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Traverse City

Johanna Hyyppa and Mariola Power Bring Home Blues in $2,500 NAL/WIHS Children's and Adult Jumper Classics

Traverse City, MI - July 20, 2008 - The first week of Horse Shows by the Bay has come to an end, and the highlight event of the week brought hundreds of spectators to the Flintfields Horse Park. The winner of the $25,000 Spy Coast Farm Grand Prix of Traverse City was 19-year-old Addison Phillips of New York City on Cernunnus von Hof.

Today's course was designed by Evi Friske of Canada, and it offered more than meets the eye. There were two technical lines set on the diagonals, including a triple combination with a lengthy two stride to comfortable one stride that surprised many. Six horses were able to go clear in the first round to advance to the jump-off.

Phillips acknowledged, "I have to say when I first walked the course, I thought it was going to ride pretty easily. I was saying how the High A-O Classic was almost harder, but then when you started riding the course you saw a lot that was actually really challenging. I think when you saw only six go clear you could tell. I think the two diagonal lines were the most challenging."

The first to return was Sven Frei on Quebec. They had an unlucky rail at the first fence to finish with four faults in 41.321 seconds, which would eventually place him fourth. Next in was Starlight, ridden by Kirsten Coe. Coe had a good round going until the final jump. Coe pushed for a gallop and a long spot to the oxer, but ended up with a run-out at the jump. They circled quickly and finished with four faults in 49.400 seconds for fifth place.

Lenkart and Impulsive completed the jump-off next and were very impressive through the short course. They were very quick to the third jump and crossed the timers in 38.918 seconds.

Steven Weiss and VDL Nuit de Pomme stretched through the one stride at fence 5ab and were able to stay clear in the second round with a time of 41.923 seconds to finish in third place.

Phillips and the 11-year-old Cernunnus von Hof were next in. Phillips rode quickly and smoothly, and despite a rub at the first fence, they made it with no faults as well. Phillips was fast to the final oxer and galloped through the timers in 38.813 seconds, just one-tenth of a second faster than Lenkart. When David Beisel and Cordelia had eight faults in 40.894 seconds, Phillips was assured the win.

Phillips said afterwards, "I watched the first one go, but the jump-off was pretty straightforward once you knew the numbers from the jumps. It was just about going around as fast as you could."

This was Phillips' and Cernunnus von Hof's first major grand prix win. Phillips has owned the 11-year-old gelding for a year, and they won the Welcome Stake last month in Chicago. Phillips won the $10,000 Welcome Stake this week on Thursday with Trezebees.

Phillips said that her horse's biggest asset is that "he's a very scopey horse, and he tries really hard. It was basically about me letting him do his thing." She added, "My biggest challenge is that I try to get too involved and he doesn't need that."

Phillips was quite smooth in both rounds today, and she marked it down as her horse's ability to change his stride. "He's very, very adjustable," she said. "He can have a huge stride but he can also do a little hop stride. That's what is really nice about him. If I'm a mile long, he can still clear it."

"I have to say the coolest part about this horse is that he can tell when it's a jump-off," she went on to say. "He just picks up the gallop; you just hang on and have fun."

This was Phillips' first time competing at Horse Shows by the Bay and she has enjoyed the first week of competition, especially the enthusiastic crowd that was there to watch the grand prix. "There were a great number of spectators for the grand prix (today)," she said. "That really makes it fun. You don't see that necessarily at all horse shows. It's really fun when you come to horse shows and there are lots of spectators cheering you on."

In the $2,500 Children's Jumper Classic, sponsored by Wild Oak Farm of Delano, MN, close to thirty riders tackled the course designed by Canadian Eve Friske. The time allowed was 78 seconds, and many riders were cutting it close. Nine riders made it to the jump-off and only two had rails down.  The class was operated under Table II 2(a).

