Thermal, California, USA – January 22, 2021 – Thirty-two pairings took the field Thursday evening under the lights at Desert International Horse Park’s Grand Prix Stadium, but it was Mavis Spencer (USA) and Belladonna 42 (Clearway x Vita 24) who shone the brightest. The pair crossed the jump-off timers at 37.003 seconds to take the top spot in the $25,000 FarmVet Grand Prix.

Kyle King (USA) and Christine Maclean’s Etalon (Otangelo x Concorde) completed the jump-off with a time of 37.396 seconds to earn second place.

King with his second mount Coffee To Go (Cinquecento 7 x De Coloday), owned by Spruce Meadows Ltd,  completed the top three with their efforts of 37.750 seconds.

“I only started riding her just recently,” stated Spencer. “My first time showing her was yesterday in the 1.20m. She is a weapon, an absolute machine. She is a mare and she just wants it so badly. She goes in and gives you a hundred and ten percent. As a rider you dream of having a horse like her; one that goes in and bar you messing it up, they are going to go clear and do what she has done two nights in a row now. It is a very exciting new horse I get to ride.”

The twelve-year-old Holsteiner mare has been owned by Georgy Maskrey-Segesman for roughly two years now. Spencer has only ridden the mare a handful of times and this is their very first show together. 

“I think, for me, last year was a bit of an odd year. With the pandemic and everything and then I broke my leg back in October. So I am three months off of that. It is great to be back at a horse show” expressed Spencer. “I have to thank Georgy for the incredible group of horses that I have which makes life a lot easier. I think coming home with the win yesterday gave me a lot of confidence going into tonight. Even though it is a new horse for me, she has an incredible resume already and is just a weapon for these classes so I knew I could go in and have a shot at it.”

Final Results: $25,000 FarmVet Grand Prix

Place / Rider / Country / Horse / R1 & Time  | R2 & Time

1) Mavis Spencer (USA) & and 42 – 0 & 82.481 | 0 & 37.003

2) Kyle King (USA) & Etalon – 0 & 79.395 | 0 & 37.396

3) Kyle King (USA) & Coffee To Go – 0 & 82.912 | 0 & 37.750

4) Darrin Dlin (USA) & Buddy Bounce – 0 & 80.675 | 0 & 39.024

5) Emily Esau Williams (USA) & Dandy – 0 & 82.347 | 0 & 40.769

6) Jaclyn Duff (CAN) & Camilla M 4 – 0 & 83.810 | 0 & 41.492

7) Susan Artes (USA) & California Sunshine – 0 & 83.313 | 4 & 43.017

8) Mavis Spencer (USA) Con Calle – 0 & 80.550 | 10 & 58.464

9) Lisa Carlsen (CAN) & Livestream 2 – 1 & 85.686

10) Tali De Jong (USA) & Vaillant De Belle Vue – 3 & 87.442

11) William Simpson (USA) & Chacco P – 4 & 77.911

12) Kristin Hardin (USA) & Dexter R – 4 & 83.067

Source: Press release from the Desert International Horse Park

Photos: © ESI Photography

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