The 2019 Great Lakes Equestrian Festival (GLEF), presented by CaptiveOne Advisors, LLC, culminated six weeks of world-class competition at Flintfields Horse Park on Sunday with the $133,700 CaptiveOne Advisors Great Lakes Grand Prix CSI3*. After a successful campaign in Traverse City, Jim Ifko (CAN) earned the final victory aboard Un Diamant Des Forets, owned by Eventyre Farms Ltd., to ultimately capture the grand prix win and the $25,000 CaptiveOne Open Jumper Rider Bonus.

Thirty-nine horse-and-rider combinations rode across Michel Vaillancourt’s (CAN) 16-effort 1.60m track, which tested athletes with a two-to-one-stride triple combination (oxer-vertical-oxer) at the fourth obstacle. Seven pairs tackled the first round fault-free to return for the jump-off round including Friday’s $35,700 NetJets Classic CSI3* winner, Ali Woff (USA) with John Wolff’s Quirie 2, and Catherine Tyree (USA) who qualified both Mary Tyree-owned mounts Enjoy Louis and Catungee, respectively.

The jump-off saw its first clear round from Schuyler Riley (USA) and Katherine Gallagher’s Robin de Ponthual, but they were quickly overtaken by Ifko and the 11-year-old Selle Français stallion as the pair flew to an impressive time of 38.590 seconds. Alison Robitaille (USA) was next to enter the ring, challenging the leading time aboard Bertram Firestone’s Ginger Pop with a clear effort, but fell short with a finishing time of 39.800 seconds.

Advertisement