Coming out on top was Johanna Hyyppa and Heritage Farm's Matrix. With a jump-off time of 29.328 seconds, no one could catch up to her blazing time.

"Matrix was an old equitation horse and I showed him in Florida, and he just made the move to become a jumper three weeks ago. My plan was to go clean with no time faults because the time allowed has been really tight and just to give him a good ride," said Hyyppa.

In the $2,500 NAL/WIHS Adult Jumper Classic, the time allowed was also 78 seconds. The course operated under Table II 2(a). Close to thirty riders competed to make it to the jump-off. Out of those who were in the first round, twelve riders powered through to make it to the jump-off.

Mariola Power and her horse For Sure were awarded top honors in the class. At 20-years-old, she and her horse were unbeatable as they laid down a clear jump-off time of 31.710 seconds.

"Tubby is a warmblood jumper and I just got him a few months ago, so he is kind of new to this," said Power. "I tried to establish my pace early and then really move up and right before the jump (be) steady and hold up his front end so he didn't hit any rails. Other than that, (I wanted to) have fun."

The second week of Horse Shows by the Bay continues on July 23-27, with feature classes including the $10,000 Welcome Stake on Thursday and the $25,000 Grand Traverse Bay Grand Prix.

Final Results: $2,500 NAL/WIHS Children's Jumper Classic
1. Matrix, Heritage Farm, Johanna Hyyppa: 0/0/29.328
2. Noranta, Maggie Levy, Ellie Levy:0/0/30.145
3. Tudor, Nathan Wegbreit, Nathan Wegbreit: 0/0/31.527
4. The General, Meredith Finch, Meredith Finch: 0/0/32.685
5. Charisma, Melissa Stockton, Melissa Stockton: 0/0/33.411
6. Nimmerot, Heritage Farm, Katherine Stewart: 0/0/36.104
7. I've Been Thinking, Maggie Levy, Anna Levy: 0/4/29.905
8. Riley II, Casey Curtis, Casey Curtis: 0/4/32.510 

Final Results: $2,500 NAL/WIHS Adult Jumper Classic
1. For Sure, Mariola Power, Mariola Power: 0/0/31.710
2. Pancharan, Meghan Abbott, Meghan Abbott: 0/0/32.769
3. Brisco, Amanda Dinsmore, Amanda Dinsmore: 0/0/34.623
4. Rocket Man, Christopher Caraway, Christopher Caraway: 0/0/35.920
5. Undercover, Meghan Abbott, Meghan Abbott: 0/0/36.630
6. Underberg, Riverview Farm, LLC, Lee Ann Ingram: 0/0/37.775
7. Halina, Alison Register, Melissa Kowalchick: 0/4/31.933
8. Acapella, Tina Judge, Emily Currie: 0/4/32.787

Final Results: $25,000 Spy Coast Farm Grand Prix Of Traverse City
1. Cernunnus Von Hof, Addison Phillips, Addison Phillips, 0/0/38.813
2. Impulsive, Scott Lenkart, Macmillan Sport Horse, 0/0/38.918
3. Vdl Nuit De Pomme, Steven Weiss, Laura Connolly, 0/0/ 41.923
4. Quebec, Sven Frei, European Wb Stallion Zentrum Inc., 0/4/ 41.321
5. Starlight, Kirsten Coe, Laura King, 0/4/49.400
6. Cordelia, David Beisel, Kelsey Miko, 0/8/40.894
7. Little Emir, Shane Sweetnam, Spy Coast Farm, 4/ 78.885
8. Irish Hunt, David Beisel, Carlie Beisel, 8/76.496
9. Think Twice, Shane Sweetnam, Spy Coast Farm, 0/8 78.108
10. Moet Walk, David Beisel, Harlow Investment Ent Llc, 0/8/82.058
11. Triviant, Shane Sweetnam, Curtis-Louri Group, 0/8/82.259
12. Abc Resistencia, Blythe Marano, Blythe Marano, 8/84.213