Hannah Heidegger and Ohlala Z Rise to Top of $60,000 Ariat® Grand Prix at SIR IV

Press release CHP – The $60,000 Ariat® Grand Prix was dominated by Ohlala Z piloted by Hannah Heidegger of Malibu, CA, as the duo topped the class with a jump off time of 36.691 seconds at Summer in the Rockies (SIR) IV at The Colorado Horse Park (CHP). Second place honors were awarded to Lochinvar, owned and ridden by Matt Cyphert of Northlake, TX, with a time of 37.227 seconds, while last week’s winners The Dude, ridden by Will Simpson of Westlake Village, CA, rounded out the top three, crossing through the timers in 37.349 seconds. Competition continues at CHP this week with the start of SIR V, featuring the $60,000 Summer In the Rockies Grand Prix on Saturday, July 9 at 5:00 p.m.

Heidegger and Ohlala Z, owned by Monarch International, have been partnered for just over two years and continue to work diligently on fine-tuning their skills to secure a major victory, as they did on Saturday evening at CHP.

„Today was her first grand prix ever, so I was just going in to give her a positive round. She’s only eight and she’s pretty young,“ explained Heidegger. „She is incredibly fast so I figured I would just let her carry the pace and just go with her.“

„She’s such a fun mare because she is so quick off the ground and loves the jump-offs. I remember thinking to myself when we go on course that I was going to go for it,“ she added.

Heidegger commented on the course and the newly upgraded footing in the International Ring, saying, „I thought the footing was great. It rained a lot last night and this morning but the footing held up great. You couldn’t feel that it had rained at all and I thought the course was very well done.“

Elaborating more on the course design, she mentioned, „It was a respectable course where pulling multiple rails was possible, yet you could also get some really good clean rounds. There was a tricky four stride line where a lot of rails came down, but overall I was thrilled with the track.“

Heidegger trains with Will Simpson, who earned himself the yellow rosette aboard longtime mount The Dude. Heidegger was excited with her win, alongside Simpson’s third place finish, as the pair have worked diligently to help her and Ohlala Z gain the confidence needed to be competitive in such a large class.

„Showing against my trainer was an unbelievably fun experience, especially since he went last. I was nervous for him as well!“

Karen Cudmore of Omaha, NE, was awarded with the Leading Lady Grand Prix Rider Award presented by Equiline for the third week in a row, recognizing her top performances in the $20,000 Open Welcome Stake and $60,000 Ariat® Grand Prix.

Competition at CHP continues this week with the start of the Summer In the Rockies V, which will feature the $60,000 Summer In the Rockies Grand Prix on Saturday, July 9, beginning at 5:00 p.m. For more information about The Colorado Horse Park (CHP) and to see a full list of results please visit www.coloradohorsepark.com.

Final Results $60,000 Ariat® Grand Prix

1. OHLALA Z, 2008 Zangersheide mare by Oklund x Zita Z
HANNAH HEIDEGGER, Monarch International: 0/0/36.691

2. LOCHINVAR, 2004 Warmblood gelding by Karamiro x L’Espirit
MATT CYPHERT, Matt Cyphert: 0/0/37.227

3. THE DUDE, 2006 Oldenburg Springpferd gelding by Carry Gold x Honey Moon
WILL SIMPSON, Nicole Walker: 0/0/37.349

4. S&L ZEPPELIN, 2004 Dutch Warmblood gelding by No Limit x Sterre H
ARMANDO HASSEY, Caroline Beecherl: 0/0/38.294

5. CEONTO, 2001 Holsteiner gelding by Cassini
KAREN CUDMORE, Blair Cudmore: 0/0/39.814

6. E-UNANIME DE LA HAIE, 2004 Belgian Warmblood mare by Corland x Midnight
WILL SIMPSON, Monarch International: 0/4/39.987

7. VDL BRAVO S, 2006 Dutch Warmblood gelding by Ephepe For Ever x Urbine S
HUNTER HOLLOWAY, Hays Investment Corp: 4/77.142

8. AL CAPONE, 2005 Dutch Warmblood stallion by Berlin x Ugenua II
JAMI JENSEN, Crooked Willow Farms: 4/78.339

9. CHESTINA Z, 2005 Argentinian Warmblood by Chester Z x H.S.D. Azzurrea
BJORN IKAST, Bjorn Ikast: 4/78.741

10. CAFINO Z, 2004 Belgian Warmblood gelding by Cathargo x Laranka
LINA ROJAS, Mauricio Restrepo

11. COLORADO, 2001 Oldenburg gelding by Contender x Feinal
BJORN IKAST, Bjorn Ikast: 4/81.529

12. SUPER BAD, 2005 Holsteiner gelding by Conejo
KAREN CUDMORE, Blair Cudmore: 8/76.442

Source: Press release CHP