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Lexington, KY-August 4, 2007-It was another peaceful, yet exciting night at the Kentucky Horse Park for the $40,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix in the Sheila C. Johnson Arena. Colin Syquia of Wellington, FL, took the win on Ladson LLC's Qena 2 as the crowd cheered him on. 

Against a field of 31 other horse and rider combinations, Syquia out-jumped a notable roster of competitors, including Chris Kappler, Debbie Stephens, and Aaron Vale. "There were some great horses in this class," an overjoyed Syquia remarked.  

Ken Krome of Westminster, MD, impressed riders with his course design once again as he continued to raise the standard for the players. The course, with its total of 13 obstacles, was both long and technical with its use of unfixed striding and strategic placement of jumps. Most rails hit the ground at fence 6, a vertical set on flat cups that came after a very steady seven-stride line. While some riders opted to do six strides, others could not compact their stride to clear the vertical. The steady four-stride line from the triple bar at fence 10 to an airy vertical at fence 11 was also a source of faults for many riders. However, the triple combination at fence 12 proved to be the most challenging. Placed at the end of the lengthy track, the vertical-oxer-vertical pattern tested the horses' endurance and precluded many from returning in the second round. 

While the Kentucky Summer Grand Prix may not have been as large as grand prix classes at Indoors or the Winter Equestrian Festival, it certainly established itself as a solid competition as it allowed only seven of 32 horses to move on to the jump-off. "The course was nice," commented Syquia. "It was very inviting and was a good stepping stone for some horses to move up." But Syquia did not just step, but leaped into the top spot when he guided Qena 2 to one of only three double-clear performances along with John McConnel and Kim Prince.  

Syquia was fourth in the order to challenge the short-course after three unsuccessful efforts from Shane Sweetnam, Chris Kappler, and Aaron Vale. He maintained a swift pace and kept his track neat and direct, but was careful to slow-up before the fences. As the spectators held their breath and gripped the arms of their neighbors, Syquia powered through the double-combination and final oxer and cut the timers in 44.981 seconds.

John McConnel and Carolina were next on the docket to try and trump Qena's score, but, although quick and clear, they stopped the clock a tenth of a second too slow in 45.018 seconds. Kim Prince on Marlou also finished without faults in the jump-off, but was not fast enough with her time of 46.613 seconds. 

Syquia, who has been riding Qena 2 for Ladson LLC for the past year, was all smiles as he commented on the nine-year-old mare's progress. "We bought her at the end of Florida last year as an eight-year-old and did her in all of the young jumper classes. Just this spring we started moving up and did some smaller grand prix."

"I went first at Fairfield in the grand prix, and she was clear with a time fault. In Culpeper she was 9^th and 3^rd, and here we're just trying to step her up." The mare's ascension into grand prixdom started on the right foot with her seventh place earnings in Thursday's $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic Grand Prix. Many of the horses that competed in Thursday's class did not seem to bring their game faces to tonight's class, appearing tired and less-prepared. "The course was a little bit bigger and more square," Syquia noted about the difference between the two courses. "The verticals were a little taller. Kenny [Krome] did a good job. He thinned it out without killing anybody out there." 

It was a skinny list to return to the jump-off, but undoubtedly a nourishing finish for the crowds. As the sun set over a serene Kentucky Horse Park and the crowds evaporated from the stands, Qena 2 saw the dawn of a successful grand prix career.

For a complete set of horse show results or to learn more about the Kentucky Summer Horse Show, please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.ults R1 Time J/O Faults J/O Time

Results of Class 275 $40,000 KENTUCKY SUMMER GRAND PRIX

Kentucky Summer Horse Show

August 1 - 5, 2007

T/A: 90.00 T/A: 50.00

1 229 QENA 2 COLIN SYQUIA 0.00 87.147 0.00 44.981

LADSON LLC

2 413 CAROLINA JOHN MCCONNEL 0.00 87.996 0.00 45.018

KLEIN RANCH

3 1161 MARLOU KIM PRINCE 0.00 85.893 0.00 46.613

WINDMILL RANCH

4 787 QUIDAM JUNIOR SHANE SWEETNAM 0.00 85.495 4.00 43.305

SHANE SWEETNAM

5 886 COPADO AARON VALE 0.00 82.376 8.00 41.385

M/M ERNEST OARE

6 1250 LENNONGRAD CHRIS KAPPLER 0.00 85.788 8.00 42.445

FARROKH MOSHAR

7 652 LINDA Z TRACEY WEINBERG 0.00 88.376 8.00 47.591

TRACEY WEINBERG

8 763 GRAF LANDO MEGHAN MORAN 2.00 91.881

MEGHAN MORAN

9 125 CALLAWAY 4 DEBBIE STEPHENS 3.00 92.153

CENTENNIAL FARM

10 1306 UNIKA MARILYN LITTLE 4.00 82.937

RAYLYN FARMS

11 331 VIA VENETTO CHRIS KAPPLER 4.00 84.257

DAMMERMAN & KAMIN

12 650 CROMWELL TRACEY WEINBERG 4.00 85.830

TRACEY WEINBERG

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