Kenny dominates Open Welcome Stake
Toolbox
Published: July 11, 2009
EAST DORSET — Darragh Kenny of Ireland won the $10,000 Betsey Johnson Open Welcome Stake on Friday at the Vermont Summer Festival Horse Show.
The luck of the Irish was certainly with the 21-year-old rider hailing from County Offaly as he not only won Friday's featured event at the Vermont Summer Festival, but also placed third and fourth.
A total of seven horses were guided to clear rounds over the track set by course designer Anthony D'Ambrosio of Red Hook, N.Y., to advance to the jump-off. As the second to last rider to challenge the jump-off, Kenny posted a clear round in a time of 34.74 seconds to take over the lead from Jimmy Torano of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who had the day's only other double clear, but in a slower time of 36.67 seconds. When a rail fell for the final challenger, Amanda Flint of Long Valley, N.J., and VDL Theresa Lady, the win was Kenny's.
"He is so careful, and has so much jump," said Kenny of his winning mount, Obelix, owned by Agatha D'Ambra of Trade Winds Farm. Kenny only began riding the 13-year-old bay gelding two weeks earlier and showed him at the Lake Placid Horse Show.
Kenny, who represented Ireland at the 2007 European Young Riders' Championship, first came to the United States two years ago after winning a bursary at the Dublin Horse Show to train with Missy Clark and John Brennan of North Run Stables in Warren, Vt. He enjoyed the experience so much that, this past winter, he returned to work with them during the winter circuit in Wellington, Fla., and is now based with them indefinitely.
Kenny finished third with Bazooka de Muze, an eight-year-old chestnut gelding, and fourth with Gael Force, an 11-year-old bay Irish-bred gelding. Both horses are owned by North Run Stables.
Torano and Kenny will duel it out in Sunday's $30,000 Battenkill Grand Prix. Between Torano and his wife, Danielle, they will have several horses entered as will Kenny, who plans to compete with four horses.
Running through to Aug. 9, the six-week Vermont Summer Festival is the largest "AA" rated hunter/jumper horse show in New England, as well as the richest sporting event based on purse in the state of Vermont offering more than $750,000 in prize money.
The Festival operates daily from Wednesday through Sunday, beginning at 8 a.m. and running until approximately 4 p.m. every day. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children, Wednesday through Saturday, and $7 for adults and $5 for children on Grand Prix Sunday.
All gate receipts are donated to the Friends Foundation for Manchester Elementary and Middle Schjool.
For more information about the Vermont Summer Festival, please e-mail: info@vt-summerfestival.com or visit www.vt-summerfestival.com.
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