Articles: Horse News

Contact:
Marty Bauman, 631-537-5177, marty@classic-communications.com

Bridgehampton, NY -- Sept. 2, 2012 -- Kent Farrington set the pace as the first rider to go in the decisive jump-off for the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix at the 37th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show, and it was a pace his two competitors couldnt match.

Riding Voyeur, Farrington, of Chicago, Ill., was the first starter in the jump-off, and they kept all eight jumps standing as they sped to a time of 47.53 seconds. Farrington won $82,500 and added to the lead he was already holding in the North American East Coast League of the FEI World Cup.

Irish rider Shane Sweetnam just brushed the front rail of the oxer in front of the packed grandstand on Amaretto DArco to finish with 4 faults in 48.04 seconds. Molly Ashe-Cawley and Carissimo slipped badly on the 180-degree turn to the same oxer before leaping awkwardly and demolishing the jump. They regrouped, though, to cross the finish line with just those 4 faults in a time of 55.19 seconds.

Farrington and Voyeur were the ninth starters in the first round, and for a while it looked as if theyd be the only faultless pair and be able to win without a jump-off. But Farrington said he was always getting ready for the jump-off. I think you give yourself a false sense of hope if you think you can win it that way, said Farrington, 31. I told Guilherme [Jorge, the course designer] before the class that I thought thered be between three and seven clears.

Galloping fast and turning tightly from the start, Farrington didnt leave much room for Sweetnam, 31, and Ashe-Cawley, 41, to beat him.

Sweetnam said he saw Farringtons round, and I knew I had to go. I thought I was OK [turning into the oxer that Amaretto DArco lowered], but then I wasnt. He just touched it, said Sweetnam, who rides for Spy Coast Farm. Amaretto DArco is a 12-year-old Belgian-bred stallion.

Ashe-Cawley, of Wellington, Fla., said she too felt the pressure. She discovered after finishing that Carissimo, a 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding, had pulled off a front shoe at the second fence. So he really lost his footing on the turn, and I really would have liked to have circled, but you cant do that when youre going for $250,000! There was no way to solve it, except to keep going, she said.

Farrington finished second in the 2011 FTI Grand Prix. I think Ive ridden in this grand prix for the last 10 years, and Ive won every ribbon except blue. Its great to finally win that one too! he said. Voyeur is a 10-year-old, Dutch Warmblood gelding whom Farrington started riding for owner Amalaya Investments last winter.

Guilherme Jorges course proved quite a challenge to the 35 riders and horses who started. The final jump (fence 14), a narrow vertical set four strides after a scope-testing oxer, caused the most faults. Since the time allowed was difficult to make, some riders were forced to make a tight turn into the final line of jumps. Ten horses lowered the top rail of the last fence, including defending champions McLain Ward and Antares F, the first pair to face the courses challenge.

I didn't make up my mind about the last fence until I saw the starting list this morning, and I saw what a strong field we had. Thats when I decided to make it a narrow vertical, said Jorge, who has designed the Hampton Classics jumper courses since 2010. It is a very fine line between making a course that is too easy and a course that is too hard.

For those who couldnt make it to the 37th Annual Hampton Classic this week, WVVH-TV, the official Long Island television station of the Hampton Classic, broadcast up to five hours of competition and highlights each day during the Classic. These broadcasts can be seen on line at www.wvvh.tv.

All classes held in the Grand Prix Ring are available on ShowNet. Access to this may be found on the Hampton Classic website at www.HamptonClassic.com, or via ShowNet membership at www.ShowNet.biz.

Two additional outlets, the USEF Network.com, Presented by SmartPak, and HRTV, The Network for Horse Sports, both offered free live webcasts of the Classics featured event, the $250,000 FTI Grand Prix and FEI World Cup Qualifier. These are available at www.USEFNetwork.com and www.HRTV.com Further information on the Hampton Classic Horse Show is available at the Hampton Classic website at www.HamptonClassic.com or by calling 631-537-3177. Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation.