Horses - Jeffery Welles Takes 1st, 2nd, and 8th in $10,000 Open Jumper Welcome Stake at HITS Catskills IV - August 2001 - Equiworld

Jeffery Welles Takes 1st, 2nd, and 8th in $10,000 Open Jumper Welcome Stake at HITS Catskills IV

ELLENVILLE, NY (July 25, 2001)-Jeffery Welles, 39, of Ridgefield, Connecticut, riding Jasmine won the $10,000 Open Jumper Welcome Stake at HITS Catskills IV in Ellenville, New York, today, besting a field of 21 horses. Welles and Jasmine were the fastest of seven double-clears in the class and earned $3,000 for owner, Sagamore Farm. Welles also placed second with Julius owned by Daybreak Farm, Inc. and eighth with Beaucoup owned by Ashley Baker. "Jasmine is a very fast mare," said Welles. "She's really quick and quite careful so you can gallop along. She really takes care not to have a rail down even when she's going fast."

Ken Krome of Westminster, Maryland, designed the Table II.2.b course in which riders who are clear in Round One stay in the ring and immediately ride a Jump-Off course. For Round One, Krome built a 13-jump course that included a water jump at Fence No. 7 and a double combination at Fence No. 13. Time Allowed was set at 96 seconds. For the Jump-Off, riders jumped a short course of seven single obstacles with Time Allowed set at 46 seconds.

Amateur rider Jennifer Hoctor of Coral Springs, Florida, put in the first double-clear on her Narew, setting the pace at 41.382 in the Jump-Off round, but she ended up in seventh place. U.S. Sydney Olympic Team Member Nona Garson of Lebanon, New Jersey, on Wildana, a horse she owns with the Kamine Family, was the next double-clear and took over the lead with her Jump-Off time of 39.005, but in the final standings, she placed fifth. Todd Minikus, the Sydney Olympic U.S. Team Alternate clocked the next double-clear on Playboy owned by YZ Partners, snatching the lead with a fast Jump-Off time of 35.452, but it ended up being only good enough for third. Welles was the fourth rider to put in a double-clear round, and he became the new leader with Jasmine, clocking in at 34.354 in their Jump-Off round. The rest of the roster tried to catch him, but the mare was unbeatable.

Mark Jungherr rode a careful double-clear on R.A. Francoeur's Candlelight, but his Jump-Off time of 40.676 left him in seventh place. Welles returned and qualified Beaucoup to Jump-Off, and clocked the fastest time on the short course at 34.033, but the mare lowered one fence for four faults, finishing eighth. Marilyn Little of Fredenick, Maryland, was the sixth double-clear with a Jump-Off time of 35.675, which put her in fourth place. Welles came back on his third horse of the class and qualified Julius for the Jump-Off, challenging his own lead with a clear in 35.207, but had to settle for second place.

All three of the horses he rode today are new to Welles. HITS Catskills IV is his third show with Jasmine, a nine-year-old, 16-hand, bay, German-bred mare. Julius is a 16.2-hand, brown, Dutch gelding, and Beaucoup is an eight-year-old, 16-hand, brown, German-bred mare. "Jasmine is just a very quick horse so automatically she's faster than a slower-moving horse," said Welles. "Julius, who is a very rangy horse with a big stride, is a little slower-moving horse but he's starting to learn to go faster. Beaucoup is really in the Amateur Division. I was just getting her in the ring for Ashley Baker who owns her. Beaucoup is a very fast mare."

The $10,000 Open Jumper Stake is held every Wednesday at HITS Catskills horse
shows.

$10,000 Open Jumper Welcome Stake, July 25, 2001
HITS Catskills IV, Ellenville, New York
Course Designer: Ken Krome

Pl#/Horse/Rider/Owner/Prize Money/Rd 1 Faults/J-O Faults & Time
1/Jasmine/Jeffery Welles/Sagamore Farm/$3,000/0/0-34.354
2/Julius/Jeffery Welles/Daybreak Farm Inc/$2,200/0/035.207
3/Playboy/Todd Minikus/YZ partners/$1,500/0/035.452
4/Landman/Marilyn Little/Raylyn Farm & Marilyn Little/$1,000/0/038.723
5/Wildana/Nona Garson/Kamine Family & Nona Garson/$800/0/0-39.005
6/Candlelight/Mark Jungherr/RA Francoeur/$600/0/0-40.676
7/Narew/Jennifer Hoctor/Jennifer Hoctor/$500/0/0-41.382
8/Beaucoup/Jeffery Welles/Ashley Baker/$400/0/4-34.033

Number of horses who competed in this class: 21
Class Prize Money: $10,000

HITS CATSKILLS 2001 SHOW JUMPING ACTION:
HITS Catskills I, May 23-27
HITS Catskills II, May 30-June 3
HITS Catskills III, July 18-22
HITS Catskills IV, July 25-29
HITS Catskills V, August 1-5
HITS Catskills VI, August 29-September 2
FEATURED EVENTS:
May 27 $100,000 EMO Grand Prix 1pm
June 3 $100,000 Nevele Grande Grand Prix 1pm
July 22 $100,000 Avis Grand Prix 1pm
July 29 $100,000 Cosequin® Grand Prix 1pm
August 5 $100,000 Nevele Grande Grand Prix 1pm
September 2 $100,000 Rio Vista Grand Prix 1pm
SPECIAL EVENTS:
July 22 Taste of the Hudson Valley For Exhibitors Only 2pm-4pm
July 29 Kids Day 11am-1pm

www.HitsShows.com