Wilmington, Ohio – Featured competition concluded at World Equestrian Center – Wilmington (WEC) Summer III Saturday evening with the $30,000 GGT Footing Grand Prix. FEI Level III course designer Anderson Lima (BRA) designed an appropriate track for the field that saw seven horse-and-athlete combinations move onto the jump-off. Kelly Soleau-Millar (USA) and M. Michael Meller’s Fire Fly (Arezzo VDL x First Price G) ultimately ended their summer at WEC the same way they started, back on top of the leaderboard.
A day trip to Wilmington after a successful week in Lexington, Kentucky, proved worth while for the team at Millar Brooke South. “What a great weekend! I just came from Pony Finals and our pony was second overall, but I love it here and was determined to come back! My team is amazing, so while we were showing yesterday my manager brought Fire Fly up and we hoped for the best and what a week we had! And, on top of it, we helped Sarah [Sturges] and we were so excited about her win.”
Soleau-Millar has had great success with the talented young mare during the summer series including a Welcome Stake and Grand Prix win at Summer I. “I am thrilled with her performance. She has been so consistent and she loves it here,” Soleau-Millar shared her thoughts on Fire Fly’s recent winnings. “I am so excited for her future and to be able to develop her here. She has always been a fast horse, but she is really learning how to jump the bigger jumps while going fast, that is always the next step in their learning. I have been able to do that and really produce her here at WEC. Her next stop is young horse finals in Michigan and then I will be back here in the fall!”
The eight-year-old KWPN mare showcased her natural footspeed around the short course and was unable to be caught with a speedy time of 36.97 seconds to secure her third open win this summer.
“I thought the track was great. I thought Anderson [Lima] built really well for the people and horses that he had. Again, it is an amazing place to develop horses and riders. I think he made it tough enough without trapping anyone. I thought the jump-off was good. You had to be fast and clear and get across the ground and Fire Fly is exactly that. She is a little race car. I am very lucky to have the ride on this horse and I love her so much.”
Stephen Foran (USA) piloted Freedom Woods’ 15-year-old Oldenburg gelding, Colour Your Day (Contendro I x Vision), to second place in 37.975 seconds.
Rounding out the top three was Welcome winner Kady Abrahamson (USA) and her own nine-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare, Jazil Du Houssoit (Peppermill x Gerboise Du Houssoit), in 38.23 seconds.
$30,000 GGT Footing Grand Prix Results:
1 Fire Fly, Kelly Soleau-Millar, M. Michael Meller | 0 | 36.97
2 Colour Your Day, Stephen Foran, Freedom Woods | 0 | 37.975
3 Jazil Du Houssoit, Kady Abrahamson, Abrahamson Equestrian LLC | 0 | 38.23
4 Nightshade SCF, Sarah Meier, Sarah Meier | 0 | 40.444
5 Captain America 10, Luke Rinehart, Catherine Rinehart | 4 | 38.039
6 Idool, Stephan Foran, Freedom Woods | 4 | 41.38
7 Duc De Jentiere, Lani Hutchison, Lani Hutchison | 0 | EL
8 Vancouver, Kady Abrahamson, Abrahamson Equestrian LLC | 4 | 82.467
9 Deisy Casanova Z, Harry Harding, Old Oak Farm | 8 | 75.324
10 Kinsella, Charlotte Clark, Charlotte Clark | 8 | 80.505
Sarah Sturges & Labyrinth Score Second Consecutive $10,000 Futures Prix Win at Summer III
Sixteen developing horse-and-athlete combinations met at WEC – Wilmington Summer III for the $10,000 Futures Prix Saturday afternoon. Anderson Lima (BRA) crafted a technical track for the field that saw five partnerships move onto the immediate jump-off.
As the ninth to go in the posted order, Sarah Sturges (USA) ultimately took over the lead to secure her second consecutive Futures Prix win with her own Labyrinth (Zirocco Blue VDL x Warone). “Two in a row feels great! It feels like I found my sweet spot,” Sturges laughed.
The track suited Sturges and her mount, “I got lucky with the jump-off today,” she noted. “There were a couple of long lines at the end, and my horse with his big step was able to leave a stride out. He tends to be a little bit faster over those kinds of courses than something with a lot of turns. It was made for him to be fast today so it was nice!”
Sturges entered looking to best Gwen Goodwin (USA) and her own 13-year-old KWPN gelding, Gangstar H (Zirocco Blue x Martinais), who held the lead with a time of 39.472 seconds.
Sturges and her homebred eight-year-old American Warmblood gelding clocked in nearly four seconds faster than Goodwin, claiming the win in 35.889 seconds.
“I have had a bunch of help with him over the years. Ali Wolff helped me a lot and Chris Payne and Dave Belford helped me when he was super young,” Sturges shared on the development of ‘Ziggy.’
“In the last year I have had Kelly Millar and the team at Millar Brooke South helping me with him. Kelly showed him a bit for me at the end of last summer to help me finish him up. She has been here the last couple of times that he won this class and they have really helped bring out the best in him.”
The future is bright for the duo as Sturges, is “hoping to step up to the grand prix here in the next couple of months!”
Anna Antrobious (USA) rounded out the top three with a consistent double-clear in 40.844 seconds with her own nine-year-old Selle Francais gelding, Fenix Rouge Du Claux (Chef Rouge x Pixie Queen).
$10,000 Futures Prix Results:
1 Labyrinth, Sarah Sturges, Sarah Sturges LLC | 0 | 35.889
2 Gangstar H, Gwen Goodwin, Gwen Goodwin | 0 | 39.472
3 Fenix Rouge Du Claux, Anna Antrobious, Anna Antrobious | 0 | 40.844
4 Magic, Loic Cannaert, Orpen Horses | 8 | 35.083
5 Everytime Anywhere B, Eric Schalick, University of Findlay | 8 | 39.786
6 Fly Away W, Campbell Kahn, Campbell Kahn | 4 | 71.323
7 Delta De Laume, Campbell Kahn, Campbell Kahn | 4 | 72.272
8 Coconut on the Rocks Z, Campbell Kahn, Campbell Kahn | 4 | 73.229
9 Kasper, Karston Gundry, Kim Gundry | 4 | 77.662
10 Billionaire, Alexandria Nelson, Sarah Meier | 8 | 71.749
Make sure to visit theWEC Blogand follow us on social media @worldequestriancenter for full coverage on all feature classes!
Results can be found athorseshowing.com.
All horse show images are provided byWinslow Photographyand can be purchased onsite at WEC – Wilmington or online through their website.
