It takes the best to beat the best in the Rolex grand prix

It takes the best to beat the best in the Rolex grand prix

When show jumper Christian Kukuk said he had quite an “incredible” time on Saturday, he wasn’t exaggerating.

It started with the birth of his first child, a daughter named Lila. Then in the evening, the 2024 Olympic individual gold medalist faced and conquered a field of superstars at Florida’s Winter Equestrian Festival in the debut of the $750,000 Rolex U.S. Equestrian Grand Prix, as more than 10,000 enthusiastic spectators took it all in at the Wellington International showgrounds.

Both Christian Kukuk and the crowd at the Rolex Grand Prix enjoyed his victory gallop. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)

The class, the WEF finale,  was part of the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s new U.S. Open series across the Olympic disciplines, and it catered to spectators in an effort to popularize the sport. Fans loved the updated intro on the jumbotron featuring videos of the top riders, and they flocked into the ring when invited at the end of the class so they could get autographs from their heroes.

“To have the quality of riders we have now: Olympic champions, world champions world number one, and to draw the crowds we have, it just shows this sport is a spectator sport and there are fans that want to be a part of this,” said Michael Stone, president of Wellington International.

“To see the kids get so excited to get autographs and photographs with athletes… is special. It’s so important that we bring the sport to everyone. We want to help in growing the sport and this event has set an incredible mark for how we can do that and the kind of people and passion we can get behind it.”

The 40 starters in the first round who tested themselves over Guillherme Jorge’s brilliant course was whittled to eight. How tough was the route set at 1.60 meters (with one fence an inch higher than that)? Those who didn’t qualify for the tiebreaker included world number one Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden with King Edward, world number two Kent Farrington with Greya and McLain Ward on his Olympic partner, Ilex. And there were plenty of other noteworthy competitors who missed the jump-off, among them Britain’s 2021 Olympic individual gold medalist Ben Maher and Dallas Vegas Batilly.

Course designer Guilherme Jorge. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)

The USA’s Laura Kraut, though, was right in the thick of things, demonstrating how her eager mount, Bisquetta, has come along since last year with a bravura blazing trip in 39.49 seconds over the eight fences of the shortened course.

“She has gotten more experience and I’ve taken her to a lot of good venues. Now she sort of understands what her job is,” commented Laura, 59.

She said the Zangersheide mare has moved up to first string status with her Olympic team silver medal mount, Baloutinue, who is sidelined with a small injury. That caused him to miss this coming week’s FEI World Cup Finals in Switzerland. Laura said she is being extra careful with Baloutinue because he is 15.

Her thought process is the same as Christian’s, who said he is conserving his Paris Games mount, Checker 47, because that horse also is 15, and is pointing him toward grands prix and next year’s world championships at Aachen. For this summer’s European Championships, he plans on using Just Be Gentle, winner of the Longines Grand Prix in Ocala earlier this month.

Laura Kraut and Bisquetta. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)

Laura noted she had been a bit cautious in the jump-off and left the door open by adding strides in two places during her ride, and Christian took advantage of that when he and Checker followed her trip.

“I knew that Laura was really fast and I had to try everything,” he explained after his second triumph of the 2025 WEF season.

“There is something special between him and this arena here. He has an extra gear,” Christian observed about the son of Comme Il Faut 5.

The German rider did just enough with the agile grey Westfalen gelding to cut 0.29 seconds from Laura’s time, and there was his victory in 39.20 seconds. He also won the class on his first visit to WEF last year, when it wasn’t part of the Rolex series, and offered less money. But it was still impressive, and I will never forget his 2024 victory gallop with the ribbon clutched in his teeth!

Third place went to Ashlee Bond, 39, representing Israel on her always steady Donatello 141, clocked in 40.41 seconds. The Westfalen won the USA’s only $1 million grand prix last December in Thermal, Calif.

Ashlee Bond was overjoyed to turn in the first clean round (Photo © and2025 by Nancy Jaffer)

Ashlee and Donny have been together for nine years and move as a unit, honed by a depth of experience. Although Donny is only 15..3 hands, smaller than most of his rivals, he makes up for it with determination and a desire to do well for his rider.

