Lisa Carlsen (Okotoks, AB) and Livestream 2 (Lordanos x Landadel) led the victory gallop in the $200,000 Valencia Sport Saddlery Grand Prix at the Desert International Horse Park, finishing with a jump-off time of 37.308 seconds. Keri Potter (Del Mar, CA) aboard Hannah Loly’s Ariell la Sirene (Arioso du Theillet x Silvio I) finished in second with a time of 37.647 seconds in the short course. Neil Jones Equestrian, Inc’s Cirus du Ruisseau Z (Chellano Z x Carthago Z), ridden by Cassio Rivetti (Wellington, FL), were awarded third for their jump-off time of 38.973 seconds.

Carlsen and the 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding, owned by Attache Stables, have only been paired together since December. “Ben Asselin was down here [at DIHP] showing and he had Livestream and another horse in the Grand Prix,” Carlsen commented. “Livestream had a lot of blood and the grooms were telling me about the horse and I really wanted to ride him.”

Thirty-five pairs challenged the Grand Prix course with 14 riders returning for the jump-off. Livestream 2 was the final horse to challenge the short course, “I’m just getting to know this horse, if there had been one clean round, then maybe I would’ve chosen to be a little slower,” Calrsen explained, “but if you are slow and you have a rail then you’re at the bottom of the barrel.”

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