Markies and Smith, Grisset and Kinsey Take Top Honors in 2009 WIHS $10,000 Children’s and Adult Jumper Championships

Washington, D.C. – October 21, 2009 – The 2009 Washington International Horse Show continued today with the best horses and riders in the country competing in jumper championships. There were three jumper classes in total, and the first class victory went to Spencer Smith and Markies in the $10,000 Children’s Jumper Championship. Alissa Kinsey guided Grisset to first place in the $10,000 Adult Jumper Championship. Opening up the Amateur-Owner Jumper competition, Susan Knoblauch and Carneval won the $2,500 Time First Jump-Off class.

Today was just the beginning of a week full of exciting jumper competition. The courses are designed by Guilherme Jorge of Brazil. In the $10,000 Children’s Jumper Championship, 13 horse and rider combinations were clear from the first round to advance to the jump-off. The early lead was held by Lauren Tyree on Eurocommerce Rome, who was clear in the jump-off in 28.123 seconds. The lead changed hands when Rachel Brodsky and Elliot 92 lowered the winning time to 27.671 seconds.

But it was eventually Spencer Smith and Markies, who went second to last in the jump-off, that would find the winning ride in 25.935 seconds. For their win, they were awarded the H. Fenwick kollock Memorial Perpetual Trophy, donated by Friends of Fen.

Smith and Markies, a 24-year-old veteran show jumper, were quick in the jump-off and left out strides where possible. Twelve-year-old Smith of Wellington, FL, trains with his parents, Emily and Ken Smith. He has been riding Markies for two years and said that the seasoned horse has taught him everything he knows about the jumpers.

“He is different. He switches his leads a lot and swaps a lot, but he is really good. At first I didn’t like him, but now I do a lot,” Smith said of Markies. “He has taught me speed, and he taught me how to ride really.”

“I love going fast and I like the bigger jumps,” he continued. “I think I made up time at (fence) nine, that turn back to the oxer.”

This was Smith’s first time competing at the WIHS and he said of his win, “This is probably one of the best that we have done together.”

The last proved to be the best in the $10,000 Adult Jumper Championship. Alissa Kinsey of Ft. Myers, FL, and her 12-year-old Hanoverian mare Grisset (left) scorched the jump-off course with a clear round and winning time of 24.709 seconds over 26 other competitors in the class. They were chasing another fast time set by Kenzie Donovan and Max (last year’s Championship winners), who finished in 25.369 seconds. Donovan was the early leader and finished third with her horse Oyster, who crossed the timers in 25.501 seconds.

Kinsey and Grisset were awarded the Dorothy Foote “Goodie” Taylor Memorial Perpetual Trophy, donated by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ashton Hill and Miss Linden Joan Hill.

Grisset has had a very successful year, including a Winter Equestrian Festival circuit championship, and multiple wins at the Vermont Summer Festival, Showplace Spring Spectacular, and the Devon Horse Show. After an uncharacteristic rail last week at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, Kinsey was a little worried going into tonight’s class, which led to a careful first round. In the jump-off however, she knew that she could go for the time and not worry about her horse.

“I was paranoid because of the rail at Harrisburg because that is not like her, so I was just worried that for some reason the indoor was bothering her. It never has before, so I just kind of was extra careful. It wasn’t that smooth, the course overall was nice, but the way I rode it wasn’t what I would have liked it to be normally, but I got it done,” Kinsey said of her first round.

Of the jump-off, she described, “Then the jump-off was perfect for her. Whenever there is an option to leave strides out, that is where she can make up for it. She is good turning, but she is better running, and this course had the two long gallops for her and that was good. I ran so much I screwed up two distances, and I was really lucky. I think she paid me back for the rail at Harrisburg.”

This was only Kinsey’s and Grisset’s second horse show indoors, and Kinsey was very happy to end her year on a high note. “I think it just kind of makes me happy that she’s done for the year, and she still did her job until the very, very end,” Kinsey remarked. “I am happy that she stayed consistent and happy and still likes her job.”

The final class of the day was the first class of the competition for the Amateur-Owner Jumpers. Twelve entries went to post, but only two found a way clear to the jump-off. Both had trouble in the jump-off round, but the win went to Susan Knoblauch of Huntersville, NC, on Carneval (right), who finished with 11 faults in 48.028 seconds. Clara Lindner and Seraldo were second with 12 faults in 40.470 seconds. The fastest four-faulter from the first round was Lillian Hahn on Lucky One, who had a time of 57.023 seconds.

