A hefty field of 48 entries from five nations took to the limelight Sunday afternoon, July 12 for the $50,000 Meijer Grand Prix CSI2*, the highlight jumper event of Week Two of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by CaptiveOne Advisors LLC. Battling a hefty jump-off field of 15 qualifiers, Spencer Smith (USA) and Ayade Hero Z, owned by Ransome Rombauer, showed off their precision and swiftness as one of the final combinations to battle over the track, emerging victorious as the quickest of only four double-clear pairs.
Spencer Smith and Ayade Hero Z. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.
For the first round of riding, course designer Bernardo Costa Cabral (PRT) crafted a 16-effort track that was contested by exhibitors from the United States, Canada, Israel, Ireland and Great Britain. One of the first in the order, Sophie Gochman (USA) jockeyed Andretti BH to the initial clear round to kickstart the class, followed soon after by Amanda Derbyshire (GBR) on Luibanta BH to force a jump-off. By the halfway point in the first round, seven more riders had added their names to the jump-off list with the reins on their respective mounts, including Hunter Holloway (USA), Charlie Jayne (USA), Andrew Bourns (IRL), Tanner Korotkin (USA), Brian Moggre (USA), Nicholas Dello Joio (USA) and Teddy Vlock (ISR). The latter portion of the phase procured six additional fault-free performances from athletes such as Austin Krawitt (CAN), Smith, Stephen Moore (USA) and Rich Fellers (USA), as well as second mounts for both Holloway and Korotkin.
All told, the list of returners encompassed 15 eligible horse-and-rider partnerships that qualified for the tie-breaker thanks to clear first performances. As the second to tackle the track, Derbyshire and Luibanta BH set a speedy precedent for the class, stopping the clock in 40.450 seconds with all the rails still in their cups. Improving upon the leading pair’s time by mere milliseconds as the twelfth duo to ride the abridged pattern, Smith and Ayade Hero Z sliced across the course with efficient footspeed, tripping the timers in 40.360 seconds to eclipse Derbyshire and claim their stake at the top with only a few remaining. Galloping on an equal clip, Moore piloted Team De Coquerie to a nail-biting round that looked like it would supersede the leaders, but downed the final fence and finished one-hundredth of a second too slow in 40.370 seconds.
The remaining pairs continued to try to chase down Smith and Ayade Hero Z, but none would catch them, solidifying the partnership as the winners of Sunday’s $50,000 Meijer Grand Prix CSI2*. Thanks to their quick time near the head of the class, Derbyshire and Luibanta BH, owned by Gochman Sport Horse LLC, claims the runner-up position, followed by Holloway and Hays Investment Corp.’s Lucky Strike in third place with a final time of 43.050 seconds.
Of the jump-off, Smith stated, “I watched Amanda [Derbyshire] go and I thought, she’s known as a fast rider and she just put it down there. I didn’t know if I could catch her but I just went all out because she was so fast and hoped it would work, and luckily it did. It was a little risky, definitely a risk, but I trust [Ayade Hero Z] pretty well, she is all the quality, she will go all the way to the big level, so I think this was no problem.”
Spencer Smith and Ayade Hero Z. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.
Over 11 weeks of riding in Traverse City, FEI competitors are vying for the top spot in the CaptiveOne Advisors $30,000 Leading Jumper Rider Bonus standings. The bonus prize will be awarded to the rider who accumulates the most points in competitions $25,000 or more in prize money following the conclusion of the $213,300 CaptiveOne American Gold Cup Grand Prix CSI4* on September 13. Out of the 15 jump-off contenders, only Fellers had enough points to sit within the top five prior to the class, and his sixth-place finish pushed him a few points closer to the top, but not enough to overthrow leader Jonathan Corrigan (IRL).
Throughout three days of the week, the Team Welles Medium Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers featured three classes, with the first $1,000 class Thursday, July 9 won by Dominic Gibbs and Mountain King Ranch LLC’s Delia B, who bested a 20-horse jump-off. Friday, July 10 featured the $1,000 speed class that gave a victory to Mia Albelo and Esperanza Imports LLC’s Cedan. The division concluded Saturday, July 11 with the $7,500 Team Welles Medium Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic, which saw 28 entries, six of which qualified for a spot in the jump-off. The quickest of only three double-clears, Nicole Bellissimo and her own Galanthos B claimed victory by fractions of a second in 36.015 seconds, trailed by Eric Krawitt and AES Equestrian’s Godfather B Belesbat in 36.740 seconds. Olivia Lawton and Froukittaire, owned by Olivia Lawton M.D.L. LLC, rounded out the podium in 38.520 seconds.
Nicole Bellissimo on Galanthos B. Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography.
Thanks to their triumph Saturday, Bellissimo and Galanthos B were awarded the title of division champions, as well. Krawitt and Godfather B Belesbat tied for the overall reserve championship with Isabella Russekoff and Suave Pony LLC’s Calvero IV.
Sunday’s action completed the second week of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, presented by CaptiveOne Advisors LLC. Equestrian competition will return to Flintfields Horse Park beginning Wednesday, July 15, the first day of the third week of the six-week series.
Full Class Results: $50,000 Meijer Grand Prix CSI2*
Place / Horse / Rider / Country / Owner / R1 Faults | R1 Time / R2 Faults | R2 Time
1. Ayade Hero Z / Spencer Smith / USA / Ransome Rombauer / 0 | 73.72 / 0 | 40.36
2. Luibanta BH / Amanda Derbyshire / GBR / Gochman Sport Horse LLC / 0 | 70.47 / 0 | 40.45
3. Lucky Strike / Hunter Holloway / USA / Hays Investment Corp. / 0 | 71.39 / 0 | 43.05
4. Sanjay / Austin Krawitt / CAN / AES Equestrian / 0 | 73.48 / 0 | 44.07
5. Team De Coquerie / Stephen Moore / IRL / Vlock Show Stables LLC / 0 | 70.88 / 4 | 40.37
6. Lux Lady / Richard Fellers / USA / Richard Fellers / 0 | 71.82 / 4 | 41.32
7. MTM Vivre Le Reve / Brian Moggre / USA / Major Wager LLC / 0 | 72.97 / 4 | 42.13
8. Tou La Moon / Charlie Jayne / USA / Alex Jayne & Maura Thatcher / 0 | 72.24 / 4 | 42.81
9. Eastern Jam / Hunter Holloway / USA / Hays Investments Corp. / 0 | 71.66 / 4 | 42.95
10. Ricore Courcelle / Teddy Vlock / ISR / Vlock Show Stables LLC / 0 | 70.39 / 4 | 45.87
11. Andretti BH / Sophie Gochman / USA / Gochman Sport Horse LLC / 0 | 71.89 / 4 | 46.23
12. Darquito / Andrew Bourns / IRL / Andrew Bourns / 0 | 72.28 / 4 | 47.22