“He turned himself inside-out for me,” said Ashlee, and this despite the fact that he wasn’t as energetic as usual after an infection in his throat from an allergy. He won’t do any more championships, but she plans to prolong his career for as long as he wants to do it. After that, “he can give my daughter pony rides because he likes to do that, too.”

Christian packed a lot into the hours of March 29, and after his victory he still seemed stunned–but thrilled–about how it all turned out.

He explained everything with a big smile on his face.

Christian Kukuk was mobbed by spectators as he signed autographs after his victory. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)

“My wife, Veronica was pregnant and the due date was actually next week,” the 35-year-old rider recounted.

“Perfect, right after week12 (the last week of WEF). I was hoping she’d at least wait until Sunday (the day after the Rolex Grand Prix).”

However, they had to go to the hospital Friday night as the baby was on her way.

“Everything went really well. Both are healthy. I honestly can’t wait to see them again,,” said Christian.

“It’s a story you cannot really imagine,” he continued, adding he looks forward to telling the tale to Lila when she is older.

And for his part, he said, “I will always have very, very special memories of her birthday.”

Click here for results.

Freestyle success for a duo with heart

Freestyle success for a duo with heart

Heartbeat is a character.

The Dutchbred son of Charmeur doesn’t like other horses, wears a hood with sound-dulling earpieces so he can sleep and has been a “bit of a project,” over the last three years, revealed his rider, Kasey Perry-Glass.

But it has all come together, as demonstrated Friday night when he won his second Grand Prix Freestyle of the season at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Fla., with a score of 75.915 percent. He danced to an original score by Tom Hunt that featured the sound of a heartbeat.

Kasey got help from Ali Brock, who rode with her on the 2016 Olympic bronze medal team.

“I can’t thank Ali enough; she knows how to coach. And she doesn’t ruffle feathers…making sure everyone’s on the same page. She’s been with Heart since the moment I got him,” said Kasey, who enjoys working with a “teammate.”

Adrienne Lyle, who rode with Kasey on the 2018 silver medal World Equestrian Games team, helped design her Freestyle. The riders have been working together since Debbie McDonald stepped away from teaching.

Heart previously was ridden by Dutch competitor Thamar Zweistra, which meant “he was crank and pull, so just to make him a small person ride has been a lot,” Kasey commented.

She rose to fame with Dublet, now happily retired to her family’s California farm, where he shares his pasture with a pony and a mini-donkey.

There were multiple times that Kasey was supposed to go to Europe to look for Dublet’s successor, but her mother-in-law, Jill Glass, kept getting sick.

Although she was in hospice, Jill didn’t want Kasey to cancel her trip.

“You have to go,” Jill told Kasey, who was reluctant to be away at such a difficult time.

“The day I left, she passed away, so to find a horse named Heartbeat…” Kasey said, noting she feels very close to the family of her husband, Dana Glass.

Heartbeat wasn’t a slam-dunk.

“Everything about him was a bit hot. His trot was so mechanical,” Kasey recalled.

But “I tried him and we just clicked.”

The 12-year-old continues to develop, and his freestyle was a testament to how far he has come in his transformation.

Kasey Perry-Glass thanks Heartbeat for his winning effort. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)

“There was a lot of power and a lot to contain, but I’m starting to be able to manage it,” said Kasey.

“Sometimes Heart tries to overpower me, but tonight he proved that he can keep the power underneath me. It’s about figuring out what works for him, but once I get in the ring, he’s a true showman and he stepped up.”

Kasey is hoping to go to Europe later this spring with a U.S. team tour.

She was second Thursday to Marcus Orlob and Jane in the Grand Prix qualifier, but Marcus opted to do the Special instead of the Freestyle. (to read story, click this link.)

The Freestyle runner-up by a little more than a point, scoring 74.840 for her ride to a Neil Diamond medley, was veteran Ashley Holzer on Hawtins San Floriana. The Hanoverian mare was developed in Britain by Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin.

There was a period of adjustment with a “made” horse for Ashley, who usually brings her mounts through the levels herself.

Ashley Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)

“I took her to Carl’s last summer and worked on trying to create a partnership. It’s really just in the last few weeks that I’ve started to feel that she’s speaking my language. She really tries so hard, and it’s special when you feel a horse start to become your teammate,” she reported.

