The $50,000 Lugano Diamonds National Grand Prix was the highlight event of the morning as 26 elite show jumping competitors competed over a challenging track set by FEI Level III course designer Peter Grant (CAN). Erynn Ballard of Canada proved invincible as she piloted Ilan Ferder’s Kristal Brillante (Tangelo Van De Zuuthoeve x Brillante Dansante) to the only double-clean effort.

With a tricky triple combination and several unrelated lines in the first round, only four were able to answer all of the questions to qualify for the returning jump-off.

Ballard was the final athlete to attempt the jump-off track with the hopes of securing the first clean effort on the short course. “I had an advantage being last to go in a four-horse jump-off. The tricky part was that Dorrie [Douglas] was very fast. I basically had first or second because the horse that was currently in second had two down and the third had three down. With a slow effort and one down, I would be second. With a slow clear, I was going to win, so I took my chances, and I was able to make my plan simple – go clear.”

Advertisement