The Fall Classic USEF “A” rated show wrapped up at The Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas with their customary $10K  1.35 Meter Classic. A total of seventeen horse rider combinations tackled the course consisting of 12 challenging fence arrangements including a triple and  double combinations. Of the first three riders, two had refusals at fence #9, a Liverpool/Oxer  that appeared to rattle some horses. It was not until the fourth entrant, Martien Van Der Hoeven and his first mount of the evening S&L Walter Farley, that the first clean round was posted.  Several more riders challenged the course, but the audience had to wait until the eleventh entrant, Jessica Law and sangria, recorded the second clean round of the night. Two riders later, Stephanie Tropia and CR  Napoleon also recorded no faults and earned a spot in the jump off. Magnolia, Texas resident Tony Font has a smooth, clean ride aboard Calotta, but 2 time faults would keep him out of the jump off. His effort would ultimately earn the pair a 5th place. Martien Van Der Hoeven and his second mount UNO, would claim the final spot in the jump off.

The jump off proved tricky also, with the first three riders posting jumping faults. As the last rider on course, Martien Van Der Hoeven knew that time would not be a factor if he could ride a penalty free round. Posting a solid, and uneventful round, that is exactly what he did. In the end, Martien grab the two top spots aboard his mounts, leaving the rest of the ribbons to Stephanie Tropia in third, and Jessica Law in fourth.

FALL CLASSIC, KATY, TX – $10,000 1.35 METER CLASSIC
Place Prize Horse Rider
1 $3,000 UNO VAN DER HOEVEN, MARTIEN
2 $2,000 S & L WALTER FARLEY VAN DER HOEVEN, MARTIEN
3 $1,400 CR NAPOLEON TROPIA, STEPHANIE
4 $1,000 SANGRIA LAW, JESSICA
5 $800 CALOTTA FONT, TONY
6 $700 NLF TRANS ATLANTIC BRUHEIM, EIRIN
7 $600 CONTENDRA GZ ERBSTOESSER, MORGAN
8 $500 CR LUCINDA TROPIA, PAOLO
9 PRESIDENTE PORTER, WILTON
10 QARCO V’T MERELSNEST BRUHEIM, EIRIN
11 ORASKA D”EAU GRENOU OF LEBOCAGE LOUBET, ERIC
12 GUESS WHO MC INTOSH, KEELY