Check out this great article from Equinium Sports Marketing LLC featuring Beth Underhill and her latest win abroad Count Me In at The Ridge!
Canadian Olympian Beth Underhill Leaps to Victory in The Ridge at Wellington’s Turf Tour $15,000 Grand Prix |
Wellington, Florida (March 14, 2016) – Canadian Olympian Beth Underhill brought her in-saddle savvy to The Ridge at Wellington’s Turf Tour Week 10 Grand Prix field, holding off ten other first round clears to top the $15,000 Grand Prix class. Held on the iconic polo fields of Palm Beach’s International Polo Club, this week’s Turf Tour Grand Prix and 1.30-1.35M classes featured show jumping’s top names, as well as High, Medium, and Low Schooling Jumpers, Child/Adult, and Junior/Amateur Owner divisions. The Turf Tour’s unique combination of atmosphere, competition, amenities, stunning venues, and open in-gate policy creates a utopian show experience that is redefining the paradigms of Wellington’s horse sport industry.
Underhill, riding for owner Sandy Lupton, rode strategically and efficiently, putting in a double clear on Friday aboard Count Me In to finish on a super fast jump off time of 34.888. Her planning and excellent execution paid off, as less than a second separated the pair’s ride from second place. Angel Karolyi and Hollow Creek Farm’s Indiana 27 finished their jump off (35.066) in an exceptional and exciting attempt to catch Underhill and Count Me In. New Zealand’s Sharn Wordley and his own Zabel galloped through the timers to finish in third at 36.225, and Wordley and Hickstead Axel raced to fourth in 36.361, just a tenth of a second slower than Zabel. Wellington’s Tina Yates and Cicomein VDL rode to fifth with a double clear and final jump off time of 36.905, with Lauren Fischer aboard Tosca Du Feugre securing sixth with a time of 38.152.
A frequent face on the Turf Tour, Underhill cited the convenience for her and the experience for her young horses as the reason she repeatedly rides in the series. “I think what Nona and George are offering to the sport is fantastic,” she said, referring to the Tour’s organizers and founders, US Olympian Nona Garson and George D’Ambrosio. “We have the ability to develop our young horses at a variety of fabulous venues, and it’s so convenient to walk the course when you want and have more latitude in your day to get things done. The jumps are lovely, the venues are fabulous, and it’s a change of pace for some of the more experienced horses.”