Victory for Jason McArdle and Elicole

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Eighteen horse/rider combinations took to the field on Saturday afternoon to contest the second to last qualifying event in the $25,000 Markel Insurance 1.45m Jumper Series. Following a six-horse jump off, Jason McArdle emerged victorious abroad Elicole, owned by Fairbanks Valley Farm, LLC. Savannah Jenkins and Rahmannshof’s Bamiro, owned by Georgy Maskrey-Segesman finished close behind to take second place honors.

FEI 3* course designer Marina Azevedo (BRA) constructed a technical track on the Oaks International Grand Prix Field at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park at San Juan Capistrano. Azevedo’s 16-effort course was set with a very tight time, allowing riders only 80 seconds to cross the wire, fault free. After the first three riders were unable to navigate the course without a penalty, the time allowed was adjusted to 84 seconds. That modification gave the second rider of the day, Lisa McCluskey and Cavalos, a ticket to the jump-off round after they earlier posted a time of 83.819 seconds without incurring any jumping faults.

Lane Clarke followed with the second clear round of the day, piloting Frodosi. In fact, Clarke rode clean on both of his Lighthouse Farms mounts, repeating on VF Epic Air. The three other fault-free rides in the opening round were turned in by Jamie Sailor and Cucky 3, Savannah Jenkins and Rahmannshof’s Bamiro and Jason McArdle with Elicole.

In round two, none of the first four riders managed their way to the finish line without a fault. With just two to go, Savannah Jenkins posted the first double clear, crossing the wire in 40.443 seconds. That left the final rider of the day, Jason MacArdle, with a small window to steal the win. Showcasing Elicole’s quickness on the flat, McArdle edged out Jenkins by a fraction of a second, stopping the clock at 39.868 for the victory.

“I’m ecstatic! Over the last four months, Eli has been knocking on the door. Today, in the schooling ring, I could just tell she was on her game”, said McArdle after the win. “The jump-off shaped up in my favor. I saw Savannah do an inside turn from one to two; I did not. However, I was quicker everywhere else and it worked out.”

The winning pair was also awarded the South Pacific Perpetual Trophy. Created by Joan Irvine Smith of The Oaks, the award is named in memory of her champion stallion of the North American Holsteiner Breeding Program, South Pacific.

Riders who made it through to the jump-off were also racing to claim the SmartPak Fastest horse award of a $500 SmartPak Gift Certificate & Neck Ribbon. That prize went to Jamie Sailor aboard Cucky 3, owned by Christine Trstensky. After the pair clipped the first fence, they turned on the afterburners and managed to negotiate the second round faster than anyone else with a quick 35.718 seconds, placing third overall.

Earlier in the day, the $20,000 Blenheim EquiSports U25 Championship Classic wrapped up the season-long series for the younger riders. Once again it was Savannah Jenkins lighting up the scoreboard with her horse Quintana 11 owned by Georgy Maskrey-Segesman. The pair emerged on top following a three-horse jump-off with all double-clears. In the end, it was Jenkins’ 30.464 seconds edging out Emma Catherine Reichow and the horse she owns named Forever Alve. Hayden Zade aboard Triskel Del Kerliven finished third.

RESULTS
$25,000 Markel Insurance 1.45M Grand Prix

Place – Entry Number – Horse – Rider – Owner – Faults/Time

1. 416 Elicole – Jason Mc Ardle – Fairbanks Valley Farms LLC – 0/0/39.868

2. 651 Rahmannshof’s Bamiro – Savannah Jenkins – Georgy Maskrey Segesman – 0/0/40.443

3. 560 Cucky 3 – Jamie Sailor – Christine Trstensky – 0/0/35.718

4. 346 Frodosi – Lane Clarke – Lighthouse Farm LLC – 0/4/37.61

5. 553 Cavalos – Lisa Mc Cluskey – Lisa Mc Cluskey – 0/4/46.177

6. 347 VF Epic Air – Lane Clarke – Lighthouse Farms LLC – 0/14/53.854

7. 627 Adele XII – Bruno Diniz Das Neves – BDN Horse Investments – 4/76.779

8. 201 Duc De Rohan – Michelle Kerivan – Michelle Kerivan – 4/81.49

9. 622 For His Glory Se – Hillary Ridland – Rose Sullivan – 4/82.165

10. 711 – Seven Seas – John Pearce – Karen Coyne – 4/83.677

11. 271 – NKH Quanto – John Bragg – Caruso & Bragg – 4/83.834

12. 710 – Chantico – John Pearce – Karen Ball – 8/79.689

RESULTS
$20,000 BLENHEIM EQUISPORTS U25 CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSIC

Place – Entry Number – Horse – Rider – Owner – Faults/Time

1. 650 – Quitana 11 – Savannah Jenkins – Georgy Maskrey-Segesman – 0/0/30.464

2. 146 – Forever Alve – Emma Catherine Reichow – Emma Catherine Reichow – 0/0/31.27

3. 446 – Triskel De Kerliven – Hayden Zadel – HHZ, LLC – 0/0/32.781

4. 647 – Belladonna 42 – Savannah Jenkins – Georgy Maskrey-Segesman – 4/71.037

5. 491 – Clinton – Jonas Vervoort – Alexis Sokolov – 4/73.317

6. 659 – Clint Eastwood 10 – Anna Ishiyama – Anna Ishiyama – 5/75.973

7. 314 – Quadrigus – Gabriela Pattinson – Susanne Coleman – 12/73.323

8. 473 – Chappie – Derek Chang – Andrew Chang – 14/85/09

9. 239 – Centurion – Sloan Elmassian – Sloan Elmassian – 20/73.252

10. 312 – Dexceminka – Danielle Lean – Danielle Lean – 24/72.913

11. 145 – Cubiki – Emma Catherine Reichow – Emma Catherine Reichow – 37/100.075