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Wilhelm Genn continued his winning ways, this time by taking the two top spots at the $30,000 National Standard Grand Prix in Katy, Texas. It’s becoming a bit of a broken record (not that the German rider minds a bit!) but the top spot at the weekly Grand Prix held at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center was again taken by Genn and one of his mounts.

 A technical, but smooth flowing 1.50 Mt. course set up by two-time Olympic course designer Olaf Petersen tested a total of twenty one horse/rider combinations on the first round. First to go clear was visiting rider from Mexico John Perez aboard Twister La Cantera. Magnolia, Texas rider Tony Font with Carmen immediately followed with another clean round to put himself in the jump-off. Local junior rider Eirin Bruheim put in a solid round, and was poised to join them at the jump-off, but a single rail at the challenging triple combination at No. 11 would keep them out of contention for the lead. Her effort would eventually be good enough for a 10^th place overall finish. A total of seven riders would eventually qualify for the jump-off including Tracy Fenney and MTM Timon, and Christian Heineking joining Genn and Font.

 The jump-off was set up with 8 fences including an interesting figure 8 pattern between fences 2 to 4 and a double combination at fence no. 7. The first rider in the arena was John Perez/Twister La Cantera going clear with a final time of 46.310   Next, Tony Font & Carmen went also clear with a slightly slower time of 47.479  Tracy Fenney aboard MTM Timon had her sights on the overall lead, and posted a fast time of 43.602 while also going clear. Her efforts would eventually give her a 4^th place finish overall.  The next riders would up the ante by finishing clear and lowering the overall times to the 41 second range including Genn and his first of two mounts Chantal, and Heineking aboard River of Dreams. With tension mounting, the best was yet to come. Wilhelm Genn and her trusty partner Happy Z were last on the order, and they did not disappoint. The pair put in a blistering time of 41.552 to take the overall lead and the $9,000 top prize. At the final tally, Genn occupied the two top spots, followed by Heineking, Fenney and Perez.

Final Standings

The annual Pin Oak Charity Horse Show closed its celebrations this past weekend with the prestigious $30,000 Grand Prix on Saturday night. Thirty three rider/horse combinations set to tackle another challenging 1.50 Mt. course set up by designer Linda Allen. Week I Grand Prix Winner Wilhelm Genn set up the pace with a clean round aboard Chantal.  Rider after rider tried to equal his first round success but to no avail. The technical course challenged every entrant and downed rails where the story of the night. A difficult triple combination at fence No. 8, coming of a tricky left hand turn, gave many riders headaches all night. Local rider Tony Font had a smooth clean round, but a single time fault kept him and his mount Carmen, owned by Deana Blackburn, out of the jump off but proved good enough for fourth place overall. Genn and his trusted mare Happy Z (winners of last week’s Grand Prix) were uncharacteristically off the pace, with several faults on course, and the German born Genn decided to withdraw her. Grand Prix rider standout Tracy Fenney, fresh from her success at HITS Ocala this year including a win at the $50,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix, was the second rider to go clean and it assured the crowd of a jump off. The third and final rider to earn a spot in the jump off was Mexico’s own Diego Romo Gonzalez aboard Venur.

In the jump off, Genn and Chantal set the pace with a clean round and a quick time of 35.401 Tracy Fenney and MTM Centano gave the crowd chills with another blistering round, stopping the clock at 34.283 but an unfortunate rail kept Genn at the top position. Third and last to tackle the jump off was Romo Gonzalez and Veneur, who finished the round with 8 faults on course, giving the combination the third spot, and assured Genn and Chantal as the winners with Fenney and MTM Centano in second place. Plans are already under way for another successful show next year!

Wilhelm Genn and Chantal

Final Standings – 2010 $30,000 Pin Oak Grand Prix – Week II

Unusually cold temperatures in the Houston area greeted both fans and competitors alike for the $30,000 Pin Oak Grand Prix on Saturday night. As fans scrambled to find any means to warm up, eighteen riders readied to take on a challenging 1.50 Mt. course designed by show jumping legend Conrad Homfeld. A triple combination, set up as the next to last effort, proved the undoing of many. German native Wilhelm Genn aboard Chantal was the first to post a clean round. It took several more riders until the second clean round was posted by Tony Font aboard Carmen. The course proved to be a tough one to master, and only Genn and his second mount of the night, the spunky mare Happy Z, were able to post the third and last clean round of the night.

Tony Font was first to go in the jump off, and had a clean round going until the latter part of the course when they dropped a rail and finished the course with four faults. Genn now  had the pressure off, and only needed a clean round to win the top spot at Pin Oak. He did just that aboard Chantal taking the lead. Next, he came back to the ring aboard Happy Z to try to better his first jumpoff effort. Posting another clean round and fastest time, Genn ended up first and second, with Font in third.

We are already looking forward to week two at the 2010 Pin Oak Grand Prix.

