Eliza Kimball Claims $10,000 WIHS Children’s Jumper Championship, presented by The McCaulley Family
Eliza Kimball of New York, NY, had never competed at WIHS today, but her mount is no stranger to success in the city. Available Ohio, a 16-year-old Selle Français gelding by Flipper d’Elle that Kimball leases from owner Carly Hoft, won the WIHS Children’s Jumper Championship in 2017 with Hoft in the irons before carrying Kimball to her debut win this year.
Eliza Kimball and Available Ohio. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
Available Ohio topped a competitive jump-off field of 19 horses by crossing the timers in 30.719 seconds over a course designed by Olaf Petersen Jr. of Germany. Kimball was just fractions ahead of second-place finisher Erin Floyd of Austin, TX, who stopped the clock at 30.932 seconds riding Russell, owned by Floyd Sport Horses, LLC. Emily Aitken of Bedford, NY, took third on Zabelle S in 31.266 seconds for owner Lima Bean, LLC, while Layla Kurbanov of Greenwich, CT, placed fourth riding Wamira, owned by Jill Shulman, in 31.726 seconds. Calista Bell of East New Market, MD, rounded out the top five with her own C’est Bon Cidane in 33.348 seconds.
“I’ve never done an indoors circuit before,” said Kimball, who was presented with The H. Fenwick Kollock Memorial Perpetual Trophy, donated by Friends of Fen, for her win. “I used to focus mostly on the hunters, but when I started riding with Ken and Emily Smith at Ashland Farms a year and a half ago, I got very serious about the jumpers and equitation.”
After placing third and then second in children’s jumper finals during the fall indoor season, Kimball was knocking on the door of a win, saying, “Ohio knows when it’s important and when to rise to the occasion which is exactly what he did today. It was a big jump-off, so I really had to go for it. I had the mentality that I would win or have a rail and that’s why it worked.”
Eliza Kimball of New York, NY, rode Available Ohio to the win in the $10,000 WIHS Children’s Jumper Championship. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
“This horse has taught me how to try and go fast,” she continued. “I have only been showing on the ‘A’ circuit for two or three years, but Ohio has helped me to become more accurate and competitive.”
Kimball attends Grace Church School in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and has learned to balance her riding endeavors with her studies since she started riding seven years ago.
“I got into riding to have a hobby over the summer and a hobby turned into more of a career,” she said. “I love riding! It’s my world, but I also focus on my academics and want to have a regular high school experience.”
$10,000 WIHS Children’s Jumper Championship Results
1 ELIZA KIMBALL NEW YORK, NY AVAILABLE OHIO 0/0/30.72
2 ERIN FLOYD AUSTIN, TX RUSSELL 0/0/30.93
3 EMILY AITKEN BEDFORD, NY ZABELLE S 0/0/31.27
4 LAYLA KURBANOV GREENWICH, CT WAMIRA 0/0/31.73
5 CALISTA BELL EAST NEW MARKET, MD C’EST BON CIDANE 0/0/33.35
6 JAMES FALONI ESSEX FELLS, NJ GENIUS 0/0/33.59
7 CAROLINE BLUM CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA JENNERET 0/0/36.68
8 CLAUDIA CITRIN BEDFORD CORNERS, NY LILLY. 0/4/29.67
9 GRACE DEBNEY HAMPDEN, MA BYOLGA 0/4/29.88
10 CLAUDIA CITRIN BEDFORD CORNERS, NY DON JUAN 0/4/31.60
King and Co-Starr Speed to Top of $10,000 WIHS Adult Jumper Championship
Riding in her second time at WIHS, Stephanie King of St. Augustine, FL, sped to the top of the class in the $10,000 WIHS Adult Jumper Championship, presented by Days End Farm Horse Rescue, riding Co-Starr, her 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding by Promise. For the win, King was presented with The Dorothy Foote “Goodie” Taylor Memorial Perpetual Trophy, donated by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Ashton Hill and Miss Linden Joan Hill.
Stephanie King and Co-Starr. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
King and Co-Starr were one of 16 combinations that qualified for the jump-off. They were the fastest of nine double-clear rounds with a time of 27.175 seconds. Second place went to Morgan Baugher of Buckeystown, MD, and Down The Rabbit Hole, who had a time of 27.911 seconds, while Leslie Schillat or Malvern, PA, and SLF Destiny were third in 28.095 seconds.
WIHS President Vicki Lowell of Lexington, KY, piloted Phineas, owned by Sleepy P Ranch LLC, to fourth place in 28.226 seconds, and Alyson Gurney of Washington, DC , and Black Friday rounded out the top five with a time of 28.286 seconds.
King, who trains with Chad and Brooke Watridge, made the plan to stay steady with striding, but “focus on being tidy” in the turns. The plan worked, and they led the victory gallop at the end of the night.
The win in the $10,000 WIHS Adult Jumper Championship went to Stephanie King of St. Augustine, FL, riding Co-Starr. Photo by Shawn McMillen Photography
“We came last year and didn’t quite make it to the jump-off,” recalled King, who has ridden Co-Starr for four years. “After I went clean in the first round today, I was super happy. Then to go in and have such a great jump-off, I was just thrilled.
“[Chad and Brooke] have taken me so far over the last three years that I’ve been riding with them,” she continued. “They understand the horses, they understand the kind of program the horse needs, and they understand how to manage the riders so well. I would not be here if it wasn’t for them.”
$10,000 WIHS Adult Jumper Championship Results
1 STEPHANIE KING ST. AUGUSTINE, FL CO-STARR 0/0/27.175
2 MORGAN BAUGHER BUCKEYSTOWN, MD DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE 0/0/27.911
3 LESLIE A SCHILLAT MALVERN, PA SLF DESTINY 0/0/28.095
4 VICKI LOWELL LEXINGTON, KY PHINEAS 0/0/28.226
5 ALYSON GURNEY WASHINGTON, DC BLACK FRIDAY 0/0/28.286
6 IZABELLE QUADRACCI HARTLAND, WI TIPPERARY HILL 0/0/28.405
7 MARGOT PERONI CALIFON, NEW JERSEY WENDER R 0/0/29.111
8 DAWN VILENO BROOKEVILLE, MD SUPER 10 0/0/32.159
9 HALEY SCHAUFELD WELLINGTON, FL COLORLAND’S CHEYENNE 0/0/32.926
10 LINDSEY TOMEU WELLINGTON, FL GOLD LUX 0/4/25.996