Lauren Hester of Lexington, Kentucky started this year's Gulf Coast Winter Circuit in the winner's circle, besting a group of 14 horse and rider teams in the $10,000 Horseflight Open Welcome in the irons of Hester Equestrian, LLC's Clueless P. Course designer, Nancy Wallis of Lambertville, New Jersey set the course with a first round time allowed of 88 seconds. Hester was first to go in the class in the irons of Hester Equestrian, LLC's Wender. Hester and Wender had a good run at the Gulf Coast Winter Classic Pensacola Circuit and won the $10,000 EMO Jumper Classic Week I. Yesterday, the pair jumped a clean first round in a time of 79.242 seconds, but had two rails down in the second round in a time of 33.978 seconds. "He's a super careful horse, so I was kind of shocked he had two down in the jump off round," commented Hester. The pair would finish in ninth place overall. Penny Brennan of Ocala, Florida and Meeco Equestrian's Cord 11 turned in the next clean first round in a time of 87.134 seconds and advanced to the second round. A heartbreak rail at the last fence in a time of 36.396 seconds would see the pair finish in seventh place overall. Hester returned to the grand prix field, this time in the irons of Hester Equestrian's Dutch Warmblood, Arly. The pair turned in double clear rounds in times of 81.459 seconds and 37.150 seconds, respectively, and took the lead. "He's really big and we made a couple of big turns," Hester commented. Their lead would be temporary and the pair finished in fifth place overall. Willoughby Stables' Varios, ridden by Jason Berry of Verona, Virginia, grabbed the lead from Hester and Arly after turning in double clear rounds in times of 77.889 seconds and 34.623 seconds, respectively. Brooke Kemper of Culpeper, Virginia followed Berry in the irons of her own Classified and posted double clear rounds in times of 83.377 seconds and 36.186 seconds, which would find the pair finish in fourth place overall. Chanel Du Calvaire, owned and ridden by Francois Lamontagne of Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada followed Kemper with double clear rounds in times of 82.066 seconds and 35.008 seconds, respectively, which would award them with third place honors overall. Hester returned to the field, this time in the irons of Hester Equestrian, LLC's Clueless P. "She was really spooking at the second jump," commented Hester. "She really peeked at the triple bar and I was kicking her up to it," she added. "She is so little and she chipped to it, so I just kept her galloping the rest of the course," Hester said. The pair turned in double clear rounds in times of 80.146 seconds and 33.665 seconds, which would take the lead and eventually win the class. "I like little horses," said Hester. "They turn easily and are closer to the ground, in case you fall off," she laughed. "I was happy with how we did," she said. Amanda Forte of Glenmoore, Pennsylvania, followed with the next double clear rounds in the irons of Cerulean Stables, LLC's HHS Louis, in times of 87.310 seconds and 39.379 seconds, respectively. The pair would finish in sixth place overall. Molly Ben-Menachem's Dontez, ridden by Sarah Scheiring of Stockton, New Jersey, turned in a four-fault first round in time of 86.626 seconds and finished in tenth place overall. Hester and her fourth ride in the class, Hester Equestrian, LLC's Lorstakov, turned in the final round of the class with a clean first round in a time of 82.470 seconds and a four fault second round in a time of 38.479 seconds. The pair would finish in ninth place overall. "I didn't expect him to go clear, but he jumped really well," said Hester. "He has come a long way," she added. "He needs to jump bigger because he is just not so impressed with the smaller jumps," she said.
Lauren Hester of Lexington, Kentucky started this year's Gulf Coast Winter Circuit in the winner's circle, besting a group of 14 horse and rider teams in the $10,000 Horseflight Open Welcome in the irons of Hester Equestrian, LLC's Clueless P. Course designer, Nancy Wallis of Lambertville, New Jersey set the course with a first round time allowed of 88 seconds. Hester was first to go in the class in the irons of Hester Equestrian, LLC's Wender. Hester and Wender had a good run at the Gulf Coast Winter Classic Pensacola Circuit and won the $10,000 EMO Jumper Classic Week I. Yesterday, the pair jumped a clean first round in a time of 79.242 seconds, but had two rails down in the second round in a time of 33.978 seconds. "He's a super careful horse, so I was kind of shocked he had two down in the jump off round," commented Hester. The pair would finish in ninth place overall. Penny Brennan of Ocala, Florida and Meeco Equestrian's Cord 11 turned in the next clean first round in a time of 87.134 seconds and advanced to the second round. A heartbreak rail at the last fence in a time of 36.396 seconds would see the pair finish in seventh place overall. Hester returned to the grand prix field, this time in the irons of Hester Equestrian's Dutch Warmblood, Arly. The pair turned in double clear rounds in times of 81.459 seconds and 37.150 seconds, respectively, and took the lead. "He's really big and we made a couple of big turns," Hester commented. Their lead would be temporary and the pair finished in fifth place overall. Willoughby Stables' Varios, ridden by Jason Berry of Verona, Virginia, grabbed the lead from Hester and Arly after turning in double clear rounds in times of 77.889 seconds and 34.623 seconds, respectively. Brooke Kemper of Culpeper, Virginia followed Berry in the irons of her own Classified and posted double clear rounds in times of 83.377 seconds and 36.186 seconds, which would find the pair finish in fourth place overall. Chanel Du Calvaire, owned and ridden by Francois Lamontagne of Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada followed Kemper with double clear rounds in times of 82.066 seconds and 35.008 seconds, respectively, which would award them with third place honors overall. Hester returned to the field, this time in the irons of Hester Equestrian, LLC's Clueless P. "She was really spooking at the second jump," commented Hester. "She really peeked at the triple bar and I was kicking her up to it," she added. "She is so little and she chipped to it, so I just kept her galloping the rest of the course," Hester said. The pair turned in double clear rounds in times of 80.146 seconds and 33.665 seconds, which would take the lead and eventually win the class. "I like little horses," said Hester. "They turn easily and are closer to the ground, in case you fall off," she laughed. "I was happy with how we did," she said. Amanda Forte of Glenmoore, Pennsylvania, followed with the next double clear rounds in the irons of Cerulean Stables, LLC's HHS Louis, in times of 87.310 seconds and 39.379 seconds, respectively. The pair would finish in sixth place overall. Molly Ben-Menachem's Dontez, ridden by Sarah Scheiring of Stockton, New Jersey, turned in a four-fault first round in time of 86.626 seconds and finished in tenth place overall. Hester and her fourth ride in the class, Hester Equestrian, LLC's Lorstakov, turned in the final round of the class with a clean first round in a time of 82.470 seconds and a four fault second round in a time of 38.479 seconds. The pair would finish in ninth place overall. "I didn't expect him to go clear, but he jumped really well," said Hester. "He has come a long way," she added. "He needs to jump bigger because he is just not so impressed with the smaller jumps," she said.