Desert Circuit V at HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California, concluded with Sunday’s $50,000 Grand Prix sponsored by OSPHOS. Thirty-Six elite competitors battled it out for the chance to wear the long blue ribbon in the victory gallop and a share of the $50,000 purse.

Anderson Lima, of Brazil, designed a demanding 16-effort course. Only six would jump the course fault-free to progress to the jump-off and compete for the OSPHOS cooler, the blue ribbon, and the winner’s share of the prize money.

First to return for the jump-off was Chacna owed and ridden by Mexico native, Enrique Gonzalez. With the shortened jump-off course of 9 jumping efforts, Gonzalez knew he had to take full advantage of quick ground-saving turns to contend in the competitive jump-off field. Gonzalez and Chacna laid down a well-executed round, but an unfortunate rail at the first fence earned them four faults as they crossed the timers in 49.551 seconds and an eventual fifth-place finish.

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