A light midday rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of the TAKE2 Thoroughbred League members, who gathered at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington Sunday for this year’s $20,000 TAKE2 Hunter and Jump Finals. A total of 35 horses from 14 states participated in the event, which has been held at the Kentucky National Horse Show since its debut in 2019. To repeat last year’s results, MVP won entry to the General. TAKE2 Hunter and Riley won the Ultimate TAKE2 Jumper.
“It’s been a pleasure to see purebred teams from all over the country compete,” said MVP owner/racer Tess Fortune. “This is my third year in the Finals, and I’ve had a great time every year.”
The MVP briefly raced unsuccessfully under the name of Captain Kit before retiring through the Illinois Thoroughbred Riders Association’s Gallop program. The boy was adopted by Fortune when he was 3 years old in 2014 and the two have been life partners ever since.
“He’s amazing, I just love him,” said the Kentucky horseman, who trains with Chris Bennings. “I started him at the beginning and finished all the work with him. He was the horse of a lifetime.”
MVP was in his game on Sunday, taking the lead after the first round and staying steady in the second round with a total of 161. The reserve champion in the TAKE2 Hunters Finals was Mo Bandit, 11 age, who retired after the game. Races, a thoroughbred rehabilitation and rehabilitation center in Maryland. Mo Bandit is owned and ridden by Melissa Rega and coached by David Beisel. All business in the ring, he has a different personality when not competing.
Rega said: “Mo Bandit, aka Mobie, will be seen as the clown in the cage. “He has a lot of personality and he demands attention with his humorous antics and playful behavior. Mobie always shows up and does his best with whatever is asked of him. . He really has the heart of a pureblood.”
Rega added, “TAKE2 is bringing Thoroughbred back into the national spotlight by promoting these classes at USEF sanctioned shows. Being part of the League gives us the goal of working all year to accumulate more. earn points and qualify for the Finals. TAKE2 offers owners and trainers an opportunity to stand out and be recognized.”
There were three people in the TAKE2 Parachute Final. Kathryn Currey and A Lil Evil, last year’s reserve champions, sped around the field on just one track to establish speed. Cyanea Robine and Riley also shared the same track, but both were only a few paces faster and won the championship belt again. Robine was also named this year’s Top TAKE2 Young Rider of the Year, presented by American Charity Thoroughbred, in the Jumper division. She trains with Megan O’Dwyer Thiel.
“I set high standards for myself, so there was an expectation that since we won last year we could do it again,” said Robine. “It’s also been a year, and Riley and I have learned a lot from each other. I’m a better rider than last year, I’ve ridden a lot of different horses, and that helped me envision Riley a lot. more. “
Riley, who goes by the Jockey Club name Pic Me First, had a couple of less-than-impressive workouts at the Delta Downs before it was decided he wasn’t out of racing. The 13-year-old has been on the USEF circuit for three years when he and Georgian-born Robine teamed up in early 2020.
“He’s not an easy horse to ride,” she remarked. “Like many purebloods, he can be quirky. He’s quick, but you can’t use too many hands or he’ll get mad. I need to find that balance with him and I think I found it this year.”
She added, “I love Thoroughbreds because their personalities are amazing. They are so sweet. My horse is very cuddly in the stable, he lays down a lot and he is happy to let you lie with him. That really gives you a chance to connect with your horse. I’ve ridden Thoroughbreds all my life and they taught me to be the rider I am today. They may not be perfect but they are. wanted to please and they worked hard, and that’s the important thing.”
Robine is a staunch supporter of Purebred and TAKE2. “I hope more and more people learn about TAKE2, because it’s a great show,” she said.
The TAKE2 Hunter and Jumper Finals title honors rider Rick Violette Jr., who created the TAKE2 show in 2012, but sadly lost his battle with cancer a year before the first Finals. was held in 2019.
“I wish Rick could be here to see how the TAKE2 Program has grown, and to see the talent and enthusiasm of the horses, owners and riders and coaches competing in the race. finals,” said TAKE2 CEO Andy Belfiore. “Every year, the quality of the competition gets better and better and more people get the chance to see how successful Thoroughbreds are in the world of sport. TAKE2 was created to show that Horses are. Thoroughbreds are great runners and are fun to ride, and Retired Racehorses have a lot to offer once they’ve left the track. is the mission TAKE2 is on.”
Help TAKE2 Celebrate 10 Years Supporting Racehorses Retired!
Join the Cause: With the generous help of sponsors Len Green and Green Group, Patricia Hurter, Kyle Emmich, NYTB/NYSTBDF, Michael Sternklar and TERF, TAKE2’s “Perfect 10” campaign has raised 77,783 dollars and are on track to meet our goal of raising $10,000 a month for 10 months on our 10th anniversary. We encourage members of the Thoroughbred, Show, and Sportshorse communities to follow the lead of our supporters and honor the anniversary with donations of any size. which tissue.
Posting on Social Media: Throughout the campaign, TAKE2 will feature surprise sponsors and celebrity ambassadors on our social media platforms. All owners of retired racehorses turned hunters/divers are also invited to share pictures of their horses on TAKE2’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts with the hashtag # TAKE2Happy10th.
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If you have any questions, please contact the organization that produced the release.
