Articles: Press Release
Henri Kovacs and Sassicaia II Flash Through the Finish Line in the $55,000
Commonwealth Grand Prix at Kentucky Spring Horse Show
Photo Credit: Henri Kovacs' victory aboard Sassicaia II during the $55,000
Commonwealth
Grand Prix at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show was his first grand prix win.
© Rebecca Walton
Contact:
Rebecca Walton for
Phelps Media Group, Inc.
at (561) 753-3389 or at pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com
Lexington, KY - May 10, 2009 - It was a beautiful, sunny day at the Kentucky
Horse Park for Henri Kovacs' first grand prix victory gallop aboard
Sassicaia II following the $55,000 Commonwealth Grand Prix at the Kentucky
Spring Horse Show. The pair was faster than five other horse and rider
combinations during this afternoon's ten horse jump-off in the main outdoor
stadium. Rebecca Johanson Hofmann riding Corona, and Mario Deslauriers
aboard Vicomte D both attempted to catch Kovacs' time, but were unable to do
so and followed with second and third place honors during today's class.
Richard Jeffery designed today's course, which featured 13 fences and 16
jumping efforts. The first round began over a triple bar and also included a
vertical-to-vertical plank double combination, a triple combination, and a
wide water jump. The jump-off course began with a single oxer to a single
vertical, followed by two more oxers on a bending line. Riders then
continued across the arena to a single vertical and made a tight turn to the
second half of the triple combination. Finally riders made a final turn for
home over a large orange and black oxer towards the gate.
The first horse and rider combination to have the opportunity to compete
over the short course was Todd Minikus and Presidente, owned by Sleepy P
Ranch of Bartonville, TX. The pair had an unfortunate fall at fence 14, a
single blue and green vertical, and despite both horse and rider emerging
unscathed, they were eliminated and placed tenth in the competition. Next on
course was LaGran, owned and shown by Pablo Barrios of Wellington, FL. The
duo had an unfortunate rail at fence 14 for four faults and stopped the
clock at 39.67 seconds to earn seventh place. Angela Moore and Claus, owned
by Stealaway Farm of Wellington FL, would be the next pair to compete over
the short course but they also had difficulties, finding faults at the end
of the double combination and the last oxer, for an eight-fault total and
the ninth place award.
Henri Kovacs and Sassicaia II, owned by Plain Bay Farm of Middleburg, VA,
were the next to enter the ring to compete in the jump-off. The pair picked
up a gallop and soared over the first jump with ease. As they continued over
the course their pace picked up and the crowd began to hold their breath as
they left each jump standing. Kovacs and Sassicaia II raced through the
finish line in a blistering 38.84 seconds to take over the lead and win the
class.
Despite Kovacs fault free effort and fast time he still had to wait through
six more rounds to be sure he had secured his first grand prix
victory. Ricardo Villa was the first to challenge with VDL Bubalu, but they
also had a rail coming out of the double combination for a four-fault score
in a time of 44.84 seconds, placing eighth in the competition.
Ljubov Kochetova of Wellington, FL and her mount, Chambertino, would be the
second pair to go clean, posting a time of 44.61 seconds, which would hold
up for sixth place honors. Margie Engle rode into the ring next aboard
Hidden Creek's Coraya Z, owned by Hidden Creek Farm of Oak Creek, WI. The
duo also completed a fault-free effort and would come closer to catching
Kovacs time after stopping the clock in 40.39 seconds, but with three more
entries to show that time would move into fifth place.
Rebecca Johanson Hofmann competed next over the short course aboard Corona,
owned by Blue Hill Farm of Salt Lake City, UT. The duo came very close to
taking over Kovacs' lead as they raced through the turns while still leaving
every rail in its cups. Hofmann and Corona tripped the timers in 39.27
seconds, a fraction slower than Kovacs', to earn to the second place ribbon.
