Late Entry had the timing just right at the $45,200 AHJF Hunter Classic Spectacular of Palm Beach, held Feb. 18 at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Fla.

Piloted by Sandy Ferrell, the bay, Holsteiner gelding jumped two beautiful rounds over J.P. Goddard’s flowing courses for a total score of 173.68. They edged defending champions Costello and Louise Serio (172.81) and junior rider Hardin Towell, who guided Take Away to third place (171.50). With a capacity crowd in attendance on a beautiful Florida evening, 33 contenders qualified to compete over two rounds in the 10th anniversary of the feature event of the American Hunter Jumper Foundation.

The courses received rave reviews. With lines of 10 or 11 strides and many single fences, they allowed the veteran horses to show their boldness with tighter turns and a more galloping stride, while also keeping the green horses confident.

In general, the horses jumped well, and there were few problems, although Serio’s first ride, Marshall, had a rail and amateur-owner rider Caroline Moran misjudged the first fence with Pave and voluntarily withdrew.

A strong contingent of young junior riders contested the class for the first time, including Jessica Springsteen, 13, Jennifer Waxman, 14, and Alexandra Arute, 14. Springsteen, of Colts Neck, N.J., showed exemplary style and placed 10th aboard Sublime with a score of 83 in the first round. Eight judges presided, paired in four places around the Internationale Arena. They included Sue Ashe, Archie Cox, Cynthia Hankins, Mark Jungherr, Julie Winkel, Susan Barret, Shane George and Joan Boyce.

Junior riders Towell, 17, and Addison Phillips, 16, each had brilliant first rounds aboard their two mounts and were the only riders to qualify two horses for the second round, which invited the top eight to return.

After the first round, Socrates and Phillips led the way with 87.5 points, followed by first year green horse Fiyero and Pamela Polk. They posted the same total, but a lower score from the judges at position No. 1, the tie-breaking score, put them second.

Unlike previous years, the scores were extremely close, with no one taking command and few scores in the 90s. Costello and Serio lay third with 87.06, and Late Entry was fourth with 86.68.

With the second year green horses returning first to jump 3’9″, both Late Entry and Costello posted scores that couldn’t be topped. “Wow! This felt really good—I’m still in shock,” said Ferrell.

Ferrell, 38, Bernville, Pa., has known the 7-year-old Late Entry since his pre-green year and was incredibly proud of his performance. “He has all the talent,” she said grinning. “When he puts it all together, he just feels so wonderful.”

When trainer Ginny Edwards was searching for a junior hunter for student Sarah Chovnick last fall, Ferrell recommended Late Entry. The Chovnicks purchased him in October and have been thrilled to have him as part of their Prime Time Show Stables of Upperville, Va. “It’s just been a great match,” said Edwards. “Sandy’s ridden for me for years—so I know to listen to her!”

Serio, Kennett Square, Pa., said Shaw Johnson Price’s elegant bay Costello rose to the occasion yet again. “Being the veteran, it’s fun to gallop and jump and be challenged by it,” she said. “He was just great.”

Towell, the 2005 WCHR National Junior Champion, came closest to catching the professionals. Riding Cortie Wetherill’s Take Away for the first time ever in this class, he improved his first-round score with a bolder second ride.

“I felt like I had nothing to lose,” said Towell smiling. “I was standing seventh, so I thought if I chip the worst I could be was eighth.”

Towell’s beautiful ride was rewarded with the highest score of round 2 (87.5) as he and the 10-year-old, Oldenburg gelding moved up to claim third.

Towell also placed sixth aboard his own Blink, a 6-year-old, Dutch Warmblood gelding in his first full year of showing. The game liver chestnut pulled a shoe after the first fence in the first round but still jumped beautifully. Just a year ago, Blink attended the Winter Equestrian Festival but was so overwhelmed by the environment that he didn’t make it into the show ring until the final week.

Phillips and Socrates had a few small mistakes in the second round to score 83.12 and place fifth, while Fiyero and Polk also dropped down to finish fourth with a score of 83.87.

Phillips’ second mount, Who’s On First, placed seventh with 169.62.

Teri Kessler, of Bedford Corners, N.Y., was the highest-placed amateur-owner rider in eighth place aboard Pavarotti (167.25). She was the only amateur to qualify for the second round.

Results:

1. Late Entry/Sandy Ferrell/173.68
2. Costello/Louise Serio/172.81
3. Take Away/Hardin Towell/171.50
4. Fiyero/Pamela Polk/171.37
5. Socrates/Addison Phillips/170.62
6. Blink/Hardin Towell/170.00
7. Who’s On First/Addison Phillips/169.62
8. Pavarotti/Teri Kessler/167.25
9. Cello/Holly Orlando/83.25
10. Sublime/Jessica Springsteen/83.00
11. Touchstone/Jenny Karazissis/82.75
12. Due North/Clementine Goutal/82.75