Brianne Goutal & Fineman. ph: Sportfot
The $35,000 Horseware® Ireland Jumper Classic CSI5* welcomed a steadfast victory for Brianne Goutal (USA) and Fineman on Friday, October 20, 2017. The event, hosted on the Grass Complex at North Carolina’s Tryon International Equestrian Center, saw 49 horse and rider combinations. Twenty one proceeded to the jump-off, with Goutal and Fireman finishing 1st in 42.929s.
“It’s a big change for some of the horses because they’ve been in an arena so much and then they switch over to the grass. I didn’t show last week on the grass, and it really is a very unique atmosphere,” said Goutal. “I think the field and the course jumped and rode very well. For Fineman, there is an added ‘spook’ factor to be out there with the flowers and the grass and everything. I think most riders can agree, when the footing is good, we want to be on the field as much as we can and I think this footing is excellent.”
The 14-year-old Swedish Warmblood gelding (Feliciano x Kotiljong II) belongs to USA’s Cloe Hymowitz, a student of Goutal’s for the past several years.
“His owner is studying abroad in Rome, so I am campaigning him a bit while she’s away. I rode him at the Hampton Classic, and now here at TIEC,” said Goutal. “I’ve been keeping him going for her, so I’m trying to do right by everybody and he’s really put in some great rides at this level. The idea is to just get him ready for her return.”
Second place was awarded to Beezie Madden (USA) and the eight-year-old Irish Sport Horse Hercules, who stopped the timers in 42.961s.
“Today went very well,” commented Madden. “He [HH Hercules] was good. The first round went really well and then in the jump-off I left out a stride in the first line. He’s only eight, so I’m very happy with him. The grass footing is great and it rides like it walks. The horses jump wonderfully off of it and the ground is excellent. This venue is one of the best.”
Mexico’s Alberto Michan rode Gigolo Van De Broekkant, a 2006 Belgian Warmblood gelding (Heartbreaker x Sinaeda) to a 3rd place finish in a time of 43.195s.
“Twenty-one combinations pressed forward to the jump-off, so I was lucky to go kind of in the last part, so I could see the turns and the times and the strides they were doing. In the end, with so many good riders in this class, you had to go really fast to try to catch them,” concluded Michan.
The full results can be viewed here.