Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 27, 1994 TAG: 9406270029
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Kevin Babington, who rode Tornado to $22,500 worth of first-place glory, did not come out of nowhere. He came out of Stockton, N.J., to win Sunday's exclamation point of the 23rd Roanoke Valley Horse Show at the Salem Civic Center for the first time.
Stockton may not be nowhere, but it's a long, long way from Tipperary. The Irish town romanticized in song and tale is the 25-year-old rider's true place of origin.
Tornado, a gelding of the French Selle Francais breed, survived a seven-horse jump-off to win the $75,000 Grand Prix that was sponsored for the first time this year by Rolex.
"I didn't expect to win," Babington said. "This is a great surprise."
Babington wasn't on the short list of pre-Prix favorites. In fact, he wasn't on any list except the one that contained the 24 entries.
Chroniclers of the competition were sent scrambling for biographies of young Mr. Babington. They turned to ring announcer Judd Webster, who has extensive files on every rider to straddle a show-jumper. Asked what he had on Babington, Webster shrugged and said, "Not much."
No, those who were considered contenders here did not include the compactly built Irishman aboard the French horse.
Everybody's gambling favorite, Margie Goldstein, had two chances to get into the jump-off, on Lacosta and Land of Kings. She failed on both accounts. Goldstein had placed first or second in the past five Grand Prix events in which she had competed.
Rodney Jenkins, a four-time winner here and a champion of 75-plus Grand Prix, couldn't spur Equador or S & L Second Honeymoon into the jump-off.
David Raposa, who won here in 1991 atop Seven Wonder, steered Alfredo to 12 faults this time.
Veteran rider Peter Pletcher was a slow 60.015 second in the saddle of Uncle Sam.
Still, the jump-off was an interesting and tightly contested affair. Vicky Miller, who twice won Open Jumper Stakes here this week, was second on Catch A Wave. The 20-year-old Englishwoman who now lives in Buford, Ga., also rode Green Card (the winner of Saturday's $10,000 Gambler's Choice) and Pilot Point in the initial competition.
Randy Johnson had a good run, finishing third on Wait 4 Me and fourth on Tommy.
Michael Endicott came all the way from California to ride U-Two to a fifth-place finish worth $4,500.
The rest of the order of finish was: Todd Minikus on Thrilling ($3,750); Elizabeth Solter aboard Flirtation ($3,000); Pilot Point and Miller ($2,250); Ace in the Hole with John Fitzgerald aboard ($2,250); Crown Royal Artos and rider Mark Leone ($1,500); Pletcher and Uncle Sam ($1,500); and Jenkins and S & L Second Honeymoon ($1,500).
This is the first year Babington has ridden on the Grand Prix loop. The Irishman won a $15,000 Grand Prix in Ocala, Fla., in March.
He and Tornado have been a team for about a year now.
"This week is the best he's ever jumped for me," Babington said.
Tornado was third in Friday night's Open Jumper event.
"I knew he could be faster than he was," Babington said. "I didn't push him, though. I wanted to keep his head good for today."
Fuzzy Mayo's course was, typically for Salem, tight as a bridegroom's belly.
"My biggest concern was the fence after the triple combination," Babington said. "I had planned to take it in either three or four strides. My plan was, if he could stay to the left of the combination, I'd go for four. I didn't think he could do it, but he did fairly well."
Fairly well, indeed.
"I'm ecstatic," Babington said. "It really hasn't hit me yet."
ROLEX GRAND PRIX OF ROANOKE
1, Tornado, Kevin Babington, $22,500; 2, Catch a Wave, Vicky Miller, $16,500; 3, Wait 4 Me, Randy Johnson, $9,750; 4, Tommy, Randy Jonhson, $6,000; 5, U-Two, Michael Endicott, $4,500; 6, Thrilling, Todd Minikus, $3,750; 7, Flirtation, Elizabeth Solter, $3,000; 8, Pilot Point, Vicky Miller, $2,250; 9, Ace in the Hole, John Fitzgerald, $2,250; 10, Crown Royal Artos, Mark Leone, $1,500; 11, Uncle Sam, Peter Pletcher, $1,500; 12, S & L Second Honeymoon, Rodney Jenkins, $1,500.
by CNB