McCarthy Claims Victory in $65,000 FEI 3* Welcome Stake presented by Old Salem Farm at 2024 Old Salem Farm September Horse Shows
Adult Amateur Hunters Vie for Top Honors in Division Championships
Friday’s $65,000 FEI 3* Welcome Stake presented by Old Salem Farm featured 54 entries representing nine countries, including six riders from this summer’s Paris Olympic Games. Of the 12 entries that advanced to the jump-off, Simon McCarthy (IRL) and Gotcha blazed nearly a full second ahead of their fellow competitors to earn the win on a faultless score of 37.39 seconds.
The Old Salem Farm September Horse Shows host competitions for riders of all levels and ages, ranging from young children on ponies to top Grand Prix stars aboard their elite mounts. Week 1 (September 10-15) was designated CSI4*/2* while Week 2 (September 17-22) is designated CSI3*. Old Salem’s September schedule also includes a National/Level 2 event (September 25-27).
There were faults scattered around Alan Wade’s 16-effort track set at 1.50m in Friday’s $65,000 FEI 3* Welcome Stake, narrowing a competitive field of 54 entries to just 12 in the jump-off. Eleven returned for the shortened tiebreaker course, with two speedy Irishmen claiming the top of the leaderboard early on. Darragh Kenny was first to jump to the top in 38.37 seconds aboard Chaccoletto. McCarthy immediately followed aboard Rock Ridge Farms’ 13-year-old Holsteiner mare, slicing his way around the course to catch the time in 37.39 seconds.
“My horse is naturally very, very fast,” McCarthy said. “I’ve ridden her for three or four years now, so we know each other very well. We’ve won quite a lot of classes together all over the world, and she’s been an amazing partner to me. Darragh Kenny went into the jump-off round directly before me, and he’s always very fast. I luckily was able to watch him go and knew that I had to be a bit tighter than him everywhere. Gotcha’s also naturally very careful, so I knew I could dare her at the jumps and she would most likely leave them up. We had a full gallop all the way from the first jump to the last. I’m very thankful that she was with me all the way.”
Kenny and Oakland Ventures LLC’s 11-year-old Polish Sport Horse gelding landed in second place for their 38.37-second time, while Elena Haas (USA) took third in 39.49 seconds aboard her 12-year-old Westphalian gelding Claude.
“I love it here (at Old Salem),” McCarthy said. “I’ve been living 20 minutes up the road all summer, so this is kind of our home show. The facilities here are amazing, and it’s nice to get to sleep in my own bed every night. Our horses have jumped amazing these last two weeks, and with Alan Wade building this weekend, we’ve got some tough courses that are always fun to jump. It’s a really top-notch horse show.”
Further information on Old Salem Farm and its September Horse Shows is available at www.OldSalemFarm.net
