Darien, Conn. – June 13, 2019 – Thursday afternoon at the 88th Annual Ox Ridge Charity Horse Show, presented by the Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund, welcomed top horse-and-athlete combinations into the jumper ring for the $5,000 Welcome Stake, sponsored by BMW of Darien, to conclude a day of diverse jumper competition. Riding two mares of his local Beyaert Farm, Mattias Tromp highlighted the class to capture a one-two finish aboard Eyecatcher and Manhattan, respectively.
Mattias Tromp and Eyecatcher
As the first to challenge Philip J. DeVita’s 13-effort 1.40m track, Tromp of North Salem, NY, and the 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, Eyecatcher, set the early pace with a clear round to return for the immediate jump-off. The pair produced an additional clear finish across the abridged 7-effort course in a swift time of 34.440 seconds, setting the pace.
Jazz Johnson Merton rode her own Corona SB to the next clear first round, followed by Vasco Flores aboard SHL Farm’s Dubai, but both pairs fell victim to the final rail in the second round to finish on four faults. Directly after Flores, Gigi Moynihan entered the ring to produce a clear first round with Christy Johnson’s Blixten. The pair contested Tromp’s leading jump-off time with a clear effort, but fell short finishing in 38.051 seconds.
Mattias Tromp and Manhattan
Still slated in the top position, Tromp returned as the second-to-last in the order with his 7-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, Manhattan, looking to maintain his reign. Although it was the mare’s first 1.40m competition, the pair mirrored Tromp’s earlier double-clear performance, but his time with Manhattan of 36.151 seconds would be off the pace to garner him the second place award. Ultimately, Moynihan and Blixten would capture the third place finish, with Flores following in fourth in the saddle aboard Dubai and Johnson Merton and Corona SB rounding out the top five.
Gigi Moynihan and Blixten
Preceding the awards presentation for the welcome stake, the Ox Ridge Charity Horse Show was presented with a certificate of recognition as a US Equestrian Heritage Competition by Frank Madden. This designation is reserved for competitions that have been established for a long period of time and have made substantial contributions toward the development and promotion of the sport within the broader community by achieving, maintaining and promoting the equestrian ideals of sportsmanship and competition.
Jumper competition will return Friday to the Ox Ridge Charity Horse Show to highlight the $5,000 Jumper Classic, sponsored by Darien Grill, set to begin at 4 p.m., and the week will highlight the $50,000 Ox Ridge Hunt Club Grand Prix, presented by the Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund, on Saturday, June 15.
View the original article on Phelps Sports.