On the final day of competition of Summer in the Rockies 2014, juniors and amateurs competed in several extremely competitive jumper classics in the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Grand Prix Arena at the Colorado Horse Park.Ireland’s Alan Wade built a large course reminiscent of the $50,000 Griffis Residential Grand Prix, held last night. Wade created finale courses for the juniors and amateurs as a test of their progress and throughout the six-week circuit. Twelve horse and rider combinations had their eye on the prize in the $10,000 Coors Family High Junior/Amatuer Owner Jumper Classic. Only one, Haley Griffis and CiCi’s Angel, owned by Palmer Divide Ranch of Larkspur, CO produced a clear round to nab the win. Lucy Bradbury and her own Take a Chance, the fastest of the four-faulters, came in second and Brooke Cudmore and Shea, owned by Blair Cudmore from Omaha, NE were third. “It feels great,” said the Haley Griffis. “But I don’t feel like I deserve it though, she totally gave me the last jump. I have had her for five years now. The moment I saw her I was in love. She’s so special and so sweet. She’s a great jumper. I rode her in a hackamore this week. She was a bit strong but it was better because she’s getting a little tired.” “I thought the course rode pretty well. It rode pretty technical,” said Griffis about Wade’s course. “I liked that most of the lines were pretty forward so you didn’t have to pull back, you could just forge forward. It seemed a little big to me today.” Riding and show jumping runs in the Griffis Family, who hail from Larkspur, CO. Susan Griffis trains her daughters Haley and Georgia Griffis. The family business, Griffis Residential, sponsored the $50,000 Grand Prix on Saturday afternoon. Susan Griffis is originally from Virginia but came to Colorado to attend Colorado College where she met and married her husband and fell in love with the mountains. Horses have always been a family way of life. “My mom was a timber racehorse trainer when she was younger in the Plains, VA,” said Susan Griffis. “She trained a horse that ended up in the Maryland Hunt Cup twice, ridden by John Coles. I rode the horse as a green horse and taught him to jump." Haley Griffis enjoys the family passion just as much as her mother and her grandmother. She described what it is like for your trainer to be your mother. “It’s nice because we can argue a little bit and push up against each other when we disagree,” said Haley Griffis. “In the end she’s always right. Horses have been in the family for a while. And it is a fun family affair. I hope to continue the tradition.” “We are thankful to Helen [Krieble] for all that she has done,” said Susan Griffis, a long-time sponsor of the park. “There is a strong horse business here. It is fun to draw Californians and Canadians and have such great competition at the Colorado Horse Park.” Haley Griffis described Colorado Horse Park as a very special place for her. She attended her first horse show at Colorado Horse Park and has grown up feeling a special bond with the beautiful facility. “We went right from short stirrup to pony jumpers,” said Susan Griffis. “The hunters were not for us.” The $5,000 NAL Low Junior Amateur Jumper Classic had 24 entries and 13 horse and rider teams returned for a challenging jump-off round to determine the winner. Caitlin Creel and Da Vinci emerged as the victors by delivering the fastest clean round of the group. Da Vinci is owned by Cavallo Farms of Tallahassee, FL and Creel is from Killdeer, IL where she trains with Lynn Jayne. Another member of the Griffis family, Georgia Griffis aboard Correggia, owned by Palmer Divide Ranch also earned a fifth place ribbon in the class. Upcoming events at the Colorado Horse Park include the USHJA Emerging Athlete Program with Julie Winkel August 4-8.
