Articles: Press Release
Henri Kovacs and Cermit Top 1.45m Open Jumper Class at Kentucky Spring Horse
Show
Photo Credit: Henri Kovacs and Cermit had the fastest double clear effort
to take the win in today's $5,000 1.45 Open Jumper class at the Kentucky
Spring Horse Show. Photo: Rebecca Walton
Contact:
Rebecca Walton for
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
at (561) 753-3389 or at pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
Lexington, KY - May 8, 2008 - Henri Kovacs galloped away with his first
victory aboard Cermit today in the $5,000 1.45 Open Jumper Class at the
Kentucky Spring Horse Show. The pair beat out six other double clear
jump-off contestants in the class, held at the beautiful Kentucky Horse
Park. Kovacs and Cermit were two seconds faster than Amanda Knowles and
Julizi Du Brio to take the lead during today's class in the new outdoor
stadium. Margie Engle and Hidden Creek's Campella also competed a fault-free
short course and finished in the third place position.
Richard Jeffery designed a long course that covered the entire length of the
new outdoor stadium for today's 1.45m Open Jumper Class. The first round
course included a triple bar, a water jump option with only the pole scored,
a vertical-to-vertical double combination, and a triple combination. The
jump-off course began with three large oxers, followed by a red and white
vertical off a sharp turn, to a fourth oxer. Riders then continued to the
triple bar fence and finished over a tall oxer going towards the gate. The
time allowed for the first round was 71 seconds and the time allowed for the
jump-off was 45 seconds.
Beezie Madden and Onlight, owned by Team Onlight of Cazenovia, NY, were the
first to compete in the class and after a successful first round they
advanced to the jump-off. The pair would set the tone for the rest of the
class when they were fault-free during the short course as well. Madden and
Onlight stopped the timers in 39.205 seconds, which would hold up for fifth
place honors. Next in the ring was Amanda Knowles riding Julizi Du Brio,
owned by Bayshore Farms of Toronto, ON, and the duo quickly took over the
lead from Madden after posting a double clear effort in a time of 37.618
seconds.
Knowles' victory was short lived when Henri Kovacs stepped into the ring
with Cermit, owned by Caroline Lloyd of East Hampton, NY. Kovacs and Cermit
were able to leave all the jumps standing during the first round and quickly
stepped up to make their bid during the jump-off. Kovacs picked up a fast
gallop to the first jump and held it throughout the course, not touching a
single rail and blazing across the finish line in 35.655 to take over the
lead and win the $5,000 1.45m Open Jumper Class.
Madden would make a second attempt to win the class with Prima, owned by the
Neapoliton Holding Company of Naples, FL, but the pair would not be fast
enough after tripping the timers in 41.233 to earn the sixth place
;honors. Margie Engle riding Hidden Creek's Campella made a valiant effort to
catch Kovacs time, but they weren't quite fast enough, stopping the clock at
38.661 seconds to place third in today's class with their double clear
effort. Hidden Creek Farm is based in Oak Creek, WI. The final entry of the
day was Madden with her third mount, Exclusive, and they also completed a
fault free jump-off round. Exclusive is owned by Elizabeth Busch Burke and
John Madden Sales of Cazenovia, NY. The duo crossed the finish line in
38.908 seconds to be the fastest of Madden's mounts and capture the fourth
place award, securing Kovac's victory.
"I'm really happy," smiled Kovacs. "He's getting really good now. He did
1.40m classes in Florida and now he's becoming a 1.45m horse. I'm really
happy to have this win."
Kovacs admitted that the 8-year-old Holsteiner can be slow at times, but
today he really stepped up. "Cermit is a little bit slow so I really have to
think about the time allowed. Especially in a big field like this, I have to
gallop," he explained. "There was a tight double vertical combination in the
first round but he was great there. The water jump wasn't difficult because
he doesn't spook. There was also a triple combination, and there was an
option to add or leave a stride out, but he jumped great in the first
round. I thought he was jumping great so for the jump-off I thought I could
go really fast. I just flew to number one and then to number two and just
all around the place!"
Kovacs is an 18-year-old rider from Hungary and he trains with Katie
Prudent. "I've always known I wanted to ride, I was born into it," he
said. "I've been with Katie for two years. My mom called her and told her
that she had a son with some talent, so I went to their barn in France and
Katie trained me for a week. I guess she liked me because I've been with her
ever since then."
This is Kovacs first time competing at the Kentucky Horse Park, which will
be hosting the 2010 World Equestrian Games (WEG). Kovacs has already
qualified for WEG with his grand prix mount, Sassicaia II, owned by Plain
Bay Farm of Middleburg, VA. "I am planning to compete so it is great to see
the place and know where I am coming," he noted. "The Kentucky Horse Park is
amazing; it's beautiful."
The Kentucky Spring Horse Show will continue tomorrow with the $20,000
Bluegrass Classic in the new outdoor stadium beginning at 8 a.m. The Walnut
Arena will host the $15,000 ASG Software Solutions/USHJA Hunter Derby at 6
p.m. On Sunday the $55,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix will be taking place at 4
p.m. in the new outdoor stadium. The second week of competition, the
Kentucky Spring Classic, begins next week on Wednesday, May 13, 2009.
For more information on the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows please go to
www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.
RESULTS:
$5,000 1.45m Open Jumper
1 481 CERMIT HENRI KOVACS 65.805 35.655
2 664 JULIZI DU BRIO AMANDA KNOWLES 67.471 37.618
3 69 HIDDEN CREEK'S CMARGIE ENGLE 70.863 38.661
4 10 EXCLUSIVE BEEZIE MADDEN 64.782 38.908
5 16 ONLIGHT BEEZIE MADDEN 67.109 39.205
6 8 PRIMA BEEZIE MADDEN 70.877 41.233
7 178 TIGGER MARIO DESLAURIERS 68.415 4 38.699
8 636 ROMY TODD MINIKUS 4 66.681
9 405 AD FUNDUM DONALD CHESKA 4 67.017
10 472 REBEKA KATIE MONAHAN PRU 4 68.603
11 687 NERVAL DE LA BATPETER LEONE 8 68.996
12 847 NIGHT & DAY 8 JEANNE HOBBS 8 69.028
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