Small Advantage, a 2005 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Argentina owned by Iwasaki & Reilly, is a new mount for Iwasaki, who started riding him at the end of November. Prior to being shown in the equitation classes, the gelding competed in the 1.40m jumpers. Iwasaki and her mount were sitting in third place after the first round but moved up following her test to take the win.
“Part of the test was to canter down the quarter line and do three changes of the lead,” Iwasaki explained. “My horse is good at lead changes, but he likes to have a rail to bounce over and because there are obviously no rails on the ground in the class, I chose to do simple changes. Simple changes are easier anyway. He felt really good over the jumps. Sometimes he gets a little strong, but he’s new to things and just figuring it out.”
Devon Thomas of Millburn, NJ, and her own Cordino finished in second, moving up from the fourth place position after the test. Thomas started competing the coming 16-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Corrado I in May 2016 and also shows him in the 3’6″ equitation classes. In third were Ava Ellis of Annapolis, MD, and Campreoll, an entry of Missy Clark & North Run. Fourth place went to Tessa P. Brown riding Katie Strandberg’s Sephora.