JANUARY 31st, 2014 – WELLINGTON, FL – While some of the rings at the Winter Equestrian Festival today more closely resembled lakes, yesterday’s heavy rains did not stop the show today. Twelve riders competed in the Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search class this morning, with Spencer Smith taking home the blue ribbon for the second week in a row aboard Beau Van Het Keysershof.

Despite there being quite a few scratches from the class this morning, Smith had no complaints regarding the conditions in the ring. “The footing held up really nicely I think in the ring,” Smith said. “It was a nice course, kind of loose, and nothing too tricky.”

While there were no surprises on course for Smith, he admits he did not expect on of the movements the judges called for during the flat phase: a simple change of lead, to be done directly in front of the judge’s stand.

“They called for that, and I was like “Oh nooo!” Smith joked. “But it worked out nice, it wasn’t too hard, and my horse did it well.” Smith came down to the trot before picking up the opposite lead, though some of the other riders, most notably Colvin, came all the way down to a walk. “I was debating, but I did the trot,” Smith explained.

Tori Colvin explained her choice to walk for the maneuver. “I was always trained that the simple change is to the walk,” Colvin said. Colvin was not expecting to be asked for the movement, either. “We haven’t had that yet in the USET, I would have liked a flying change better,” Colvin admitted. “But the simple was something different, it was nice to have something different.”

For judges Jimmy Torano and Rachel Kennedy, it was not important whether or not riders walked or trotted- what mattered was how promptly and smoothly the move was executed.

“We were just looking to see how smoothly they could do that in front of us,” Torano explained. “Some did it a little too soon, some did it not very well, but the better riders I thought did it very well.”

Some observers of the Talent Search class may have been surprised to hear Tori Colvin called in second after the flat phase, since she had tipped a rail down on course with Stallone VDL. Torano explains that having a rail in the USET knocks you down in the placing’s, but not out.

“Rails are a deduction of points, so she got points deducted from her. It knocks you down. She’s a very nice rider but there were other nice riders in the class, and it I think she fell into the right spot she belonged.”

Colvin said she needed to get Stallone VDL more lively to keep him from rubbing the rails. “I was told I had to get him more riled up and excited out there,” Colvin explained. “He was just too tired and he went in there kind of dead.”

Wondering what the top two finishers in the Talent Search did with their day off from showing yesterday? “I went surfing, no riding,” Smith smiled. The 17-year-old Wellington native said being near the ocean is one of the many things he loves about living in Florida. “I love living here, it’s the best place to be!” Smith said.

The rain did not bother Loxahatchee resident Tori Colvin in the slightest. “I like the rain!” Colvin said. “I was riding in the rain at the barn, and I got soaked! It started to rain and I just didn’t put on my jacket, I was like ‘who cares’”, Colvin laughed.

Tori says the weather does not mess up her schedule, no matter how extreme. “I went to school and rode, that was my whole day. That was it. Normal day,” Tori said. “Doesn’t matter if it’s raining, doesn’t matter if it’s snowing!” joked Colvin.

While Colvin does not mind a little water, her jumper that she rode in the rain yesterday did. “The whole ring was full of puddles, and only my jumper who doesn’t like the water cared, Don Juan. He doesn’t like walking in puddles at all,” Colvin laughed. “But it was good water training!”

Check back with Phelps Sports for more coverage from the equitation rings at the Winter Equestrian Festival.

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Ann Glavan for PhelpsSports.com
Reporting from Wellington, Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, Wellington, Florida
Friday, January 31, 2014 :: Posted 01:13:12 PM CST

Original Article from: http://phelpssports.com/viewarticle.php?id=10010639