Mattias Tromp and Avon Run Away with Blue Ribbon in $5,000 Speed Stake

Press release Devon Fall Classic – The moment and setting could not have been more perfect for Mattias Tromp and Avon, who rode away with a victory under the Friday night lights and a full moon during the $5,000 Welcome Stake at the Devon Fall Classic. Competitors prepared for the evening classes with one goal in mind: beat the clock. With a time of 60.547 seconds, Tromp and the 12-year-old stallion did just that to earn the blue ribbon during the main event.

Spectators watched as each rider tackled the Paul Jewell-designed course in an effort to be the quickest. The 21-year-old rider from North Salem, New York has been working with the Swedish mount since April and had the crowd’s attention from start to finish.

„Avon likes a very soft ride,“ Tromp explained. „You want to have a lot of rhythm and you want to be balanced around the ring, but he doesn’t like a lot of pressure. He is versatile.“

Tromp and Avon were one of three horse-and-rider combinations to cross the finish line with no faults to their name. Laura Chapot earned the other two clear rounds, taking home the second and third place honors. Tromp snatched the top spot on the leaderboard from Chapot, who set the initial time to beat of 61.024 seconds aboard Zealous, a veteran mare that earned the victory in Thursday night’s featured class.

„Laura is blazing,“ Tromp said about Chapot, who he was fortunate to edge out.

Chapot took another swing at Tromp aboard BEC Hugo, an 8-year-old chestnut gelding, but was forced to settle for third place after clocking in a time of 64.338 seconds.

„Zealous is always great,“ Chapot expressed. „She has been here many times before. I was very happy with her. I had to go early in the class. I laid down a trip, and Mattias just made a little quicker turn in one place. That is just how it goes sometimes.“

„I haven’t shown here in maybe four years,“ Tromp said. „This horse show has so much history behind it, especially the facility. The locals are always great and there is always an atmosphere. It is a beautiful venue. Some horses can get a little starry eyed, because it is impressive if they are not used to showing under the lights.“

Seth Vallhonrat and Conbalou had a clear round, but incurred two time faults and settled for fourth place with a time of 75.354 seconds. Kevin Babington was the quickest 4-faulter of the evening aboard Super Chilled. Although the duo lowered the height of a single obstacle, they tripped the timers at 65.269 seconds and took home fifth place.

Prior to the anticipated $5,000 Speed Stake, Malachi Hinton and F15 soaked up the applause from the grandstands during their victory lap around the Dixon Oval. With the sole clear round during the $1,000 High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers, the horse-and-rider combination sped to victory in a time of 67.410 seconds to earn the blue ribbon.

„He is a wonderful horse and very big,“ Hinton laughed. „It makes it difficult in the turns. I am super proud of him today. It was a tight course. The Dixon Oval is built more like an Indoor. There were a lot of good turns, and spooky turns, and he reacted really well. I am proud of him.“

The 18-year-old rider and her 10-year-old Westphalian train with Babington locally in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania. The professional passed along some advice to his student before she entered the arena.

Hinton shared, „Kevin’s words of wisdom was to go in and be a bit aggressive with F15 from the beginning, the get-go. It made him relax into the course.“

Just two years ago, the young rider was watching others compete and wishing she would get the opportunity to compete alongside them. Expressing her emotions after learning she won the class Hinton said, „I don’t think I realize it yet. I am just so proud of my horse right now. It is beautiful. The lights are beautiful; the weather is nice. This is my very first time showing here in the evening. It is only my second time showing here. Kevin was coming and we were getting ready for the Prix de States, so we thought that this would be a wonderful schooling course for him.“

Anastasia Bezsylko was the quickest 4-faulter, lowering the height of a single obstacle, but tripping the timers at 63.988 seconds aboard Cakao 2. Coming in three seconds behind the duo was Thaisa Erwin and Deville. The pair was first to tackle the course and incurred four faults, while clocking in a time of 66.184 seconds.

Saturday will host an exceptional crowd and tough competition for the Show Jumping Hall of Farm High Junior/Amateur-Owner Classic and the $25,000 Devon Fall Classic. Both of the classes will be featured in the evening session that is slated to begin at 7 p.m.

RESULTS: $5,000 SPEED STAKE 1.40m
1 215 AVON BEYAERT FARM INC MATTIAS TROMP
2 28 ZEALOUS MARY CHAPOT LAURA CHAPOT
3 31 BEC HUGO LAURA CHAPOT LAURA CHAPOT
4 278 CONBALOU SETH VALLHONRAT SETH VALLHONRAT
5 281 Super Chilled DEBRA WYCOFF KEVIN BABINGTON
6 154 STELLA DE LANNAY WINDSOR FARM SALES ALEXA LOWE-WISEMAN
7 113 DAVIDSON FIVE STAR PARTNERS CALLAN SOLEM
8 127 DORUSINO HORSESHOE TRAIL FARM, LLC. CALLAN SOLEM

Source: Press release