January 12, 2024, Myakka City, Florida. The second competition week of the 2024 Sarasota Winter Classic continued Friday with the $35,000 Grand Prix of Sarasota. Commemorating its fifth anniversary, the series delivers a boutique show that boasts top-tier hunter, jumper and equitation divisions. Now hosted by TerraNova Equestrian Center, the event has raised the bar in horse show amenities for horse and rider.
Fourteen entries contested Mauricio Garcia Ballesteros’ (PUR) first-round track with two world-class athletes, Parot and David Jennings (USA), competing with multiple mounts. Garcia’s track was an accurate challenge for its riders and only four members of the starting field advanced to the jump off. Fresh off their win in Week I’s $35,000 Grand Prix of Sarasota, Marylisa Leffler (USA) and Zaza Z (Zandor Z x Cocaine Z), the Rolling Acres LLC’s 14-year-old Zangersheide mare, were the first to produce a clear round halfway through the class’s completion. Kylie Clarkson (USA) and ESH Diamantino, Marjory Berkache’s 16-year-old KWPN gelding, quickly followed with a faultless effort.
“This mare is very fast,” Parot said of his almost 3-second lead. “I saw the first horse go, and she was very fast but between fences one and two she did eight strides, and I did seven strides. I think I turned a little closer to the combination, and then for the last line, I did six strides where she did seven. That’s really where I think I had it.”
As the only other duo to leave the ring without penalty, Leffler and Zaza Z earned the red ribbon. Gallucci and Artemis Equestrian Farm LLC’s 15-year-old Westphalian gelding, Calle 67 (Carrell x Cleo N.W.), held the third-place position in the afternoon’s victory gallop.
Jennifer Alfano and Pendleton Win the $5,000 The Estates at TerraNova USHJA National Hunter Derby
The riders in the $5,000 The Estates at TerraNova USHJA National Hunter Derby, presented by Laughlin Tanner Group at Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, donned their shiniest boots and shadbellies in hopes of taking the top call. As with last week’s derby, Next Chapter LLC’s Jennifer Alfano wasted no time overtaking the prime position. As the second to show, Alfano went to the top with a round-one score of 91 points aboard her previous winning mount, Pendleton. It was a moment of dejá vu for Alfano as she proceeded to the handy round in the pinnacle position with Kathy Chiaf’s 9-year-old warmblood gelding, Pendleton (Thunder vd Zuuthoeve x Tserpe S), well ahead of any competition. The pair saved the best for last as Pendleton displayed perfect form over the Paul Jewell-designed track to incur another score of 91 and skyrocket out of reach for the blue ribbon.
Isaac Leffkowitz earned the second-highest score of 85 in round one and paired it with a score of 78 in the handy phase to round out the top three aboard Emily Mitzel’s 8-year-old Warmblood mare, Basil Hayden (Cavalo Z x Wemmie), after earning an overall score of 163.