Also awarded during event: Ruby Meyer and Abbey Road presented the Heart of the Horse Award for the 2015 Santa Fe Summer Series
Under glorious New Mexico skies and perfect weather, six horses and riders made it to the jump off in the $30,000 Santa Fe Fiesta Grand Prix sponsored by the City of the Santa Fe. Course designer Catsy Cruz created a 13 obstacle course with 16 efforts. Amanda Comly and A&A Balthazar were the fastest pair to jump clean in the jump off, claiming 1st place. Susan Griffis and Indoktro K Van’t Kattenheye also had a clean round, finishing 2nd, less than a second behind Comly and Balthazar. Both Indoktro K Van’t Kattenheye and A&A Balthazar are young horses and new to Grand Prix competition. 
Amanda Comly and Balthazar. Photo courtesy of Hipico Santa Fe
“He is very handsome and he knows it. He is seven years old and this is only his second Grand Prix. He belongs to my sister Alexandra Comly and I am very lucky to ride him, “ said Amanda Comly speaking of Balthazar.
Courtney Fredericks and Soulshine finished third with a clean jump off round, followed by Diego Vivero and Bijoux in fourth, Tony Font and Hey Joe in fifth and Bob Brawley and Condero 3 in sixth, all with clean first rounds.
Thank you to the City of Santa Fe for their generous support of HIPICO Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Summer and Fall Series. Entries closed on Monday August 8 for the Fall Series. Visit www.hipicosantafe.com to learn more and enter.
City of Santa Fe Councilor Sig Lindell and her partner Maria Sanchez watched from the sidelines. HIPICO Leadership Guy and Sharon McElvain and Brian Gonzales, along with Chenoa McElvain and Sparrow Campbell of Sparrowhawk were on field to present the awards to all winners.
| $30,000 Santa Fe Fiesta Grand Prix sponsored by The City of Santa Fe | |||||||
| Place | Horse | Owner | Rider | Prize | Rd. 1 Faults | JO Faults | JO Time |
| 1 | A&A BALTHAZAR | ALEXANDRA COMLY | AMANDA COMLY | $9,000 | 0 | 0 | 36.593 |
| 2 | INDOKTRO K VAN ‘T KATTENHEYE | PALMER DIVIDE RANCH | SUSAN GRIFFIS | $6,600 | 0 | 0 | 37.315 |
| 3 | SOULSHINE | EQUESTRIAN INVESTMENTS LLC | COURTNEY FREDERICK | $3,900 | 0 | 0 | 38.758 |
| 4 | BIJOUX | JAVIER ESTRADA | DIEGO VIVERO | $2,400 | 0 | 4 | 35.630 |
| 5 | HEY JOE | KELSEY VAN ACKEREN | TONY FONT | $1,800 | 0 | 4 | 40.907 |
| 6 | CONDERO 3 | DDM EQUESTRIAN LLC | BOB BRAWLEY | $1,500 | 0 | 8 | 34.542 |
| 7 | J.E.S. QUITO | NICKI WILCOX | NICKI WILCOX | $1,200 | 4 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 8 | LEGIS TOUCH THE SUN | LEGISEQUINE.COM | JENNI MCALLISTER | $900 | 4 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 9 | CASCO | CARLI KIRSCH | CARLI KIRSCH | $900 | 4 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 10 | QUICKIE | NATASCHA GATES | NATASCHA GATES | $600 | 8 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 11 | CATOCTIN | KATHRYN BIRNBAUM | KATHRYN BIRNBAUM | $600 | 8 | 0 | 0.000 |
| 12 | LEGIS VENICE | LEGISEQUINE.COM | JENNI MCALLISTER | $600 | 8 | 0 | 0.000 |
Before the City of Santa Fe Grand Prix, HIPICO Leadership Guy and Sharon McElvain and Brian Gonzales, along with Chenoa McElvain and Sparrow Campbell presented the 2015 Heart of the Horse Award to Ruby Meyer and her mount Abby Road.
The Heart of the Horse award is given each year in honor of five horses that perished in a trailer fire in 2009. It is given to the horse and rider combo that scored the most points during the entire competition. Meyer and Abby Road received the most points during the 2015 Santa Fe Summer Series. Congratulations to this wonderful team!
The 2016 Heart of the Horse award will be presented at the end of the Fall Series on Sunday Sept 25.
To read more results from Santa Fe Fiesta Week and the Santa Fe Summer Series visit:www.hipicosantafe.com/media
HIPICO Santa Fe is New Mexico’s premier venue for equestrian events and a new shining star in the Southwest’s horse show circuit. Get your entries in NOW for the Santa Fe Fall Series starting August 24 and running through September 25. Entries due August 8. The Fall Series will feature $10,000 National Futures and Masters Championships, $20,000 Variable Grands Prix with optional 25% 1.4m bonus, weekly National Hunter Derbies and special classes for all, including a $5,000 Combined Horse and Dog Agility class!
To download the 2016 Official Premium visit:https://www.hipicosantafe.com/images/Premium2016web.pdf
For entries and exhibitor information please visit: www.hipicosantafe.com/exhibitor-info
Don’t forget to reserve a table in the HIPICO VIP Lounge for a distinctive luxury hospitality experience and concierge services. Visit www.hipicosantafe.com/vip to learn more and reserve a table.
HIPICO Santa Fe is New Mexico’s premier venue for equestrian events. HIPICO SF is committed to providing the very best in equestrian competition and an extraordinary 2016 show experience for our human and equine athletes, as well as our treasured sponsors, owners, vendors and spectators. The full service equestrian facility features enhanced, all-weather footing in competition arenas, including additional grass rings for the 2016 show season, designated horse-only bridle paths, and miles of trail riding on adjacent public lands. It is located in the world-class tourist destination city of Santa Fe Please visit us at: http://www.hipicosantafe.com