Frank Owens and Just Jeremy ES Jump to $50,000 HITS Grand Prix Victory at Lamplight Spring Spectacular I
Wayne, Ill. – June 12, 2022 – It was a perfect day for show jumping at HITS Chicago during Lamplight Spring Spectacular I, where riders gathered to compete in the week’s main event. The country’s top riders showcased their speed and accuracy during the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, where Frank Owens and Just Jeremy ES captured the winning title with the fastest double-clear effort during a six-horse jump-off.
Frank Owens and Just Jeremy ES. Photo by: Alison Hartwell
Jaime Morillo designed the week’s track, which included a triple bar, a delicate vertical-vertical-oxer triple combination and finished with an oxer-vertical double bending to a final liverpool vertical. Six of the original entries were able to clear the first round and advance to the jump-off, where they had to jump the double combination once again, but it was followed by a tight rollback to a vertical before another rollback to the final line.
Genevieve Munson and Contendro Star. Photo by: Alison Hartwell
Lisa Goldman-Smolen was first to return with Ivaro N, and with several wins already under her belt this season, she had no plans of holding back. Despite an early rail, the duo posted a very quick time of 36.129 seconds, which would put pressure on the remaining riders. One round later, Genevieve Munson was able to beat Smolen’s time with Contendro Star, breaking the beam in 35.534 seconds, but they also lowered the height of a fence for 4 faults.
Tiffany Sullivan and Castelissimo. Photo by: Alison Hartwell
Tiffany Sullivan was next with Castelissimo, and with multiple 4-fault rounds already on the books, she opted for a more conservative round in an effort to leave all the fences intact. She was able to successfully execute her plan, stopping the timers in a clear 40.420 seconds. Owens and Just Jeremy ES entered the arena next, knowing they would now need to be clear and efficient to win. They followed a very similar track, and also left all the rails in their cups, crossing the finish line in 40.137 to claim the winning prize by fractions of a second.
“Tiffany was really smooth everywhere,” said Owens after his win. “I possibly made-up time at the last three jumps, rolling back to [the last line]. Just Jermey ES has a big stride, and he just started moving up. My plan was to try and go nice and double clean.”
Frank Owens and Just Jeremy ES
Just Jeremy ES is an 8-year-old KWPN gelding owned by DS Holdings LLC, and Owens was thrilled to have a good win with the talented young horse at HITS Chicago. “I haven’t been here in a handful of years, and I remember enjoying it then,” he concluded. “It’s a beautiful place; we loved the experience here, so we wanted to come back.”
Two more weeks of show jumping action remain at Lamplight Equestrian Center for the Lamplight Spring Spectacular, part of the HITS Chicago Series. Next week’s competition will feature the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, as well as the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, the $10,000 HITS Open Jumper Prix, the $5,000 Vita Flex 1.35m Jumper Classic, and the $2,500 Stal Hendrix 1.35m Open Welcome.