The second week of top equestrian horse showing in the Santa Fe Summer Series brought Sonrisa Week to HIPICO Santa Fe. Named for the Spanish word for “smile,” week two delivered muchos sonrisas para todos! The sunny, high desert days were picture-perfect, with mild temperatures and soft breezes; evening showers made the grass even greener, and the competition was hot! CHRISTIAN HEINEKING jumped right into his first week, winning the $7500 Welcome Stake sponsored by Carolina Arena Equipment in a field of 27 entries. Christian expertly piloted his mount, Leonie, owned by October Hills Hunters, to triumph on the turf. Jenni Mcallister took second on Legis Touch the Sun – less than a second behind the winner. “Leonie is a new ride, I’ve only been riding her for 5 weeks – she is an 8-year-old mare that we think is the next upcoming star,” described Heineking. “She was imported from Germany and I started riding her in Colorado; this was our first show. HIPICO is a great place for her to get some experience. The grass was in great shape – I can tell that the management here have really put a lot of work into the footing. I only competed on the grass, but everyone I spoke with appreciated the sand rings too. HIPICO’s management really listened and worked on changes to improve the experience.” Mr. Heineking was also complimentary of the course design. “Alexander Lima did a great job – he’s young but very experienced, and he pays attention to how the horses go during the week. We’ll be back next year.” The $2500 National Hunter Derby was held on the grass Derby Field on Friday. After evening rain showers, the grass was in fantastic condition. Jessica Harries and her hunters enjoyed it. Harries rode the winner of this week’s Derby, the gorgeous Bravo, owned by Valentina Diemer, Harries not only won the class, taking home the coveted HIPICO Santa Fe silver buckle, she also placed third and eighth out of a field of 33. Harries and her husband, Dylan, of JNL Stables, travel from Cypress, Texas. They love coming to HIPICO Santa Fe, along with their adorable daughter, Maggie, who also loves to ride. “The minute we pull in the driveway, I feel a sense of tranquility. All the horses become calmer. Our clients like that when we come to Santa Fe, it is a combination show and vacation,” Jessica said. She also included, “The facility this year is much improved. Management listened. Footing and hunter rings are great. We’ll be here two weeks because you can’t beat the ambiance.” Belynda Bond had a beautiful round on the lovely chestnut, Norderney, owned by Gesture, LLC., and finished closely behind Jessica for second place. Legendary trainer, Ronnie Freeman echoed Jessica’s sentiments, telling us, “The ambiance at HIPICO is wonderful. The hospitality is super with really sharp staff who handle visitors professionally and the crew is fantastic. The footing and the grass are in great shape. The food trucks are excellent and the beer & wine garden terrific – it’s nice they use the bar for cash on one side and VIP on the other.” HIPICO is so pleased to have Mr. Freeman showing with us and thanks him for noting all of the hard work we put in during the off-season. Thank you for the compliments, Ronnie!
