Gulf Coast Winter Classic Competition Heats Up

This is the fifth week of the Gulf Coast Winter Classic horse show and the competition is really beginning to heat up. This Sunday, March 8th, riders will compete at the Grand Prix event for the largest cash prize of the competition, over $77,000.

The Gulf Coast Winter Classic is in full swing, and while the weather Wednesday was a bit gloomy, it didn’t stop riders and their horses from putting their best hoof forward. Matt Cyphert, Grand Prix jumper rider and trainer, says, "It’s about the most thrilling thing you can do up here. If you’re jumping an athletic horse around jumps, especially at speed, it’s a thrill."

Sharing that thrill with other riders and the public is what the Winter Classic is all about, and they’ve been doing it at the Harrison County Fairgrounds on County Line Road for almost two decades. Audrey Winzinger, wife of a trainer, says, "This is a great show grounds, it was a great show grounds 15 years ago and it has only gotten better every year."

One of the top course designers in the world says the Harrison County grass jumper Grand Prix field could be the best in North America, something event organizers hope will entice city leaders to continue to support the Classic. Janet McCarroll, show coordinator, says, "For us here, it’s all about the competition and the horses. For the community, it’s more about what we bring. These people are in hotels, they’re in restaurants, they’re shopping. It is the demographic they’re looking for."

For many, a horse is a horse, of course of course, but these horses are competing at the Gulf Coast Winter Classic for national points and prizes in Gulfport, of course. Winzinger also says, "This particular horse show raises the bar a lot for this area, but also in general. They’ve been Members Choice Awards, meaning the riders voted them best horse show in the area."

While the Classic awards over $1 million in prize money, many of the best riders are eying this Sunday’s Grand Prix for the "blazing sevens" prize of $77,777. Cyphert closes, "My horse is jumping very well. I think at this level, you have to have a little luck on your side. I think my horse is riding well and I’m certainly going to give it a shot.”

While it will take a couple of weeks to get the official results, organizers say this year’s Classic should post record numbers.