Wilhelm Genn and Happy Z win Gulf Coast Week Finale Grand Prix © Flashpoint Photography

PENSACOLA, FL (February 25, 2006) — “I’ve had a very happy time at the Gulf Coast!” exclaimed owner-rider Wilhelm Genn of Lebanon, OH, after claiming the top two spots in the $25,000 Grand Prix finale presented by Nutrena this evening.

The evening’s festivities began with 1976 US Olympic veteran Dennis Murphy giving the full house a walk through of the jump field and explanation on some of the various elements involved in the event. Following was the mounted color guard from local 4-H club Beulah Bit and Spur. Rachel Hudson presented the American flag, Beth Boyd the Florida state flag, Sheriden Lord the 4-H flag, and Lexi Miller waved the Bit and Spur club flag. Justin McCarty had a special presentation of the United States Marine Corps flag in memory of Jonathan Ross Spears, a resident of Molino, FL, who was killed in Iraq recently. During the first and second rounds the 4-H club’s mounted drill team provided a demonstration of their talents to the audience.

Tonight’s field of 17 competitors ranged from well-seasoned pros to some very young amateurs, including 14 year-old Katherine LeBlanc of Folsom, LA, making her Grand Prix debut. Genn was no doubt the busiest rider with five mounts in the event. Course designer Allen Rheinheimer’s first track of 13 obstacles was clearly a test for the thinking rider with rollbacks, including one that lead into a line of three big oxers as well as tight, almost blind hard turns into tall verticals throughout the layout and a time allowance of 89 seconds. “Allen built a great course! A challenge, as it should be at this level. He (Allen) thinks about every turn, every bending line,” Genn commented.

First to make it clean over the course was crowd favorite Bill Lowry and Rio Corde, the 9 year-old Hessian gelding owned by Winsor Farm Sales, Inc. with a time of 80.139. Only three other horses followed Lowry and Rio into the jump off. “Nice but tricky,” Bill said of the track, “the distance from fence 1 to 2 was difficult as well as the vertical to the in and out! That was a complicated line.” The next to go clear was Lord Bryon, the 11 year-old Holsteiner gelding owned and ridden by Michael Tokaruk, with a time of 84.049. The final two joining Lowry were Wilhelm Genn’s Happy Z, the 8 year-old Dutch Warmblood mare in 83.996, and Ariado, the 9 year-old Holsteiner gelding in 87.308 seconds.

Rheinheimer continued the theme of twist and turns in the “Dash for Cash” layout of 7 efforts in 46 seconds, starting off with a triple bar and sprinting toward a tall narrow vertical with a quick rollback into another tall vertical. “It was tough, you never had a second to breath and regroup. Everything came up fast and you had a lot of tight turns. You really had to be right on it. But you got four very good horses in the end,” Michael Tokaruk spoke of the jump off.

Happy Z and Wilhelm were the best of those four tonight with a fast 32.147 final time. “There was no room to relax but I had a lot of fun” he said of the pair’s performance. Wilhelm also took second place honors with Ariado in an equally quick time of 32.720. Bill Lowry and Rio Corde had the third position with a time of 35.193. Michael Tokaruk and Lord Bryon finished up fourth with 4 faults in 33.884 seconds. And rounding out the top five was owner-rider Mary Elizabeth Moore piloting the 10 year-old American Thoroughbred gelding Trillion as the fastest 4 faulter from round one in a time of 80.380.

Co-Chairman of the Gulf Coast Winter Series Bob Bell said of this year’s venue, “The local community has been so supportive of this event coming in. Their hospitality has been just wonderful. And our exhibitors are just the best! The loyalty and help they’ve given to ensure the winter series continues, there just aren’t words to express what they mean to both Janet and I. It’s been a great series for everyone.” He added, “We’re already looking ahead to next year and it’s only going to get better!”

For more information or results on the Gulf Coast Winter Series visit www.ClassicCompany.com or call the show office at (850) 944-7703.