Lexington, Ky. – May 18, 2018 – Friday morning at the Kentucky Spring Classic opened with the $5,000 1.45m Open Jumpers to kick off jumper competition in the Rolex Stadium, where 21 athletes were tested over Guilherme Jorge’s (BRA) 14-effort track. Seven horse-and-rider combinations finished clear rounds, followed by an immediate jump-off. Fabio Leivas Da Costa rode to first and second place aboard Bonne Chance Farm LLC’s Kalisto The Music and Randon Pleasure, respectively.
Fabio Leivas Da Costa and Kalisto The Music
Leivas Da Costa first entered the ring aboard another mount of Bonne Chance Farm LLC, Luziada Jmen, but one rail down ultimately placed the pair in the twelfth position. He later came back to the ring with new mount, Kalisto The Music, a 7-year-old Belgian Warmblood, to produce a clear round in an unbeatable time of 43.715 seconds for the gelding’s first big win. Last to return, Leivas Da Costa rode Randon Pleasure, a 13-year-old Selle Français mare to a quick time of 44.357 seconds to follow just behind his winning time for second place.
Fabio Leivas Da Costa and Randon Pleasure
Third place was awarded to Karl Cook and Cyrano VDV, a 9-year-old Zangersheide stallion owned by Signe Ostby, with a close time of 44.579 seconds.
Immediately following, 32 riders entered the stadium for the High Amateur-Owner/Junior Jumper speed-style class, which yielded 9 clear rounds with Alma Bjorklund besting the competition aboard her own Flecu. Bjorklund and the 14-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding mastered the speed round in a time of 57.378 seconds, just a hair ahead of the second place contender.
Emma Kurtz navigated Chagrin Saddlery LLC’s Carisma, a 10-year-old Swedish Warmblood mare, to the second place finish in 57.616 seconds, and third place was awarded to Riley Newsome and her own Dakar VDL, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallion, in a time of 58.834 seconds.
Show jumping competition resumes Saturday morning in the Rolex Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park with the Low Junior 1.20m Jumper, and will highlight the $131,000 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI3* beginning at 6 p.m.
View the original article on Phelps Sports.