Third in the field of 10 was Canadian Camille Carier Bergeron, an Olympic veteran like the others on the podium. She said of her ride aboard the Oldenburg mare Finnländerin, “That test was one of the times she’s felt the most relaxed and most connected with me; very accessible. The trot tour felt like a win to me, and the piaffe/passage.”

Despite some hiccups in the lead changes as her test drew to a close, Camille said, “I was really happy with her.”  She was marked at 73.370 percent.

Janet Foy, head of the ground jury for the class, said of the officiating experience, “That was really fun for the judges. I’m a dancer (she competes in ballroom dancing), so there was a lot of great stuff going on in there. The top five or six horses were really special and did a great job.”

Click here for Freestyle results

 

 

 

A window into the future of developing dressage horses

A window into the future of developing dressage horses

How do dressage horses make it to the top of the game?

They gain experience through programs such as the Lövsta Future Challenge Developing Grand Prix Horse, which on Friday awarded the championship title in its finals to Jaccardo, ridden by Canadian Olympian Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu.

The 11-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding, who is at the upper age limit for the class at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, turned in a 72.500 percent test at the Wellington, Fla., venue. Jill Irving’s personable son of Desperado gives his rider “a sense of secure power.”

Brittany added that “Sometimes he’s a little bit cheeky, but what I need is to give him space and allow him to settle into the movement. I’m not putting too much pressure on him in the ring right now, I just want him to have a great experience so he’s ready for Grand Prix next year.”

Ashley Holzer, second in the Freestyle, helped Brittany, her longtime student.

Jaccardo and Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)

Second place went to Marcus Orlob and the stallion JJ Glory Day, with 70.842 percent for a test performed in a snaffle, which is allowed under the rules.

“Unfortunately, he wasn’t happy with the flower boxes today, but I can’t be mad at him,” Marcus aid of the nine-year-old Danish warmblood. He has been riding the horse owned by Alice Tarjan for five years.

“I think he has all the elements to be a good grand prix horse. He’s spicy enough, but not stupid in the head, and he likes to work.”

The partnership will continue in national Grands Prix this year, looking toward international classes in 2026.

Kelly Layne, who found herself back in the saddle of Living Diamond when the horse’s young rider gave up the sport, finished third on 68.579. The former Australian Olympian now rides as a U.S. citizen. She also was third last year on the Hanoverian she co-owns.

Antonia Ax:son Johnson, proprietor of series sponsor Lövsta Stuteri  got together with Swedish rider Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén a quarter-century ago. Their partnership has been a solid one, and Antonia trusts her opinion. When Antonia asked what was needed to develop top horses (jumpers as well as dressage) the series was born.

“At first we could hardly find anyone who wanted to enter, Antonia siad. “

“But today,” she pointed out, “we have a really strong tour,” which is active in the U.S., Sweden and the Netherlands. Eligibility begins for horses that are eight years old.

She explained, “Wellington is a place where we can give our horses, but also to others, an opportunity to grow and to learn at their own pace.”

During the innovative class, Tinne and judge Karin Pavicic told the audience what they thought of the horses.

“I absolutely love this combination,” Karin reported about Jaccardo to those watching.

“It’s super-exciting for the future in Canada,” she said.

 

 

It’s three in a row for dressage queen Jane

It’s three in a row for dressage queen Jane

Things were pretty quiet at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival on Thursday afternoon in Wellington, Fla. No one was in the stands, there were only a few people along the rail and the VIP area was peaceful.

But the wind ruffled the canvas on the tents around the ring, so when Jane made her entrance for the 4-star Grand Prix, she reacted.

The mare reared before she got close to the entrance of the arena. Remember Fury from the old TV show? She did a pretty good imitation.

As usual, however, her rider, Marcus Orlob, was on the case. Unflustered, he got her going, went down centerline and put in a winning test.

True, it wasn’t the sensitive mare’s best effort, but it was her third victory this season. Her talent is undeniable and when she pays attention to business, she shows some spectacular moves.

But then there are the distractions.

