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.
With the exhibitor welcome party in the VIP pavilion overlooking the Lakeside Arena, the venue was packed as the pinnacle event began. As the last rider to qualify in the first phase and take on the challenge of the short course, Samuel Parot (CHI) piloted Tiffany de Olid, his own 12-year-old Selle Francais mare, to a blazing-fast victory.
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.
Two more clean jumping efforts would come from Stephanie Gallucci (CAN) and Parot. Leffler appeared to have the class’s short course well in hand after another flawless effort, while Clarkson and Gallucci had faults. After finishing second behind Leffler during Week I, Parot put his best foot forward with his newly acquired mare, Tiffany de Olid (Huppydam Des Horts x Centauer Z).
“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.”
Parot has previously had luck at this venue and hopes to continue his winning ways into the end of the month.
“My idea was to come jump here with this horse this week, and then take a week off and come back for the two-star grand prix at the end of the month,” he said, referring to the upcoming Split Rock Sarasota CSI2* event. “We won it last year, so I figured we might as well try again. The horses jump very well here, and the horses are happy. Most importantly, the atmosphere is good, which is very important for the horses.”
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.
“This series is our first show of the season because the horses get December off,” Alfano said. “So he’s pretty fresh starting off the new year, but really he’s just a good horse and he’s one you can always count on.”
Whether competing in the amateur/owner or in top derby form with Alfano, the gelding is well known as the barn’s go-to guy.
“He’s just a horse that everybody likes; he jumps in great style, and looks through the bridle really nicely, and people just love him,” she said. “After watching a few others go today, I decided to not do one or two of the inside turns that I thought I was going to have to do. Instead, I just decided to keep it smooth and have a nice round. He is naturally pretty handy so we don’t work on that much, but we do practice the trot jumps, and he was very good about that today.”
Alfano piloted her second mount, Chiaf’s 8-year-old Hanoverian gelding Southside of Heaven (Cabardino N x Cascade), from the tied third-place position into the reserve title by producing the second-highest handy score of 82 for a total of 166 points.
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.
Included in the derby was a $2,500 Junior/Amateur bonus prize as part of the series’ increased emphasis on non-professional athletes in the sport. Sarasota’s own Laurie Birnbach took the top call of the junior-amateur section aboard her own Va Bien Z (Va Vite x Arentha de Revel), a 17-year-old Warmblood gelding, with an overall score of 157.
Competition during the Week II of the 2024 Sarasota Winter Classic will resume January 13, with highlights including the $15,000 NAL 1.30m/1.40m Junior/Amateur Classic, presented by Leibold Irrigation, Inc. and a catered VIP luncheon.