With major competitions from coast to coast and abroad, the show jumping scene really heated up this week.
The richest grand prix in the U.S. was the $340,000 Brainjuice ACTIVE 5-star at the Desert International Horse Park in California, where Dutch rider Mathijs Van Asten and Hotspot’s time of 36.64 seconds took the honors far ahead of their rivals.
Mathijs van Asten and Hotspot (High Desert Sport Photo)
When he planned his round, Mathijs had his eye on world number one Kent Farrington with Toulayna, winner of the qualifying class last week.
“I know I have to take some risks because when Kent Farrington is behind you, then you know that it’s very hard because he’s very hard to beat,” said Mathijs, who was able to come through because of the close tie with the mount he broke in himself.
“So I tried to ride my own route and took some risks from the double to the vertical in the corner. I did one stride less than the rest, and I got a really forward distance to the last one. I think there I made my time.”
As it happened, Kent had a knockdown on the route designed by Colm Quinn and Alan Wade, winding up fifth, so second-place went to Callie Schott and Uricas v/d Kattenvannen, timed in 39.04 seconds for their clear round. Conor Swail, a regular at DIHP, was third on Casturano in 39.4 seconds.
At the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla., Lillie Keenan enjoyed her second big WEF win, taking the $215,000 NetJets 4-star with Fasther. A rollback early in the jump-off and a leave-out in the last line were the keys to her victory in 40.56 seconds. Second over the Peter Grant-designed course was Florida-based Irish rider Shane Sweetnam with Rural Juror SCF in 40.87 seconds.
“That final line was a risky moment, but I think it made the biggest difference,” said Lillie, who is mentored by six-time U.S. Olympian Mclain Ward, who selected her mount.
“He’s my heart horse—he has a fire inside of him; loves to jump, but he really loves to run,” Lillie said.
“We struggled a lot at first with rideability, but I have grown up with him; I trust him so much, and he tries so hard for me.”
On the previous weekend, she won the $50,000 Palm Beach Equine Clinic Grand Prix with Highway TN, who she has leased for the season. The horse has been ridden by Willem Greve of the Netherlands, but that rider is focusing on this summer’s world championships with other horses, which made Highway available.
Meanwhile, in Qatar where a new series is under way, British star Scott Brash had two major victories in the same show. He took the 1.50 meter class with Hello Folie, and the 1.60 meter test with Hello Mango.
Click here for results of the Brain Juice Grand Prix
Click here for results of the NetJets Grand Prix