Lexington, KY – August 2, 2024 – A field of top athletes gathered at the Rolex Stadium on Friday morning to compete in the $25,000 Kentucky Summer Classic, part of the Kentucky Summer Horse Show Series presented by Rood and Riddle at the Kentucky Horse Park. Following the first round of competition, just four combinations returned for a test of speed and accuracy during the technical jump-off. As the first to return, Kalvin Dobbs laid it all on the line with Callagan, speeding through the turns and galloping home for the victory. The remaining riders each had early rails, separating themselves by time with junior rider Kate Hagerty and Noche De Ronda placing second, just ahead of Loic Cannaert and Ultimately Cooley in third place.
“It was a good class today,” said Dobbs. “I actually didn’t know that there were so few clear – I don’t usually watch after I go, but I was meditating and a four or five horse jump off is fun. I figured we’d go in there and give it our best shot and keep everything up!”
Kalvin Dobbs and Callagan
Course designer Bernardo Costa Cabral tested riders with a technical 12-obstacle track that utilized the expansive Rolex Stadium. It featured a vertical-vertical double combination in the middle of the arena, and riders had to finish over an oxer-vertical-oxer triple combination bending to the final delicate vertical. Four pairs advanced to the tiebreaker, which began with a rollback before going to the double combination, and then another rollback to a vertical before galloping away from the gate over a final wide oxer.
Kate Hagerty and Noche De Ronda
Dobbs was the pathfinder of the day with Callagan, producing the first clear round of the day and returning at the top of the order for the jump-off. With several fast riders behind him, he knew that he could not leave the door open and picked up a fast gallop to the first fence. Callagan jumped each obstacle easily and sailed through the timers in 38.344 seconds to leave the rest of the field chasing them. Loic Cannert was next with Ultimately Cooley, but an early rail would incur 4 faults and their time of 40.591 seconds would hold up for third place. Kate Hagerty and Noche De Ronda were right on pace to challenge Dobbs’ time, but they also added 4 faults to their score, however their time of 38.454 seconds would be good enough for second place. Lorcan Gallagher was the last to return with Copycat, but brought down a rail at the second fence for 4 faults in 42.414 seconds and fourth place.
Loic Cannaert and Ultimately Cooley
“The jump-off was kind of twisty/turny until that last line, so I was planning to be tight everywhere because I knew I wanted to open him up and leave two strides out in the last line, so I didn’t want to open him up too quickly,” explained Dobbs. “I wanted to be really tidy, especially with that vertical-vertical combination, if I get him going too early, we were going to have one of those down. That last line was lovely to just feel him open up and get that 10 stride– that was a really cool feeling!
Dobbs has been riding Callagan, a 10-year-old Hanoverian gelding by Conthargos, for three years and has focused on developing him slowly. “He was a little bit of a late bloomer,” he noted. “I jumped him quite low for about a year and a half, and then we would go up to the 1.40m , then go back down. Last year we did some 1.50m classes and I did a 2* on him earlier this year, but every time I do that I’ll just move him back down and then back up. He seems like he’s blossoming and I think 10/11/12 are going to be really fun years for him. He’s a really cool guy. He jumps hard and he’s quirky, but I just love him so much!”
Kalvin Dobbs and Callagan
Based in Indiana, the Kentucky Horse Park is a favorite destination for Dobbs. He concluded, “The Rolex Stadium is so cool to ride in because you get the feeling of being at a big, big show. There’s a lot of room – you can let the horses open up. I’m looking forward to Saturday night under the lights. That’s always really fun. Kentucky’s a happy place for me. I love to take the horses out in the field to ride them and get connected with nature.”
The next highlight event in the Rolex Stadium will be Saturday night’s $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix. Show jumping riders will return for more exciting competition during the Bluegrass Festival and KHJA Horse Shows, which will be held in just a few short weeks. For more information on the Kentucky Summer Series please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com.