A tricky triple to a four-stride cost many riders rails. A huge triple bar and some pretty intimidating oxers required plenty of scope.
“The course was bigger than the Welcome and I think our course designer knew he had to set that,“ said Karen Cudmore. “I think for a finale grand prix at the Colorado Horse Park it was perfect.”
Out of 28 entries only five would get around the course clean and progress to the jump off phase. Second to go in the order, veteran of international competition John Pearce of Bermuda Dunes, CA and Johnny B Good, owned by Forest View Farm produced the first fault-free round.
“It was bigger than what we’ve been jumping,” said Pearce. “He [Wade] did a wonderful job. It was careful. I like some size, for me it’s an advantage because my horses seem to get more careful and scopier when the jumps get bigger.”
Seven rounds later, junior rider extraordinaire, Hunter Holloway from Topeka, KS and the incredible I Love Lucy, owned by Hays Investment Corporation, made it two to return for the short track. Holloway has had a successful circuit, cleaning up in the hunters, equitation and the jumpers. She was the only junior to go clean over Wade’s course.
Holloway and I Love Lucy were immediately followed by Kristen VanderVeen from St. Charles IL and Bull Run’s Eternal to make it three. This horse and rider combination won the Summer in the Rockies finale grand prix last year plus two other grand prix during the 2013 circuit.
“For Eternal it was perfect,” said VanderVeen. “There were quite a few lines on a forward step and scopey jumps – that’s great for him. He has all the scope and a big step.”
Two rounds later Cudmore and Blair Cudmore’s Southern Pride completed the course leaving all the rails in their cups and the pair joined the jump-off bound group. Southern Pride is a Holsteiner stallion by the American-bred South Pacific. Cudmore has represented Canada in international competition and trains and competes with her family out of Heartland Farm in Omaha, NE where they raise Holsteiners.
John Pearce returned on a crowd favorite, Chianto, and produced a clean round to complete the group of five for the short track. Pearce and Chianto, now 18 years young, represented Canada at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, Kentucky 2010. They have won numerous grand prix, including $25,000 Littleton Equine/Platinum Performance GP Week II and the $30,000 Mc Elvain Energy Grand Prix Week III of Summer in the Rockies. Pearce has represented Canada international competition on multiple occasions.
Pearce was the first back on Johnny B Good– they had two down. Then, Holloway returned on I Love Lucy and also had eight faults. VanderVeen and Eternal were blazing fast, with a time of 38.552 but downed a rail.
Then, Cudmore and Southern Pride were the first to complete both tracks without fault. Pearce and Chianto had one rail and a time just a hair slower than VanderVeen. Cudmore emerged as the only double clear and victor of the $50,000 Griffis Residential Grand Prix.
“I really enjoyed the jump-off,” said Cudmore. “It had a little bit of everything and it worked great for me. I honestly don’t have the fastest horse but with a little bit of strategy and keeping cool – it worked out great. This horse is a better horse over a bigger course. I can’t run with the kindergarteners all day long. They just go so fast. He’s a seasoned horse. He’s 16 now. The bigger the course, the more I like it.”
Cudmore said that after the first fence of the jump-off, where they were doing eights and nines in the first round, it was a bit of a slice in a seven, so they left a stride out there. They also left a stride out after the roll back to the combination up the other line
“The thing is when you’re in that ring, it’s a little bit of a hill so you’re kicking going up and pulling going down,” said Cudmore. “And then a super careful jump right in the middle of everything and a gallop again to the last line. It had some good riding tricks in there. I have a careful horse so that helped today.”
Both Pearce and VanderVeen were pleased for Cudmore.
“I was really happy,” VanderVeen said. “I was super happy for Karen. I love her. Maybe I should have added that step to the last jump - but it is the way I ride. I like to be fast and win and when you go at the beginning you might as well take a chance.”
“The dear Lord wanted her to win today,” said Pearce. “It’s horses and it is sport. Anything can happen at any time. It was her day today. I was happy for her.”
After the award ceremony, VanderVeen raced to one of the hunter rings to coach a few of her clients.
“We didn’t do the whole circuit so now we feel like we’re warmed up and we’re ready to go,” she said. “I need to come the first three weeks. I really missed it. To have [clients] do well was great. I had a couple horses that showed with catch rides and got ribbons and I only brought two horses to ride. They did really well.”
Pearce won the Kathy and Brad Coors Family Rider Bonus and was very happy with the outcome of the Summer in the Rockies.
“I had a fantastic circuit,” he said. “My horses are all sound and they’re all jumping well, so I have no complaints.”
“I’ve been coming to the Colorado Horse Park for 20 years,” said Cudmore. “It was a great way for me to end my circuit here today. I am super happy.”
“I think the staff at the Colorado Horse Park and the management have been super professional,” she continued. “It is an excellent facility. I just enjoy Colorado people in general. It’s a great place to show.
558. $50,000 Griffis Residential Grand Prix
result/entry #/horse / owner/rider/prize
1/580/Southern Pride Blair Cudmore/Karen Cudmore/15000.00
2/916/Bull Run's Eternal Bull Run Jumpers One LLC/Kristen Vanderveen/11000.00
3/749/Chianto Forest View Farm/John Pearce/6500.00
4/974/I Love Lucy Hays Investment Corp./Hunter Holloway/4000.00
5/747/Johnny B Good Forest View Farm/John Pearce/3000.00
6/845/Copias AMA Marketing & Mgmt, Inc/Justin Resnik/2500.00
7/954/Camerino Wells Bridge Farm Inc/Paul Rohrbach/2000.00
8/719/WildThing 2 Rancho Corazon, LLC/Chenoa Mc Elvain/1500.00
9/647/Lambert Louis Cora Leeuwenburg/Armando Hassey/1500.00
10/514/Lochinvar Matt Cyphert/Matt Cyphert/1000.00
11/882/Cwestoreto Palmer Divide Ranch/Susan Griffis/1000.00
12/689/Sig Zuleika SIG International, Inc./Susan Hutchison/1000.00