Martin wins first $50,000 grand prix

Locals and competitors alike gathered on a near-perfect Sunday as 19 horses squared off for Horse Shows In The Sun's first Grand Prix jumper event of the five-week competition. Carrying a $50,000 purse, the Grand Prix is the finale to each week's show and attracts the best talent, according to Gareth Lloyd, patron of the sport.

"You need - good stock, a heck of a lot of talent from horse and rider, and a little luck," Lloyd said.

That talent was evident as Jenni Martin from Apex, N.C., riding Rio Grande edged Yerington's Julie White and her horse Sunrise by a little more than a half a second in the second and final round of Sunday's event.

The goal of the competition is to cover the course with no faults (penalties) within the time allowed. Faults are given when any part of a fence is knocked down, when a horse steps on the edge of a water jump, refuses to jump a fence, or exceeds the time allowed to complete the course.

Once the first round of competitors completes the course, those with no first round faults or penalty points return for a jump-off. The course is shortened and heightened, and the horse completing the course with the fastest time and fewest penalties wins.

Each week a designer creates a different course. This week's course was designed by Conrad Homfield, winner of the 1984 silver medal for the United States in this sport.

"He's brilliant, one of our best," owner/trainer Joan Curtis of Dallas said. "He is absolutely meticulous."

She said the creation of the course is an art, and characteristics as subtle as the horses' stride or temperament can affect how he/she will do on a particular course.

"Horses like to jump solid looking faces," Curtis said, noting that suspended bars are more difficult for them. Broader jumps, for example over water, can be tough because horses sometimes have a hard time telling where they should start their jump. And they can easily lose their concentration if the last jump faces toward the gate.

Curtis drove from Dallas for the event. She wasn't too crazy about the commute but she loves the local scenery.

"It's beautiful here. I love your weather, but it took us three days to get here," she said.

And while this show is a little smaller than most HITS shows she has attended, she feels this show has the potential to be as big as any of them.

The shows, she said, can be a major boon for local economies.

Located off Stockyard Road just north of Minden, the show grounds are open Wednesday through Sunday from 8 a.m. until about 4 p.m. each day. Show jumping events are held daily and the Grand Prix will be on Sundays at 1 p.m. The first four carry a $50,000 purse, and the last carries a $100,000 purse. Admission is free Wednesday through Saturday. Sunday admission is $5 per person, and children are admitted free.