Mary Lisa Leffler and Amon De Diamante‘ Win $1,000 1.30m Open Jumpers
Press release SLHS – The Swan Lake Horse Shows Summer Kick Off Classic commenced at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday with the $1,000 1.20m High Training Jumper and $1,000 1.30m Open Jumper highlighting the show jumping competition in the Grand Prix Ring. Mary Lisa Leffler and Rolling Acres Farm’s Amon De Diamante‘ returned to Swan Lake Horse Shows on Wednesday to win the 1.30m Open Jumpers after earning the blue ribbon in the same class almost one month ago during the Blue Rock Classic – displaying their consistent winning ways and perseverance to always succeed in the show ring.
„He’s a 9-year-old that we have and I’ve been bringing him up through the ranks,“ said Leffler. „Hopefully my niece will show him in Vermont in the amateur jumpers next.“
Leffler beat out seven other horse and rider combinations with a double-clear effort around the Dean Rheinheimer-designed course in 30.436 seconds – catching Tracy Magness and Redfield Farm’s Delisimo by four full seconds. Magness would go on to claim second place honors in 34.278 seconds, while Joe Fargis and Last Dance, owned by Mary Schwab, rounded out in the top three in 35.917 seconds.
Leffler plans to compete Amon De Diamante‘ on Friday in the $2,500 1.35m Open Speed Class. In addition, she always looks forward to returning to Swan Lake Stables for the Swan Lake Horse Shows.
„The footing’s great here,“ said Leffler. „The hospitality is definitely great. It makes you happy; it makes you want to keep coming back.“
Earlier in the day, the 1.20m High Training Jumpers took place in the Grand Prix Ring with Erica Budd and her own Extreme taking the top spot on the leaderboard.
Budd and the 7-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding were the only competitors to finish and complete the jump-off round in 36.899 seconds to secure the win.
„I imported [Extreme] last July,“ said Budd. „I’ve been bringing him up. This is the third 1.20m he’s ever done in his life. He shows a lot of promise to do even bigger stuff, but I want him to be really confident at this height before we ask more of him. He’s a super horse though. He has a dynamite personality. He’s a real trier and is just really, really sweet. He’s just sweet to be around all the time.
„I just wanted to go in and have a nice clean run,“ continued Budd. „It’s a nice course and he felt very confident and just really was amazing. That was probably one of the best rounds I had on him. I absolutely could not be happier!“
Budd frequently competes at the Swan Lake Horse Shows and was full of praise for the Summer Kick Off Classic.
„We’ve shown here a lot this year,“ said Budd. „The grounds are really nice. The footing is absolutely wonderful. I love bringing my young horses here. It’s a great confidence booster. You just can’t ask for a better horse show. Everybody here is so super friendly. It’s really just a great place!“
For more information about the Swan Lake Horse Show series, please visit www.swanlakehorseshows.com.
Source: Press release SLHS