 Final Standings

Meisterider friend and International Grand Prix Dressage Competitor Marta Renilla will perform a Dressage Grand Prix exhibition aboard Presumido, a stallion owned by Rancho La Passion, during Houston’s Pin Oak Charity Horse Show this Friday evening. Way to go Marta!

Photo Courtesy of Norine Johnson

www.norinejohnsonphotography.com

We are sad to report that International Dressage Superhorse Blue Hors Matine was recently euthanized. According to news reports, the beautiful mare suffered a broken leg while out in her pasture. A great loss for Dressage and the equestrian world at large. Our thoughts and prayers are with those close to her. May she rest in peace.

The Woodlands Equestrian Club, a premier training and boarding facility in the Greater Houston Area, will be hosting an Open House on Sunday, December 13, 2009 at their facility located just north of Tomball, Texas.

 Meisterider™ Equestrian (www.meisterider.com) is proud to donate gift certificates to be raffled among the guests attending the event. All proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Pin Oak Horse Charity Show.  Held since 1945, the Pin Oak Horse Show is one of the oldest A Rated shows in the Country. Over the years, the show has raised millions of dollars to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Houston®, as well as the Texas Children’s Hospital. We are proud to contribute to these worthy causes.

 Activities during the open house include a quadrille demonstration performed by the School of Equestrian Arts´ students riding Pure Spanish Breed horses, with music by Manolo Carrasco. The agenda also includes a dressage exhibition by International Dressage competitor Marta Renilla (www.martarenilla.com), and a Sevillanas and Flamenco show by Ainhoa Donat.

The $10,000 Classic is the showcase event of the final A rated show of the 2009 season in Houston. Held at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, a suburb of Houston, twenty five rider & horse combinations tackled the technical 1.40 Mt. course set up by designer Hector Loyola from Puerto Rico, and it proved to be a tough one to tame. After half the field had gone through, only one rider had posted a clean round: Eirin Bruheim and Cicero 75. Three riders suffered falls and subsequent eliminations. Fence number 12, an offset vertical arranged in a “fan” configuration, proved to be particularly cumbersome. Two riders had falls at this fence, and many others suffered refusals and dropped rails. The triple combination at fence 10, with its layout of verticals and oxers, also tested the field which saw a fall, refusals and rails downed. It was not until the 21^st entrant, Tony Font and Gardenio (owned by YZ Partners, LLC), that the second and final clear round of the night was posted. Eric Loubet from Louisiana and his second mount of the night “Oraska D’Eau Grenou of Lebacage”, also had a fast round but suffered at dropped rail at 10C which would eventually be good enough for third place overall. The first rider in the jump-off was Eirin Bruheim and Cicero 75 (owned by Nordic Lights Farm, LLC), posting a clear round with a time of 42.854 taking the temporary lead. Second rider, and last in the jump-off, was Tony Font and Gardenio. Also posting a clear round, the pair skillfully negotiated the tough course ending up with a time of 41.902 and the class win.

 Final Standings

1. Tony Font / Gardenio
2. Eirin Bruheim / Cicero 75
3. Eric Loubet / Oraska D’Eau Grenou of Lebacage
4. Whitney Owens / Santina H
5. Kimberly Brunson / MTM Patent Pending
6. Kari Martin / Solinus
7. Christian Rogge / Indian Creek’s Mighty Magic
8. Martien Van Der Hoeven / South Bound
9. Eirin Bruheim / Qarco VT Merelsnest
10. Tony Font / Carmen
11. Ragan Roberts / Quipit L.F.
12. Christian Heineking / River of Dreams

Meisterider.com – Proud Class Sponsor

San Jacinto Horse Show Association’s Hunter/Jumper Show – North Fork Farm in Tomball, Texas.

 Cold temperatures and a constant drizzle greeted over 170 rider, horse and pony combinations at the recent SJHSA hunter jumper show held on October 10 – 11, 2009 at North Form Farm in Tomball, Texas. Riders and their mounts competed in over 17 classes over two days.

 Several area barns brought out their riders and horses to take part in the festivities. Jumpers took the field on Saturday, competing in three divisions. All three show jumping classes were held in NFF’s covered arena in anticipation for the upcoming indoor season. Riders competed in Training Jumper, Schooling Jumper, and Open Jumper classes.

Sunday was the turn for the Hunters, competing in over a dozen classes, including two classes sponsored by Meisterider.com. Hunter and equitation classes were held both in the indoor arena, as well as North Fork Farm’s outdoor field. Judges Nada Wise, and Shannon Slyfield scored all the classes, and the first four placings in Novice Equitation, and Schooling Hunter took home gift certificates provided by Meisterider™ Equestrian. We would like to congratulate all riders, parents, trainers, judges, North Fork Farm, and San Jacinto Horse Show Association for making it all possible.