Haley Waters & Galous Victorious in HITS Ocala $25k SmartPak Grand Prix

Ocala, FL (March 5, 2016): Hot off a trifecta in Ocala Week VI, winning the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, the $7,500 U-Dump Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic and the $5,000 NAL Junior/Amateur-Owner, Haley Waters of Sparr, Florida, garnered the victory in the Ocala Week VII $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix.

Hayley Waters and Galous on their way to a $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix win. Photo: ESI Photography

Waters has only shown newly-acquired Galous in three classes of the Ocala Winter Circuit, but her plan to move up to the Grand Prix level this week was a smashing success as she garnered the win by a two-second margin.

Chuck and Dana Waters purchased the 14-year-old Galous for Hayley to show in the Grand Prix, and after winning last Sunday’s $7,500 U Dump Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper 1.40m Classic, she felt ready to move up.

The competition was fierce as thirty-three competitors attacked the 1.50-meter course designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral of Portugal. Thirteen jumped clean to advance to the jump-off where the shortened course included a gallop from the first fence to the second in either 8 or 9 strides, a choice of routes to a vertical to vertical combination, a rollback mid-course, and a gallop to finish over two oxers in either 8 or 9 strides as well.

Six horses jumped clear in the jump-off to take the top six placings. First was Lauren Hester of Lexington, Kentucky, on Arly, owned by Hester Equestrian LLC. They jumped the first line in nine strides, executed neat turns and did eight strides to the final oxer to finish in 43.419.

Next up was Blue Moon 22, owned by Full Circle Farm, with David Jennings of Franklin, Tennessee, in the irons. They opted for eight strides in the opening line, leaving out a stride to the final oxer to cross the timers in 41.905 to take over the lead. The round would eventually earn them third-place.

Following Jennings was Manuel Torres of Waterford, Virginia, riding Christofolini H, owned by Andrea Torres Guerreiro. Winners of the Brook Ledge Open Welcome in Week II, Torres and Christofolini H threw caution to the wind, taking to the course at an all-out gallop. They raced through the timers in 39.192, stealing the short-lived lead from Jenkins to set a new Great American Time to Beat.

Tracy Fenney of Flower Mound, Texas, riding MTM Reve Du Paradis found a way to better that time, finishing in 38.310, but an unfortunate rail led to the eventual seventh-place. Amanda Flint of Long Valley, New Jersey, riding Coverboy, owned by The Coverboy Group, They crossed the timers fault-free in 46.179 to finish sixth.

Hayley Waters had a plan to take lead from Torres, and that called for a slicing inside turn on the approach to the final two oxers.

When Waters stepped into the ring, she made sure her horse knew her plan too. “Galous really focuses on the jumps and looks to see where he is going next, so I sort of walked through the turn as I went in for the jump-off.” The plan worked and Waters’ time of 37.342 edged out Torres to second-place. The round caught the attention of several riders and trainers who tipped their hats to show their respect for a terrific ride.

Waters gushed about her horse after the class. “He also let me gallop right up to the base of the combination and balanced himself to jump it clean—he’s a very experienced horse.”

Seven more riders tackled the shortened course, but only one jumped without faults; Billie De Rouet of Bromont, Quebec, riding her own Bonaparte VP Wisbec added a clean round in 42.699 to take fourth-place.