Santiago Lambre (BRA) is getting comfortable in the winner’s circle during the Tournament of Champions. Continuing his championship streak, Lambre scored victory for the fourth time in two weeks, this time aboard Casey in Friday’s $37,000 CSI3* GGT-Footing Welcome Stake.
Over Olaf Petersen, Jr.’s (GER) first-round course, 14 pairs out of the starting 38 combinations jumped clear rounds, making for a highly competitive jump-off. Roberto Teran (COL) with Trefoil Farm LLC’s Babycomeback took the pace up a notch with a blazing fast double-clear round in 35.48 seconds, then shortly after, Samuel Parot (CHI) took over the second-place position with Chrystal Blue in 36.47 seconds, leaving very little room left to sneak a spot atop the podium.
As the second-to-last to jump over the short course, Lambre proved his speed gears were unmatched, racing the 10-year-old Hanoverian mare (Cartani x Grannus) around the short course, omitting strides everywhere possible and taking the speed a second and a half faster in 34.00 seconds. Teran was pushed to second while Parot ended up third.
“Casey came in March for me,” Lambre said about his past with the horse. “This was the first FEI [competition] I rode her in. She jumped so well in the National Grand Prix [last week] – clear with one time fault. I had a good feeling. Sunday is going to be her first [FEI] Grand Prix.”
Lambre believes strongly in the mare and sees her as one that could jump bigger tracks with him aboard. “She’s a very scopey horse, has nice technique, and is brave,” he said. “I’ve only ridden her in four or five shows but my theory is she can jump the big classes.”
Lambre is on a roll in Traverse City and has no intention of slowing down. “I have seven horses [at this level],” he said of his string. “This week I changed completely to three new horses. I gave my other group a week off [to prepare] for the American Gold Cup. That makes a difference. You can have the horses fresh. Casey is one horse that is maybe an option for next week too.”
When asked why his horses perform so well at the Flintfields Horse Park, now scoring four major wins on four different horses, he replied, “The ground is very good. The footing is for sure one of the best in the US. The horses jump with power and at the same time it’s soft. The horses are very sound after they jump three days. I’m very happy to be here.”
Show jumpers will jump the 1.25m Kevin Babington Benefit Classic Saturday morning followed by the $30,000 National Grand Prix Saturday afternoon.
Final Results: $37,000 CSI3* GGT Footing Welcome Stake
1. CASEY: 2012 HANN mare by Cartani x Grannus
SANTIAGO LAMBRE (BRA), Mario Onate: 0/0/34.00
2. BABYCOMEBACK: 2011 SF mare by Corofino II x Joyau D’or A
ROBERTO TERAN (COL), Trefoil Farm LLC: 0/0/35.48
3. CHRYSTAL BLUE: 2011 OLDBG gelding by Chacco Blue x Calvaro Z
SAMUEL PAROT (CHI), Ilan Ferder: 0/0/36.47
4. NAMASTE VAN HET EYCKEVELD: 2013 BWP gelding by Elvis Ter Putte x Coriall
SHANE SWEETNAM (IRL), Sweet Oak Farm: 0/0/37.22
5. IVARO N: 2013 KWPN gelding by Elvaro x Celano
LISA GOLDMAN-SMOLEN (USA), Barbara Disko: 0/0/38.14
6. SIERRA: 2010 DWB mare by Stolzenburg x Lambrusco ASK
ELIZA LEHRMAN (USA), Five Way Farm LLC: 0/0/38.68
7. CONDOR DU VALDECIE: 2012 SF gelding by Quite Easy x Quito de Baussy
CHRIS EWANOUSKI (USA), Polo Jump LLC: 0/4/36.73
8. KIRSCHWASSER SCF: 2010 BWP gelding by Amaretto D’Arco x Nabab De Reve
FREDDIE VAZQUEZ (PUR), Freddie Vazquez: 0/4/37.42
9. IMPOSSIBLE DREAM: 2013 KWPN gelding by Cardento x Peter Pan
KELLY ARANI (USA), Marigot Bay Farm, LLC: 0/4/39.10
10. ISAAC 22: 2008 BWP gelding by Nonstop x Darco
VICTORIA KETCHUM (USA), Copperline Farm LLC: 0/8/38.18
11. FAIR FIELD: 2010 KWPN gelding by VDL Zirocco Blue x Chin Chin
CALLIE SCHOTT (USA), Southern Arches LLC: 0/8/38.18
12. MANHATTAN VAN’T LEEUWERIKENHOF: 2012 BWP gelding by Emerald x Kashmir Van Schuttershof
FILIP DE WANDEL (BEL), Five Way Farm LLC: 0/8/41.41
Isabelle Ehman Aces WIHS Equitation
Isabelle Ehman is one to watch no matter which ring she’s in. As a talented three-ring junior athlete, she’s taken top honors quite a few times this season in Traverse City, including the overall victory in the WIHS Equitation during the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament.
Aboard Photoshop, Don Stewart’s 9-year-old Warmblood gelding, she rode to a score of 86 in the hunter phase early on Friday then followed it up with an 87 and the win in the jumper phase, taking the overall victory. The class is designed to test junior riders’ equitation skills over both a hunter course and a jumper course.
“I started showing him in January of this year consistently,” the 15-year-old from Milton, GA, said of Photoshop. “He’s come a long way. He’s an insane horse. I was able to create a partnership with him this year. We went to Devon and that was great. He took me around my first Junior Hunter [National Championships] and the Gladstone Cup, plus the [Dudley B. Smith Equitation Championship] here. I’ve had a lot of firsts this year and he really helped make them great.”
Not only thriving in the equitation, Ehman has moved up to the higher levels of show jumping, debuting in the Medium Junior/Amateur jumpers and also competing at the FEI North American Youth Championships for the first time with Chaccman.
Ehman plans to attend equitation finals in the fall and hopes to take a win at some point in her junior career in the equitation finals. “I want to stay as consistent as possible,” she continued. “I’d love to win a final. I want to continue on this path and keep going where I’m going.”
Overall, it’s been a stellar season in Traverse City for the young rider. “It’s been great,” she said of her time competing in Northern Michigan. “The facility up here is insane, and the footing is incredible. I was able to move up to the Medium [Junior Jumpers] this year and it was great. I did my first NAYC. I did my first Junior Hunter [National Championships] and I think I was 10th overall. My horse is incredible. This summer has been great, and I couldn’t have asked for a better summer.”
