Week I at the Atlanta Spring Classic wrapped up yesterday at the Georgia International Horse Park, home of the 1996 Olympic Games. Saturday evening's highlight was the $25,000 CWD Grand Prix which saw only four horse and rider teams advance to the jump off. Brooke Kemper of Culpeper, Virginia and her own Classified were the first to post a clean first round in a time of 77.160 seconds, well within the 84 seconds time allowed. And as first to go in the jump off round, Kemper and Classified set the time to beat at 39.813 seconds. However, with three rides remaining, it was still anyone's class. Leann Kelly of Valatie, New York and Honorway Farm, LLC's Leander were the next horse and rider team to post a clean first round in a time of 78.140 seconds. Their jump off effort in a clean 39.589 seconds gave them the lead, putting Kemper in second place for the time. Amanda Flint of Long Valley, New Jersey and The Coverboy Group's Balotan posted a clean first round in a time of 78.973 seconds and followed Kelly in the jump off phase. Flint and Balotan blazed through the jump off with no faults in a time of 36.842 seconds which gave them the lead with one horse and rider team remaining for the jump off portion of the class. Natalie Geller of Canton, Georgia and her own Caletto V were last to go after posting a clean first round effort in a time of 79.296 seconds. However, four faults at the second fence in the jump off and a time of 40.792 seconds, would see them finish in fourth place overall. Flint and Balotan won the class followed by Kelly and Leander and Kemper and Classified took third place honors. "The course was well built for the field," commented Flint. "The last line, the Horseflight jump to the triple past the gate was definitely the most challenging portion of the course," she added. Balotan is a 9 year old stallion by Baloubet recently imported from Argentina last January.