The Dutchbred daughter of Desperado spooked in the canter half-passes, getting uncharacteristic marks of 3’s and 4’s. The other mishap occurred in the flying change between the pirouettes, with three 4’s and a 5 along with a 7 (everything depends on vantagepoint from where a judge is sitting.)

The scores strengthened as the test drew to a close and she was awarded 8’s for her definitive passage down the final center line. Marcus and Jane were the only ones among 13 entries to break 70 percent, finishing on 70.630 percent, though two judges graded the performance at 71.413.

“I was actually disappointed a little bit, but somehow proud of her. Compare the entrance to the performance it was not that bad. Once she’s in the ring, she usually starts to settle. I think the good horses are a challenge,” said Marcus.

Look at the synchrony that Jane is showing in passage. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)

“I would like for her to go in the ring and feel calm and she keeps breathing. That’s my goal. She’s a fantastic horse. She’s just afraid.”

She’ll be seen again Saturday in the Special.

Why not the featured Friday Night Lights Freestyle, I asked Marcus.

“I didn’t want to start right away giving her too much atmosphere,” he explained.

“I think to do right away the lights with that many people, it’s too early for her brain, so I wanted to take it a little bit more easy on her. I have to be careful I don’t completely scare her. You see how she acts up around the ring. She’s afraid and stands up. I don’t want to give like a complete rodeo show here to the people.”

He’s been taking her over to the busy Winter Equestrian Festival down the street to get her accustomed to the buzz, where she doesn’t have to perform a test and he can desensitize her without an audience.

A native of Germany who is a U.S. citizen, Marcus began competing Jane for her owner, Alice Tarjan, who felt the mare needed a stronger rider. Marcus, who has been Alice’s trainer, made the Olympic team in Paris. But Jane spooked when entering the ring as she tried to follow another horse out and cut herself. The tiny scratch showed up on a white leg and she was disqualified under the blood rule.

Now his goal is to be among the six U.S. riders who will go to Europe this spring and he hopes to be chosen for the team that will compete at Aachen. That’s important, because it will be the venue for the world championships in 2026.

When Marcus has Jane’s attention, he’d like to work on getting “the neck a little bit out and softer again. And I think the piaffe/passage will be more expressive, softer through the body. I get the changes a little bit softer. But now I have a little bit the emergency grip that she doesn’t spook, that I keep her a little bit more conservative with me.”

He does feel it all can happen when she gets desensitized and trusts him.

Second place went to Kasey Perry-Glass on Heartbeat, marked at 68.022 percent. She figures to be the favorite for the freestyle.

Click here for results

 

 

 

Vera Kessels has passed away

Vera Kessels has passed away

Vera Kessels, a much admired dressage trainer, rider and effective clinician, died March 22 of ovarian cancer.

A native of the Netherlands with ties to the horse-dealing Hendrix family, she moved to the U.S. in 1995 with her Dutchbred horse, Dotato. They started showing a year later and continued through Dressage at Devon in 1998. Other mounts with which she had success included Urbanus and Jane Suwalsky’s Whitman.

Vera Kessels, who always shared her sunny smile. Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)

Vera married U.S. dressage rider Michael Barisone, who began showing Dotato in 1999, and the two ran the Hathorne Hill training stable in Long Valley, N.J. The couple later divorced.

She was a respected teacher. As trainerEliza Puttkamer Banks put it in a tribute on social media, “I owe where I am right now and the confidence I have, to Vera. One of the most outstanding supporters of our sport from the center of the ring, always keeping correct training and understanding of the horses as sport. We have lost one of our shining lights.”

Longines show jumping headed for New Jersey

Longines show jumping headed for New Jersey

The high-profile Longines Global Champions Tour is coming to Liberty State Park in Jersey City, bringing top level show jumpers from around the world to a new venue for the series.

They’re calling the Sept. 19-21 competition the Longines Global Champions Tour & GCL (Global Champions League) of New York, naturally — because New Jersey too often gets no respect. But the closest the show jumpers will get to New York is looking at the impressive view, which includes the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan.

The tour’s previous location in the area was Governors Island, which involved a lot of maneuvering. The only access to the venue was by boats and ferries, which was a logistical nightmare.

The Longines Global Champions Tour had a great view of Manhattan when it was on Governors Island. Photo © 2019 by Lawrence J. Nagy

Ben Maher competing on the Global Champions Tour when it was at Governors Island.

