Laura Chapot and Samantha Capture Victory in $25,000 the Leone Family Open Jumper Classic CSI 3* in Lake Placid
Special Report provided by PhelpsSports.com

Lake Placid, NY – July 6, 2006 – Horse show action continued today at the North Elba Show Grounds in Lake Placid, NY, with the I Love New York Horse Show. The show, which is the second week of the Lake Placid Horse Show series, began on Tuesday, July 4th and will be held through Sunday, July 9th. Today’s highlight was the $25,000 The Leone Family Open Jumper Classic CSI 3* in the Richard M. Feldman Grand Prix Field.

Conducted under the current FEI Rules, Article 238.2.2, Time First Jump Off, competitors negotiated obstacles that stood up to 1.50 meters in height and spread up to 1.60 meters wide. The course was designed by Richard Jeffery, who included an open water and a triple combination in the course and posted a time allowed of 88 seconds.

Out of a pool of 49 entries, only thirteen horse and rider combinations jumped the first course fault free and qualified for the short course. Two riders fell off, one was eliminated, and the rest acquired faults, time faults, or both. James Benedetto and Midnight, owned by Emergold Eq. Inc., finished the first course with only one time fault.

“I didn’t want to take too much out of them today,” stated Jeffery after the first round concluded. “After only two jumped clear in the grand prix this past Sunday, I wanted to give the horses a track that would restore their confidence. They have been jumping hard for two weeks, and I thought today’s course would prepare them for Saturday’s big grand prix.”

The first pair to return for the tie breaker was Laura Chapot and her gray mare Samantha, owned by the Sundance Group. The duo set the pace with a fault free round and blazing time of 41.48 seconds. The competition was fierce as twelve competitors took on the challenge of beating her speedy time. As it would turn out, none would be successful.

McLain Ward and Halbi D’Ariane, owned by Arwen Stables, had a fast time of 41.50 seconds, but they lowered the height of one fence and finished with a score of four faults. Mark Leone and Ri-Arm Farm’s Great American took a shot over the short course and tripped the timers fault free in 43.07 seconds, which would hold up for third place. Callan Solem, who rode Mianta for Quiet Winter Farm, matched Leone’s time of 43.07 seconds; however, she was penalized four faults for knocking a rail. Paige Johnson of Salamander Farm returned with Lancier 4, and accumulated 12 faults with a time of 43.51 seconds.

Rodrigo Pessoa piloted Capitano for Sir Ruly, Inc. and broke the beam in 42.61 seconds with a score of four faults. Pessoa rode Capitano for Danielle Torano, who is expecting her first child with her husband Jimmy. Eighteen year old Brianne Goutal, who was the youngest competitor in today’s class, rode Cloverleaf Farm’s Casar and also captured four faults in the tie breaker. Her time of 43.63 seconds and four fault score would hold up for 10th place.

McLain Ward had a second chance at the lead when he returned with his second mount, Sapphire. After ticking a rail, Ward crossed the finish line with four faults and a time of 43.58 seconds. Amy Momrow and Summer Storm, owned by Shaine Brooks, had a score and time identical to Callan Solem’s, finishing with four faults and a time of 43.07 seconds. Molly Ashe and Jane Clark’s Cocu clocked in with a clear round in 42.88 seconds, just missing the lead and sliding into second place on the leader board.

Jimmy Torano returned with Ormsby Hill, owned by Torano and Sir Ruly Inc., and came home with a prompt time of 41.56 seconds. Unfortunately, Torano knocked down two rails and brought home a score of eight faults. Brian Walker aboard Mario, owned by December Dreams LLC, acquired four faults over the short course, stopping the clock in 43.11 seconds a score that would end up in eighth place.

Nona Garson and Languster, owned by Ryan Automotive, were the last to take on Chapot’s time. Garson came away with a score of eleven faults in 47.21 seconds, indicating that Chapot and Samantha proved to be unbeatable once again. Chapot led the victory gallop and took home a purse of $7,500.

Grand prix action continues on Saturday, July 8th, with the $60,000 Hermès Grand Prix CSI 3*, which is a member event of the Budweiser/AGA Grand Prix Series of Show Jumping.

$25,000 The Leone Family Open Jumper Classic

1. SAMANTHA, LAURA CHAPOT, 0, 41.58

SUNDANCE GROUP

2. COCU, MOLLY ASHE, 0, 42.88

JANE F. CLARK

3. GREAT AMERICAN, MARK LEONE, 0, 43.07

RI-ARM FARM

4. HALBI D'ARIANE, MCLAIN WARD, 4, 41.50

ARWEN STABLES

5. CAPITANO, RODRIGO PESSOA, 4, 42.61

SIR RULY INC.

T6. SUMMER STORM, AMY MOMROW, 4, 43.07

SHAINE BROOKS

T6. MIANTA, CALLAN SOLEM, 4, 43.07

QUIET WINTER FARM

8. MARIO, BRIAN WALKER, 4, 43.11

DECEMBER DREAMS LL

9. SAPPHIRE, MCLAIN WARD, 4, 43.58

MCLAIN WARD

10. CASAR, BRIANNE GOUTAL, 4, 43.63

CLOVERLEAF FARM

11. ORMSBY HILL, JIMMY TORANO, 8, 41.56

TORANO

12. LANGUSTER, NONA GARSON, 11, 47.21

RYAN AUTOMOTIVE

PHOTO CREDIT: Samantha and Laura Chapot win the $25,000 Leone Family Open Jumper Classic at the I Love New York Horse Show on Thursday. Photo ©2006 Jennifer Wood/PhelpsSports.com

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