OCALA, Fla.--Santigo Lambre on Chattanooga won the $75,000 Grand Prix at HITS Ocala on March 5, while Kristen Vanderveen had won the $25,000 Grand Prix on March 3.
Santiago Lambre on Chattanooga (Photo by ESI Photography)It was Lambre's second win on Chattanooga after a victory in Saturday’s $10,000 Classic.
In the Grand Prix on Sunday, Lambre finished fractions ahead of second placed Tracy Fenney on MTM Apple, and Kristen Vanderveen on Bull Run’s Faustino De Tili was just 1/10th of a second behind Fenney to place third.
“I didn't expect to win in the first show, but he's a fast horse, so I'm very happy,” said Lambre. “I rode him yesterday in a 1.40m class and I won the class. I was quite fast, so I knew he could be fast in the jump-off. I tried to go fast everywhere and make tight turns.”
There were eight clean in the jump-off over the course set by Mark McGowan
Fenney on MTM Apple was the first in the jump-off and set the time to beat at 40.263 seconds.
Lambre on Chattanooga went six rounds later to take over the lead, stopping the clock at 39.941 seconds, just 3/10ths ahead of Fenney, while Vanderveen was clean in in 40.365 seconds for third.
“I MADE a really short turn to the double and then a tight roll back to number 15, really tight, so I think that made a difference,”said
Kristen Vanderveen on Bull Run's Jireh (Photo by ESI Photogtaphy)Lambre who has only competed in two classes on Chattanooga so far, and won both.
“I started to show him yesterday,” said Lambre. “He jumped well, so I was confident for today. He jumped a good first round, a good clear round. So for the jump-off, I tried to be competitive, and it worked!”
Kristen Vanderveen rode Bull Run’s Jireh to win in a nine horse jump-off on Friday afternoon to win the $25,000 Grand Prix.
Tom Foley on Idalgo was second, and Hunter Holloway on Kalina N was third.
“I'm really excited about Jireh’s future,” said Vanderveen. “I have super high hopes for him, we hope he might be an Olympic prospect. I would be hard-pressed to find any negatives about him. I'm waiting for the shoe to drop a little bit, but thankfully it hasn't yet.”
Foley on Idalgo was the first clean in the jump-off, setting the time to beat at 38.688 seconds, until two rounds later Vanderveen on Bull Run’s Jireh finished clean in 37.894 seconds.
Holloway on Kalina N was clean in 41.286 for third.
“I've never ridden a horse like Jireh,” said Vanderveen. “He is really unique because he has blood, but he’s not strong. He's a can-do kind of guy and goes in the ring and tries every time, and he has a big personality at home and is sweet in the barn. All the grooms love him. He's spoiling me right now for sure!”
“This is probably my best up-and-coming horse, so he's a huge value to us and the ground here is great and I feel very comfortable coming here," she said. "Getting to develop him here has been fantastic.”