The tour last landed there in 2022, but GCT “always wanted to go back to New York. It’s a key city,” said the tour’s public relations manager, Floss Bish-Jones.

She explained that the tour, which has stops in London, Europe and the Middle East, is designed to offer people in the cities a chance to attend a sport they normally wouldn’t have a chance to see, and features dramatic backdrops for the competition.

The park hosted the Veuve Cliquot Polo Classic and is in horse-friendly surroundings, an important element because of the tour’s concern for horse welfare, said Floss.

Polo at Liberty State Park.

This will be the tour’s only location in the U.S. this year, since its Miami Beach leg had to be cancelled because it clashed with next month’s FEI World Cup Finals in Switzerland.

Tickets will be available in April, and announcements of events around the competition will be forthcoming in the effort to involve people in the region.

 

 

Overreaching changes to the federal Horse Protection Act put on hold

An arduous new requirement that managers of all equestrian competitions in the country would have to register with and report to the U.S. Department of Agriculture will not go into effect during 2025 show season.

The requirement was part of a proposed amendment to the act, which originally was designed to stop the practice of soring in Tennessee Walking Horses and  breeds that were abused similarly. USDA and its Horse Protection team will continue to work on what’s next,including additional postponement, and will continue to seek stakeholder input.

Click here to read a story that explains the background of the process to amend the act.

 

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Steffen Peters is coming to the USET

Steffen Peters is coming to the USET

Olympic dressage and World Championships team medalist Steffen Peters is offering a two-day clinic June 7 and 8 at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, N.J.

Auditors can enjoy the rare opportunity to learn from the former World Cup champion for a fee of $60 per day. One of the USA’s most decorated competitors and a mainstay of the team for nearly three decades, Steffen is known for his supportive teaching style as he offers instruction on the way for horse and rider to improve their performance.

Steffen Peters at the FEI Dressage World Cup Finals in 2023. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)

Lidiya Frumoval, who is organizing the sessions, noted that Steffen does only a few audited clinics annually, but the amateur trainer noted proudly that with persistent texting, “I wore him down.”

There is a waiting list for participants, who are paying $450 a day to ride in front of Steffen. However, as Lidiya noted, just being able to audit the clinic with the California-based rider is a valuable learning opportunity. Steffen will work for an hour with each rider, with participants ranging from First Level to Grand Prix.

Vendors will be on site with wares including boots, saddles and apparel.

To register, contact Lidiya at frumoval@gmail.com

 

A new generation of U.S. jumping riders will get a leg up from the USET Foundation

In order to ensure that U.S. show jumpers can clear financial barriers that would prevent them from representing their country in international competition, the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation is launching the Performance Pathway Grant Program.

The program is designed to provide critical financial support to jumping athletes who have earned the opportunity to compete as part of U.S. teams  or participate in specific high performance programs.

As the USET Foundation announcement pointed out, “From elite international championships to key developmental opportunities, the costs associated with representing the U.S. — including athlete travel, horse transport, coaching, and training — can be significant. This program helps bridge that gap by offsetting the cost of participation, ultimately ensuring that deserving athletes can focus on their performance rather than expenses.”

“The program will have a meaningful impact on the next generation of U.S. jumping athletes,” said USET Foundation Executive Director Bonnie Jenkins.

“The Performance Pathway Grant Program will enable riders to focus on their training and competition without the added burden of financial constraints. We are excited to support many more high-achieving and talented young athletes as they strive to successfully represent the U.S. on the greatest world stages.”

USET Foundation President and CEO Kristi Mitchem explained, “The goal of this new program is to pave the way for up-and-coming, talented athletes to pursue their dreams by minimizing financial barriers that too often stand in the way. It is our hope that this program will assist in fostering excellence and access in high performance jumping, ultimately bolstering the future of U.S. equestrian sport.”
This need-based grant program has been made possible thanks to Jennifer Gates Nassar, Nayel Nassar, and their team at Evergate Stables.

