Categories
English Events Horse Happenings

Don’t Miss Out! Last Call for Entries for The Ridge at Wellington Hunter Derby Days

Wellington, FL – February 3, 2015 – Riders will want to get their entries in quickly for the second annual Hunter Derby Days at The Ridge at Wellington. On Friday, February 6, 2015, The Ridge at Wellington will offer their first-class $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby and $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. Entries are filling fast as the top hunter riders in the nation gather for a battle of the best on the turf. Part of the Ridge at Wellington’s Turf Tour, the International and National Hunter Derbies are the perfect fit into the Wellington Winter Circuit as riders prepare for the steadily approaching hunter derbies at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF).

On February 6 and March 20, 2015, the hunters will take over The Ridge at Wellington. Both the sand ring and the open derby field will be reminiscent of the traditional hunt field with natural obstacles and tasteful adornment. The $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby kicks off the day at 8:30 a.m in the sand ring and the second annual $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby will begin on the grass at 1 p.m.

On Thursday February 5, there will be a ticketed hunter warmup offered from 8 am until 4:30 pm, open to everyone. International Derby horses must be on the grounds by 1 pm for check in for Friday’s event, per USHJA rules.

 

This year, the derby courses will be designed by Kenneth Krome. A host of highly esteemed judges will be evaluating the top hunter derby horses in Wellington, including Linda Andrisani, R. Scott Fitton, Mindy Minetto and Dee Thomas.

 

Last year professional hunter rider Jennifer Alfano rode 2012 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals Champion, Jersey Boy, to the first place finish in the 2014 $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. Peter Wylde and Smoking Gun claimed the second International Hunter Derby with a phenomenal two rounds on The Ridge at Wellington’s derby field.

 

The prize list for the hunter derby is available here. <<http://www.theridgefarm.com/documents/2015-HUNTER-DERBY-PL-jan12.pdf>>

 

The Ridge at Wellington Hunter Derbies are the epitome o

f what the show world strives to accomplish. With unparalleled hospitality, and the careful and knowledgeable minds of Olympian Nona Garson and George D’Ambrosio, the Hunter Derby Days are a horse show run by horsemen for horsemen.

 

In the world of hunter derbies, The Ridge at Wellington provides an exhilarating opportunity for riders of all levels. As a stand-alone derby day, the national and international classes are fully dedicated to showcasing and perfecting the derby classes with ideal turf that rivals the traditional fox hunting fields, reveling in the sport and athleticism of the horse.

 

The Ridge at Wellington is a premiere state-of-the-art facility that offers the best of the equestrian sports with varying competition levels. Their shows offer a wide array of classes, as well as generous prize money and sponsorship opportunities. Located only two miles from the prestigious Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, the Ridge at Wellington offers one of the most centrally located horse shows in Wellington.

 For more information about the Ridge at Wellington please go to www.theridgefarm.com. For up-to-date information please follow the Ridge at Wellington on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Ridge-at-Wellington/219358376264. For more information please e-mail  info@TheRidgeFarm.com.

Stalls are limited, please submit entries no later than February 2, 2015 to ensure stall reservations.

Website: www.TheRidgeFarm.com

 

Categories
English Events Horse Happenings

Kristen VanderVeen and Bull Run’s Faithful Win at the Wellington Turf Tour

Wellington, FL – January 15, 2015 -Vast green polo fields created the perfect backdrop for the start of the second week of The Ridge at Wellington’s Turf Tour.

 Competition in both rings remained strong throughout the day on Wednesday, January 14. While the weather remained overcast for most of the morning, the sun peeked out during the afternoon to highlight a beautiful set of courses that rode well for the competitors. The Grand Prix field saw riders from 8 a.m. until the sun began to fade around 5 p.m. The second ring stayed quite busy until the medium jumpers finished up in the mid-afternoon. The show saw almost 130 trips, significantly growing from week one of the Turf Tour.

Kristen VanderVeen rode Bull Run’s Faithful, owned by Bull Run Jumpers, Inc. to the top of the standings in the first $2,400 1.3-1.35m jumpers. VanderVeen was very pleased with her new ride on the mare.

(below:Bull Run’s Faithful and Kristen Vanderveen Win $2400 1.3-1.35m Jumpers at The Ridge at Wellington. Photos by Shannon Bower/Phelps Media Group)

Bull Run's Faithful and Kristen VanderVeen Win at The Ridge at Wellington's Turf Tour

“She’s brand new, so it’s only the second time we’ve shown. Last week we did her at the first stop of the Turf Tour, so I’m really happy,” VanderVeen said. “She’s a little spicy so I’m getting used to her, but she’s a gamer in the ring. It’s really nice here; the ground is so solid I don’t feel like we’re going to have any trouble.”

Jeffery Welles finished second on Triton Ventures Farms Inc’s Calais, finishing less than a tenth of a second behind Faithful. He was also fourth on Herbert Sambol’s Broken Heart. 

