On a picturesque summer evening at the Kentucky Horse Park, 28 horse-and-rider combinations attempted to maneuver the course designed by Bobby Murphy for the $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix. A myriad of fences came down in the first round for the majority of the athletes with only six pairs advancing to the jump-off. It was a race of speed in the 8-effort jump-off with riders thundering across the Rolex Stadium trying to overtake their competitors to the cheer of the crowd. At the end, Brian Moggre swiftly navigated the course on Major Wager LLC’s MTM Flutterby to add another grand prix win to his resume. Moggre overtook Jimmy Torano’s impressive time of 44.857 seconds by the skin of his teeth, breaking the timers in only 44.727 seconds, only a mere .13 seconds to spare. Torano finished the class in second place on Glasgow De Muze, while Ireland’s Darragh Kerins placed third on Carlos JD Z.
In the first round, the very first athlete in the order of go, Brazil’s Celso Ariani confidently completed the course clear, but it took 11 more athletes before the next clear finish by Callie Schott on Christiaan. Joining Ariani and Schott in the jump-off phase was Moggre, Torano, Kerins and Diego Perez Bilbao.
Schott was the first athlete to jump double-clear but her time of 49.960 seconds was quickly beaten by Kerins on NRG Farm LLC’s Carlos JD Z, a 10-year-old Warmblood gelding, with a time of 47.810 seconds. The spectators were on the edge of their seats cheering on the remaining riders who gave thrilling efforts of tight turns and swift galloping between fences. Determined to jump into the lead was the next rider, Torano aboard Glasgow De Muze, Ilan Ferder’s 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding. Shaving off three seconds from Kerin’s time, Torano finished in 44.857 seconds. The duo have had a successful career at the Kentucky Horse Park, winning the 2018 $50,000 Rood & Riddle Grand Prix and finishing in second place in last week’s $50,000 Rood & Riddle Grand Prix.
With what looked to be an unbeatable performance by Torano, the class seemed won but young rider, Moggre was unfazed by the challenge. With an ecstatic crowd encouraging his need for speed, Moggre raced his long-time partner, MTM Flutterby, across the course with dramatic acceleration heading into the final oxer. With a minuscule time difference of .13 seconds, he broke the timers in 44.727 seconds, allowing him to top the leaderboard in a wildly entertaining fashion for the spectators.
With five years of partnership shared between the two, Moggre analyzed the course and knew where he could take risks aboard the trusty 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare. Saturday evening, Moggre even warmed-up alone as one of his coaches, Tracy Fenney, was busy winning the grand prix at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois. Moggre and MTM Flutterby have captured countless career-highlighting wins, including the Black Barn $250,000 Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Prix and individual bronze at the Adequan/FEI North American Junior Championships in 2016.
No stranger to the winner’s circle at the Kentucky Horse Park, Moggre and MTM Flutterby won the $36,000 Welcome Speed 1.45m CSI3* earlier this year at the Kentucky Spring Classic and most recently, they placed second in Thursday’s $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic. Based on his performance this week in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic and Saturday’s win in the $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix, Moggre also received the Envisian Leading Rider Award, presented by Envisian Products, LLC.
The Kentucky Summer Classic will conclude on Sunday with the USHJA Pony Hunter Derby taking center stage in the Rolex Arena ahead of next week’s USEF Pony Finals presented by Collecting Gaits Farm.
FROM THE WINNER’S CIRCLE
Brian Moggre – $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix winner
On his performance:
“I am ecstatic right now. This horse is very sentimental to me and Leslie (LAST NAME NEEDED) who works with me. We are actually here on our own because Mike [McCormick], Tracy [Fenney] and the rest of the MTM crew are up at EquiFest at Lamplight [Equestrian Center]. She won the grand prix up there tonight too so that’s awesome. It means a lot to be able to come here and be able to do it on my own and make them proud. Leslie and I work so hard together, and it was a great feeling for it to all come together.”
On MTM Flutterby:
“Mike and Tracy bred her and she has taken me around the low junior jumpers, the high junior jumpers, the prix de states, Young Riders, and 5* classes at Spruce Meadows. She has seen me through my highest points and also my lowest moments. A class like this is tough enough for her, especially under the lights. I can’t expect too much from her because she has been around the block, but we can always rely on her. She was really on my side tonight and it worked out well. She is a firecracker. She is so spicy, so quick and I think that’s what makes her great. She has such a heart and that means the world.”
On the course
“I thought the course rode scopey enough, especially for my horse, and I thought it was technical. The jump-off had a lot of straight lines and it was basically a foot race between jumps and that is where she really thrives. She is so quick off the leg and she’s half Thoroughbred so she can race down those long lines and really make up time there. I really took a shot to the last jump, which is not something I typically do with her, but she was really on my side today and I’m glad she was.”
