It was Sam Walker (CAN) and Marbill Hill Farm’s Coralissa who jumped to the top of the leaderboard after 63 horse-and-rider combinations took to the Derby Field at PBIEC in Welliongton, FL, in the $25,000 Hermès Under 25 Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon, with nine pairs returning to the jump-off round set by designer Catsy Cruz (MEX).

Walker and the 2010 Holsteiner mare by Com Air were one of two combinations to put in two fault-free rounds, finishing the short course in 43.89 seconds. “This past year with the pandemic, I pretty much took a full year off from competition,” said Walker. “To come back out here and do so well today, to feel her still in her prime, it really means a lot to me.”

Walker stuck to his plan from start to finish and was thrilled with the pay-off. “My first round went according to plan,” he explained. “Every line I had walked in in the course walk and observed when watching the rest of the class, I stuck to the plan all the way around. My horse was really good today and jumped fantastically. The first round set us up very nicely for the jump-off. Going into the jump-off, my horse is super-fast but has a shorter step, and I took that into account. I stuck to my plan and just went for it.”

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