Marylisa Leffler & Zaza Z Zoom to Win $7,500 Welcome Stake at Ocala

By Jumper News Branches on January 11, 2022

Ocala, Florida — January 07, 2022 — Weekend feature classes at the 2022 AIR Show Jumping Winter Classic kicked off Friday, January 7, 2022 at the Florida Horse Park. The boutique, exhibitor-focused event is in its third annual year and boasts two weeks of top hunter, jumper, and equitation competition in the heart of Ocala, Florida. In addition to USEF rating, the show also offers multiple USHJA outreach and green horse classes and will now host a variety of WCHR-rated divisions during its second week. Top jumper riders lined up to contest Chris Barnard’s course in the Grand Prix for the $7,500 Welcome Stake while hunter riders donned their shadbellies for the day’s $5,000 USHJA National Derby.

Out of a field of 13, Rolling Acres’ Marylisa Leffler was the best of only a small handful of entries to go double clear.

Leffler (USA) piloted Rolling Acres’ 11-year-old Warmblood (Zandor Z x Cocaine Z) mare Zaza Z firmly into the top position with an efficient and tidy immediate jump-off round. “She just tries to be a winner, she goes in every class to try and win,” gushed Leffler. “I think the course was big enough and the oxers were square, which was nice because sometimes the open Welcome courses can be a bit smaller and it is then more shocking for the horses that are then competing in the grand prix.”

The reserve honors went to young professional Marquee Cincotta (USA) aboard Deanna Morphy’s 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Banderas x L’Esprit) Bandessaro. Wrapping up the podium positions was previous event-rider and Ocala local Justine Dutton on her own 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Lexicon x Cartheng) Everse W.