A field of 48 at Aachen Saturday was headed by Lillie Keenan and her special partner, Kick On, finishing in 38.21 seconds to capture the 12-horse tie-breaker in the second qualifier for Sunday’s featured Rolex Grand Prix. The competitors in the 75,000 Euros class included the world’s top 25 show jumpers.
As always, Lillie didn’t set off on her round until she kissed her horse on the neck. It’s a good luck ritual, and it obviously works.
“I really enjoyed the moment,” said Lillie after her victory.
“Now it is time to reset; tomorrow is a new day and I want to give my absolute best once again,” she noted, setting her sights on the Rolex Grand Prix. She will be riding the Dutch-bred gelding, Fasther, fhe horse who took her to a sixth-place finish in last year’s CHIO Aachen highlight event.
“He is a very experienced horse. In my opinion, one of the best in the world. I think we have a very good chance, provided I do my job as well as I did today.”
Lillie Keenan and Kick On. (Photo Jasmin Metzner/CHIO Aachen)
Fellow American McLain Ward, Lillie’s mentor, was tenth on a newer mount, Lestro VD Valckenborg, over the serpentine route laid out at the German show by Aachen’s resident course designer, Frank Rothenberger.
Lillie was more than a second faster than runner-up Abdel Said of Belgium with Wathnan Bonne Amie in 39.59, while Jose Maria Larocca of Argentine was third on Chris (I love a simple horse name), who was timed in 40.10 seconds on the stallion.
The other U.S. riders didn’t fare as well. as Lillie and McLain. Laura Kraut had a rail in the first round and a slow time to finish thirty-second with Una Mariposa, while Aaron Vale was two notches behind her on Gray’s Inn. Karl Cook, who had uncharacteristic rails on Friday with his beloved mare, Caracole de la Roque, wound up fortieth on Foxy de la Roque, who toppled two poles.
Most surprising was the forty-fourth-place finish of world number one, Kent Farrington, on his new star, Descartes SR, who also had two rails, but was slower than Karl.
Click here to read the Day 1 story.
Aachen is having a May show for the Rolex Grand Prix because the August show will be the World Championships in all FEI disciplines.
Click here for Saturday’s results
