Halifax, MA – May 19, 2011 – The 2011 Fieldstone Spring Festival got underway on Thursday at the beautiful Fieldstone Equestrian and Show Facility in Halifax, MA. Featuring a full schedule of USEF ‘AA’ hunter and 4-star jumper competition through Sunday, today’s competition was highlighted by an exciting $7,500 Welcome Stake to begin the week. The class saw a victory for rider John Holmes, of New Hope, PA, with his horse Gideon.
Douglas Russell, of Ocala, FL, designed the course for today’s Welcome Stake. Despite the rain that rolled in at the start of the class, horses were able to gallop through the course easily thanks to the show’s all-weather GGT German Geo Textile Footing™. Three entries were able to jump clear in the first round to advance to the jump-off.
Juan Lavieri and Westbrook Hunt Club’s Stunning were the first to show over today’s course and also the first to jump clear. One rail down in the jump-off earned the duo four faults in a time of 41.787 seconds to finish in third place.
Cory Hardy and International Group, LLC’s Ami Des Gemmes were the next horse and rider combination to jump clear over the first round course. Hardy and his mount also cleared the short course and stopped the clock in 44.745 seconds, eventually earning the second place prize.
The final clear round of the class belonged to John Holmes and his own ten-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Gideon. The pair cleared the jump-off course with ease and raced through the timers in 42.982 seconds to move into first place.
By Hamlet, also the sire of the world famous stallion Hickstead, Gideon was imported as a stallion at the age of five and was then gelded as a seven-year-old. Holmes had help from John and Beezie Madden in Gideon’s training, and acknowledged that the horse has really come into his own as a nine and ten-year-old.
“I have had a really good time with him the last few years,” the rider smiled after his win. “He is a very consistent horse. He is quite quick on the ground as well as in the air, so he is always in the top of the placings.”
“The course design was well thought out for the field today,” Holmes remarked. “There were not too many clear, but not too many rails down. The jump-off was good; it had lots of turns, but they were open, running turns, which Gideon likes compared to sharp turns.”
From Pennsylvania, Holmes traveled up to Fieldstone for the first time last year and was happy to return this spring. “We came up last year and had a great time,” he said. “It is a laid back horse show and the hospitality is great. The whole culture was refreshing compared to other places. As a kid that is what I grew up with and I enjoy the family-oriented atmosphere.”
Exemplary of the family atmosphere, the afternoon’s exciting Welcome Stake was immediately followed by a kick off cookout with food and drinks generously provided by Kingsway Farm. The horse show will continue tomorrow with a full schedule of fantastic competition.
For more information on the Fieldstone Horse Shows, please visit www.showfieldstone.com, call 781-679-0701, or email Showfieldstone@aol.com.
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Final Results: $7,500 Fieldstone Welcome Stake
1 Gideon John Holmes John Holmes: 0/0/42.98
2 Ami Des Gemmes Cory Hardy International Group, LLC: 0/0/44.74
3 Stunning Juan Lavieri Westbrook Hunt Club: 0/4/41.78
4 Pia Melissa Jacobs Melissa Jacobs, LLC: 0/RET
5 Sangre Azul Elizabeth Kenny Alvaro J. Lozada: 3/87.78
6 Tequila DJ Volandre Gina Volandre: 4/81.83
7 Don Pedro Juan Lavieri Jessica Herman: 4/83.46
8 Peaches Jean Sheptoff Jean Sheptoff: 4/88.69
9 Zilano John Holmes John Holmes: 8/84.06
10 El Grecco Robert Lee Robert Lee: 8/88.89