February 24, 2023, Myakka City, Florida. Samuel Parot and Captain Z bested the field of 41 to win the $10,000 FEI 1.40m Welcome Speed during TerraNova Hunter/Jumper Week 2. Entries for the speed class included elite riders from nine countries, such as Kent Farrington (USA), Taylor St. Jacques (CAN), Cian O’Connor (IRL) and more. As the 38th pair to contest the Manuel Esparza-designed track, Parot (CHI), aboard his own Captain Z (Calvino Z x Unette/Voltaire), stopped the timers at a blazing 63.08. Following in a close second was USA’s Sarah Hubbard and Latino Van De Looise Heide (Cantos x Hadrilla Van De Looiseheide/Quadrillo), a Hubbard Horses LLC entry, while Blue Star Investments’ Ubiluc (Ubiko x Lucze/Lucian) and Daniel Bluman (ISR) rounded out the top three.
“I have provided plenty of options,” Esparza said. “It’s a good track to fill the ring, so I think it’s going to be a good start for them working toward tomorrow.” Noting the beautiful atmosphere, great ring size and amazing footing, Esparza was hopeful for a good, fast track for the top-quality horse-and-rider combinations. Esparza included a liverpool and two one-stride combinations, a vertical-vertical combination and an oxer-to-vertical combination. “It depends on how they want to win,” he said. “If they take the inside track options, of course, they’re going to have more risk.”
The inside tracks shone the way to the podium proving the risk was worth the reward. “He’s fast,” Parot said with his son Bautista at his side. “I try to win, and I win.” “I thought he was going to take the last jump down, but he didn’t!” Bautista said. “I really wanted him to get first place and I always get excited when he gets first place.” Parot is impressed with the facility, noting that it is great for young horses to get valuable experience. He brought five horses, two FEI, one amateur mount for his wife and two for other classes. Parot plans to return for Weeks 3 and 4 March 15-26.
$10,000 FEI 1.40m Welcome Speed: Order of Finish
| Place | Horse | Rider | Owner | Faults | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Captain Z | Samuel Parot | Samuel Parot | 0 | 63.08 |
| 2 | Latino Van De Looise Heide | Sarah Hubbard | Hubbard Horses LLC | 0 | 64.00 |
| 3 | Ubiluc | Daniel Bluman | Blue Star Investments | 0 | 64.69 |
| 4 | Jersey | Stephanie Gallucci | Equine Partners International LLC | 0 | 64.73 |
| 5 | Lou Lou VLS | Vanessa Hood | Take Two LLC | 0 | 65.06 |
| 6 | Isotropic Shadow | Jonathan Millar | Isotropic Networks INC. | 0 | 66.01 |
| 7 | Chaccato PS | Hallie Grimes | Can We Keep It? LLC | 0 | 67.31 |
| 8 | Biblou Du Perron | Steven Bluman | Steven Bluman | 0 | 68.23 |
| 9 | Gazelle ES | Jonathan McCrea | Windsor Show Stables | 0 | 68.37 |
| 10 | Balou’s Fly High | Isabella Russekoff | Suave Pony LLC | 0 | 69.19 |
Jens Filippusson and Corcovado Jump in Style to Take Top Call in the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby
Jens Filippusson aboard the Forget Me Not Farm entry Corcovado earned the high score of 177 to lead the victory gallop in the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. Coming in second place, only two points behind Filippusson, with a two-round score of 175, were Week 1 winners Kim Buzby and Willoughby. Rounding out the top three was KT Quinn, with Katharine Hoerle in the irons. The Dean Battaglia-designed course had a straightforward classic round with flowing bending lines of unrelated distances. The handy round had riders begin with a long approach to an oxer (former fence nine) followed by rollbacks and a trot fence. The riders could earn up to four points each round for jumping the high options.
Corcovado, a 14-year-old bay Warmblood gelding, floated around the derby course earning a base score of 80 plus four high options for a round-one total of 84. During the handy round, the pair masterfully executed the inside turns to both rollbacks for a base score of 89 plus four high options for a total score of 93. “We had a nice plan and we rode the plan as we set,” Filippusson said. “And it worked out fine. We have some horses with us that we needed to produce further so they got a lot of ring time over here,” he added. “There’s also enough time for them to relax with all the big grass fields. What keeps them interested in their jobs and what keeps them energetic, really everything you need to produce them on a big level.”
While Buzby and Willoughby (Edward x Brown Sugar), owned by Shayne Mackey, scored higher in round one, the pair scored two points behind Filippusson without opting for the high options. Competition resumes at 8 a.m. Saturday with TerraNova’s feature class $77,300 FEI CSI 2* 1.45m Grand Prix at 11 a.m.