Carly Anthony and Chacco
Del Mar, CA – The $60,000 Grand Prix of California, presented by Equ Lifestyle Boutique, was one of those rare classes where the best score in the first round could not be matched, so the ribbons were awarded without a jump-off. Carly Anthony and her mount Chacco, owned by Neil Jones Equestrian Inc, finished with one time fault for the win. Richard Spooner and Rancho Corazon LLC’s Quirado RC were the only other pair to keep all rails in the cups, and finished in second place with three on the clock.
Formulated by the internationally-acclaimed Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela, the course took advantage of the Showpark Grand Prix Field’s size while keeping a tight time allowed of 83 seconds. Riders faced two tricky lines up the diagonals, the first a two-stride combination to a delicate vertical and the second a wide oxer leading into two consecutive one-strides, which when ridden carefully would cost time on the clock.
“The time was tight,” said runner-up and grand prix veteran Richard Spooner. “It’s probably been ten years since I’ve been in a class that didn’t go to a jump-off round. That doesn’t happen very often.”
Nonetheless, Anthony was proud to have ridden Chacco to an almost fault-free round, leaving all the jumps in the cups and stopping the clock just .23 seconds over the time allowed. The young professional was grateful for the opportunity to challenge herself as a rider. “This entire week, Leopoldo has been setting courses that were short on time and a bit technical, and that’s how we had to ride it today,” she noted.
Anthony and Chacco have been partners since the beginning of the year, and she speaks highly of the gelding. “Chacco is a sweet and kind-hearted horse, he really wants to do a good job every day. No matter the distance, he will try his best to have a clean round.”
During the ribbon ceremony, Blenheim EquiSports also celebrated longtime employee and friend, Nani Luebke, as she retires as Awards Coordinator after eighteen years. Her tireless attention to detail and hard work has played a significant role in the success of the shows over the years.
Carly Anthony and Chacco with Monica Ward, Simone Gauci and Lauren Davis from Equ Lifestyle Boutique, Melissa Brandes and Robert Ridland
The Interactive Mortgage Horses 10 & Under Futurity Classic
The excitement began before the Grand Prix, with Jason McArdle and Fairbanks Valley Farm’s Elicole claiming a victory in the $5,000 Interactive Mortgage Horses 10 & Under Futurity Classic. Of the ten clear horse and rider combinations from round one, Jason and Elicole were fastest in the jump-off with a time of 38.25. McArdle was determined, taking quick inside turns and galloping between jumps to shave seconds off the clock. Keri Potter and Jiminy Cricket were the closest to catching him in 40.40s for second place.
Jason McArdle and Elicole with Evette and Ashley DeLong of Interactive Mortgage, the Buie family, Susan McArdle and Jorge Cervantes
RESULTS
$60,000 Grand Prix of California, presented by Equ Lifestyle Boutique
Place – Entry Number – Horse – Rider – Owner – Faults/Time
1. 773 – Chacco – Carly Anthony – Neil Jones Equestrian, Inc. – 1/83.237
2. 627 – Quirado RC – Richard Spooner – Rancho Corazon, LLC – 3/85.096
3. 599 – Cicomein VDL – Shawn Casady – HKC Collection, LLC – 4/80.246
4. 359 – Cetello – Katelyn Edwards – Mountain View West Farm, LLC – 4/80.398
5. 625 – Chatinus – Richard Spooner – Richard Spooner – 4/80.474
6. 307 – Bitalica – Keri Potter – Julia Koetting – 4/80.545
7. 602 – Durango VDL – Shawn Casady – High Point Farm South, LLC – 8/82.190
8. 363 – Di Caprio RV – Hannah Heidegger – Monarch International – 10/84.418
9. 720 – Chacco P – Will Simpson – Will Simpson – 12/80.280
10. 785 – Interline H – Kaitlin Campbell – SWS Training – 13/83.769
11. 817 – Azuro 108 – Saree Gordon-Solanki – Tomboy Farms – 13/87.100
12. 106 – Soren Z – Kasey Ament – KW Jump, LLC – 13/87.302
$5,000 Interactive Mortgage Horses 10 & Under Futurity
Place – Entry Number – Horse – Rider – Owner – Faults/Time
1. 286 – Elicole – Jason McArdle – Fairbanks Valley Farm, LLC – 0/0/38.254
2. 310 – Jiminy Cricket – Keri Potter – Melanie Brooks – 0/0/40.402
3. 675 – Vice Versa D’ossau – Zazou Hoffman – Patawag Stables – 0/0/40.462
4. 123 – Evidence – Taylor Siebel – Mountain Home Stables, LLC – 0/0/43.086
5. 364 – Concord 65 – Hannah Heidegger – Monarch International – 0/0/43.296
6. 770 – Genesis – Natasha Traurig – Neil Jones Equestrian, Inc – 0/0/44.366
7. 653 – Edesa’s Kzoom – Eddy Sepul – Edesa Horse Promotion, Inc. – 0/0/44.795
8. 768 – Ereina – Natasha Traurig – Poden Farms – 0/4/38.854
Photos by Captured Moment Photography