Alexandra Pielet (Highland Park, IL) and Helene Ve claimed their first national Grand Prix win together on Sunday, flying around the jump-off course in a time of 41.815 seconds to earn the win in the $25,000 Sunday Classic at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) to conclude Tryon Summer 3 competition. Gavin Harley (Wellington, FL) and the Wolfstone Stables & Sales Inc. entry Corbawido PS, a 2012 Oldenburg gelding (Cornet’s Balou x Annette), sliced their way to second on a time of 42 seconds, while Taylor Land (Atlanta, GA) and Liroy 30, a 2009 Warmblood gelding (Levistano x King Kate) owned by Pinetree Farms Inc., earned third on a time of 42.133 seconds.
Alexandra Pielet on Helene Ve. Photo by Sportfot.
The course set by Peter Grant (Calgary, Alberta) saw 27 trips test the first round, with ten horse-and-rider pairs returning for the jump-off round. Pielet and the 2007 Belgian Warmblood mare (Diamant de Semilly x Tiffany) owned by Co-Pielet, LLC have been partnered for five years, “from the Children’s Jumpers to this, which is actually my first Grand Prix win,” she revealed. “She’s like my pride and joy.”
“The course was very nice for my horse because she naturally likes to shift a little bit to the left, so it was nice that most of the jumps were going right,” Pielet detailed. “The triple out of the corner was kind of difficult because it was an oxer, vertical, vertical, right out of the turn, and she jumped through that awesome. I was really happy with how she went. She’s quick across the ground, so time wasn’t a factor.”
Alexandra Pielet on Helene Ve in their presentation ceremony. Photo by Sportfot.
Taking an inside track that set her almost four seconds ahead of the existing leader with half the jump-off competitors behind her, Pielet explained that her plan was “to just kind of go for it – I had nothing to lose. There was the standard rollback to the vertical after jump two, and I didn’t really know whether I was going to go inside or around it, but I showed it to her when I went in. After my first few jumps I thought she was feeling good, so I just went for it and went right inside.”
For full class results, click here. The Tryon Summer Series continues with Tryon Summer 4, featuring the fourth annual Pony Spectacular week at TIEC.