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Kristin Smith Sails to Victory in the $10,000 North Face Farm Children's/Adult Jumper Classic
The featured class is the jumper grand finale of the 2014 Horse Shows by the Bay Series.
Traverse City, MI - July 28, 2014 - Kristin Smith's plan was pretty straightforward said trainer Tammy Provost: "To take no prisoners."
 | | Kristin Smith and Ophelia |
With 20 of the 35 starters qualifying for the jump-off in the $10,000 North Face Farm Children's/Adult Jumper Prix on July 27, there was no doubt the winner would need to chart a course that combined speed with precision and careful jumping.
Designer Scott Starnes' challenging tie-breaker included a daring inside turn to a substantial oxer that riders negotiated after an oxer-vertical in-and-out, as well as a long gallop to the final Walgreens vertical.  | | Kristin Smith receives her awards from James Zulia, trainer Tammy Provost and sponsor Anne Haas |
Smith, began riding with Provost when she was 13 and then went off to college. "She then came back riding a year ago after getting married and having three children," said Provost. "She's ridden since she was a kid so she can go as fast as she wants. And, she's got the most careful horse, so we just told her to absolutely go for it."
 | | Kristin Smith and Ophelia |
While Smith may have been out of the ring for a while, her partner, Ophelia, 18, a Dutch Warmblood mare (by Concorde), has abundant recent experience. "She's an old grand prix mare, and I did her in some 1.40m classes," said Provost. "She's a great horse."
Smith and Ophelia have also had their share of recent success, including the $7,500 NAL Adult Jumper Classic victory and Adult Amateur Jumper championship at the Showplace Spring Spectacular in June. In Traverse City, the pair earned the Adult Jumper Reserve Championship during Series III.
Smith said Ophelia was a little spooky in the first round, but she was all business when it came time for the jump-off. "We were just going to go for in," said Smith. "With 20 clean, you have to go as fast as you can and leave it all out there in the ring. "I went seventh, so I watched two and went," she continued. "I was hoping the time would hold. There were a couple of places where I thought I could have been faster, but it all went great."  | | Taylor Reid and Boucanier |
Boucanier and Taylor Reid broke their string of second-placed finishes with an exclamation point as they captured the $10,000 SJHOF Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Prix with a clear jump-off performance more than 2 seconds faster than second-placed Lincourt Gino and Monica Carrera.
Madison Billings and Stonestreet made it two-in-row as they captured the $7,500 NAL Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Eight of the 24 starters qualified for the tiebreaker, with Billings edging Noel Fauntleroy and No Fear by .42 seconds for the blue ribbon. The Big Boy and Jackie Wood placed third with a clear round in 46.08 seconds.
Other Featured Winners Today Included:
- HJAM Pony Medal Final, sponsored by Equis Ltd. and Polly Howard - Mia Wayne riding Oliver Twist
- HJAM Children's Pony Medal Final, sponsored by Eqius Ltd. and Polly Howard - Saylor Shea riding Tickles-N-Giggles
- HJAM Low Adult Medal Final, sponsored by Equis Ltd. and Polly Howard - Marike Dussault riding Carbon Copy
- HJAM Low Children's Medal Final, sponsored by Equis Ltd. and Polly Howard - Madison Weaver riding Serendipity
- $1,000 Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic, sponsored by West Bay Beach, A Holiday Inn Resort - Alavanta, owned and ridden by Jean Sheptoff
- $1,000 NAL/WIHS Adult Hunter Classic, sponsored by Graystone Catering - Rhythmicon, owned by Debra Gross and ridden by Terri Irrer
- $1,000 NAL/WIHS Children's Hunter Classic, sponsored by Daisy Hill Farm - Checkmate, owned and ridden by Elizabeth Stroh
- $1,000 Large Pony Hunter Classic - Blind Date, owned and ridden by Katherine Weisenmiller
- $1,000 Medium Pony Hunter Classic, sponsored by Record Eagle Newspaper - Find The Love, owned and ridden by Vanessa Mazzoli
- $1,000 Small Pony Hunter Classic - Rafael, owned by David Gochman and ridden by Mimi Gochman
- Children's Pony Hunter Classic, sponsored by Country Inn & Suites by Carlson - Life Times Two, owned and ridden by Brooke Lattner
Ovation Leading Rider Final Standings
- Trainer - Polly Howard
- Professional Hunter - Greg Crolick
- Professional Jumper - David Beisel
- Junior Hunter - Martha Ingram
- Adult Hunter - Terri Irrer
- Adult Jumper - Andrew Januzzi
- Amateur-Owner Hunter - Becky Gochman
- Children's Hunter - Izzy Beisel
- Children's Jumper - Anika Pirkle
- High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper - Erin Haas
- Low Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper - Emily Reder
- Pony Hunter - Mimi Gochman
| Madison Billings and Stonestreet receive their awards from James Zulia |
Save the Dates for 2015 Horse Shows by the Bay
Series I: July 1-5
Series II: July 8-12 (USHJA/WCHR Member Event)
Series III: July 15-19 ($25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby)
Series IV: July 22-26 (HJAM Equitation Medal Finals)
Contact Information
Alex Rheinheimer, Show Manager (561) 723-6287
Julie Agar, Show Office/Entries (248) 892-6806
Ben Fairclough, Feed & Stabling (231) 267-3700
MSU College of Vet Medicine, Show Veterinarian (517) 214-9369
Tricia Booker, Media Relations (703) 431-7103
The Horse Shows by the Bay Equestrian Festival is located 10 miles east of downtown Traverse City, Michigan. Nearby tourist destinations include the famed Torch Lake Sandbar, which was recently named the clearest lake in the continental United States by Weather.com and the Sleeping Bear Dunes, which was voted by "Good Morning America" viewers as the Most Beautiful Place in America.
Horse Shows by the Bay - Flintfields Horse Park - 6535 Bates Road - Williamsburg, MI 49690
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