Parker, CO – June 11, 2013 – The Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena was christened on the first week of the Colorado Horse Park’s Summer in the Rockies in a ceremony during the $30,000 Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix. A field of 12 horse and rider combinations accepted the challenge of Hector Loyola’s technical track, but it was Canadian John Pearce who expertly navigated the jump-off round, besting the rest with long-time partner Chianto, owned by Forest View Farm and Allison Moore.
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| John Pearce and Chianto. Photo by Flying Horse Photography |
Pearce rode three entries, Chianto, Johnny B Good and Son of a Gun, and progressed to the short track on all. Susan Griffis and Palmer Divide Ranch’s Udine, Bjorn Ikast and Bovee Limited Liability Partnership’s Colorado, and Armando Hassey and Taggert Enterprise’s Eminem all left the rails in their cups in the first round to join Pearce in the jump-off.
“The course was a 1.45m,” said Pearce. “It was difficult to ride though. It forced us to do an inside turn to a triple bar which was quite difficult. Then, there was a forward line after the triple bar. There was a quiet distance to a pair of verticals and there was an oxer/oxer going away towards the in-gate. It wasn’t that big but it was quite scopey. It was good.”
Pearce’s first round in the jump-off was with Johnny B Good. The pair performed a solid clear round in a time of 46.050.
Griffis and Udine were ready to confront Pearce and his three horses. Last year, she followed Pearce in a number of victory gallops and she was prepared to pull out all the stops.
“I have to say I was chasing him (Pearce) a bit last year,” said Griffis. “I know how fast he goes. I thought to myself, ‘You know what – I am just going to go for it!’ It was bigger than I thought. There was a tight turn and there were two stout oxers. I landed and I saw an option of leaving two steps out instead of one but I decided to be a little more safe.”
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| Susan Griffis and Udine. Photo by Flying Horse Phototgraphy |
With her time of 42.211, Pearce recognized that Griffis was a threat to the win. He stepped on the gas in his second jump-off round with Chianto and made around clear with a time of 40.593. Ikast and Colorado and Hassey and Eminem both had two rails, putting them in fifth and sixth respectively.
“Susan Griffis was very fast- actually I was surprised how fast she was,” said Pearce. “So, I turned it on very fast with my second horse, Chianto. I had won the class, so I tried to be second on (his third jump-off round mount) Son of a Gun but he kind of tripped up over the second to last jump, so she just got me.”
Griffis describes Udine as a horse with an extremely adjustable stride that gives it all she’s got. The pair has been together for five years.
“She’s a Dutch mare by Voltaire,” Griffis said. “I got her when she was seven. I was having trouble staying with her in the air. I told the guy who was selling her that she’s hard to ride. He said, ‘Well it’s hard to drive a Porsche but you get used to it.’ She’s been a horse of a lifetime. She was the only mare in the class and I was the only woman. Go Girls!”
The partnership of Chianto and Pearce has produced an impressive list of prestigious grand prix wins. This is his fifth grand prix victory gallop just this year, plus, he was second in the AIG Million at HITS Thermal.
“He’s 17 this year and he’s going strong,” Pearce said about the big Chianto. “He’s like my Pegasus, you know. He’s gotten really, really solid as the years have gone on. We have a great relationship. He was quite difficult when I got him and it took a year to get to know him, but when he came around, he came around and never looked back.”
With Chianto, Pearce rarely practices over fences outside of the show ring. He says the horse just wouldn’t tolerate a highly disciplined program.
“I keep him happy,” Pearce said. “I try to turn him out and hack him in the countryside. He’s got a good life. He spends a lot of time outside. When he goes to the shows he’s ready to spit fire. When you fire up the truck he whinnies. He likes to compete.”
Both Griffis and Pearce are looking forward to competing at the Colorado Horse Park for the upcoming weeks of Summer in the Rockies.
“I appreciate that they’re really working hard and putting a great effort into the footing and the facility,” Griffis said. “I really want to thank Helen Krieble and the Coors family. I appreciate so much what they’ve done for the Horse Park and for Colorado.”
“I’m looking forward to jumping on this new footing,” Pearce said. “I am looking forward to going white water rafting on the Colorado River, going golfing and all the things that I enjoy here. It’s a great place to be in the summer time.”
