Wednesday, July 26, 2000
Horse show jumping
Olympic-caliber riders among entrants at Turfway
By Joe Wessels
Enquirer contributor
FLORENCE — Cincinnati is home to world-class riders during the Greater Cincinnati Classic Horse Show, a stop on the Grand Prix circuit, which features a handful of Olympic hopefuls among the international competitors in more than 130 classes at Turfway Park.
The event culminates at 8p.m. Saturday with the $75,000 Carl H. Lindner Family American Jumping Classic at Galbreath Field in Mason.
Two standouts here, Margie Goldstein-Engle and Todd Minikus, are ranked third and sixth respectively in a field of 12 potential Olympians. The top four get to compete in Sydney, and one alternate also attends. Final Olympic selection trials begin Aug.2.
Goldstein-Engle, 42, has quite a resume already. She's the American Grand Prix Association's only six-time Rider of the Year (1989, '91, '94, '95, '96 and '99) and also has set several records, including the most AGA wins with the same horse in the same season. She also became the first rider ever to place first, second, third, fourth and fifth in a single Grand Prix.
“This is actually one of my favorite shows,” the West Palm Beach, Fla., resident said about the GCCHS. “The (competition Saturday), it's a great class.”
Goldstein-Engle and Minikus competed in the $40,000 Adrian J. French Grand Prix last Sunday at Turfway.
Minikus, 38, said he thinks he can move up in the Olympic standings to make the Games.
“We have to gain a little bit, which is sometimes easier than holding your position,” said Minikus, of Loxahatchee, Fla.
“At the beginning of the year, there were quite a few people who felt as though my horse was prob ably ready to do the Olympics.”
Regardless of which riders make it, Minikus said he predicts a third-place finish for the U.S. Olympic horse jumping team.
Minikus and Goldstein-Engle will compete against each other again at the trials. Horse jumping has no age or gender separations.
“It's one sport where everyone competes equally,” Goldstein-Engle said. “I think it's the only sport (that competes equally). Since I was a kid, I'd always ... played football or baseball. Anything I did I would like to compete against the guys around the neighborhood. I was always kind of a tomboy.”
Tickets for the show Saturday are available through TicketMaster (562-4949) or at the gate. They are $15 for adults and $10 for children for center seating. For side seating, tickets are $7.50 for adults, $5 for children. Proceeds benefit the Shriners Burns Hospital and local scholarships.
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