While the rain came down, the fences did not for Cinnamon 25 and Canadian owner/rider Sarah Bagworth. Their faultless performance gave them the win in the first class of the event, the Animo $2,000 Low Junior/Amateur 1.20m Jumper.
Bagworth and the bay mare traveled around the course with precision, attesting to the wonderful quality of footing in the ring. "The footing here is perfect", said Bagworth, of Toronto, Ontario. "And the rain did not dampen the mood one bit." Also, having no trouble in the rain, Meghan Shader, Lexington KY, and the Shader Sporthorses LLC entry, Anabelle 28, took the win in the $2,000 VisitLex 1.30m Junior/Amateur Jumper. Six horse and rider combinations out of a starting field of twenty-four were able to post double clear rounds, with all those rounds separated by a mere six seconds. Shader and Anabelle 28 finished with the fastest time, 37.710, a half second faster than their closest rival.
"I am really happy to just be here", said Shader after the awards were presented. "This is a great show to be at and everything worked out perfect for me. I really don't think that it was anything I did to get the win, it's the great horse that I have."
The Split Rock Jumping Tour (SRJT) offers a world-class venue with top prize money, extravagant awards and numerous first-class amenities for riders, horses, owners, sponsors and spectators, with close attention paid to every detail. What makes SRJT different from the rest is perspective. As an international show jumping competitor, SRJT founder Derek Braun has been able to incorporate the "must-haves" from riders' perspective, owners' perspective, spectators' perspective, and from sponsors' perspective to create an event that works for everyone.
SRJT is the first horse show series of its kind. Following the concept of a vacation resort, it offers competitors different packages with no added charges or fees, simplifying the entry process. Braun and his team are paving the way for a new era of show jumping competition that is being well received across the board.
Highlighting the week of show jumping are featured classes each day including the $35,000 Hollow Creek Farm CSI 3* Speed Cup on Thursday; the $40,000 Amalaya Investments CSI 3* Welcome Stake on Friday; the $10,000 Lugano Diamonds Youngster Bowl on Saturday; and SRJT's culminating event, the $130,000 CSI*** Grand Prix presented by Split Rock Farm and Ashland Stables on Sunday. In addition to these featured classes, there is a full line-up of classes for juniors and amateurs, children and adults. These classes are presented courtesy of generous sponsors such as Animo, Brook Ledge Horse Transportation, Elm Rock, Equithrive, Equo, Hallway Feeds, Horse Flight, LV Harkness and VisitLEX.