Porter Wins $50K EMO GP
Mandy Porter after winning the EMO Grand Prix on Con Capilot
It was a thrilling contest that came down to the final seconds of the jump-off as the $50,000 EMO Grand Prix brought the first week of competition in Thermal to a heart-pounding conclusion. Mandy Porter, on Plum Creek Hollow Farms’ Con Capilot, snatched victory from Mexico’s Enrique Gonzales on his own Quilebo Du Tillard.
Gonzales sat comfortably in first, but in a dramatic turn of events, Porter advanced to first. Porter was next-to-last in the ring among 32 starters and last to go in a jump-off that saw 12 advance to the jump-off. Round one of Canadian designer Danny Foster’s course of 13 jumping efforts included a double, a triple and lots of tight turns and combinations.
First up in the jump-off for the $50,000 EMO Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, was Gonzalez riding Criptonite, laying down a Great American Time to beat of 41.22 seconds. The next two – Helen McNaught of San Ramon, California and her own Caballo, and Tammie Phillips of Strathmore, Alberta, riding Lerche 37 – both upped the ante until Gonzalez returned with a redeeming ride on Quilebo Du Tillard, at 40.64 seconds.
Canadian rider John Pearce of Bermuda Dunes, California and Forest View Farms’ Chianto were faster, at a blazing 39.68 seconds, but a rail put them out of contention. There would be no clear riders under 42 seconds for the remaining rounds until Porter and the Plum Creek Hollow stallion shaved .3 seconds off Gonzalez’s time, forcing him to settle for second.
“They went really fast in the jump-off, I felt, and I have to admit, I was nervous because I haven’t done many big tracks for speed recently,” said Porter. “I was developing this horse, so while I’d go fast, I rated it to what I thought the horse was ready for. Today, I felt he was ready.”
Porter, who is based in Encinitas, CA, has ridden Con Capilot for Plum Creek Hollow Farm’s Nancy Gooding since he was seven. The horse took its eighth year off due to injury. “But he matured that year too. He just turned 10 and he is really coming into his own. He is super careful, so I know I can push him to be quick,” said Porter. She admitted that the mantra she played in her head through the jump off round was, “Be like Rich Fellers! Be like Rich Fellers! Just keep galloping!”
For his part, Gonzalez said he does not plan to campaign the nine-year-old Selle Francais for World Cup Points but instead hopes to make the 2014 World Equestrian Games team. “I think this is going to be a very important grand prix horse, and I don’t want to rush.”
The $50,000 EMO Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, was the second opportunity Desert Circuit I participants had to qualify for the AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Lamborghini Newport Beach. There are 13 additional qualifiers during Desert Circuit weeks II-VI. A Wildcard Grand Prix during week VII presents the only possible way to earn a spot without qualifying, when the AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix takes place March 17. Riders need to compete in a minimum of four grand prix at no less than four different Desert Circuit shows during weeks I-VI to be eligible for that mega class.
While all eyes were on the big-ticket EMO event on Sunday, there were many notable performances. Earlier that day, Markus Beerbaum won the $15,000 Level 8 Jumper 1.45m on Copernicus Stables’ Lancero.
Friday Night Lights
The weekend kicked off with a bang, as Eduardo Menezes laid down a bold pair of rounds on Caruschka, taking top honors in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, but not before Ashlee Bond and Cadett 7 put up a fight.
That pair—which did so well in Thermal in 2009—made a brilliant comeback, and is hoping to add a third World Cup Finals to its resume this year.
The horse has been laid-up since October, and Bond wasn’t sure how he’d react. They did a Level 6 earlier in the week. Then, on Friday, “for the first half of the class he seemed a little surprised, but the second round he was like, ‘Yeah! I got this! He just got better,” a delighted Bond said.
Helen McNaught and Lariccello, owned by Allison Heafey, tied a yellow ribbon on it with two brilliant, fearless rounds at the event that was by all accounts a corker of a start to the winter grand prix series.
On Saturday, it was Germany rider Markus Beerbaum who dominated the grand prix ring, taking the blue in the $15,000 Level 8 Jumper 1.45m class, riding Copernicus Stables’ Lancero. Josephina Nor Lantzman of Del Mar, California placed second on her own Chello Z, and Max Dolger of South Pasadena, California finished third on Colette Pelissier’s Cyrielle de la Velle CH.
The $5,000 PCHA Jimmy Williams Classic, also on Saturday, saw Wild Turkey Farm’s Ultima V and Soenke Theymann of Wilsonville, Oregon take first place. Menezes claimed second on Quintol Mercedes Benz, owned by Sarita Hank. Third went to Jill Humphrey on Alicia Jonsson Foster’s Zubliem.
