Fla. rider wins Open Jumper title

Todd Minikus of Lake Worth, Fla., was the winner of the $50,000 Idle Dice Opener Jumper Stake, claiming the first-place prize of $15,000 Saturday at the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair.

Riding Pavarotti, Minikus was the only one of four finalists to ride a clean jump-off round (no faults). He was the fourth and final rider in the jump-off round.

"I was fortunate to go last and it was the luck of the draw," Minikus said. "At that point all the cards are on the table and it's your event to lose."

This is the second-largest stake class at the show, surpassed only by the $100,000 Wells Fargo Grand Prix, which was contested on Thursday, with Kevin Babington of Gwynedd Valley earning the first prize of $30,000.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward of Brewster, N.Y., riding Rothchild, earned the $11,000 second-place prize on Saturday.

Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, N.J., riding Bradberry, claimed the third-place prize of $6,500. Chapot also earned the award for leading rider.

"It's a great feeling to do well enough all week to be the leading rider," Chapot said.

The fourth-place prize of $4,000 went to Nicholas Dello Joio of Wellington, Fla., riding Scarface.

The top 12 finishers earned prizes, with the 10th, 11th and 12th each earning $1,000.

The Devon Horse Show will conclude on Sunday.

In the first round, the riders had to complete 16 jumping efforts in a time of 80 seconds or less with no faults in order to advance. Chapot had the best first round, finishing in 68.384 seconds.

Dello Joio was the second to advance, with a time of 76.920 seconds.

The third rider to qualify for the finals was Ward, who finished the first round in 75.229 seconds.

Minkus was the fourth and final rider to qualify for the finals, in a time of 74.904 seconds.

In the jump-off round, the riders had to complete a shorter course. The first-round scores were wiped away as the riders all began even.

The cleanest rider (fewest faults) would be the winner but if more than one were clean, then it would be the fastest time. Minikus was the only rider to have a clean second round.

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