Three weeks of hunter, jumper, and equitation competition concluded Sunday at the Kentucky Horse Park for the Lugano Diamonds Split Rock Jumping Tour’s (SRJT) Fall series as the finale week highlighted the $100,000 Lugano Diamonds 1.50m Grand Prix CSI3*. The jump-off saw the rounds get better and better, until it ultimately saved the best for last as the final pair in the ring for the Split Rock Fall 2 CSI3*, Chris Pratt (CAN) and Ideaal ES (Ukato x Conway), owned by Take the High Road, LLC, would secure the victory and the fastest double-clear finish.

The 16-effort track designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral, (POR) saw five pairs navigate fault-free, with the 76-second time-allowed potentially posing one of the biggest threats, keeping four combinations from the second round on only a single time penalty to make it 13 total pairs incurring penalties for time.

Simon McCarthy of Ireland was the first to show the way to a clear round with Ilan Ferder’s Narcotique v/h Dingenshof. Always one for a quick round, McCarthy knew he needed to deliver just that with the first spot in the jump-off and he laid down a blazing time of 38.87 seconds but his risks through the tight rollback and in the gallop to the final fence would cost him two rails to incur eight faults. Peter Petschenig (AUT) and his own Ennebel van het Posthuijs were next to go, but would pull a rail in their turn out of the double-combination for a four-fault finish.

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