21 June 2014
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| Sarah Scarnechia and Win Vision won the $5,000 Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Gambler’s Choice, sponsored by Atlantic Plant Service, at the Spring Spectacular III. |
A newcomer to the world of horses, Scarnechia became involved in the sport only three years ago when moving back to Illinois after spending 12 years in California. She rides with Messenger Hill Farm, working alongside Freddie and Jodi Vazquez, as well as Katie Kappler. The young talent only moved up into the Low Junior Jumpers one month ago, and she was ecstatic about her win today in the Gambler’s Choice.
“We have had an amazing few weeks,” Scarnechia smiled. “I have been riding Win Vision for about a year, moving up together. You have to be positive, give a confident ride, and keep your leg on him. You can never take your leg off, or he will take advantage and spin out, but I understand him so well that I know what to do with him now, and he is great. We have had a lot of success with him so far.”
Scarnechia’s parents stood ringside for her trip, rooting on the Junior rider as she tackled the track that gal-pal Caitlin Boyle assisted in planning.
“I had already walked the track I was going to take, but then Caitlin came running down to the schooling ring saying, ‘I’ve figured it out!’” Scarnechia said. “Her new plan was the one I went with, and it ended up working out best. The plan included a couple tidy turns, two more fences and a lot less wasted time running to the next obstacle. When you only have 60 seconds, you need all the time you can get. This was my first Gambler’s ever, and it was a ton of fun. I hope to do it again in the future.”
It was the perfect setting for Scarnechia’s victory. Not only was she riding LUXMAX counterpart Win Vision, but also the “joker” fence, worth 200 points, was the LUXMAX U.S.A.-sponsored vertical.
“There wasn’t a more Kodak moment,” Robert Scarnechia said as his daughter accepted the award in front of the LUXMAX U.S.A. LED video screen. LUXMAX U.S.A. is a manufacturer of LED video displays for architecture and concerts. The company has produced the background screen displays for such groups as Maroon 5, Keith Urban, The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson and Beyonce’s Superbowl half-time show.
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| Sarah Scarnechia and Win Vision pictured in front of the LUXMAX USA LED Screen with representatives from the Atlantic Plant Services and Messenger Hill Farm. |
“They didn’t know anything about horses until I got involved,” Sarah said. “I am so thankful and blessed to have their support. I can always hear them cheering from the sidelines, and it gives me such enthusiasm when I enter the ring.”
In the $5,000 High Junior/Amateur-Owner Gambler’s Choice, Kelsey Thatcher reined in another win, completing the course with a cumulative score of 1,280 points aboard Balougris SL Z. Second place went to Ericka Baran and Calvigo with 1,250 points, while third was awarded to Laura Linback and Carmina for their cumulative score of 1,200 points.
“Normally, I hate Gambler’s Choice. Usually there is no plan, and then you think you have a plan, but then you get a rail and your plan has to change,” Thatcher said. “It is always super panicky, but we decided to do it this week. Last week, we [Balougris and Thatcher] were at about 90 percent, we were good, but we weren’t on our game. After having a lesson with Haylie on Tuesday, I felt much better. Today I went out there, did a simple and smooth track, I was very confident.”
Thatcher recently graduated from college, and will start student teaching in the fall at an elementary school in Athens, Ga. She has been toying with the idea of continuing her education with a Master’s degree at the University of Miami in Florida, and then pursuing the opportunity to work with the Peace Corps for 27 months.
“Riding is such a blessing in my life, and the Peace Corps feels like such a calling,” Thatcher elaborated. “I don’t want to look back and think that I missed anything in life. Working in Athens, I have seen how much help the public school system needs, and the county is the third poorest in the nation, so we have quite the diverse group of children. I think the Peace Corps would help me see the world, continue my work with non-profits and become a more well-rounded person.”
$5,000 1.30m Open Jumpers
Professional rider Tiffany Hammack of Lance Williamson Stables, LLC, rode to the blue ribbon during the $5,000 1.30m Open Jumpers, sponsored by Atlantic Plant Services, with Luminous. They posted the blazing double clear in 34.872 seconds, although time was not the key for the win today. Hammack was the only rider to clear the short course, with Theo Genn and Asirea Fortuna finishing in second place as the fastest of the four faulters, clocking in at 39.123 seconds. Meg Gehron and Gastone collected the third place with their four fault score, completed in 39.688 seconds.
Hammack laughed when asked of her strategy on the course, and her blazing speed, “Luminous needs a very accurate ride. She does not like it when I miss, otherwise she will stop. I have to be going fast enough so she can jump the bigger jumps, and she likes to go fast. She especially loves galloping into the in-and-outs.”
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| Tiffany Hammack and Luminous |
Hammack had an amazing winter circuit on the gray mare, riding her to numerous circuit championships during HITS Ocala, moving up from the Level 3 Jumpers to the Level 5 in no time. Williamson taught Hammack to ride as a child and, after taking some time away from the area, she is thrilled to return as his professional rider now at the age of 26.
“Lance taught me how to ride when I was about 10 years old, but I was away for a while, I am so fortunate to be able to have this ride,” Hammack said. “This class was a great way to wrap up the series for me, and now all of my concentration will be directed to our clients who are still competing on the final two days.”
Hammack concluded, “I love showing here. I haven’t been here in six or seven years, and it is a lot different, but the facility has exceeded all expectations. The show has been great, and I really liked the courses this week. I think that Alan Wade had a great design, and although the courses were harder, it felt right. The jumps were bigger this week, but I think the first two weeks really eased us in to the challenging courses.”