Next in the ring was Mario Deslauriers riding the always fast Vicomte D,
owned by Jane F. Clark of New York, NY. They also posted a fault-free effort
and crossed the finish line in 39.68 seconds after losing time to the last
oxer and taking over the third place position. The final horse and rider
combination to compete during today's jump-off was Michael Morrissey and
Crelido, owned by Eugene Mische of Bradenton, FL. They also left all the
fences standing, but their time of 39.91 seconds would not be fast enough to
slip past the leaders, earning them the fourth place honors and securing
Kovacs victory.
"This is my first grand prix win, I can't explain how happy I feel," smiled
Kovacs after leading the victory gallop. "I want to dedicate it to my
grandfather, Sylvester Kovacs, whom I lost a few months ago; this is for
him."
Kovacs began showing Sassicaia II last year during the Winter Equestrian
Festival and thinks that she is very special. "I was second in Charlotte in
the Welcome Stake and I had some low ribbons in really big grand prix
classes in Wellington but this was our first win," he noted. "She is a
really fast horse so you have to keep everything slow, but you can still
have a winning time. She's very careful and has a lot of scope; she's a good
horse."
Kovacs continued by explaining his plan for the first round. "During the
first course there was a plank double combination that was really steady, so
I had to pay attention to that," he explained. "Then the triple was
difficult too because from A to B it was long, and then a really steady two
stride. The last line from the water jump was a stead seven to the vertical,
and then a steady four. She was very careful and jumped everything great."
"Before the jump-off Katie [Prudent] told me for the first two jumps not to
think about being in a jump-off," said Kovacs. "It was a direct line from
one to two. We added one more in the next line because we knew even if I
added she'd be as fast as the other horses. In the middle of the ring there
was a vertical and I was really fast there. Then the double and the oxer
coming home she was really amazing, she didn't touch a rail."
Kovacs will compete again during the Kentucky Spring Classic next week and
will then continue to Spruce Meadows. Later in the year the Hungarian native
will be flying back to Europe to compete in the European Championships.
Second place finisher Rebecca Johanson Hofmann was also thrilled with her
performance. "I'm really happy," she said. "In the jump-off I was just
thinking of going clear. I didn't think I'd go near as fast as Henri did,
but Corona jumped amazing and really helped me out."
Hofmann enjoys competing at the Kentucky Horse Park and is especially happy
with the new OTTO Sport footing system that has been installed in the main
outdoor stadium. "They've done an amazing job with the footing in this
ring," she noted. "It's the perfect combination, it gives when you need it
to give and it's firm when it needs to be firm. You don't feel the horses
jarring and you also don't feel them getting stuck in the ground. I think
this facility might be the top facility in the world after everything is
finished."
Today marked the final day of competition for the Kentucky Spring Horse
Show, but next week the Kentucky Spring Classic will get underway beginning
Wednesday, May 13. The Kentucky Spring Classic will feature the $30,000
Hagyard Lexington Classic on May 14, the second class in the Hagyard
Challenge Series, which includes a $50,000 Leading Rider Bonus. The $55,000
Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix, CSI 2*, sponsored by Air 51 and Audi of
Lexington, will be held on Sunday, May 17.
For more information on the Kentucky Spring Horse Shows please go to
www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.
RESULTS:
$55,000 COMMONWEALTH GRAND PRIX
1 471 SASSICAIA II HENRI KOVACS 81.52 38.84
2 186 CORONA REBECCA JOHANSON- 82.98 39.27
3 180 VICOMTE D MARIO DESLAURIERS 81.82 39.68
4 726 CRELIDO MICHAEL MORRISSEY 84.34 39.91
5 65 H C'S CORAYA Z MARGIE ENGLE 85.70 40.39
6 842 CHAMBERTINO LJUBOV KOCHETOVA 84.63 44.61
7 368 LAGRAN PABLO BARRIOS 84.63 4 39.67
8 617 VDL BUBALU RICARDO VILLA 89.61 4 44.84
9 263 CLAUS ANGELA MOORE 85.45 8 46.93
10 637 PRESIDENTE TODD MINIKUS 82.23 EL
11 87 ROAMNTOVICH TAKECHRISTINE MCCREA 4 82.00
12 243 KANNAN S GIGI Z JAMES BENEDETTO 4 82.20
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