Alex Granato and Zenith Dance
Wellington, FL – March 18, 2015 – Today was a stunning day at The Ridge at Wellington Turf Tour, where competition heated up in the 1.30-1.35m classes on the field at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (IPC). Claiming the top prize was Alex Granato, riding Zenith Dance for Page Tredennick.
Granato has been consistently successful at The Ridge, winning the same class during the first and fifth weeks of the tour on Zenith Dance and racking up the ribbons as the circuit has progressed on several mounts. While Granato has been busy competing with his other rides at different venues, he came back with a vengeance this week to clinch the top spot.
“[Zenith Dance] is pretty fresh today. We haven’t shown him in a few weeks; I’ve been back and forth between here and Ocala, splitting time with the Grand Prix horses. I wanted to show this week with Cesario 15 and Zenith Dance here, before the Finals next week. They both felt good. Zenith Dance jumped really well, so he just did the one course—he was super and didn’t need to do more. “
He continued, “I’m a little tired because we’ve been hitting the road a lot! It’s been nice to travel though; it’s broken the winter up and we have a couple horses that are doing each different venue. So it’s been a nice break for the horses, to split their time and not do a lot, but compete at several good venues. It’s been wonderful for us to jump fresh courses in new places, it keeps it more fun and entertaining, rather than the same mundane ring day after day.”
There was a bit of a distraction at the horse show today, which stole a bit of the spotlight from Granato and Zenith Dance. Peeps, the dwarf miniature mare, accompanied Granato and Josh Dolan to the show in order to raise awareness about animals in need of rescue. The two rescued the mare, along with about 34 others, from a farm in Kentucky that had once been a breeding farm for some of the top miniatures in the country. The farm had fallen on hard times, and the pair knew they had to do something to help the horses.
The day after first contacting the owner, they were able to remove 19 from the property and get most of them placed in great homes, with keeping five for their own farm. In total, they’ve saved 35 miniatures from starvation and neglect. This incredible rescue effort has led to Granato and Dolan investigating the possibility of creating a nonprofit in order to help out other minis like Peeps.
Peeps was certainly a hit at the show, nimbly hopping over the polo field perimeter, imitating her fellow barn-mates. “She’s kind of become a local celebrity. The girls in the barn made her an Instagram page and she has almost 5,500 followers. People come up to us. We took her over for the Nations Cup night, and now people are emailing us and coming up to us at shows. We went up to Ocala and people we didn’t even know came up to us to ask if we brought Peeps.”
Debbie Stephens was the first rider this morning to test out the course designed by Nick Granat. Riding Centennial Farm’s Swagger, she blazed a fast pace around the track, leaving all of the rails up to finish on a time of 33.407. Stephens has been a huge supporter of the Turf Tour throughout the circuit and is consistently in the ribbons aboard her unmistakable white steed. Stephens enjoys challenging herself and her mounts by varying the location where she competes.
“I love WEF, but I also think it’s nice to change things once in a while and I would consider this a great change. Coming over here offers different jumps, different course designers and a different atmosphere. I think that it keeps the horses very well rounded. I think that also as a rider, it keeps me well rounded. I enjoy both venues; I think top competition is in Wellington and I think these places really bring the best out in the horse and the rider. I think it gives you a really good perspective of where you are.”
Stephens’ time would have her finish the day in the third spot, behind Granato and second placed Aaron Dixon, riding Peninsula Vertigo for Marilyn Dawson-Dixon. Christine McCrea would finish in fourth on Candy Tribble’s Ronaldo De La Pomme. Veteran of the Turf Tour Conor Swail would pick up the fifth place ribbon on Blue Hill Farm’s Tahiti Island, and Mario Deslauriers rounded out the top six with Henrik.
In the second class, Matthew Metell walked away with the victory. He sped around the course to finish in a time of 31.785, riding Cyon Z for Wolver Hollow. In doing so, he flew past the last team to go double clear, Laura Kraut riding Nick Skelton’s Cash. She had finished in a time of 35.30 seconds and would finish the day in second place.
Matthew Metell and Cyon Z-V
Metell and Cyon Z have been successful during the Turf Tour, claiming the top prize in the same class last week. Metell is pleased with the progress his mount has made over the winter circuit.
“He’s a young 8-year-old and he’s been coming along really nicely. He’s growing into himself well. We’ve had a lot of fun showing here the last few weeks with him. He’s been a good boy. He jumped some high schooling rounds over at WEF earlier in the circuit, and then we’ve been bringing a group of horses here, so it’s easier for us to show them all in one place and he likes the grass, he’s been good here. “
Mario Deslauriers claimed third and fourth aboard Peyton and Rosalind Schaefer’s Cherrypop, respectively. Conor Swail picked up a fifth place ribbon on Susan Grange’s Fortis Fortuna, and Nina Fagerstrom rode Cover Girl to round out the ribbons in a field of 28.
The second ring saw plenty of action today with both the young jumper and schooling jumper classes. Marshall Field VI claimed the top spot in the 6-year-old Young Jumper Championship (YJC) Qualifying class with Click for Quality. Paul O’Shea finished in second on Virtuoso de Talma, and Jennifer Ramsey rode Diabolo D’esquelmes for Ronda Stavisky to the third place finish.