To qualify for the USET Foundation Performance Pathway Grant Program, applicants must be a U.S. citizen and a U.S. Equestrian Federation member in good standing, have been invited to or named to participate in a select USEF High Performance Jumping program or team, demonstrate financial need,  and compete in one of the following FEI categories: Children (Ages 12-14), Juniors ( Ages 14-16), Young Riders (Ages 16-21) or Under 25, (Ages 16-25).

The USET Foundation is the fund-raising partner of USEF.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis by the USET Foundation Performance Pathway Grant Committee, consisting of USET Foundation trustees and National Advisory Committee members knowledgeable about high performance sports and the associated costs of competing, individuals well-versed in financial aid and USEF sport leaders serving as advisors. For more information about the USET Foundation Performance Pathway Grant Program or to apply, click this link 

Questions can be answered at this link.

The Olympic champ can’t be beaten in Ocala

The Olympic champ can’t be beaten in Ocala

Being the first to go in a nine-horse jump-off at a $350,000 grand prix is hardly an ideal starting position, but Christian Kukuk of Germany made it pay off Thursday night at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla.

Christian Kukuk and Just be Gentle on their way to the win. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)

“It’s always quite difficult,” he reflected, but in the Lugano-sponsored fixture, he set a catch-me-if-you can pace of 40.61 seconds with Just Be Gentle that couldn’t be improved, even by Ireland’s intrepid Cian O’Connor, a mere 0.2 seconds behind with Iron Man. Swedish world number one Henrik von Eckermann, for his part, did no better than fifth place in 42.22 seconds with the plucky King Edward.

World number one Henrik von Eckermann plotted his jump-off route from the stands. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)

Although Christian, the 2024 Olympic individual gold medalist, wasn’t on his Games mount, Checker, he showed he has an equally talented number two with the sensitive mare, Just Be Gentle.

The course set by Alan Wade – who is also doing the route for Saturday’s featured Longines League of Nations — drew a stellar field of 37 with big names aplenty.

Christian believes there is more to come with his intrepid mount.

“We know each other now for quite a time but she is still only 11,” said Christian of the Dutch-bred beauty by Tyson. He had success with her at Ocala earlier in the season. Yet he found it was a different story when he traveled down to the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington for a 5-star grand prix under the lights.

“I realized okay, we were not that ready, so I had to go a step back,” he recounted about the good horseman’s strategy he employed to get her on track again.

Christian rode her in two other shows in Wellington and knew he was prepared for another big test at night in Ocala, which earned him the victor’s share, $115,000. Of his mare, he stated, “The more you ask of her, the more ability she gets.”

Cian also demonstrated the same sort of horseman’s strategy with Iron Man, who he got at the end of last summer.

“It took a while for the partnership to develop,” he said of the12-year-old Zangersheide grey by Charisma Z.

Cian O’Connor and Iron Man. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)

“He goes differently to some of my other horses,” Cian stated, adding he had to adjust his style to what Iron Man preferred.
“At the start, we were okay in small classes; over the last couple of weeks, he’s really clicked in. I just felt he was coming up nicely. I was so pleased. This is the first time I’ve gone a little bit more against the clock with him.”

Cian put it in perspective by noting, “Christian is obviously who he is, a champion, his horse is fantastic and very quick.”

At the same time, the pillar of the Irish team noted, “I was happy with my round. I looked up at the clock and saw it was point-2 (0.02 seconds behind) but quickly I realized it was still a pretty good result.”

These top riders have to look toward challenges from the 25 and under set. France’s Nina Mallavaey, 25, who rides Nikka vd Bisschop, finished third in a very respectable 41.14 seconds on the 12-year-old mare by top show jumper Emerald. Nikka previously was ridden by Erynn Ballard of Canada in the Olympics.

And the best American was Mimi Gochman,  a mere 20 years old, who really went for it on Inclen BH and was rewarded with a fourth-place finish in 41.20 seconds.

Mimi Gochman, the top American in the grand prix, on Inclen BH. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)

Laura Kraut and Hunter Holloway, the only other U.S. riders to make the jump-off, each had a rail down to finish seventh and ninth respectively.

Kent Farrington, the number two ranked rider who has been on a hot streak recently, toppled a pole with Myla in the first round, and McLain Ward, world number seven, tipped two rails with his longtime partner, the 17-year-old Callas.

Click here for results