Andrew Ramsay & Stranger 30. Ph. ©The Book
Andrew Ramsay (USA) rode Stranger 30 to a victory in the $35,000 Old Salem Farm Jumper Classic CSI3*, presented by Wells Fargo, The Private Bank, on Saturday, May 20, at the 2017 Old Salem Farm Spring Horse Shows, running through May 21 at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, NY. Highlighting hunter competition, Callie Seaman of Greenwich, CT, won the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, presented by The Gochman Family, while earlier in the day on the Grand Prix Field, Shawn Casady of Midtown, TN, topped the $15,000 Under 25 Grand Prix, presented by Douglas Elliman Real Estate, riding Vanilla.
Ramsay originally hails from San Francisco, CA, and is competing at Old Salem Farm for the first time during the 2017 Spring Horse Shows. After several top finishes throughout the two-week show, Ramsay and Stranger 30, owned by The Stranger Group, were the final pair to return in an 11-horse jump-off over tracks built by 2017 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final course designer Alan Wade (IRL).
Ramsay and his 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Stakkato x Cheenook) saved the best for last and stopped the clock at 31.99 seconds to bump U.S. Olympic team gold medalist McLain Ward to second. Ward, currently ranked the number-two rider in the world, posted a time of 32.11 seconds riding Tina La Boheme, co-owned by Ward and Susie Heller.
Placing first and third on Saturday, Ramsay also piloted California 62, owned by The California Group, to a time of 32.63 seconds to round out the top three. Devin Ryan (USA) was fourth riding Eddie Blue, owned by LL Show Jumpers, LLC, after finishing double-clear in 32.90 seconds, and Mario Deslauriers (USA) capped the top five aboard Bardolina 2 in 33.70 seconds for Wishing Well Farm, LLC.
After recently partnering with U.S. Olympic gold medalist Chris Kappler, Ramsay is now based in Wellington, FL, and will be competing more on the East Coast in the coming months.
“It has been a great experience to be here,” said Ramsay. “Showing on the field is wonderful. It is a nice, natural field with some slope, and the ground is good. McLain is very fast and for the last week he has been beating me, so we decided to give it a go today.”
Of his jump-off round, which beat Ward’s by less than a second, Ramsay noted, “Stranger is naturally a very quick horse. He is quick across the ground and quite quick over the fences, so he is effective and that helps. I think we had a small edge everywhere and it was a lot of fun.”
Ramsay has had the ride on Stranger 30 for a year and a half and considers the mount a joy to ride, saying, “He is amazingly competitive. He is careful, quick, and really wants to please. He was just out there helping me out today.”
Final Results: $35,000 Old Salem Farm Jumper Classic CSI3*, presented by Wells Fargo, The Private Bank
1 STRANGER 30: 2006 Hanoverian gelding by Stakkato x Cheenook
ANDREW RAMSAY (USA), The Stranger Group: 0/0/31.99
2 TINA LA BOHEME: 2007 Selle Français mare by Calvaro Z x Arpege Pierreville*HN
MCLAIN WARD (USA), Susie Heller and McLain Ward: 0/0/32.11
3 CLAIFORNIA 62: 2004 Holsteiner mare by Cassini I x Galant Vert xx
ANDREW RAMSAY (USA), The California Group: 0/0/32.63
4, EDDIE BLUE: 2009 Dutch Warmblood gelding by Zirocco Blue VDL x Marlon
DEVIN RYAN (USA), LL Show Jumpers, LLC: 0/0/32.90
5 BARDOLINA 2: 2009 Holsteiner mare by Clarimo x Landos
MARIO DESLAURIERS (USA), Wishing Well Farm, LLC: 0/0/33.70
6 CORNWALL BH: 2008 Holsteiner stallion by Con Air x Cambridge
AMANDA DERBYSHIRE (GBR), Gochman Sport Horse, LLC: 0/0/33.98
7 HILGARIE: 2007 Belgian Warmblood mare by Calvaro x Kashmir van Schuttershof
BRIANNE GOUTAL (USA), Remarkable Farms LP: 0/0/35.50
8 CON TAGGIO: 2009 Oldenburg gelding by Contagio x Goliath Life
BEEZIE MADDEN (USA), Abigail Wexner: 0/4/32.48
9 LUIBANTA BH: 2008 Irish Sport Horse mare by Luidam x Abantos
AMANDA DERBYSHIRE (GBR), Gochman Sport Horse, LLC: 0/4/33.90
10 CONTESSINA DELLA CACCIA: 2008 Selle Français mare by Contefino x Cassini
MATTIAS TROMP (USA), McLain Ward: 0/8/34.68
11 SIMBA: 2006 Oldenburg gelding by Toulon x Argentinus
BEAT MANDLI (SUI), Grant Road Partners, LLC: 0/elim.
12 HH WHISKY ROYALE: 2005 Zangersheide gelding by Wonderful Van’t Beugehof x Kannan
QUENTIN JUDGE (USA), Double H Farm: 1/78.14