Knoblauch and Carneval won the “Footloose” Perpetual Trophy in remembrance of Ruth Ellen Wilmot and donated by The Curtin Family in honor of the 1990 winner “Footloose,” ridden by Caroline Curtin.

The 2009 Washington International Horse Show continues tomorrow with the next class in the Amateur-Owner Jumper division, the Time First Round “speed class.” It is followed by the first class for the junior jumpers and the first half of the class for the Open Jumpers, which features six Olympians in its roster. The evening session will begin at 7 p.m. with a special color guard presentation and will feature the second half of the class for Open Jumpers, followed by a special exhibition by Caroline Williams, terrier races, and a dressage exhibition by Olympic rider Ashley Holzer. The night finishes with the Open Jumper Gambler’s Choice class.

For more information and full results, please visit www.wihs.org.

Final Results: $10,000 WIHS Children’s Jumper Championship T/A: 63.00 T/A: 36.00 1 641 Markies Spencer Smith 0.00 54.427 0.00 25.935 Ashland Farms 2 220 Elliot 92 Rachel Brodsky 0.00 54.990 0.00 27.671 Rachel Brodsky 3 435 Eurocommerce Rome Lauren Tyree 0.00 58.190 0.00 28.123 Chloe Wormser 4 454 Kiwi Elaina Plott 0.00 60.687 0.00 28.407 Elaina Plott 5 161 Westley Rachel Horowitz 0.00 55.723 0.00 28.981 Rachel Horowitz 6 526 Vorst Alexa Adelson 0.00 56.980 0.00 29.075 Starbit Partners 7 778 Queen Of Hearts Chloe Reid 0.00 60.516 0.00 32.674 Chloe Reid Llc 8 724 Rebound Barbara Ruziska 0.00 54.265 4.00 26.084 M/M Lance Williamson 9 386 Ibizia De Malle Lucille Oken 0.00 54.253 4.00 26.867 Alise Oken 10 579 Fairplay Alex Vespico 0.00 57.965 4.00 27.419 Alex Vespico 11 348 Kabaret De Cer Jenna Friedman 0.00 58.073 4.00 27.773 Jenna Friedman 12 318 Words Of Wisdom Ashley Foster 0.00 60.603 4.00 29.275 Centennial Farm

Final Results: $10,000 WIHS Adult Jumper Championship T/A: 63.00 T/A: 36.00 1 451 Grisset Alissa Kinsey 0.00 55.546 0.00 24.709 Alissa Kinsey 2 737 Max Kenzie Donovan 0.00 61.255 0.00 25.369 Kenzie Donovan 3 738 Oyster Kenzie Donovan 0.00 61.756 0.00 25.501 Kenzie Donovan 4 584 Undercover Meghan Abbott 0.00 56.243 0.00 26.151 Meghan Abbott 5 471 Playboy Mary Loeber 0.00 59.872 0.00 26.387 Mary Loeber 6 771 Tucker’s Town Kathryn Fogarty 0.00 54.985 0.00 26.683 Kathryn Fogarty 7 549 Jewel’s Idaim Christina Mangano 0.00 56.686 0.00 26.874 Christina Mangano & Class 8 433 Pasific Sun Sarah Kirson 0.00 59.242 0.00 27.288 Salima Witt 9 470 Cantinero Mary Loeber 0.00 60.744 0.00 28.264 Mary Loeber 10 436 Micenas Sarah Kirson 0.00 62.090 0.00 29.460 Norgan 11 449 Palermo Park Ahmed Alali 0.00 55.623 4.00 25.980 Aaa Equestrain Llc 12 293 Massai Rouge Kathleen Weatherall 0.00 58.138 4.00 28.016 Maureen Weatherall

Final Results: $2,500 Amateur-Owner Jumper TFJO T/A: 67.00 T/A: 42.00 1 768 Carneval Susan Knoblauch 0.00 60.944 11.00 48.028 Susan Knoblauch 2 748 Seraldo Clara Lindner 0.00 60.989 12.00 40.470 All Seasons Farm 3 572 Lucky One Lillian Hahn 4.00 57.023 Lillian Hahn 4 744 Quriel Clara Lindner 8.00 58.828 All Seasons Farm 5 827 Condor Joelle Froese 8.00 60.387 Joelle Froese 6 547 Astro Z Benjamin Simpkins 8.00 64.937 Benjamin Simpkins 7 20 Chiron S Paige Johnson 12.00 59.915 Salamander Farm 8 822 Devito Erin Stewart 12.00 64.462 Erin Stewart 9 576 U2 Marley Goodman Ret. Turtle Lane Farm & Marley.