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.
Nicole Walker (CAN) and Panter JVH. (Winslow Photography LLC)
The first double-clear came from Nicole Walker (CAN) and her own Panter JVH (Le Blue Diamond Van ‘t Ruyters x Toulon), entering as the third pair in round two and securing a spot on the podium with a more conservative pace of 43.43 seconds. The penultimate athlete with several podiums already in the series, Delaney Flynn (USA) took Namamia (Fantomas De Muze x Berlin), owned by Windsor Show Stables, to the new time-to-beat of 43.06 seconds. However, the theme of each round improving upon the previous would hold true as Pratt edged ahead of the rest, finishing in 42.9 seconds for the win, sliding Flynn into second place and Walker in third. Petschenig would earn the fourth ribbon and McCarthy fifth.
“[Al] is a very special, careful, competitive horse…he’s very consistent and everything you want in a showjumper,” Pratt said of the 11-year-old gelding he partnered with just over two months ago. That consistency from Ideaal ES was on full display as he completed the Split Rock Fall series free of any jumping faults.
The tour will head next to Aiken, South Carolina in November for the Split Rock Aiken CSI2* adding its first year of hunter competition at the venue, before making its debut at Santa Anita Park for the Los Angeles National and Santa Anita CSI5*-W in partnership with 1/ST.
Results here.
More from News:
