Keean White of Rockwood, ON, won the $20,000 Open Welcome, presented by Wellings of Stittsville, on Thursday, July 12, at the Ottawa National Horse Show held at Wesley Clover Parks in Ottawa, ON.
A starting field 31 entries contested Thursday’s featured class with seven jumping clear over the track set by Canadian course designer Michel Vaillancourt to advance to the tie-breaking jump-off. As the third rider to contest the shortened jump-off course, White moved into the lead with a clear round in a time of 42.85 seconds riding Leilani, owned by Angelstone Farms and Lisa Marie Gauthier.
The next rider to challenge the jump-off was Hugh Graham, 69, of Schomberg, ON, riding the Canadian-bred entry of Knock Out 3E owned by KingRidge Stables. While the pair had the fastest time, stopping the clock in 41.92 seconds, the crowd groaned as a rail came down at the final fence. Jonathon and Ian Millar, both of Perth, ON, were clear in the jump-off with Dublin and Ericson respectively, but neither could catch the time posted by White.
White, 35, has only been partnered with his winning mount, Leilani, for less than one year.