Adam Prudent and Madeleine Stover earned victories for Plain Bay Sales at the Kentucky Summer Classic on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, it was Abigail McArdle’s turn.
McArdle claimed three back-to-back wins in the $5,000 1.40m Open Jumpers, the 1.35m Open Jumpers and the 1.30m Open Jumpers, giving the Plain Bay Sales team a clean sweep of all of the 1.35m and 1.40m Open Jumper classes held so far this week at the Kentucky Horse Park.
In the $5,000 1.40m Open Jumpers, McArdle piloted Plain Bay Sale’s Harriri to the victory, finishing double clear with a jump-off time of 39.050 seconds.
From a starting field of 34 entries, 20 completed the first round Florencio Hernandez designed course without fault, turning the jump-off portion into a close foot race – all mostly in hot pursuit of McArdle and Harriri’s time.
The pair had gone only second in the order and returned immediately to set the jump-off time that would hold up for the entire remainder of the class. While none could beat McArdle’s time, all of the top five would come within just two seconds of it. Amanda Derbyshire and Lady Maria BH, owned by David Gochman, came the closest, finishing in second on time of 39.301 seconds. Rounding out the top three and finishing in a time of 40.276 seconds was McArdle’s fellow Plain Bay Sales rider, Madeleine Stover, on Chester Ridge LLC’s Camillo.
At only 8 years old, Harriri, is a relatively new mount for McArdle, having been purchased by Plain Bay Sales and started during the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival with the intention of turning the mare into a competitive children’s horse for the 1.30m.
„I was just going to get on and do a couple classes,“ McArdle said. „Then we realized, ‚hey, this horse has got some scope.‘ So then we did a couple of 1.35m, 1.40m and 1.45m classes. We realized that this horse is special. She’s only 8 so we’re taking it a little bit slowly, but you’re definitely going to see her in the grand prix within the next couple of years.“
McArdle continued, „We always say she’s going to be super special and as big a winner as Cosma [20], and so far that’s been very true to form.“
Cosma 20, owned by David McArdle, has continuously been a top mount for McArdle, racking up top finishes internationally and in Kentucky, and on Wednesday it was again Cosma 20 who found her way to the top of the leaderboard. The 12-year-old Hanoverian mare took the top call in the 1.35m Open Jumper speed classs where she finished fast and faultless in a time of 56.682 seconds.
From the field of 35 entries, none would come even within eight seconds of McArdle and Cosma 20’s time. The second best time of 64.807 seconds went to Martin Mallo and Michelle Navarro Grau Dyer’s Sato Yama, and third went to Conor O’Regan and Salamander Farm’s Salome De Mars on a time of 64.863 seconds.
„We’ve been trying to jump in a lot of the FEI classes, and I’ve been keeping her as my speed horse,“ McArdle said of Cosma 20. „But here in Kentucky it’s a great opportunity for me to jump the smaller grand prix. She’s funny to prepare, because her best preparation is going in a smaller speed class and really boosting her confidence up. This is really preparing me for tomorrow.“
McArdle and Cosma 20 will return on Thursday night for $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, but first McArdle added yet another win to her Wednesday streak. She claimed the victory in the 1.30m Open Jumpers aboard David McArdle’s Tina, while second went to Plain Bay Sale’s Adam Prudent on Pensilvania, owned by Dorothy Cox.
Jumper competition at the Kentucky Summer Classic continues through Sunday with headline events including Thursday night’s class and Saturday night’s $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix sponsored by GGT Footing.
