NORTH SALEM, N.Y.--After his victory in the $65,000 New York Welcome Stake at Old Salem Farm Spring on May 10, five-time Olympic medalist McLain Ward won the $75,000 Welcome Stake for the second time. on Friday, May 16, this time on Snapchat Van De Broekkant Z.
McLain Ward on Snapchat Van De Broekkant Z (Photo by SEL Photoraphy)Alan Wade se tthe course for 42 entries from nine with 15 advancing to the jump-off and six going clean again.
Ward went first in both rounds, and, despite Snapchat’s inexperience at this level, set a time of 32.62 with a clean round in the jump-off that couldn't be caught.
“Today just shows the level of sport we have here at Old Salem,” Ward said. “When we’re down in Florida, we always say that we have a lot of strong classes, and it’s great to see that level here in our home community. Snapchat is a young horse that we’ve been bringing along; this was actually his biggest competition to date. He jumped a brilliant clear, and I know he’s a fast horse. I just set my plan, and everything worked out because he was so game. Sometimes, in this position, it’s good to make all the rest chase you."
“YOU'RE ALWAYS a bit nervous when you have riders like Mark Bluman, Jordan Coyle, and Daniel Bluman coming behind you,” he said. “They’re very fast riders, and they’re all brave enough to try no matter what. I think Mark was a bit unlucky, actually, but they were all very close. That’s the nature of the sport. Sometimes you’re on the winning side, and sometimes you get caught.”
Colombia’s Mark Bluman beat Ward’s time with S&L Maracana’, finishing in 31.97 seconds,, but rail down left him seventh with the fastest four-fault score.
Daniel Bluman of Israel and Jordan Coyle of Ireland were both clean and just hundredths of a second apart.
Bluman finished second on Landon De Nyze in 32.71), while Coyle was third on For Gold in 32.78.
“Snapchat is done for this weekend,” Ward said. “I’m really proud that he stepped up and handled this well, and I don’t want to overtax him. We have a great mare going tomorrow, Princess Dalou H, and then my old partner, Callas, will handle the Grand Prix on Sunday. We’re looking forward to a great weekend.”
Earlier in the day, McKayla Langmeier on Jiselle NS won the $25,000 Old Salem Farm Jumper Classic.
Of the 17 in the jump-off, Langmeier set an early time to beat, clean in 29.936 seconds, that no one could match.
“Knowing that we were going so early, I decided to just give it our best shot and try to be as competitive as we could. She really loves to run,” Langmeier said. “She’s a great, fast horse. We’ve had her since she was 6 years old. She’s just come up through the ranks with us, and she’s been really wonderful every step of the way.”
Jonathan Corrigan of Ireland on Darius De Kerglenn was second in 30.404 seconds, and Brian Moggre on Qatar was third in 30.870 seconds.
The Spring Horse Shows also celebrated the grooms with Friday evening’s $5,000 Old Salem Farm Groom’s Class, presented by McLain Ward, Inc., with sections for both hunter and jumper grooms.
Olga Kruglova won the jumper section for her care of Ward’s Louboutin Z, ridden by Baylee McKeever of Brewster, N.Y., in the 1.35m Junior/Amateur Jumper division.
David Valdivia won in the hunter section with Remedy, ridden by Stella Propp of New York, N.Y., in the Amateur-Owner Hunter 3’3” 18-35 division.
