Lexington, Ky. – May 18, 2023 – A full schedule of first-rate jumper competition was slated for Thursday at the Kentucky Horse Park. Part of the Kentucky Spring Classic Horse Show Series, horses and riders stepped foot into the famed Rolex Stadium to battle it out for the top prize in their division. The morning portion of the day was capped with the Amateur/Junior High 1.40m class that saw 32 combinations compete on the Bernardo Costa Cabral designed course. The class was set to the Table II, Sec 2(b) format, where qualified riders go immediately into their jump off round. The class was action-packed, and saw a total of 17 partnerships qualify for the jump off. After each rider’s individual first round, it turned into a race against the clock where ultimately, Charlie Jacobs and Est Di Palatina beat the buzzer with a swift jump off time of 37.542.
Cabral’s first round course was set to the 1.40m standards and featured a total of 12 obstacles, including six oxer jumps, two double combinations and one over water vertical, with a time allowed of 67 seconds. The course expanded the spacious ring in Rolex Stadium, testing the endurance and stamina of the competitors. The shortened jump-off track took it down to seven total obstacles and pushed the riders and their mounts to show off their agility and speed. As second in the order-of-go, Lacey Gilbertson and Seabrook LLC’s, Baloppi, set the pace for the rest of the field with a double clear effort and a jump-off time-to-beat of 39.334 seconds.
Jacobs, unphased by the early lead of Gilberston, made his presence known amongst the talented field, taking both first and third place on the leaderboard. Aboard his winning mount, Est Di Palatina, Jacobs pushed the gas pedal finishing the jump off track more than a second faster than his second place counterpart. The veteran KWPN mare, owned by CMJ Sporthorse, LLC, answered the commands of Jacobs perfectly, meeting each obstacle in great stride. Since early 2020, the pair has built a lengthy resume and are proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the Jr/Am 1.40m division. Jacob’s first ride in the class was aboard Applause, and the duo held the top spot for quite some time. Jacobs was able to present his experienced horsemanship aboard both mounts, guiding them through the course with a combination of speed and technique. Ultimately, Jacobs and the Anglo-European mare, also owned by CMJ Sporthorse LLC, succumbed to the efforts of Jacobs himself and the second place duo, dropping them to third. As a brand new partnership this year, with only a couple classes under their belt at the Winter Equestrian Festival, this top three finish will no doubt boost their confidence as they embark on a successful career together.
The only other competitor to take a place on the podium in Thursday’s class was Mallory Vale. Vale seemed to be in a chess match with Jacobs, initially taking the top spot from him, and then losing it to him on his second ride aboard Est Di Palatina. Vale was in the irons for Think Like A Horse’s Gray’s Inn, and ultimately laid a near perfect two rounds. No strangers to the Rolex Stadium, the pair relied on their experience together to propel them to a second place finish. Vale and the Czech Warmblood gelding are looking to add to their resume this spring in Kentucky after a successful winter season in Ocala, FL.
Show jumping competition for the Kentucky Spring Classic Horse Show will reach its pinnacle Saturday, May 20 with the highlight event of the week, the $145,100 Mary Rena Murphy Grand Prix CSI3* at 5:30pm EST in Rolex Stadium.
RESULTS
High Junior/Amateur 1.40m Jumper
Place / Horse / Rider / Owner / R1 Faults | R1 Time / R2 Faults | R2 Time
- Est Di Palatina / Charlie Jacobs / CMJ Sporthorse, LLC / 0 | 60.442 / 0 | 37.542
- Gray’s Inn / Mallory Vale / Thinkslikeahorse / 0 | 69.879 / 0 | 38.783
- Applause / Charlie Jacobs / CMJ Sporthorse, LLC / 0 | 58.617 / 0 | 38.955
- Brume Barbotiere / Laurel Walker / Laurel Walker / 0 | 61.649 / 0 | 39.305
- Baloppi / Lacey Gilbertson / Seabrook LLC / 0 | 58.027 / 0 | 39.334
- Elien / Stella Buckingham / Santa Rosa Group / 0 | 62.125 / 0 | 39.506
- Que Casco / Natalie Jayne / M.D.L LLC / 0 | 62.504 / 0 | 39.620
- Eyecatcher / Kristen Glover / Kristen Glover / 0 | 62.943 / 0 | 39.735
- Cara 199 / Lexi Ray / Lexi Ray / 0 | 62.332 / 0 | 41.257
- Namaste Van Het Eyckeveld / Ashley Vogel / Ashley Vogel / 0 | 63.983 / 0 | 43.305
- Giolita / Emma Sargent / Emma Sargent / 0 | 61.005 / 4 | 39.706
- Cash Money / Stella Buckingham / Santa Rosa Group / 0 | 61.695 / 4 | 40.713
