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Articles: Press Release
55th Annual Pennsylvania National Horse Show
Tuesday October 17, 2000
Contact:
Heidi Hill 717-230-8833
It was the old one -two punch in tonight's $5,000 Power and Speed Open
Jumping at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. Aaron Vale of Rembert,
SC swept first and second honors.
Only eight of 27 horses navigated a double clear round. The Power and
Speed format works this way: the first half is Power, the fences that high
and wide. If the horse goes clean through the Power phase, it continues the
Speed phase where the jumps are as high but not necessarily as wide. The
challenge for the rider is to maintain a clear round, but quickly.
The most difficult part of the course, according to Vale, was the
placement of the combination, a three-jump sequence, near the in-gate but
heading away from the gate.
Horses want to be with their buddies, and the combination was some big
jumps. It just made it doubly hard. I noticed some skid marks when I came
into the ring so I knew other riders must have had trouble with it. The
other difficult jump was the last one over water. It was a little hard for
the first night, he said.
Garcon, Vale's second mount, was near the end of the class. He must like
the arena. He won the Big Jump here last year. He likes the crowd. The
crowd makes for more electricity, some horses rise to the occasion. He
does, Vale said.
Garcon is owned by Mr & Mr. Don Stewart and Millstream Farm. In second
was Elan Coriana, ridden by Vale and owned by Elan Farms. Third place went to
Let's Talk, owned and ridden by McLain Ward.
Laura Kraut, a US Olympic Team member, rode two horses in the class. One
went clean and placed sixth. She also agreed the course was tough for a
first night. She will be competing in the Grand Prix jumping through the
week. Asked Harrisburg compared to the Olympics, she noted that challenge of
an indoor course is the space. Jumps aren't necessarily as big but they
are harder to get to, she said.
Nona Garson, also on the US Olympic team finished seventh. The entire
team will be on hand for the Pennsylvania Big Jump, Thursday night, the
Gambler's Choice and $50,000 Budweiser Prix de Penn National.
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