Class : 436 OPEN JUMPER II sec 2b 1.40m Results
Pl Nbr Horse Rider Faults Time Faults Time
1 1248HARRIRI – ABIGAIL MCARDLE 68.180 39.050
2 1908LADY MARIA BH – AMANDA DERBYSHIRE 68.010 39.301
3 1252CAMILLO – MADELEINE STOVER 70.254 40.276
4 1589VENTURO 9 – SHANE SWEETNAM 67.795 40.650
5 1588EREGAST VAN’T KI – SHANE SWEETNAM 70.301 41.445
6 586 SERENA – JORDAN GILCHRIST 69.499 41.868
7 384 VORIONE FORTUNA – TRAPP O’NEAL 69.919 41.927
8 437 CASINJO EX Z – DAVID BLAKE 69.785 42.208
Class : 431 OPEN JUMPER II sec 1 1.35M Results
Pl Number Horse Rider Faults Time Total Time
1 1259COSMA 20 – ABIGAIL MCARDLE 56.682
2 1092SATO YAMA – MARTIN MALLO 64.807
3 318 SALOME DE MARS – CONOR O’REGAN 64.863
4 1584USA D’HORSET – SHANE SWEETNAM 65.026
5 1095SAGU – CARLOS QUINONES 65.061
6 1263LIKE A DREAM – ALI BOONE 66.345
7 50 DOMA SUE – LUCAS PORTER 78.306
8 1571BIJZONDER – SHANE SWEETNAM 2 2 82.760
Class : 426 OPEN JUMPER II sec b 1.30M Results
First Round Jump Off
Pl Nbr Horse Rider Faults Time Faults Time
1 1260TINA – ABIGAIL MCARDLE 70.211 43.360
2 1257PENSILVANIA – ADAM PRUDENT 70.388 43.727
3 749 ALL ABOUT ANJES – SHAWN CASADY 71.573 46.249
4 1437RHEA DE L’ICI – MIREYA GODOY 71.569 46.274
5 1098TAZMAN – MARTIN MALLO 72.380 46.517
6 1886VESUVIUS – MEAGAN NUSZ 74.345 46.916
7 1258CADE – ABIGAIL MCARDLE 72.927 47.111
8 395 CORTINA – CHRIS EWANOUSKI 74.992 49.012
Tim Goguen and Bob Crandall Share Grand Champion Honors at Kentucky Summer Classic
Longtime friends Tim Goguen and Bob Crandall are accustomed to competing against each other across the country, whether they’re in New York, Florida or at the Kentucky Horse Park. On Wednesday, the top riders tied for the Kentucky Summer Classic hunter grand championship, each racking up 50 points by taking home all five available blue ribbons in their divisions.
Crandall and Erin McGuire’s Casallo were the first contenders for the grand championship, adding the final two blue ribbons to Tuesday’s three in the Green Conformation Hunter division. The duo secured the division’s championship, with reserve going to Winn Alden and Elizabeth Nestor’s Covert, who claimed the remaining two second-place spots for a total of five red ribbons.
„Winning all five classes is always great,“ Crandall said of his clean sweep. „It doesn’t happen often whether it’s a big or small division, so it’s always great just when you’re happy with your horse. He has just been amazing. It’s been such a treat to have him back, and I thank the McGuires and Jack and Liza Towell for that.“
In the Second Year Green Hunters, Goguen and Saddle Ridge LLC’s Ransom followed suit, claiming the top spot in both the classic and handy hunter rounds for a total of five blue ribbons to earn the division’s championship. The reserve championship went to Isabelle Pott’s Fusagers Carma, who was shown by Jordan Gilchrist.
„Ransom’s just been really steady and consistent through Florida, [the Devon Horse Show] and up here with Vivian [Yowan] in the Junior Hunters and Second Years,“ Goguen said. „He’s 6 years old and was reserve at Harrisburg in the First Years and in the Junior Hunters as well. Ransom is just so scopey, and he tries really hard.“
With both Goguen and Crandall tied with perfect scores of 50 points at the end of the day, the grand champion award, sponsored by Visse Wedell for Douglas Elliman Real Estate, was split between the two riders, who willingly shared in the honors.
„I guess if I have to share, sharing with Tim was OK,“ Crandall laughed. „Upstate New York reigns again.“
Earlier in the day, Goguen continued his domination of the First Year Green Hunters, piloting Garland Alban’s Capella and Belhaven Stables LLC’s Rookie to champion and reserve champion, respectively.
Goguen and Capella added a first and third to Tuesday’s two firsts and second, edging out the rest of the field to earn the title.
„Capella has been champion or reserve every week that we’ve shown him up north,“ Goguen said. „He’s in the same realm as Ransom as far as being very scopey. It’s very easy for him.“
Rookie’s second and fourth place finishes added to Tuesday’s two seconds and first gave him enough points for the reserve.
„Rookie didn’t start until spring here,“ Goguen continued. „He has really come along, as well. He’s good going around; he a can jump a very good jump. I think he’s going to win his share in this division, as he’s been doing. We call him a Labrador because he’s so friendly in the barn, and he’ll just get in your lap.“
Rounding out the day were the High Performance Hunters, with the division’s championship going to Fleur De Lis Farms‘ Bowie, who was piloted by Courtney Calcagnini. The pair earned two blue ribbons, added to Tuesday’s first and fifths for the top spot. The division’s reserve championship went to Bill Schaub’s Avalon, who was ridden by Molly Sewell.
The junior hunter divisions begin on Tuesday, with the amateurs scheduled to show Saturday and Sunday. The $5,000 USHJA Hallway Feeds National Hunter Derby will take place on Saturday.
To learn more about the Kentucky Summer Horse Shows visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com
Source: Press release
