JANUARY 24th, 2014 – WELLINGTON, FL – To the casual observer sitting ringside at this morning’s Platinum Performance USEF Talent Search class, it would probably be very difficult to pick a decisive winner. With 37 entries in the class, many of whom have already won this and other big equitation classes in the past, there was no obvious victor. If you ask judge Linda Andrisani, her top three picks for the class were separated by the smallest of details in both their over fences rounds and flatwork.

Spencer Smith ended up taking home the blue ribbon for the class aboard Beau Van Het Keysershof. For Andrisani, it was his flawless round that had him in first going into the flat.

“We were ecstatic with his first round,” Andrisani exclaimed. “Spencer really rode the course from start to finish beautifully.”

Smith maintained his lead on the flat, which is where Andrisani says second place finisher Lillie Keenan may have had a chance to move up in the ribbons.

“Lillie is elegant at all times,” Andrisani assured. “She had a flawless round, but she left the door open a little bit when her horse skipped out after the water jump.” Andrisani is referring to when Keenan’s mount, Clearway, gave a bit of a buck during his lead change on the back side of the final fence. “Spencer had the edge coming into the flat; Lillie could have closed it up on him, but I thought he just really out shined them all over the jumps.”

Andrisani emphasized that when riders are at this caliber, it is tiny details like Clearways’ playfulness on the backside of the fence that can decide who comes out on top. “That was a tie-breaker,” Andrisani said.

It was the flat phase of the Talent Search that put Tori Colvin and Incalan into third behind Smith and Keenan, according to Andrisani.

“All three navigated the course extremely well,” Andrasani said, “but when it came to the flat, Tori’s horse was a little uncooperative with his head carriage in the transitions. I love her; she’s such a natural. The horses love her, but he just kept resisting her when she had to make transitions. That’s what splits it up.”

For top two finishers Smith and Keenan, the Talent Search is a welcome change from the other big equitation divisions. “I like that it has the idea of jumpers behind it,” Smith said of the Talent Search. “It makes you want to be a strong rider, and the jumps are a little bit bigger than the Maclays and everything like that so it makes you really have to ride.”

Keenan, who has won 19 Talent Search classes to date, appreciates the continuity between this class and the bigger jumper divisions. “I like that the Talent Search really acts as a bridge between the equitation and jumper rings,” Keenan said. “The USET is timed and the fences are just a little bit bigger, so it has more of a jumper nature, which I think is great practice. It’s good to feel like you can transfer those skills into the other rings.”

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Ann Glavan
Reporting from Wellington, Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, Wellington, Florida
Friday, January 24, 2014 :: Posted 10:59:23 PM CST

Original article from: http://www.phelpssports.com/viewarticle.php?id=10010553