ShowBiz Feature
100 Grand Prix Wins!!
Richard Spooner Makes West Coast History
Story and Photos by Kathy Hobstetter
Featured
Professional
Richard Spooner, riding Ezrah for S&B LLC
Corp, galloped across the finish line in a super fast
time to set his own record by winning 100 Grand
Prix in his career. Beating thirty other competitors
in the Ariat $25,000 Grand Prix at Thermal,
Spooner was all smiles as he took of his hat and
saluted the Bardis family, partners on the horse.
Early in the class, Chris Pratt riding Airtime for C&S Partnership, set
a blazing fast time of 64.793 and it looked like it would be impossible
to catch. John Pearce, on Forest View Farms Archie Bunker, took a
shot at it and slipped over the jumps in a very forward gallop, but
missed the time coming in at 67.175.
Then Spooner, in his typical ‘Master of the Faster’ mock speed,
laid down the super clear round in a fast 62.175. The last rider to go,
Katherine Bardis on C&S Partnership Mademoiselle, had the crowd
on edge as the end of the course came quickly and the clock looked
like it may just beat Richard. But the final time was just a tad off the
fast winning pace.
“To win 100 Grand Prix’s in a career is a milestone I personally
never thought I would ever achieve. When you start riding the big
jumps, that number is way off somewhere and not even in the
Richard Spooner
conversation. Now that I have that behind me I can get on with
“To win 100 Grand
Prix’s in a career is a
milestone I personally
never thought I would
ever achieve. When you
start riding the big jumps,
that number is way off
somewhere and not even in
the conversation.”
51
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