With the top scores in both the first and second round, Ella Dalton and Simply Irresistible rode away with the win in Saturday’s $2,500 3’6” Junior Hunter Classic, sponsored by Free Ride Equestrian.
Dalton and the 13-year-old Hanoverian gelding kicked off the class at Desert Circuit 1 with a first-round score off 88, and the pair only further cemented their victory with a score of 85 in round two for a 173 total score. Second place in the class, with an overall score of 171, went to Madison Wu aboard her own Barman des Ponts. Taking home third place were Katharine Reuter and Day Won with a score of 168.
Ella Dalton and Simply Irresistible. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“I felt like the course rode really well,” said Dalton of the track set in Hunter 2 at the Desert International Horse Park. “I found a good jump to the first jump. [Simply Irresistible] likes going forward. If I find all the jumps on a nice rhythm, and then just help him off the ground a little bit, he’ll always jump a 10. He’s so perfect.”
Dalton has been partnered with Simply Irresistible – owned by Kate Parker and currently leased by Dalton Equestrian LLC – for the past six months, and she has meshed quickly with the gelding.
Now, the 11th grader who trains with Bridgeport Farms, has her sights set on concluding her junior career with a successful final year – and she is off to a good start. In addition to the Classic win, Dalton and Simply Irresistible – or “Romeo” as he is known in the barn – also earned the 3’6” Small Junior Hunter division championship.
Ella Dalton and Simply Irresistible. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
“I just want to stay consistent with [Simply Irresistible],” concluded Dalton. “He had a very successful junior career with [Kate Parker], and I’m so happy to be riding him now.”
To find complete results for the $2,500 3’6” Junior Hunter Classic, sponsored by Free Ride Equestrian, click here.