Tracy Magness and Tarco Van Ter Moude won the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix on Saturday, August 11, at the 2012 Vermont Summer Festival in East Dorset, VT. Photo by David Mullinix Photography

August 11, 2012 – East Dorset, VT – Tracy Magness, of Hughesville, MD, rode M/M John Bartko’s Tarco Van Ter Moude to victory in the $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix, on Saturday, August 11, at the 2012 Vermont Summer Festival. In a ten-horse jump-off, Magness had the only clear round to earn the win in the final grand prix of the circuit. The six-week Vermont Summer Festival, held at Harold Beebe Farm in East Dorset, VT, will conclude on Sunday.

Eric Hasbrouck, of North Salem, NY, set the track for Saturday’s class with a total of twenty-nine entries competing in the first round. Ten cleared the course to advance to the jump-off, and Tracy Magness and Tarco Van Ter Moude had the only double clear round, completing the short course in 37.73 seconds, for the win.

The big problem spot in the jump-off course was a tight rollback turn to an oxer-vertical double combination. Five of the ten entries had a rail down at fence (a) going into the double, and one rider had a refusal there as well.

Jumping right before Magness, Ireland’s Darragh Kenny had the fastest time in the jump-off in 34.70 seconds riding The Wannahave Group’s Lipton De L’Othain, but the pair had a rail at that oxer to incur four faults and finish in second place.

Callie Schott, of Cazenovia, NY, had the same jump down riding John Madden Sales, Inc.’s Wrigley and finished in third with four faults and a time of 35.14 seconds.

The bogey fence also caught Ireland’s Paul O’Shea and Wizz, owned by O’Shea and Daniel Walsh, who finished fourth with four faults in 36.61 seconds.

Lydia Ulrich, of Rochester, NY, had the vertical before the double combination down with Up the Creek Farm’s Santos Utopia and finished in fifth with a time of 36.83 seconds.

Bryn Sadler, of Santa Fe, NM, placed sixth riding Showcase 81 LLC’s Cincinnati after scoring four faults at the double and finishing in 40.97 seconds.

Paul O’Shea attempted to go clear with a more conservative ride aboard his second jump-off mount, Skara Glen’s If, and made it through the entire course until having a rail at the last jump. The pair finished with four faults in a time of 43.35 seconds to place seventh.

Saturday’s win marks the twenty-sixth grand prix victory in Tracy Mangess and Tarco Van Ter Moude’s six-year partnership. ‘Tarco’ is making a comeback after having a year and a half off due to injury. The 16-year-old BWP gelding (Darco x Jalisco B) also won the $5,000 Open Jumper 1.40m class earlier this week.

“I can’t believe it, I will be honest with you,” Magness beamed following her win. “I always say he is amazing, but I came here just thinking I would move up and I am just happy to have him back. It has nothing to do with the winning; I am just happy to be in the class with him, so I am really excited.”

“He felt fantastic today,” Magness stated. “Actually, I thought that he jumped the best today out of the two weeks here. Not because he won, but because he was just listening really well. He is really a strong horse, and a lot of times he drags me around a little bit, but today he was really listening and jumping nicely.”

Tarco has a habit of spinning around when he first walks into the show ring. He did it on Saturday as usual, but Magness explained that she has gotten used to it and just has to push him along.

“He always does it and a few times he has actually gotten me off before I ever went,” she laughed. “He has done it for the whole time I’ve had him. Some days he does it worse than others. Today I thought it was a little half-hearted, so I just have to know to expect it.”

Magness spoke about the course and her surprise at being the only clear round in the jump-off.

“I thought the course was really nice; I thought it was technical,” she described. “There were a lot of steady, careful lines. In most of the first round you couldn’t leave a stride out because the next one would be steady, and the triple was very steady, so you had to add going into it.”

“I didn’t really expect to be the only clear with ten in the jump-off,” Magness continued. “I went fourth and the first three all had trouble with the double, so when I went, I was a little conservative. When I came out I was really happy with my round and how I went, but I thought for sure I would get beat, but they just kept having trouble with that. Maybe it was lucky that I was conservative.”

It has been a long road to recovery for Tarco in the last year and Magness is happy to see her top horse back in winning form. She thanked her vets and sponsors for their support.

“I want to thank Tarco’s vet Christiana Ober, because it has been a long process getting him back to this level,” Magness acknowledged. “She has worked with me a lot; she has been his vet the whole time I have had him for six years. I would also like to thank Dr. White at Morven Park, who has also helped me out.”

“I want to thank my sponsors as well,” Magness concluded. “I am sponsored by Pessoa and Mountain Horse.”

Offering more than $750,000 in prize money, the Vermont Summer Festival is the richest sporting event based on purse in the state of Vermont. The first five Saturdays of the Vermont Summer Festival featured a $30,000 Grand Prix. This Saturday’s $50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix was the final grand prix event of the circuit. The weekly $10,000 Open Welcome Stake, Presented by Manchester Designer Outlets, were held each Thursday. The six-week competition will conclude on Sunday with the $15,000 Vermont Celebration Children’s/Adult Jumper Classic.

Competition begins at 8 a.m. daily, Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, admission is $7 for adults, $5 for children. All of the gate receipts benefit the a number of Manchester area non-profit organizations, including the Mark Skinner Library, Friends Foundation for MEMS, Community Food Cupboard, and Second Chance Animal Center.

For over 20 years, the Vermont Summer Festival has attracted exhibitors and their families to the Manchester region in southern Vermont. The Vermont Summer Festival is a proud member event of the Show Jumping Hall Of Fame, the Marshall & Sterling League, and the North American League (NAL). For more information about the Vermont Summer Festival, please e-mail: info@vt-summerfestival.com or visit www.vt-summerfestival.com.

$50,000 Vermont Summer Celebration Grand Prix
Vermont Summer Festival VI

Rider Horse Faults Time

1. Tracy Magness Tarco Van Ter Moude 0:0 37.73

2. Darragh Kenny Lipton De L’Othain 0:4 34.70

3. Callie Schott Wrigley 0:4 35.14

4. Paul O’Shea Wizz 0:4 36.61

5. Lydia Ulrich Santos Utopia 0:4 36.83

6. Bryn Sadler Cincinnati 0:4 40.97

7. Paul O’Shea Skara Glen’s If 0:4 43.35

8. Bryn Sadler Bon Giorno 0:7 47.53

9. Darragh Kenny Valentino 0:8 37.14

10. Wesley Newlands Lapacco 0:8 38.76

11. Luis Larrazabal G&C Lepanto 4 64.20

12. Paul O’Shea Instant Karma 4 65.59