Aiken resident wins jump class

He may be getting a little gray around the edges but McClain Ward's Galant just might be show jumping's version of Major League Baseball's Jamie Moyer as the 19-year-old gelding had 22 year-old Angel Karolyi, the leading International Rider at the 2008 Washington International Horse Show in the irons, as they won the $5,000 1.40 meter Open Jumper Welcome class Wednesday at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show.

The Aiken resident, who rides for Hollow Creek Farm's Andrea King, not only won the class with Galant who went double clean, but also placed second with two clear rounds while negotiating Abigail Walker's James T. Kirk around the Olaf Peterson Jr. designed course at the newly constructed Main Outdoor Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park, which is getting a test run as a prerequisite for next year's World Equestrian Games.

"It was a speed class," said Karolyi in a phone interview Thursday afternoon. "Galant jumped fantastic. It was a big ring, nice footing, it had rained all day. The footing really held up despite the weather. He (Galant) was clean and faster than all of the other horses."

Karolyi and Galant stopped the timer in 63.900, more than 5 seconds faster than James T. Kirk, who placed second. The tandem nearly replicated their success on Thursday placing third in the 1.40 meter class. Karolyi is also exhibiting Heather Crespo's 6 year-old gelding Ringo Rama.

"We almost won, it was a Table C (the format in which the class is scored)," said Karolyi, who also placed third with Madrid in the 1.30 meter class. "We had an unlucky rail down."

Karolyi competed Thursday afternoon in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, and had two rides in the class, Abigail Walker's 9-year-old gelding James T. Kirk (who placed 10th in the 2009 Upperville Budweiser Jumper Classic) and Karioka Del Follee (who won at the Seventh Annual Tryon Riding and Hunt Club Horse Show II, in Tryon, N.C.).

The Venezuelan-born rider is getting some insight into the Main Outdoor Stadium as he works toward his goal of representing Venezuela in the 2010 World Equestrian Games. He has been selected as the 2010 Radio Spotlight jumper.

Contact Ben Baugh at bbaugh@aikenstandard.com.

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