Paul O’Shea garnered the top ribbons in the 7/8-year-old YJC Qualifying class, with Gatsby 165 bringing home the blue and Skara Glen’s Presence the red. Mario Deslauriers finished in third on his own Can Cun 2.
Results
201 - 1.30M-1.35M Jumper
Place Entry Horse Rider Owners
1 1563 Cyon Z Matthew M. Metell Wolver Hollow
2 1378 Cash Laura Kraut Nick Skelton
3 1371 Peyton Mario Deslauriers Mario Deslauriers
4 1372 Cherrypop Mario Deslauriers Rosalind Schaefer
5 1570 FORTIS FORTUNA Connor Swail Susan Grange
6 1334 Cover Girl Nina Fagerstrom Finca Horses Inc.
202 - 1.30M-1.35M Jumper
Place Entry Horse Rider Owners
1 1388 Zenith Dance Page E. Tredennick Page E. Tredennick
2 962 Peninsula Vertigo Aaron dixon Marilyn Dawson-Dixon
3 1247 Swagger Debbie Stephens Huston
4 1392 Ronaldo De La Pomme Christine Mc Crea Candy Tribble
5 1377 Tahiti Island Connor Swail Blue Hill Farm, LLC
6 1369 Henrik Mario Deslauriers Mario Deslauriers
7 1395 Corona 93 Todd Minikus Raylin Farm
8 647 Estar Chloe Field Hidden Brook Farm
101 - Low Schooling Jumper 1.10-1.15m Table II, sec 2.2.1
Place Entry Horse Rider Owners
1 1374 Quilanda Z Debbie Stephens Nadejda Nepomnyashaya
2 1381 Chador Miranda Scott Jessica Matelis
3 1358 Ae La Gracia Tatiana Gabrush Alpen Star Enterprises
4 1373 Kandel Catherine Sullivan Iron Horse Farm
5 1359 Ballade Van Het Indihof Brianne Goutal Remarkable Farms Lp
6 985 Erinus Carlie Fairty Carlie Fairty
7 1362 Terceira Cynthia L. Hampton Hampton Farms LLC
8 452 Stella Luna Mira Mukherjee Mira Mukherjee
102 - Low Schooling Jumper 1.10-1.15m Table II, Sec 2b
Place Entry Horse Rider Owners
1 1283 Jessika Emily Snack Huston
2 1267 Grace Rene Johnson Rene Johnson
3 1381 Chador Miranda Scott Jessica Matelis
4 985 Erinus Carlie Fairty Carlie Fairty
5 1362 Terceira Cynthia L. Hampton Hampton Farms LLC
6 1282 Dollydoo Ned Cuniffe Whipstick Farm, LTD
7 1376 Pachelbel Adrian Jay Adrian Jay
8 452 Stella Luna Mira Mukherjee Mira Mukherjee
103 - Medium Schooling Jumper 1.20-1.25m Table Ii,sec 2.2.1
Place Entry Horse Rider Owners
1 1337 Luxtria Van T Gelutt Z Chloe Field Hidden Brook Farm
2 1375 Caleta III Joseph Sorce Lindsay Werner
3 1391 Costa De Baugy Z Sarah +. Ryan Sarah +. Ryan
4 1307 Rokaine Nina Fagerstrom Randy Hicks
5 1389 Carisco Sarah +. Ryan Sarah +. Ryan
6 1393 Cidane Jonathan Mc Crea Candy Tribble
7 576 Lionwood Kinsale's Lad GERMAN A. CAMARGO KEN HALEY
8 625 Olivia Melody Cynthia L. Hampton Hampton Farms LLC
104 - Medium Schooling Jumper 1.20-1.25m table II, Sec 2b
Place Entry Horse Rider Owners
1 977 Vis A Vis 10 Kiva Iscol Kiva Iscol
2 727 Coriano Zwartepannenhof Marshall Field Vi Hidden Brook Farm
3 1597 Vantina HPF Linda A. Sheridan Linda A. Sheridan
4 1307 Rokaine Nina Fagerstrom Randy Hicks
5 1393 Cidane Jonathan Mc Crea Candy Tribble
6 973 Quiletta Nataly Leibovitz Nataly Leibovitz
7 1368 Josephine Sarah E. Wayda Rene Johnson
8 625 Olivia Melody Cynthia L. Hampton Hampton Farms LLC
602 - Young Jumper 6 Year Old YJC
Place Entry Horse Rider Owners
1 591 Click For Quality Marshall Field Vi Hidden Brook Farm
2 1352 Virtuoso de Talma Paul O'SheaPaul O'SheaWhipstick Farm, LTD
3 1599 Diabolo D'esquelmes Jennifer Ramsey Ronda Stavisky
702 - Young Jumper 7/8 Year Old YJC
Place Entry Horse Rider Owners
1 1353 Gatsby 165 Paul O' SheaWhipstick Farm, LTDPaul O' Shea
2 1354 Skara Glen's Presence Paul O'SheaSkara Glen StablesPaul O'Shea
3 1370 Can Cun 2 Mario Deslauriers Mario DeslauriersProvided by ShowPro™