SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO — Riders who excelled in the jumper ring earned extra recognition during the last two weeks of the outdoor Blenheim EquiSports show season through the new Veredus Leading Jumper Rider awards program. After all the points were tallied, riders from the Open, Junior, Amateur, Adult and Children’s divisions were presented with a Leading Rider Sash and a Veredus Horse Boots gift certificate. One rider even made history in the process – Tina Yates with her amazing double win, finishing clean and clear on two horses with the same jump-off time in the $30,000 Markel Insurance Grand Prix.
After an amazing two weeks of top notch competition, emerging professional Tina Yates garnered the Leading Professional Open Jumper Rider title after a thrilling and historic win in the $30,000 Markel Insurance Grand Prix at the Blenheim Fall Tournament, where Yates duplicated her score and time on both Bowmore VDL and Cicomein VDL, and by winning in the $30,000 Markel Insurance Grand Prix, presented by ACE Equestrian at the International Jumping Festival one week later.
Now based in Florida, Yates and her husband brought their horses to the West Coast for the fall season. They competed in Del Mar and are heading to the National Sunshine Series in Thermal, then will wrap up their tour at The Las Vegas National.
Melanie Brooks and Hannah Loly each took home a Veredus Leading Jumper Rider title from the Blenheim EquiSports Fall Series. The mother-daughter team from Rancho Santa Fe had solid results – Brooks won the Adult Jumper Derby, securing the Adult Leading Jumper Rider title and Loly earned the Leading Junior Rider title with consistent placings over the two weeks.
“I noticed online that I was leading the Veredus standings, so I was really motivated the second weekend to stay on top,” Brooks explained. “My horse Vanatrusca – her barn name is Cowgirl – is, to me, a machine. She is super sweet, fast, and she has just been a great horse. I love her to death.”
As for 14-year-old Loly, her mom indicated that her daughter’s plan includes the NAJYRC in 2017. “She has been riding in the Markel classes as practice for the “B” Team of young riders for next year. So that’s her goal: “B” Team and then “A” team. She is very motivated.”
Anna Moellenhoff won two Leading Riders Awards during the International Jumping Festival. Moellenhoff took the Veredus Leading Children’s Jumper Award after earning multiple ribbons and wins in the Children’s Jumpers, including the Classic at the Blenheim Fall Tournament. She also won the Romfh Leading Children’s Hunter Rider award.
Claire Follmer who earned the Veredus Leading Amateur/Owner Jumper Title had numerous placings throughout both weeks of competition in the 1.30m Junior-Amateur/Owner Jumpers. Her trainer, Tasha Visokay, said that the award came as a surprise, since they tend not to track points and instead try to just focus on consistency.
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