 0 / 61.080
4. Caitlyn Shiels / Cavalier II / Caitlyn Shiels / 0 / 63.752
5. Tony Font / NLF Newsflash / Nordic Lights Farm, LLC / 0 / 63.902
6. Tara Corr / Boy Blue / Tara Corr / 0 / 67.446
7. Martien Van Der Hoeven / Corleone / Mary Tyree / 4 / 60.812
8. Paulo Santana, Filho / Taloubet / Paulo Santana, Filho / 4 / 61.247
9. Sloane Coles / MTF Saint Simeon / Morningside Training Farm / 4 / 61.827
10. Alex Granato / Beorn / Alliy Moyer / 4 / 63.220

For more information on the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show, please click here.

PMG NEWS

Subscribe & Join

Phelps Media Group

Founded in 2002 by Olympian Mason Phelps, Jr., PMG specializes in sports branding, public relations, event coverage, media strategy, web design and social media.

All photography may only be used in conjunction with a related press release. We do not sell our email lists or share our lists with other companies or individuals.

CONTACT US

Ⓒ 2024 PHELPS MEDIA GROUP