Local rider Lisa Goldman has had a fantastic three weeks showing at the Showplace Spring Spectacular Series. To kick off the final week of the series, Goldman rode to a 1-2 finish today during the $20,000 Open Welcome Stake, sponsored by Upper Echelon Academy. She bested a field of 27 contenders with her top mounts Centurion B and Morocco for the top tricolors. Goldman was the first of the 27 to master the opening track, designed by course designer Alan Wade. Ten riders proved capable of clearing the course this afternoon, and, of those, five would ride to double clear efforts. Tracy Fenney of Flower Mound, TX, led the class with a jump-off time of 41.285 seconds aboard MTM Timon. Brian Walker and Chico's Bandita were just off her pace with a double clear posted in 43.008 seconds. Freddie Vazquez and Zippo Z rounded out the last of the clear efforts, tripping the timer in 46.917 seconds with a more conservative effort. Eventual winner Goldman said, "The ring felt bigger this week. I really like Alan Wade's courses. He makes you turn; he makes you run. He gives you options out there. I have won on courses I haven't liked, and I have lost on courses I have liked. I knew that I was up against fast times. Tracy [Fenney] is so fast, and I have so much respect for her. It is always fun. We jump back and forth a bit." Goldman knew she had Fenney's quick time to beat as she returned on Centurion B, but the track worked to her advantage. She completed the jump-off in 38.578 seconds without fault, taking over the lead. Aboard Morocco, Goldman duplicated her effort with the second fastest time of 39.793 seconds. "Both Centurion B and Morocco handled the course well; they are perfect. They love their job," Goldman smiled. "It is so good to have Morocco back. He's jumping well. He's sound, and I have missed him so much. Leo has been great, he was just wonderful out there." Goldman continued, "It couldn't be better showing here. Not only have I had a fantastic three weeks, but our customers are doing well, too. I can't complain. Pat does such a good job here, and it is home. There are so many fast riders here in the Mid-West. I think people take us for granted. It makes for a competitive jump-off." $1,000 Young 7/8-Year-Old Championship For the entirety of the series, riders have had the opportunity to compete in an array of young jumper classes as a way of gaining mileage for their young mounts. Showplace Productions took the initiative to offer these classes without an entry fee, with the championship concluding the division. It was Fenney and MTM Cravitz that rode to the top of the leader board during the $1,000 Young 7/8 Year Old Championship, laying down a clean round in 29.885 seconds. Their time went unmatched, with Goldman and Rocs to Riches riding to the second place and Tony Font and Von Casius earning third. Owner of MTM Cravitz, fashion icon Sam Edelman of S & L Farms was onsite for the class and championship presentation. Fenney rode MTM Cravitz to a 30-point victory, with a clean sweep of the 7/8 Year Old Jumper division. "He is a colt that I bought coming 3 years old in Holland," Edelman explained. "He was really little, all the quality, very expensive, but little. The next year, between 3 and 4 years old he grew close to 17 hands, but he was very weak. He was really tall, gangly and weak, but we put a lot of time into him because we saw his potential to jump. This is the first horse that I have had since S & L Willie that I wanted Tracy to have and train. I thought he was a really good one, just like Willie." Edelman continued, "It is very hard to find a good horse today. This sport is dominated by such a small group of force, that to have a really good horse is a great feeling. I think it is great that Showplace has taken the initiative to offer these classes at no cost. I also think this facility is so impressive. We are going to bring an S & L group out here next year for all three weeks, and we are opening up a Sam Edelman Lifestyle store in Chicago within the next six months, so it is a good excuse for us to come here. I am really attracted to everything they have to offer here, from the ambiance to the quality of the show." $1,000 6-Year-Old Young Jumper Championship Only five horse and rider combinations were able to clear the first round track of the $1,000 6-Year-Old Young Jumper Championship class, sponsored by Roc USA and Julie Novak. Cara Cheska and Da Vinci rode to the quickest clear round in the jump-off in 32.141 seconds for the first place, while David Dorner and Roc America captured the second place. The third place award went to Alec Bozorgi and Cappanaleigh Storm for their quick and tidy round posted in 33.768 seconds. Nancy Whitehead of Richmond, IL, was on hand for the presentation, awarding Cheska the top prize on behalf of Roc USA and Julie Novak. Whitehead owns the 2013 top sire of jumpers, Roc USA, who is also leading for the 2014-year as her flagship stallion. Roc USA is the sire to Rocs and Riches, who took second place in today's $1,000 Young 7/8 Year Old Championship, and Roc America who captured the second place in the $1,000 6-Year-Old Young Jumper Championship. "I am really please that there are a lot of good breeders in the United States who are starting to produce good show horses," Whitehead said. "I thought it would be good to sponsor alongside Julie Novak, who has a wonderful breeding program, and has raised great horses for her son Nick." $20,000 Open Welcome Stake result entry # horse / owner rider 1 556 CENTURION B Mary Goldman Lisa Goldman 2 555 MOROCCO Lisa Goldman Lisa Goldman 3 386 MTM Timon MTM Farm Tracy Fenney 4 781 Chico's Bandita Brian Walker Brian Walker 5 648 Zippo Z Messenger Hill Freddie Vazquez 6 387 MTM Centano MTM Farm Tracy Fenney 7 754 Lexa 22 Andrew Kocher Andrew Kocher 8 226 Dominant De Muze Barbara Center Roderick Kyle DEWAR 9 683 Welcome COR ANN ANASTASIO Wilhelm Genn 10 229 Gomez Van De Withoeve Roderick Kyle DEWAR Roderick Kyle DEWAR 11 681 Akida Wilhelm Genn Wilhelm Genn 12 392 S & L Elite S & L Farms Dorothy Douglas $1,000 Young Jumper 7/8 Year Old Championship result entry # horse / owner rider 1 764 MTM Cravitz MTM Farm Tracy Fenney 2 558 Rocs To Riches Lisa Goldman Lisa Goldman 3 249 Von Casius Deana Blackburn Tony Font 4 709 Cortina Shannon Reid Wilhelm Genn 5 755 Foxy Lady River Mountain Farm Andrew Kocher 6 359 Bonzay Isotropic Networks Inc. Melissa Orlick-Zbierski 7 230 Emperador Roderick Kyle DEWAR Roderick Kyle DEWAR 8 589 Stella Luna Pony Lane Farm Madeline Thatcher $1,000 Young Jumper 6 Year Old Championship result entry # horse / owner rider 1 629 Da Vinci Donald Cheska Sales Cara Cheska 2 342 Roc America Katie Hlis David Dorner 3 638 Cappanaleigh Storm Alec Bozorgi Alec Bozorgi 4 603 Image Valiere Z Kam Mc Donald Kam Mc Donald 5 730 Cass Benchmark Stables, LLC Liz Atkins 6 172 C'Blue Christie Rugh- Bileddo Mary Goldman 7 385 MTM Numa One MTM Farm Michael McCormick 8 680 Van Gogh Wilhelm Genn Theo Genn Source: Press release from Phelps Media Group, Inc. International.
