Lake Placid, New York, USA – June 28, 2019 – Irish Olympic veteran Kevin Babington (IRL) and Shorapur rode to victory in the $30,000 Voltaire Design Jumper Classic at the 2019 Lake Placid Horse Shows, Sponsored by Bainbridge Farms, LLC and Presented by Sea Shore Stables, LLC.
Thirteen of 37 entries reached the jump-off by riding without penalty over the 15-effort, first-round course designed by Eric Hasbrouck. Babington advanced three horses to the jump-off.
Laura Chapot (USA), fourth to try the eight-jump tiebreaker course, took an early lead in the jump-off when she finished clean in 37.572 seconds on Chandon Blue (Chacco-Blue x Landcapitol), eventually finishing in third place.
Three rides later, Devin Ryan (USA) moved into the lead with a clean ride in a fast time of 36.614 seconds on Cooper (Unaniem x Baloubet du Rouet), taking the lead temporarily, a mark that would only be surpassed by the eventual winners.
Babington, defending champion in Sunday’s $100,000 Prevost Richard M. Feldman Grand Prix with Mark Q, was last to go on Shorapur (Stakkato Gold x Drosselklang II), the horse on which he won the Prevost Grand Prix in 2016. He blazed over the course and finished clean in 35.933 seconds to claim the win.
Babington also claimed fourth place aboard Mark Q and fifth riding Super Chilled.
Kevin Babington (IRL) & Shorapur during the awards ceremony
Winner’s Circle – Kevin Babington
“I watched Devin’s ride carefully and I knew I had to add a stride to the Swedish after the double,” Babington said, “but my mare is so fast that even when you’re adding a stride, she’s always covering ground and making up speed. I knew it was going to be really hard to catch his time but she came through as she has done here before.”
Ryan, 2018 World Equestrian Games team Gold Medalist, and Cooper placed second and Chapot and Chandon Blue finished third.
Source: Press release from Marty Bauman / Classic Communications for Lake Placid Horse Shows
Photos: © The Book
Categories: CSN