$1,500 1.40m Open Jumpers
Lisa Goldman and Zacantos Z led the way during the $1,500 1.40m Open Jumpers, sponsored by Canterbury Farms. Goldman crossed the beams two seconds ahead of her competitors, posting one of only two double clear efforts to take the victory. Wilhelm Genn aboard Bugatti, owned by Eduardo Leon, was the only other rider to lay down a clear effort on the short course. He secured the second place in 45.016 seconds. Liz Atkins and Undine, owned by Benchmark Stables, LLC, were only slightly off Goldman’s pace, but a rail at the final fence would knock them into the third place finish.
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| Lisa Goldman and Zacantos Z |
$1,500 WIHS Jumper Classics
Shortly after the equitation riders completed the Washington Classic Jumper Phase in the LUXMAX U.S.A. Grand Prix Ring, children and adults alike walked the WIHS Jumper Classic course. Twenty-five children would ride against the clock this morning in hopes of capturing the first place, but Anika Pirkle and Just A Dream emerged victorious in the $1,500 WIHS Children’s Jumper Classic, sponsored by Discover Card. Annabella Sanchez and Limelight, owned by Brampton Woods, rode to the second place finish, while Madi Grady and Tell Me, owned by Chuck Waters, earned the third place.
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| Anika Pirkle and Just A Dream |
During the $1,500 WIHS Adult Jumper Classic, sponsored by Canterbury Farm, Kristin Smith and Ophelia, owned by Jill Donaldson, rode to the win. Molly Struve and Orchidee MiLody, owned by Clay Struve, finished second, and Holly Yeterian rode Zero Point, owned by Matt Yeterian, received third.
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| Kristin Smith and Ophelia. Photo By: Andrew Ryback Photography |
The Spring Spectacular III will come to a conclusion on Sunday with its highlight paying event of the week, the $40,000 Weathertech Grand Prix. Leading up to the series finale, the Children’s, Adult, Junior and Amateur-Owner riders will compete in their division classics. For more information on the Showplace Spring Spectacular Series, please visit: www.showplaceproductions.com.
$5,000 Low Junior/AO Gamblers Choice
result entry # horse / owner rider
1 647 Win Vision Sarah Scarnechia Sarah Scarnechia
2 806 Amyra R Stephanie Novas Stephanie Novas
3 189 Tissem Reid Patton Reid Patton
4 765 MTM BFF MTM Farm Ellie Trepte
5 104 Con Chino Z Four Fillies, LLC Elizabeth Adelson
6 559 Memphis Belle Louisa Brackett Louisa Brackett
7 630 Bandro Alexandra Markarian Alexandra Markarian
8 608 Ludo Margaux Wheeler Margaux Wheeler
$5,000 High Junior/AO Owner Gamblers Choice
result entry # horse / owner rider prize
1 307 Balougris SL Z Pony Lane Farm Kelsey Thatcher
2 185 Calvigo ERICKA Baran ERICKA Baran
3 354 Carmina Woodrun Laura Linback
4 199 Twisther Reid Patton Reid Patton
5 353 Attention Please Woodrun Laura Linback
6 807 Zaza Stephanie Novas Stephanie Novas
7 202 Zoe Velvet Reid Patton Reid Patton
8 726 Nektar Joseph Buszydlo Sabrina Buszydlo
$5,000 Open Jumper 1.30M
result entry # horse / owner rider
1 805 Luminous Lance Williamson Tiffany Hammack
2 710 Asirea Fortuna Eduardo Leon Theo Genn
3 644 Gastone Meg Gehron Meg Gehron
4 729 Esconial Benchmark Stables, LLC Liz Atkins
5 711 Aramon Taylor Reid Theo Genn
6 753 Le Conte Andrew Kocher Andrew Kocher
7 348 Aviator CBF Claybrook Farms Alison Leclerc
8 183 Bonita Reid Patton Cara Cheska
$1,500 Open Jumper 1.40M
result entry # horse / owner rider prize
1 557 Zacantos Z Lisa Goldman Lisa Goldman
2 688 Bugatti Eduardo Leon Wilhelm Genn
3 737 Undine Benchmark Stables, LLC Liz Atkins
4 752 Coco 135 Andrew Kocher Andrew Kocher
5 248 Kissimmee Deana Blackburn Tony Font
6 735 L’etoile Benchmark Stables, LLC Liz Atkins
7 255 Copa Cabana 23 Claudia Ballesteros Tony Font
8 753 Le Conte Andrew Kocher Andrew Kocher
$1,500 WIHS Childrens Jumper
result entry # horse / owner rider
1 541 Just A Dream Anika Pirkle Anika Pirkle
2 614 Limelight Brampton Woods Farm Annabella Sanchez
3 414 Tell Me Chuck Waters Madi Grady
4 646 One Direction Emily Scarnechia Sarah Scarnechia
5 660 Acapella Tina Judge Jillian Kilrea
6 461 Atomic Betty Vincent Rossi Missy Rossi
7 396 Adonis Ashley Romano Emma Lena Green
8 416 Warhol Madi Grady Madi Grady
$1,500 WIHS Adult Jumper
result entry # horse / owner rider
1 399 Ophelia Jill Donaldson Kristin Smith
2 835 Orchidee MiLody Clay Struve Molly Struve
3 432 Zero Point Matt Yeterian Holly Yeterian
4 568 GPS Toronto Palindrome Investments, LLC Hannah Adams
5 137 Unicum Van’t Meerdaalhof Sterling Equestrian Lily Kubly
6 567 GPS Evita Palindrome Investments, LLC Hannah Adams
7 431 Zanziboy Matt Yeterian Steve Schaefer
8 657 Royal Descent Christopher Ferralez Jessica Stitt
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