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| Helen Krieble and the Coors Family chirstened the new Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena. |
Results $30,000 Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Summer in the Rockies Week I
1. 644 Chianto / Forest View Farm / John Pearce /40.593 / 0 F
2. 588 Udine / Palmer Divide Ranch / Susan Griffis 42.211 / 0 F
3. 645 Son of A Gun/ Forest View Farm / John Pearce 42.776 / 0 F
4. 646 Johnny B Good/Forest View Farm 46.050 / 0 F
5. 630 Colorado / Bovee Limited Liability Partnership/ Bjorn Ikast 46.992 / 8 F
6. 601 Eminem / Tagggert Enterprises / Armando Hassey 48.096 / 8F
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| Kristen Vanderveen and Bull’s Run Eternal won the $15,000 Welcome Stake |
589. $15,000 Open Welcome Stake
Some Champions and Reserve Champions of Summer in the Rockies Week I
Division # 74 Low Junior/Amatuer Owner
Champion 668 Champagne Supernova / Shawn Tebben /Shawn Tebben
Champion 413 Bull Run’s Alli Lu Ya / Chelsea Babcock /Empire State Equine Sales, LLC
Division # 76 High Junior/Amateur Owner
Champion 537 Waterloo II / Jennifer Hodgson / Jennifer Hodgson
Reserve 531 Carino G / Chenoa Mc Elvain / Rancho Corazon, LLC
Division # 69 Pony Jumper
Champion 694 Monstarz Superfly / Cecily Coors /KC Sports LLC
Champion 695 Oatis / Cecily Coors / KC Sports LLC
Division # 35 $1,000 Adult Amateur 18-35
Champion 720 Vancouver / Mindy Coretz / KAC Horses, LLC
Reserve 657 Taylor Made / Marisa Haag / Marisa Haag
Division # 37 $1,000 Adult Amateur 36 & Over
Champion 745 Three Rivers / Jennifer Wallen / Woodhaven Stables LLC
Reserve 566 Regalo / Jana Arnoldy / Jana Arnoldy
Division # 40 $1,000 Amateur Owner
3’3/3’6 Champion 723 Gretta / Mindy Coretz / KAC Horses, LLC
Reserve 534 Calabria / Nicole Stern / icole Stern
Division # 30 $1,000 Junior Hunter
Champion 605 Tache Rouge / Hannah Holik / Czech Mate, LLC
Reserve 740 Simply Said / Emma Willsky / Emma Willsky
Division # 9 $2,000 Green Working Hunters
Champion 672 Up In Smoke / Paul Rohrbach /NTM Enterprises
Reserve 564 Amoro De Legante / Mark Mead / Laura Fereday
Division # 13 $1,000 Performance Working
Champion 534 Calabria / Michael Dennehy / Nicole Stern
Reserve 677 Snow Day / Laura Simpson / Patricia With
The Colorado Horse Park Summer in the Rockies Fast Facts
What: Summer in the Rockies AA-Rated Hunter Jumper Show Series
Event Dates:
Summer in the Rockies I June 5-9, 2013
Summer in the Rockies II June 12-16, 2013
Summer in the Rockies III June 19-23, 2013
Summer in the Rockies IV July 3-7, 2013
Summer in the Rockies V July 10-14, 2013
Summer in the Rockies VI July 17-21, 2013
Prize List:
Click here for an online version of the prize list. For a hard copy of the prize list, please e-mail prizelist@cohorsepark.comwith your name, address and phone number and specify which prize list you would like (spring/fall or summer).
Entries:
Mail to The Colorado Horse Park, 7522 South Pinery Drive, Parker, CO 80134 or fax to (303) 841-7879. Opening date for Stall Reservations: April 1, 2013. Closing date May 20, 2013.
Contact Information:
Pat Boyle, Show Manager (847) 274-6834
Brian Curry, Show Manager (303) 918-2908
Show Office (303) 841-7461
Show Office Fax (303) 841-1419
Colorado Horse Park Main Office (303) 841-5550
Colorado Horse Park Main Office Fax (303) 841-7879
Tentative Schedule:
Wed – Sun: Show starts daily at 8 a.m. unless otherwise noted
Directions:
Address:7375 E Bayou Gulch Rd, Parker, CO 80134
From North: I-25S exit Ridgegate Parkway – go east under the freeway. Ridgegate Parkway to S. Chambers Road, approx 3 miles (Traffic light) – turn right/south onto Chambers Road. At end of Chambers Road turn left/east onto Hess Road. Hess Road to Parker Road/Hwy 83 – turn right/south onto Hwy 83 approx 4 miles to Bayou Gulch Road. (Traffic light). Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.
From South: I-25N, exit Founder’s Parkway. Founder’s Parkway to Highway 86, approx 4 miles (traffic light). Turn east/left onto Hwy. 86 to Franktown/Hwy 83. At Franktown go north on 83 approx. 7 mi. to Bayou Gulch Rd. (Traffic light), turn right/east onto Bayou Gulch Rd. Follow signs to Colorado Horse Park.
About the Colorado Horse Park
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary, the Colorado Horse Park was founded by visionary Helen Krieble who acknowledged the need for a high-volume horse show and horse boarding facility to serve Colorado. The Colorado Horse Park welcomes more than 75,000 visitors per year and hosts over 40 competitions annually. CHP features a derby arena designed by Olympic-designer Linda Allen and a cross-country course designed by Olympic Gold Medalist David O’Connor and eventing super-star James Atkinson. There are 300 permanent stalls with capacity for more than 1,000 stalls.
The picturesque property, located only minutes from the town of Parker, hosts international equestrian events in multiple disciplines. Visitors enjoy the beautiful Colorado Rocky Mountain surroundings and access to miles of trails and open space. The Colorado Horse Park iscommitted to supporting equestrian education and amateur athletics, preserving open space, fundraising for local charities and supporting the community.