Kim Farlinger takes $25,000 Grand Prix Sunday

August 11, 2017 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
It wasn’t a bad weekend for Orangeville’s Kim Farlinger, but it could have been better.
Farlinger won Sunday’s $25,000 Summer Festival Grand Prix event, presented by Mckee-Pownall Equine Services at Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, riding Stanley Stone.
The pair could have also won Friday’s $10,000 Open Welcome. They were the fastest of the 18 entries on the course, but they knocked down a rail on the very first jump, and the four resulting faults meant they were out of the jump-off, settling instead for 10th place.
Friday’s event was won by Jim Ifko from Calgary, riding a very swift mount named Un Diamant Des Forets. Hugh Graham from Schomberg was the only one of the seven other competitors in the jump-off to come close to Ifko’s time, riding Knock Out 3E, but they were just 0.13 seconds off the winning pace of 38.41 seconds, settling for second.
This was Ifko’s first appearance at the Palgrave facility, and he had two mounts that jumped clean in the opening round Friday, advancing to the jump-off on Vera De La Roque, but it took them 40.29 seconds to complete the second round.
Third place Friday was taken by Hyde Moffatt of Brantford, riding BreezeBy, and fourth place went to Veronica Bot of Burlington, on Quidam’s Caprice M.
Ifko agreed after’s Friday’s award presentations that he did have a fast mount, adding he understood that was going to be needed to compete in Ontario, and the nine-year-old French stallion was up to the job.
“I knew how fast everyone in Ontario rides, so I knew what I was in for,” he remarked.
He was also impressed with getting to compete at Palgrave, having been aware that the Pan American Games took place there two years ago.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “It exceeded my expectations.”
Sunday’s course was a lot more demanding, as only five entries were able to get to the jump-off. Farlinger and Stanley Stone were the first to go out for the second round, and they clearly meant business, completing the course cleanly in 39.38 seconds. No one else was able to do it in less than 40 seconds, and Moffatt, again aboard BreezeBy was the only one to jump clear.
“I think the course designer did a really good job today,” she remarked.
She also said she wanted to make up for the frustration of Friday.
“I was a bit hungry today,” she said.
The 12-year-old warmblood gelding is owned by Alan Chesler, and Farlinger has been having a successful season with him.
“I’m fortunate to get to ride Stanley,” she remarked, adding he’s “very careful, very competitive.”