NORTH SALEM, N.Y.---Two-time Canadian Olympian Amy Millar 0n Christiano , clean in 23.45 seconds, won the $5,000 FEI 1.45m Two-Phase on Thusday, May 15 at th Old Salrm Spring Horse Shows.
Amy Millar on Christiano (Photo by SEL Photography)Course designer Alan Wade set the course for 47entries from eight nations.
“Christiano likes to go fast,” Millar said. “I was here all last week, and my experience has been that there is no speed limit in this ring. These people ride fast. So I came out motivated this morning and this week, and I wanted to get the horses going. The jump-offs in the previous classes have been big, and these guys all come out running. The more practice I get, the better off I will be."
“This facility is gorgeous, and the footing is unbelievable,” she said. “Everything is so nice, and the people are so friendly. It’s a joy to be here. I have a couple of really nice horses here. Jagger HX cruised around easy today, and he’s my main shot for Sunday’s Grand Prix. Then I have another really nice mare, Jelvinia MB, who will do the qualifier and the other classes. I hope to just keep doing what I did today.”
Egypt’s Nayel Nassar on Donvier placed second in 23.72 seconds, and Brian Moggre on Edgard De Prefontaine finished third in 24.12 seconds.
OTHER jumper highlights included the $5,000 Open Jumper 1.35m in which Daniel Kerins of Ireland finished first ad second on Sempa Fidelis, clean in 57.246 seconds, and and Copernicus, clean in 58.503, respectively.
Tori Corts of Wellington, Fla.L, won the $3,000 1.40m Junior/Amateur Jumper with her Semi Automatic, clean in the jump-off in 28.835.
In Hunters, after a successful first week at Old Salem, Geoffrey Hesslink of Wellington, Fla., won several more championships.
He won the Grand Hunter Championship for the second consecutive week with points won by Chaka in the Green Hunter 3’ division.
As the rider who accumulated the most points in the Green, Green Conformation, Performance, High Performance and High Performance Conformation hunter divisions during both weeks of competition, Hesslink also was the $5,000 Old Salem Farm Leading Hunter Rider for the third consecutive year.
