News
Josephina Nor-Lantzman cracks code to win the GP
Feb 13, 2013
A week of thrilling show jumping competition culminatingin the $30,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis, brought HITS Desert Circuit III to wrap Sunday, concluding the first half of the 2013 winter circuit.
The grace note grand prix of Desert Circuit III was a show closer, with a tight contest that had spectators on the edge of their seats as 52 battled it out for the blue. Testing their skill over another scopey, technical course by Mexico's Florencio Hernandez, five made it to the jump-off, but it was Del Mar's Josephina Nor-Lantzman, riding her own Chello Z that took the top prize.
The 12-obstacle round one course was as much a test of mental concentration as physical agility and stamina, with some very technical questions. Nor-Lantzman was the only one to deliver double clear rounds.
It was the twenty-third entry in the ring Saer Coulter on her own stallion Don VHP Z, that produced the first clear round. That performance was matched four tries later by Eduardo Menezes and his own Tomba Mercedes Benz. Menezes and Tomba would ultimately drive into second and Coulter third, each with a rail in the jump-off.
Canadian rider John Pearce was the next to go clear, riding Forest View Farm's Chianto. Then came Nor-Lantzman's ride as the fourth clear. The second to last on the field, Liz Ashton and her own Serafina also went clean, making it five for the jump-off.
As the second to last to go in the jump off, Nor-Lantzman saw the three before her spill rails, and had the luxury of knowing that speed would be less of an issue than precision. When Ashton and Serafina dropped a pole, Nor-Lantzman's win was secured, with Ashton fourth and Pearce fifth.
For his part, Menezes, who has had a great first half of the Desert Circuit, also winning the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix presented by Zoetis, during week I, aboard his Caruschka, said it was a great competition.
1 Josephina Nor Lantzm Chello Z 0.00 0.00 47.124
2 Eduardo Menezes Tomba Mercedes Benz 0.00 4.00 40.218
3 Saer Coulter Don VHP Z 0.00 4.00 42.587
4 Liz Ashton Serafina 0.00 4.00 45.663
5 John Pearce Chianto 0.00 19.00 67.213
Source: Press release from HITS, Inc.