News
Eduardo Menezes rose to the top on Caruschka
Jan 27, 2013
It was by all accounts a stellar kick-off to the 2013 HITS Desert Circuit Friday, as 38 horse and rider combinations tested themselves in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. Crisp weather and a light drizzle did nothing to dampen the spirits of the riders and only added to the exuberance of the horses, who were friskier than usual and seemed keyed into the excitement of the event. The significance of the class was heightened by the fact that it was also the first qualifier of the HITS Desert Circuit season for the AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Lamborghini Newport Beach, taking place March 17.
Eight made it to the jump-off, and it was Brazilian rider Eduardo Menezes of Carlsbad, California who rose to the top on his own Caruschka. Ashlee Bond of Hidden Hills, California and Little Valley Farms’ Cadett 7 rode to second while hoping for a third appearance in the World Cup this year. Helen McNaught of San Ramon, California and Lariccello, owned by Allison Heafey, came in third.
Finishing out the top five was Jenn Serek of Calgary, Alberta and The Shin Shin Group’s Eleonora in fourth, while Canada’s Jill Henselwood aboard Juniper Farms’ New idol Z finished fifth. The proceeds got underway in the Grand Prix Stadium around 4 p.m. under a moody sky, but plenty of light. The colorful course, set by Canada’s Danny Foster included 13 obstacles 16 jumping efforts – the perfect setting for the first $25,000 grand prix of the HITS Thermal season.
The time took a toll on the more careful riders, too. Four pairs – Mexico’s Enrique Gonzalez on his own Quilebo Du Tillard, Hap Hansen of Encinitas, California in the irons of Linda Smith’s Archie Bunker, Will Simpson of Thousand Oaks, California with Monarch International’s Acornia and Lauren Hester of Rancho Santa Fe, California aboard Hester Equestrian’s Warinde B – delivered beautiful rounds that left all the rails up only to be penalized by the clock.
The first pair out in round one, Alberta’s Jaclyn Duff and her own Pater Noster, surprised the crowd by going clear. They crowd would wait another eight rounds, however, until McNaught bounded into the ring on a very animated Lariccello, to be guaranteed their jump-off. That was followed by a fault-free round by Bond and Cadett 7, then Menezes. Canadian riders John Pearce with Forest View Farm’s Chianto and Serek on Eleonora were back-to-back clears on rounds 29 and 30, followed by Henselwood’s fault-free round with New Idol Z.
Duff was the first out for round two and had a rail down at the Liverpool. McNaught, Bond and Menezes followed, all doing progressively better, but when Menezes laid down his blazing 37.45 seconds time – more than a second faster than Bond, it was clear he’d be tough to beat. Parker and Pearce each had a rail.
Source World of Showjumping