On riding the jump-off after Torano’s quick time:
“For a second I thought to myself, “Wow, that was very fast!” but then I thought to myself “But I’m going to be faster!” She was great and I was confident going into it. I really wanted this win for myself.”
On his success at the Kentucky Horse Park:
“I think the horses are in really top form right now coming off of Spruce Meadows. They love the environment here and the Horse Park is wonderful. I really enjoy myself here and the horses seem really happy here. Being here puts us all in a good mood and sets us up to succeed.”
On his advice to youth riders who look up to him:
“The one advice that I cannot stress enough — If you don’t have goals, you cannot succeed. You need to have short term and long term goals for your career. Tonight was a short-term goal for me and something I looked forward to. Down the road, I would love to qualify for the FEI World Cup Finals next year. I’m really working toward that and hopefully can achieve that. If you don’t have goals, you don’t have direction. Everyone on your team has to be aware of your goals. My parents, my trainers, and everyone on my team is eager to help accomplish set goals by working together. I cannot thank them enough for their support. I am very spoiled with the best horses in the world and a great team behind me.”
Jimmy Torano – $50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix second place
On his performance tonight:
“You can’t ever be mad about second place but two weeks in a row… I gotta tell you, I thought when I went, I thought I did enough but Brian Moggre is on a very fast horse and he’s a very fast rider and he’s had a heck of a year, so he’s always dangerous coming in behind me. But I have to say, had he gone before me and I went dead last, I wouldn’t have done anything any different. I went as fast as I thought my horse could go. He’s a very fast horse as well. He spends a lot more time in the air than Brian’s does, I think that was the difference. I think I did less strides a lot of places and I ran flat out, but my horse just spends a lot of time in the air and I thought I did enough. When I came out of the ring, I thought and said ‘If he beats me, he deserves it’ because I put everything into it. I laid it all out there and he got me fair and square.”
On Glasgow De Muze:
“He’s a winner. He’s very fast, he’s very careful, especially in the jump-off. Going fast doesn’t really affect him, he thrives on it. If you get in the jump-off, you’ve always got a chance in the jump-off with him. I can always run him, you can go with several nights in a row, several days in a row, you don’t have to protect him or save him like a lot of horses.”
On his jump-off strategy:
“I’m on a very fast horse and I did walk strides a few places. It was very similar to last week’s jump-off, it was just gallop, gallop, gallop and my horse has a big stride and it was just all out from start to finish. There was a double, 8a-b, at the end of the ring and I turned back to that double with one stride. I thought I was quick. On the landing, there was a tree and I think I was the only one that turned inside of the tree, but Brian’s horse was quick and doesn’t spend a lot of time in the air and I think that’s what made the difference tonight.”
On showing a the Kentucky Summer Classic:
“I love it here. You can’t get any better than this. It’s nice that last week we had a special class with the Hats Off day, and it seemed like the fans liked it, we had a great crowd. It’s a knowledgeable crowd and with Pony Finals coming up, it’s a big show this week, a lot for the pony riders are out here watching which is great. There’s not a better facility, no better footing, everything about this place is top notch. As I said to Hugh Kincannon, Roy who tends to the footing is second to none. He’s someone you want on your staff and everyone here is like that. This place is second to none.”
RESULTS
$50,000 Kentucky Summer Grand Prix
Place / Horse / Rider / Country / R1 Faults | Time / R2 Faults | Time
1. MTM Flutterby / Brian Moggre / USA / 0 | 77.336 / 0 | 44.727
2. Glasgow De Muze / Jimmy Torano / USA / 0 | 79.774 / 0 | 44.857
3. Carlos JD Z / Darragh Kerins / IRL / 0 | 82.108 / 0 | 47.810
4. Christiaan / Callie Schott / USA / 0 | 82.461 /0 | 49.960
5. Ukulman De La Nutria / Celso Ariani / BRA / 0 | 79.893 / 4 | 45.332
6. Oso Del Terriccio / Diego Perez Bilbao / ESP / 0 | Time / 4 | 45.470
7. Zarina De Vidau / Samantha Schaefer / USA / R1 Faults | Time
8. Le Vio / Pablo Barrios / BRA / 4 | 75.351
9. Shiver / Liza Finsness / USA / 4 | 78.509
10. Javas Miss Jordan / Nicky Galligan / IRL / 4 | 78.702
11. Helios / Diego Perez Bilbao / ESP / 4 | 81.025
12. Win For Life 111Z / Spencer Brittan / USA / 4 | 81.441