Gavin Moylan rides Coldplay to win in $30,000 George L. Ohrstrom Jr. Grand Prix at Lexington Spring Encore

By Phelps Media Group, Inc.

Gavin Moylan rode his own Coldplay on May 6 to top honors in the $30,000 George L. Ohrstrom Jr. Grand Prix. Moylan and Coldplay navigated a difficult course designed by Alan Wade to best the field of 17 riders, one of only two pairs to return to the jump-off. Katie Swindler riding Alice was the other to earn a jump-off spot. Rounding out the top three was Andrea Torres Guerreiro riding Emilia.

Moylan said, “I just wanted to go quick enough and put some pressure on Katie, but I generally wanted to go clean. My horse handled it great! Standing around watching the rest of the class, I almost had the impression I was going to win without having to go in the jump off. When Katie went clean the first round I had to kind of get my mind back together a little bit and make sure I was prepared to go and do it.”

Moylan is no stranger to the Virginia Horse Center, and has been competing for the past 10 years. Moylan said, “I just loved it this last two weeks, everything about the show is great. They’ve worked on the footing a lot, the jumps were nice, the course designer was fabulous, the management team is great. I just had a really wonderful experience there. The Grand Prix win was the cherry on top!”

The second week of the Lexington Spring Festival, the Lexington Spring Encore, also included the Virgnia Horse Center Hunter Classic on Friday, May 5. Jason Berry piloted EMO Stables’ Belle Glos to the win, receiving a total score of 177 to earn the blue.

“She’s a phenomenal ride,” Berry said of the mare. “There’s not much to do because she knows all the tricks. She’s a good-hearted mare and she tries hard. She’s definitely one you can count on.”

The pair navigated the course set in the Wiley Arena to a first round score of 86 and a second round score of 91. Berry said, “It was a really nice course to ride, a lot of open canters, there was an eight- and a 10-stride line, and there was even a two stride in there. The footing in the Wiley ring at the Horse Center is really good, you have the option of setting whatever and it would be accomplishable. It was a super course to ride.”

Berry has been competing at the Virginia Horse Center for years, and is pleased with all of the updates that have taken place at the facility. He commented, “They’ve been working with Allen Reinheimer on the footing and that’s been super. I think this year was the best year. Every year the footing has gotten better and better.”