Mathis Schwentker of Germany made it two nights in a row, riding NKH Caruso to victory before a crowd of 4,549 in the $100,000 International Omaha Grand Prix at the 2019 Burlington Capital International Omaha. Schwentker rode the same horse to victory Friday night in the $100,000 RFD-TV InIt2Winit Speed Jumping Series Championship.
Mathis Schwentker & NKH Caruso (c)Lili Weik Photography
Schwentker was one of six from the field of 29 to reach the jump-off by riding fault-free over the 15-jump, first-round course designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral of Portugal. He was third to return for the 8-jump tiebreaker and he turned in another clean round and a time of 31.730 seconds to take the lead from his stable-mate, Erin Davis-Heineking, who was clean in 32.640 seconds on Leonie.
Davis-Heineking had the only other clean ride in the jump-off, finishing in 36.823 seconds on Cento Blue, to take third place and make it sweep of the top three places for Heineking Show Stables. Christian Heineking, Davis-Heineking’s husband, has won the International Omaha Grand Prix a record four times in addition to winning last year’s $100,000 InIt2Winit Championship.
Mathis Schwentker & NKH Caruso (c)Lili Weik Photography
“I was able to watch Erin’s ride and she was super fast,” Schwentker said. “I knew I had a fast horse so I thought I could be a little bit faster. Coming to the last fence, though, Caruso saw it a little late so I had to settle him a bit but it turned our time was still fast enough.
“I am really fortunate to ride with Christian and Erin and have the support of the Davis family. It’s a super team and I am so happy to be part of it.”
The two fastest jump-off times were actually turned in by the class’s defending champion, Hunter Holloway, but she had one rail down on both Lucky Strike and Eastern Jam to take fourth and fifth place respectively. Sixth place went to the only other combination to make it to the jump-off, Frank Owens and Ambienta S.