 

Andrew Welles rode his own Quickly 3 to a third place finish. Andrew spoke very highly of the Turf Tour.                                                 (Calais and Jeffery Welles)

Jeffery Welles and Calais

“It’s a fantastic facility and a great opportunity to do something different with our horses. I think it’s fantastic that we get to come and jump on grass, not just grass but a facility like IPC is just phenomenal for the horses,” Andrew said. “I’m planning to come back on Friday. The horse I did had a nice little break after doing well in the grand prixs in December so this was his first week back.”

 

Tennyson, ridden by Darrin Dliin for Susan Grange, came in fifth. Peter Leone rode Lionshare Farm’s My Pleasure to finish sixth. Leone was enthusiastic about why he chose to come to The Ridge at Wellington’s Turf Tour. “Quality venue, quality jumps, quality course designing and nice money.”

 

(Cassidy and Ansgar Holtgers)

Ansgar Holtgers, riding his own Cassidy, won the second $2,400 1.3-1.35m jumper class. Cartoon City, owned and ridden by Marcus Hagglund finished second. Third went to Gabrielle Pelchat, riding her own Just Stella. Hot Topic, owned by Finca Horses Inc and ridden by Nina Fagerstrom finished fourth. Beth Underhill rode her own Viggo to claim a fifth place. Nimbus, owned by Blue Gate Farm LLC was ridden by Denise Wilson to finish sixth.

The second ring saw plenty of action throughout the morning and early afternoon. The first class of the day was the low jumpers, won by Sarah Wayda on Rene Johnson’s Josephine, out of a very competitive field of 29.

Second went to Click For Quality, ridden by Marshall Field for Hidden Brook Farm. Jennifer Knobel rode her own Stash to finish third. Fourth went to Chambery 25, owned and ridden by Adolpho Franco. Alpen Star Enterprises’ Ae La Gracia finished fifth, ridden by Tatiana Gabrush. Debbi White rounded out the top six on her own Basil Hayden.

 

Marshall Field, who rode Hidden Brook Farm’s London and Carpathia K to finish first and second, dominated the second class of the low jumpers. Morgan Bailey rode her own Baby Ruth to finish third. Fourth went to Ansgar Holtgers on his own Delinda. Christine McCrea rode Candy Tribble’s Centrefold to a fifth place finish. Ae La Gracia finished sixth, ridden by Tatiana Gabrush and owned by Alpen Star Enterprises.

 

The second division was the medium jumpers at 1.2-1.25m. Paul Yanke continued to build on his successes from last week, claiming first aboard Equinvest’s Lady Sparkle and second on his own Carle. Sarah Wayda had three horses in the ribbons, riding Rene Johnson’s horses Maximus and Artemis to finish third and fifth respectively. She also rode Rian Miller’s Contentus to sixth. Fourth went to Unik De Vergne, owned by Nicolas Paillot and owned by Anne Caroline Valtin.

Ansgar Holtgers on his own El Casper won the second class of the medium jumpers, followed by Eric Flameng riding Floriac LLC’s Balous Boy.

 

Friday’s events promise to be exciting, with the $15,000 1.4m Grand Prix running from 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.. Beginning at 8 a.m., there will be both child/adult and masters jumper classes, along with a classic round for both divisions, running concurrently with open cards until noon.

 

In addition, there will be a low schooling jumper division with two classes running concurrently offered at this height. The $2,000 Child and Adult Classic is pointed from Marshall & Sterling, NAL & WIHS. The $2,000 Master’s Jumper Classic, open to riders 50 and over, is also pointed from Marshall & Sterling, NAL & WIHS.

 

The JR/AOs will start at 12:30 p.m. and run until 4:30 p.m., with both the regular class and classic card open concurrently. The $3,000 Junior and A-O Jumper Classic is NAL pointed. High schooling jumpers will also be offered with cards running concurrently.

Week two of the Ridge at Wellington’s Turf Tour is taking place at The International Polo Club, located at 3667 120th Avenue South in Wellington, FL 33414. The show entrance is off 120th Street between Lake Worth Road and Pierson Road.

Meadowbrook Horse Transport will provide transportation to and from the horse show and other locations throughout Wellington for both the Wednesday and Friday events. The transportation is a nominal fee of $50 per horse, and will be calculated into the final show fees. To make a reservation for one of the three pickup times: 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. please call Peter Tufano of Meadowbrook Horse Transport at (954) 415-7217, or call Nona Garson at (908) 500-0996.

For more information about the Ridge at Wellington please go to www.theridgefarm.com. For up-to-date information please follow the Ridge at Wellington on Facebook.

Categories
English Events Horse Happenings

Connor Swail and Fortis Fortuna Finish on Top of Wellington Turf Tour 1.40 Grand Prix Rankings

Wellington, FL – January 9, 2015 – Ireland’s Connor Swail left little room for competitors to match his pace today during the Ridge at Wellington’s 2015 Turf Tour held at Wolfstone Stables. The Irishman showed that he had more than luck as he took the lead early in the day as one of 10 riders to master the track and post a double-clear effort with Fortis Fortuna, owned by Susan and Ariel Grange. As only the ninth rider, Swail knew that he had speedy competitors hot on his heels, but he could not compensate speed for accuracy.