WELLINGTON, Fla., April 1 - As the final week of competition opens, all eyes are on the next generation of grand prix show jumpers as the Young Horse classes take center stage at the CN Winter Equestrian Festival, presented by Zimmerman Advertising, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
Three divisions, grouped according to age, are battling for top honors during the 12th and final week of the CN Winter Equestrian Festival, presented by Zimmerman Advertising. Five, Six, and a combined Seven and Eight-Year-Old division will all have their respective $20,000 Finals on Sunday, April 6, in the International Arena.
In the Seven and Eight-Year-Old Division, Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, N.J., has been dominating with two horses. Heading into the final week of competition, Chapot has a huge lead in the point standings with Little Big Mama and is also sitting second with Capri.
Little Big Mama is a full sister to the mother of Little Big Man, Chapot’s well-known game chestnut gelding that, last summer, represented the United States at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Chapot went to look at Little Big Mama based on her breeding and purchased the eight-year-old brown mare at the end of last year’s Winter Equestrian Festival.
“The only thing they have in common is that they are both extremely careful and fast,” said Chapot of the similarities between Little Big Man and Little Big Mama. But that is where Chapot feels the similarities end, explaining, “She rides very different than him. She has a big stride like him, but she is a very different type. She has a different style of jumping, is correct in her form and is a very pretty jumper.”
On average, Chapot and Little Big Mama claim a win every week that they enter the ring, and have also enjoyed several second place finishes. That accounts for their huge lead of 2505 points in the circuit division standings.
“She’s a nice horse, she’s super fast, super careful, and rarely hits a jump,” said Chapot, 35, of the secret to her success with Little Big Mama. “She’s very willing, good at her turns and angles - she’s mature in that way as far as how she goes in the ring. She knows the game and she likes to win.”
Chapot is also holding down second position with 1820 points in the circuit division standings with Capri. Chapot has had Capri for just a few weeks longer than Little Big Mama, also buying her at during the 2007 Winter Equestrian Festival from Ireland’s Cian O’Connor.
“She’s hot and careful like Little Big Mama but has a bouncier style. She’ll run herself to the bottom of a fence and jump it,” said Chapot of the eight-year-old bay German-bred mare. “She has a mind of her own. She will create trouble for herself and then find a way to get out of it.”
Chapot has been competing in the Young Horse classes in Wellington, Fla., since they have been offered and with great success - every year, she has taken home at least one circuit championship. She is looking forward to Sunday’s $20,000 WEF Young Jumper Seven and Eight Year Old Final.
“It is nice that they have a bigger class in the main ring for the young horses at the end of the circuit,” commented Chapot, who has brought many young horses up through the Young Horse program. “It is nice to have a place for the young horses to compete against their peers versus competing in, for example, the 1.30m division where they are up against a lot of older horses. This way, the course designer can build a more inviting course for them, and it is a good place to bring them along.”
The Young Jumpers compete in the International Arena on Tuesday and Thursday before the $20,000 Finals take place on Sunday.
Week 12 of the 2008 CN Winter Equestrian Festival, presented by Zimmerman Advertising, runs from Tuesday, April 1, to Sunday, April 6, and features the Young Horse Finals as well as several Invitational Classics.
The 2008 CN Winter Equestrian Festival, presented by Zimmerman Advertising, attracts the best horses and riders from around the world to Wellington, Fla., and offers more than $5 million in prize money. For more information, please visit http://www.equestriansport.com/.
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