Capping off an already competitive week of jumping in the Amateur-Owner/Junior ranks, the $50,000 Hollow Brook Wealth Management Show Jumping Hall of Fame Amateur-Owner/Junior Jumper Grand Prix offered the non-professionals one final opportunity for a chance at the tricolor. At the completion of the first round of riding, nine pairs were eligible for the jump-off after turning in clean and clear initial trips. Ransome Rombauer, Annabel Revers, Haley Gassel, Elli Yeager, Tali Dejong, Sophie Gochman, Coco Fath, Riley Newsome and Anna Beth Athey all qualified aboard their respective mounts.
Haley Gassel won the $50,000 Hollow Brook Wealth Management Show Jumping Hall of Fame Amateur-Owner/Junior Jumper Grand Prix. Photo by Phelps Media Group
“I’ve been coming to the National Horse Show for four or five years now,” Gassel shared. “It is one of my favorite horse shows to come to. It’s run super well and it’s a fun show in general, so winning something like this is an incredible feeling. I am still like, ‘Did I just win that?’ I’m super ecstatic.”
Tackling the short course seemingly with ease, Haley Gassel and Westwind Equine Training Center’s Quite Dark 2 were able to fend off their counterparts in the jump-off, riding their second clean trip of the night in a quick 41.539 seconds to emerge as the victors.
“I call him a dinosaur because he’s about 18 hands high,” Gassel joked in regards to her mount. “He’s ginormous. He actually really loves the Alltech Arena. We come to Kentucky a lot being from Tennessee. He loves the Rolex Arena, he loves the Alltech Arena. I’ve never really had an issue [with his size]. I feel like sometimes if I don’t show in the Alltech Arena or in an indoor ring for a while, it takes me one or two rounds to get back in the groove because I feel like I have to compact an 18-foot stride to all of the lines. He is such a trier though. He wants to win every single class. The horse just wants to win even if you want to go nice, slow and clean. He’s 13 years old and I’ve had him for quite a while.”
Haley Gassel on Quite Dark 2. Photo by Phelps Media Group
The leading pair were followed by Coco Fath and her own Huckleberry in the reserve position, who also left all the rails up but tripped the timers in a slower 41.611 seconds. Sophie Gochman and Carola BH, owned by Gochman Sport Horse, LLC, wrapped up the podium finishers as the third and final double-clean duo, laying down a foot-perfect round in 41.822 seconds.
In addition to the class winner, three other individuals were recognized for their achievements in the division or Show Jumping Hall of Fame (SJHOF) circuit. Sophie Gochman and Tali Dejong were crowned the SJHOF Eastern Conference and Western Conference champions, respectively, and Riley Newsome was awarded the National Horse Show’s division championship for her performances throughout the week.
$50,000 Hollow Brook Wealth Management SJHOF Amateur-Owner/Junior Jumper Grand Prix
Place / Horse / Rider / Owner / R1 Faults / R2 Faults / Time
1. Quite Dark 2 / Haley Gassel / Westwind Equine Training Center / 0 / 0 / 41.539
2. Huckleberry / Coco Fath / Hillside Farm LLC / 0 / 0 / 41.611
3. Carola BH / Sophie Gochman / Gochman Sport Horse LLC / 0 / 0 / 41.822
4. Luron S Z / Riley Newsome / Riley Newsome / 0 / 4 / 38.442
5. Ilias / Annabel Revers / Beechwood Stables LLC / 0 / 4 / 44.584
6. For Serrano SR / Anna Beth Athey / Anna Beth Athey / 0 / 8 / 46.509
7. Waliba VDL / Elli Yeager / Elli Yeager / 0 / 16 / 44.008
8. Emorkus RE / Ransome Rombauer / Ransome Rombauer / 0 / 21 / 64.086
9. D Adermie R8 / Tali Dejong / Tali Dejong / 0 / 32 / 63.460
10. Brazzaville / Jaime Auletto / Jaime Auletto / 4