McLain Ward of Bedford, N.Y., rode Goldika to win the $10,000 Open Jumper, Time First Jump-off class yesterday afternoon at the Devon Horse show and Country Fair.
Riding with his trademark precision, Ward, a two-time Olympic team gold medalist, made smooth, very quick turns to finish with no faults in 33.897, almost three seconds faster than second-placed Jeanne Hobbs on Night And Day 8, who finished in 36.189. Hillary Dobbs on Marlo was third in 36.707.
“She’s my old faithful,” said Ward. “She’s a little bit in the twilight of her career, but she still shows in a few Grand Prix. She’s 17, and she’s probably won over 400 classes in her career.”
“She always tries,” said Ward. “She has the heart of a lion.”
“This is such a great ring,” said Ward. “There’s such history here. The management tries always to continue to improve the show.”
Ward said he plans to compete in the $100,000 Grand Prix tonight on his Olympic partner, Sapphire, and on an up-and-coming young horse, Rothschild.
Canadian Erynn Ballard rode Simply Ahorn to win last evening’s $10,000 Hit And Hurry Open Jumper Class, in which riders get two points for every jump they jump without a knockdown in 60 seconds.
The top three riders all amassed 28 points, but Ballard did it in the fastest time. Hillary Dobbs was second on Marengo and Michael Walton of West Chester, Pa., was third on Accolade.
Glass Castle, owned by Shaw Johnson Price of Chestertown, Md., and ridden by Havens Schatt, won the Regular Conformation Hunter Championship and, with 32 points, also won the Devon Grand Hunter Championship.
“I totally believe in this horse,” said trainer Scott Williamson. “She is a champion. She likes challenges. This is her first time at Devon, but she likes all the activity. She liked the bigger fences in the last class, the Stake class.”
“She jumped three fences in the Stake, realized they were a little higher, and then she just soared,” said Schatt.
“Glass Castle lives at home with us,” said Price, who will compete her at Devon in the amateur Owner section tomorrow and Saturday. “We just built a barn. We have three horses and two ponies for my two daughters. We do a lot of trail riding.”
Scott Stewart of Flemington, N.J., won the Leading Hunter Rider title for the seventh year in a row and for the eighth time since 1998.