OCALA, Fla.--Sam Pegg on Gin Tonic won the $25,000 Cup over 28 competitors for his second win in the series on Thursday, March 7 at HITS..

Sam Pegg on Gin Tonic (Photo by ESI Photography)
Oscar Soberon set the course that had seven go clean to make the jump-off.

Pegg was the only one with two in the jump-off, and on his first, Formidable Diamant, Pegg finished on an eight fault round.

“The first horse is a little bit less experienced,” he said, “and I thought I maybe got there too soon in the the eight stride line, so I was a little more patient to the first jump the second time and I did one less stride coming to the combination. Then I just let him have a good gallop to the last fence.”

Pegg went last on Gin Tonic 158 and shaved almost a full second off of the leading time as he stopped the clock in 35.54 seconds.

“I thought it was a lovely course,” Pegg said. “It was enough of a test but nothing that wasn’t doable. Both of my horses are quite quick and smaller so I don’t have to worry about managing the stride so much and don’t have to let off of the gas.”

 

ADELINE ROHRBACH on Rarity, the penultimate entry of the field, finished in a time of 36.38 seconds to place second.

Rohrbach’s was awarded the Sportsmanship award for the week.

“I did a lot of her firsts with her when she was younger,” Rohrbach said. “She just came back to the farm, and I got the ride on her again, and we kind of just fell right back into sync. She was always one of my most favorite rides and it feels great to be back on her.”

Francois LaMontagne was third on Thunderbird VH Scheefkasteel Z in a time of 37.16 seconds.