Kocher rode four horses in the competition and two of them qualified for the jump off round. Course designer, Allen Rheinheimer of Zionsville, Indiana and Technical Coordinator for the 2015 World Cup Finals in Las Vegas, set the time allowed in the first round at 80 seconds. "It really was a good class and a perfect course to get my horses going this winter," commented Kocher. "Not too big, good prize money and exactly what we need for our younger horses," he said.
First to go in the class was Penny Brennan of Ocala, Florida and her own Japan. Although the pair finished in a first round time in 71.064 seconds, a heart break rail at the last fence would see them with four faults. Kocher was second to go in the class the irons of Eagle Valley Partners', LLC's Coconut and the first to turn in a clean first round effort in a time of 71.355 seconds. "This was his first grand prix," commented Kocher.
The nine that followed Kocher's clean round had rail after rail and it wouldn't be until Jennie Nolan of San Antonio, Texas, and her own Quasi Modo, turned in a clean round in a time of 76.429 seconds to the delight of the crowd. There would be a jump off round!
Tim Maddrix of Leeds, Alabama and Missy Nolan's Specialized turned in a clean first round effort in a time of 76.454 seconds and joined the pair for the jump off round.
Kocher followed Maddrix in the first round line-up with Eagle Valley Partners' Ciana with a fault-free first round time of 73.385 seconds and made it a foursome for the jump off round.
Kocher was the first to go in the irons of Coconut. The course was set at 46 seconds and Kocher and Coconut finished with one rail down in a time of 42.723 seconds. "My horses are small and catty and naturally fast enough," he said. "I can do two strides in the same amount of time it takes the others to do one stride," he said. "Coconut had a rail, but this is his first grand prix and I thought he did really well," he added.
Nolen and Quasi Modo followed Kocher and turned in a fault free round in a time of 43.711 seconds, taking the lead! But with two left to go, it was still anyone's win.
Kocher returned with Ciana. "I thought if I just jumped her around at her normal pace, she would leave them up," he said "She's naturally fast and if she was going to knock one down, it would most likely be on the straight away," he added. "I ended up doing a lot more strides than anyone else in the lines and I can make tighter turns too," he added. "I made the one inside turn and it worked out," he said. The pair finished clean in a time of 40.104 seconds. Last to go was Maddrix and Specialty. With two rails and time faults, they would finish in fourth place overall and Kocher would take the win.
"This was Ciana's second grand prix win," said Kocher. "She won one in Ocala and she just jumped the 1.50 m classic in Wellington, which made this look very appealing to her," he said. "She was really ready for it," he added. Karen Cobb, head of Eagle Valley Partners', LLC and Ciana's owner, bought the horse last spring in Holland. "She is just coming nine," said Kocher, "We campaigned her last year and are really pleased with how she is going," he said. "We will likely have her in Gulfport this winter," he added.
Final results for the class had Kocher with first and third placings in the irons of Ciana and Coconut, respectively, Debbie Nolen and her own Quasi Modo in second place, Tim Maddrix in fourth with Specialized and Brennan and Japan in fifth place as the fastest four-faulter.
Sixth was awarded to Kocher and his own Red Lady after turning in a four-fault first round in a time of 71.422 seconds. Rolling Acres' Bling Bling, ridden by Marylisa Leffler of Brookeville, Maryland earned seventh place after posting a four-fault first round in a time of 72.417 seconds and Hester Equestrian's Clueless P, ridden by Lauren Hester of Lexington, Kentucky, placed eighth after posting a four-fault first round in a time of 73.919. Ninth was awarded to Kocher and Eagle Valley Partners, LLC's C'Havinia after turning in a four-fault first round in a time of 74.061 seconds and tenth place went to Hester Equestrian's Arly, ridden by Hester, in a time of 74.857 seconds and four faults. Eleventh and twelfth placings were awarded to Chanel Du Calvaire, owned and ridden by Francois LeMontagne of St. Eustache, Quebec, Canada and Helen Gilbert's Emir D, ridden by Shannon Hicks of Lake St. Louis, Missouri, respectively.
Tim Maddrix not only received the fourth place honors, but was also awarded the Kastel Denmark Style of Riding Award, selected by the Classic Company staff as the rider who exhibited the best American style of riding and possessed the respectful, dignified, courteous and workmanlike manner of a true sportsman Week II of the Gulf Coast Winter Classic Pensacola Circuit.
